April 29: Israel reportedly asks Trump to put 2-3 week deadline on Lebanon talks amid growing Hezbollah attacks

Israeli Navy begins to intercept Gaza flotilla located hundreds of miles from Israel

The Israeli Navy has begun to intercept the activist flotilla sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, according to security sources.

According to tracking data, the Global Sumud Flotilla — which includes 58 vessels — is located near the Greek Island of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles from Israel.

In past attempts, the Navy has intercepted the boats much closer to Gaza’s shores.

Israeli Navy vessels reportedly approached and fired warning shots at one of the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, about 80–100 nautical miles south of Kalamata, Greece pic.twitter.com/Yx8Qsphd5h

— VolgaLad (@cym27s) April 29, 2026

Organizers of Gaza flotilla say Israeli Navy attempting to halt them at sea

The organizers of an activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade say the Israeli Navy is attempting to block them at sea.

“Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,” the Global Sumud Flotilla says.

According to tracking data, the flotilla is located near the Greek Island of Crete.

Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as “israel”, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees.

Boat communications are being jammed and a SOS was issued. pic.twitter.com/qjkFKLjqPw

— Global Sumud Flotilla (@gbsumudflotilla) April 29, 2026

Israel has previously dismissed the flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amount of symbolic aid they had been carrying with them to Israel or international organizations to be taken into the Strip and distributed via official channels.

Ottawa says ‘IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada’ after Iranian soccer officials leave country

TORONTO, Canada — Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “have no place” in Canada, Ottawa says, after top Iranian officials left the country before a FIFA Congress, citing the conduct of immigration officers.

Iranian outlets reported that the nation’s football federation’s president, secretary general, and deputy secretary general left Canada after being mistreated at Toronto’s airport on route to the FIFA meeting in Vancouver.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says it could not comment on specific cases due to privacy, but added: “IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada.”

IDF says troops fired on Palestinians throwing stones in Hebron; no soldiers hurt

The IDF says troops opened fire on Palestinians hurling stones at them in the West Bank city of Hebron this evening.

The military says no soldiers were wounded in the incident.

Earlier, the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry reported that a teenager was killed by IDF fire in Hebron.

Iranian soccer officials claim bad treatment by Toronto airport security, skip FIFA Congress

Iran is illuminated on the screen during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP)

VANCOUVER/TORONTO, Canada — The FIFA Congress in World Cup co-host Canada was overshadowed by a diplomatic row involving Iran, after the country’s soccer federation officials say they turned back at Toronto airport, citing their treatment by immigration officials.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reports that the delegation members, including federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary general Hedayat Mombeini, and his deputy Hamed Momeni, turned back upon arrival despite holding valid visas, citing what it described as “inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials.”

The officials — who had traveled to Canada to attend Thursday’s Congress in Vancouver — returned on the next available flight, according to the Tasnim report, which added that the incident involved an insult directed at one of the most decorated branches of Iran’s armed forces.

FIFA has since contacted the Iranian delegation to express regret over the incident and indicated that President Gianni Infantino would arrange a meeting with them at the organization’s headquarters, the report adds.

FIFA did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. A source at the FIFA Congress tells Reuters FIFA had sent a representative to mediate in Toronto, but their efforts were in vain.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell Reuters that the Iranian officials were also unable to attend Tuesday’s Asian Football Confederation Congress, which was also held in Vancouver, due to visa issues.

Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila named as men hurt in London terror attack

Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila are named by British Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mervis as those injured in today’s terrorist attack in London.

Please join me in praying for a swift and complete recovery for the victims of today’s attack:

Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and
Moshe Ben Baila.

— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) April 29, 2026

Trump says Iran has come closer to US position in talks, but not enough on nuclear matter

US President Donald Trump meets with NASA's Artemis II astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen in the Oval Office of the White House, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

US President Donald Trump reiterates his claim that Iran has moved closer to Washington’s position in talks, but has still not gone far enough with regard to the nuclear file.

“They’ve come a long way. The question is whether or not they’re going to go far enough. At this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear weapons,” Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office.

He claims talks with Iran are ongoing, while not specifying if they’re being held through mediators, as is assumed to be the case.

Trump again argues that it is not necessary for his negotiators to fly all the way to mediating Pakistan in order to hold talks that can be conducted over the phone.

Asked whether the Iran or Russia-Ukraine war will end first, Trump responds, “Maybe they’re on a similar timetable.”

Neither war appears to have a definitive end in sight, though, as Iran refuses Washington’s demands for it to permanently give up all enrichment capabilities and hand over its stockpiles of enriched uranium.

It has instead offered a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while pushing off talks on the nuclear file — an exchange that Trump has rejected.

Trump reiterates that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to help with the Iran talks by holding onto Iran’s uranium stockpiles, but the US president says he’d prefer Moscow focus on ending its war with Ukraine.

Asked about the United Arab Emirates’ decision to withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Trump says it’s “great.”

“It’s a good thing for getting the price of gas down, getting oil down, getting everything down,” Trump says, without elaborating.

Kremlin says Putin warned Trump of ‘damaging consequences’ if he renews Iran war

MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his US counterpart against “damaging consequences” of a new military action in Iran, a Kremlin aide tells reporters after the two leaders spoke by phone.

Putin “highlighted the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences not only for Iran and its neighbors, but also for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to military action once again,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says.

USS Gerald R. Ford to leave Mideast in coming days, return to Virginia — report

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, that has been part of Middle East war operations, arrives in the Croatian coastal city of Split for a scheduled port visit and maintenance stop on March 28, 2026. (ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP)

The USS Gerald R. Ford will sail back to the United States in the coming days after 10 months at sea, multiple US officials tell the Washington Post.

The departure of the aircraft carrier, one of three in the region, will mark a significant decrease in US firepower amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran, and as the US maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The aircraft carrier will likely arrive in Virginia around mid-May, one official says.

Palestinian teen shot dead by IDF in Hebron, PA says

A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by the Israeli military in the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian health officials say.

The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry identifies the slain Palestinian as 16-year-old Ibrahim Abdel Fattah Al-Khayyat.

The PA ministry said he was “killed by gunfire from the occupation army in Hebron.”

The IDF has no immediate comment.

#صورة للطفل إبراهيم عبد الخياط (15 عامًا) الذي استُشهد متأثرًا بإصابته برصاص الاحتلال الحي خلال اقتحام منطقة الحاووز بمدينة الخليل pic.twitter.com/xxQAZRx5xp

— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) April 29, 2026

Police nab another two minors suspected in Petah Tikva Independence Day killing

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)

Police have arrested another two minors suspected in the killing of Yemanu Zelka on Independence Day eve, bringing the number of suspects in the case to 13.

The pair, residents of Petah Tikva and Hadera, are suspected of partaking in the assault and eventual fatal stabbing of Zelka, a 21-year-old Pizza Hut employee, outside his work in Petah Tikva.

In surveillance footage of the killing, a group of youths is seen ambushing the young man and beating him before one of the assailants takes out a knife and stabs him. Some in the group keep beating him before leaving him to bleed out on the ground. He was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his wounds a day later.

Police say that one of the suspects arrested tonight helped another suspect hide from law enforcement the same night of the murder.

The pair will appear before a judge tomorrow, where police will request to extend their remand. Law enforcement’s efforts to locate additional suspects in the case are ongoing.

Trump says Netanyahu complained to him over court hearings, Herzog would be ‘national hero’ if he pardons PM

US President Donald Trump (center) walks with President Isaac Herzog (left), and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport, October 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv. (AP/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump continues to press President Isaac Herzog to grant a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing corruption trial, criticizing his efforts to arrange a plea deal for the premier in an interview with Channel 12.

In a conversation with the outlet, Trump divulges that Netanyahu spoke with him over the phone and complained to him that he had to be in court that same day and the next.

“In the middle of a war? Give me a break. Netanyahu can’t take a plea deal, he needs to receive a pardon,” the US president reportedly says. “He is a leader during wartime, he cannot continue with this trial hanging over his head.”

After past comments deriding Herzog as “weak” and “pathetic” for not granting a pardon to the premier, Trump seems to change his tone toward the president.

“I am very fond of Herzog. Tell him that I’ll really appreciate it if he gives Netanyahu a pardon. If he gives Netanyahu a pardon, he will be a national hero,” he is quoted as saying.

Qatar denies assuring ICC prosecutor it would ‘look after’ him if he pursued Israeli arrest warrants

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan talks before convening the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool)

Qatar flatly denies a Wall Street Journal op-ed claiming that Doha had assured ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan that the Gulf country would “look after” him if he pursued legal action against Israel’s leaders.

“Recent attempts to implicate Qatar in improper discussions with officials of the International Criminal Court – purportedly regarding potential arrest warrants for Israeli officials – are categorically false,” reads a statement from Qatar’s International Media Office

“These claims have been put forward by Israeli officials who have repeatedly spread false information about Qatar through selective leaks to serve their own interests. Their accusations have been consistently discredited and shown to be untrue,” the statement continues.

“It has become clear that these individuals are attempting to evade – at any cost – both domestic and international legal accountability for past and ongoing violations of international law. They wrongfully invoke Qatar’s name to divert attention from their own conduct and distort the facts in an effort to avoid legal scrutiny,” it adds.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu used the WSJ op-ed to blast the ICC as a “corrupt and morally bankrupt institution” that “should be closed.”

Ukraine’s FM amid fight with Israel: We will go after enablers of Russia’s grain theft

The war of words between Kyiv and Jerusalem over Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia being sold in Israel continues to escalate.

“We will go after Russia’s shadow grain fleet and its enablers across all geographies,” writes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X.

Ukraine, says Sybiha, will initiate “new sanctions in the EU, G7, and other jurisdictions on everyone involved in this theft and illegal trade.”

“We warn all entities and nations that we will react strongly to any theft of our grain,” he says.

Earlier today, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that Israel received Ukraine’s request for legal assistance regarding a vessel waiting to dock in Haifa, which is suspected of carrying grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territory, while taking a swipe at Kyiv’s handling of the issue.

In a post on X, Sa’ar said the request was submitted “late last night” after earlier public statements by Ukrainian officials, adding, “One would expect the submission of a legal request before Tweeting. You chose differently, for your own reasons.”

“With all due respect, Your Excellency,” responds Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi, “we expect action, namely for the State of Israel to stop accepting grain stolen from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories. When such action is taken, we will be most happy to receive relevant messages via X (former Twitter), WhatsApp, Signal, email, paper post, or any other channel of Your Excellency’s convenience.”

To that post, Israel’s own Foreign Ministry spokesman responds on X that Ukraine hasn’t provided evidence to back its claims.

“‘If the law is against you, pound the facts,” writes Oren Marmorstein on X, citing an adage among trial lawyers. “‘If the facts are against you, pound the law. If both are against you, pound the table and yell.'”

“With all due respect, if action is being requested, we expect evidence,” Marmorstein continues. “Not tweets. So far evidence hasn’t been provided.”

“If the law is against you, pound the facts. If the facts are against you, pound the law. If both are against you, pound the table and yell.”

With all due respect, if action is being requested, we expect evidence.
Not tweets.
So far evidence hasn’t been provided. https://t.co/wdlGWYs4ZW

— Oren Marmorstein (@OrenMarmorstein) April 29, 2026

Suspected Hezbollah drone shot down by IAF; interceptor fired at suspicious target over south Lebanon — IDF

A suspected Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon, which triggered sirens in the border community of Misgav Am, was shot down by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago, the military says.

In another incident, the IDF says an interceptor missile was launched at a “suspicious aerial target” that was identified over an area in southern Lebanon where troops are deployed.

In interview blitz, ex-PM Bennett vows to fire officials he deems serve political interests if he becomes premier

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett is interviewed on Channel 12, on April 29, 2026. (Channel 12 screenshot)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says that should he become prime minister again, he will “without a doubt” dismiss officials who he deems serve political interests rather than the interests of the country, as he conducted his first TV interview blitz since his political union with Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid this week.

The right-wing politician says in a Channel 12 interview that officials will be examined “not on the intentions [of their appointment] but on their performance, what they are doing” in their positions.

Bennett also gave interviews to other major TV networks, which aired this evening.

Without naming any names, he adds that he has seen “crazy things” in the Israel Police. “They’re becoming political,” he adds. “I suggest now and say to all the police leadership and every government employee, you are now under my scrutiny.”

“Wherever I see places of political exploitation of the role and un-statesmanlike work, of course I’ll cut [them loose],” says Bennett.

Speaking about his political union with Lapid in the new Together alliance, he says that both he and his centrist ally “displayed leadership” with the move. He calls on Gadi Eisenkot, another contender against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads the Yashar! party, to join a united bloc under his leadership.

“I made a decision and displayed leadership, Lapid displayed leadership, now it’s Gadi’s turn to display leadership, to join, the ball is with him,” he says.

Bennett urges those in the Zionist opposition to learn from the example of the current ruling coalition.

“One thing that I’ll say to their [the coalition’s] credit is that they all line up behind Netanyahu. I think that the Zionist opposition bloc under my leadership must learn from this,” he says. “Even if I’m not exactly everyone’s cup of tea, that’s OK.”

Speaking about the government’s legislation regarding Haredi enlistment, he says that draft evasion is “killing our soldiers” and blames the issue on Netanyahu and his coalition.

“The decision of the coalition to transfer billions to these draft-evaders, to prevent conscription that would have made it easier for our soldiers… is costing [us] in blood,” he says.

When asked if he blames Netanyahu for this, he says, “It’s all the coalition, it’s not just him, it’s costing us in human life.”

Speaking about the potential for him to unite with Ra’am, a moderate Arab party that was in his former government, Bennett says: “Since October 7, we have to rely on the union of servers [soldiers] and Zionist people. That’s how it is.”

“Will I care for the Arab citizens of Israel? Of course. But to depend [on an Arab political party?] No,” he adds.

Syria says it nabbed Assad regime general allegedly involved in 2013 chemical attack

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s interior minister says it detained an Assad-era general accused of involvement in the 2013 Ghouta chemical attack.

In a post on X, Anas Khattab says that “Adnan Abboud Hilweh, one of the most prominent officers responsible for the chemical massacre in Eastern Ghouta in 2013, is now in the custody of the Counter-Terrorism Department.”

US intelligence says more than 1,000 people were killed with sarin nerve gas in the suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, in 2013 during Syria’s civil war.

The attack was attributed to the Syrian government under the rule of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in late 2024.

The government at the time denied involvement and blamed rebels.

Hilweh was one of three Syrian generals accused by the US State Department in 2022 of involvement in “gross violations of human rights, namely the flagrant denial of the right to life of at least 1,400 people in Ghouta,” banning them along with their immediate family from entering the country.

اللواء عدنان عبود حلوة أحد أبرز الضباط المسؤولين عن مجزرة الكيماوي في الغوطة الشرقية عام 2013 بات اليوم في قبضة إدارة مكافحة الارهاب. pic.twitter.com/24QktTSIO6

— أنس حسان خطاب (@Anas_Khattab_sy) April 29, 2026

Sirens warn of suspected drone attack in Lebanon border community

Sirens warning of a suspected drone attack from Lebanon again sound in the border community of Misgav Am.

The IDF says it is investigating.

Putin suggests ideas on resolving Iran war in phone call with Trump, Kremlin says

US President Donald Trump (R) walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Andrew Harnik/ Getty Images/ AFP)

MOSCOW, Russia — Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held a phone call on Wednesday in which the Russian leader put forward ideas on resolving the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program and proposed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of World War Two next month, a Kremlin aide says.

Iran-linked group claims responsibility for London terror attack injuring two Jewish men

Forensic officers search the area after two people were stabbed in Golders Green neighborhood, that has a large Jewish community, in London, United Kingdom, April 29, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

LONDON — A little-known group believed to be linked to Iran claimed one of its “lone wolves” stabbed two Jewish men in a north London terror attack today, the SITE Intelligence Group reports.

“Zionists were targeted by our lone wolves in the Golders Green area of London,” Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), meaning The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, says in a claim posted online, according to SITE.

HAYI has claimed responsibility for a spate of attacks on Jewish-linked targets across Europe in the last two months, including several in the British capital prior to today’s stabbing, which police have declared a “terrorist incident.”

Over 1 million in Lebanon are set to face food insecurity in coming months due to war

BEIRUT, Lebanon — More than 1 million people in Lebanon are expected to face a food insecurity crisis in the months ahead as a result of renewed conflict and mass displacement, a global hunger monitor says.

A new analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has found that 1.24 million people will be unable to consistently meet basic food needs and will be forced to reduce the quality and quantity of foods consumed, or resort to harmful coping strategies to survive.

“These results underscore the severity of the current situation in Lebanon, where conflict intersects with economic pressures putting national food security under critical risk and juncture,” says Nora Ourabah Haddad, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ representative in Lebanon.

IDF chief says there is ‘no ceasefire’ in south Lebanon as fight against Hezbollah continues

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is seen on the border with Lebanon, April 29, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says there “is no ceasefire” in southern Lebanon as troops continue to operate against the threat of Hezbollah.

He also says that the IDF “will not tolerate” Hezbollah’s attacks, while adding that Israel will not leave its new security zone until the threat to Israel’s northern communities is removed.

“In Lebanon, the mission assigned to us by the political echelon is to position ourselves along the line to prevent direct fire on the communities. We have achieved this; this is the line we are on. We may be required to remain on it,” Zamir says during a visit this morning to the southern Lebanon town of Taybeh, where troops are deployed.

“We will not tolerate attacks and fire on our communities, and we will not leave until long-term security for the northern communities is ensured,” he says, according to remarks published by the IDF.

Zamir says the IDF is continuing to fight: “We continue fighting and are working to deepen the operational achievements and to protect our forces.”

“On the combat front, there is no ceasefire; you continue to fight, to remove direct and indirect threats from the northern communities, to thwart terror infrastructure, to locate and kill terrorists,” he continues.

“Any threat, anywhere, to our communities or our forces, including beyond the Yellow Line and north of the Litani [River], will be removed. Your mission and duty are to act with freedom of action and remove any threat,” Zamir says.

He says that “at this stage we are not advancing beyond the line, but we will continue to act and remove threats freely.”

“The forces on the ground continue to operate, and there is no restriction on [destroying] infrastructure and killing terrorists,” Zamir adds.

Zamir also says that “Everything defined for us by the political echelon regarding the current campaign in Iran and Lebanon has been achieved and even beyond that.”

“In doing so, we have created the operational conditions for the processes now being led by the political echelon,” he says.

Suspected Hezbollah drone shot down by IAF over south Lebanon, military says

A suspected Hezbollah drone was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.

The IDF says the “suspicious aerial target” was shot down before it crossed the border from Lebanon into Israeli territory, though it triggered sirens in the border community of Zarit.

Israel asks Trump to put 2-3 week deadline on Lebanon talks amid growing Hezbollah attacks — report

IDF soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israel asked the US to limit attempts to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough with Lebanon, and to maintaining a precarious semi-ceasefire with Hezbollah, to a 2-3 week timeframe, Channel 12 reports.

Israel is arguing that Hezbollah attacks on Israeli soldiers and communities are making an agreement extremely unlikely, while Israel’s deterrence is eroding the longer it holds off from a major response.

If no deal is reached by mid-May, according to the report, Israel wants US President Donald Trump’s blessing for the expanded campaign in Lebanon that it had been planning.

Sirens warn of suspected drone attack in northern community

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

The IDF says it is investigating.

IDF says it struck around 20 Hezbollah sites this morning, including arms depots

The IDF says it struck some 20 Hezbollah sites with airstrikes and artillery shelling in the southern Lebanon towns of Baraashit and Shaqra this morning.

The sites hit by the Israeli Air Force and the artillery regiment of the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division included weapon depots and other buildings used by Hezbollah for “military purposes,” the IDF says.

“The Hezbollah terror organization used these infrastructures to advance and carry out terror attack plans against IDF troops and Israeli civilians,” the military adds.

Haredi anti-draft protesters disperse after blocking Jerusalem entrance for several hours

Footage aired on Channel 12 appears to show ultra-Orthodox protesters from the extremist Jerusalem Faction have dispersed after blocking the main road into Jerusalem for several hours.

The protesters were rallying against the arrest of Yeshiva students who evaded the military draft.

Iran’s Ghalibaf says US blockade aims to ‘make us collapse from within’

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dressed in an IRGC uniform, chairs a session in Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026. (Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency (ICANA)/AFP)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has emerged as a figurehead since the start of the Middle East war, says the United States’ naval blockade of the country aimed to create division and “make us collapse from within.”

He says US President Donald Trump “divides the country into two groups: hardliners and moderates, and then immediately talks about a naval blockade to force Iran into submission through economic pressure and internal discord,” state TV reports.

With the killing of numerous Iranian leaders by US-Israeli strikes, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei, there has been widespread speculation over the balance of power within the Islamic republic.

Trump said earlier this month that the government of Iran was “seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so.”

Ghalibaf, a powerful figure, has grown in prominence since the start of the war and was the lead negotiator in the so far only round of direct US-Iranian talks.

“The enemy has entered a new phase and wants to activate economic pressure and internal division through naval blockade and media hype to weaken or even make us collapse from within,” he says.

He calls for “maintaining unity” as the only solution.

Hegseth defends Iran war to US Congress, says calling it a ‘quagmire’ gives ‘propaganda to our enemies’

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027, on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeks to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as “feckless” for criticizing the unpopular conflict.

“You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement,” Hegseth says before the House Armed Services Committee, slamming “reckless, feckless, and defeatist” Congressional Democrats.

Police release footage of arrest of man suspected of attack on nun on Mount Zion; shows victim with head wound

Israel Police releases a short video of yesterday’s arrest of a 36-year-old man on suspicion of attacking a nun near King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, stressing that it treats attacks on religious figures with “utmost seriousness.”

“Following a report of an assault against a nun in Jerusalem, officers responded immediately, launching an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect,” says the police on X. “A request to extend his detention is expected.”

“The Israel Police treats any attack on members of the clergy and religious communities with the utmost seriousness and applies a policy of zero tolerance to all acts of violence,” it continues. “In a city sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, we remain committed to protecting all communities and ensuring those responsible for violence are held accountable.”

In the latest sign that the police are taking the safety and sensibilities of Christians more seriously after a series of fiascos, the post is written in English.

France “strongly condemns” the attack, and calls for the perpetrator “to be brought to justice for this act and for justice to be served.”

Following a report of an assault against a nun in Jerusalem, officers responded immediately, launching an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect. A request to extend his detention is expected.

The Israel Police treats any attack on members of the clergy and religious… pic.twitter.com/1e0W8bobpo

— Israel Police (@israelpolice) April 29, 2026

AG says donations to Haredi yeshivas with draft evading students can’t enjoy tax-free status

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara at a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on September 30, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara determines that donations to ultra-Orthodox yeshivas with students who have not enlisted in military service after receiving conscription orders cannot enjoy tax-free status.

In an update to the High Court of Justice on the issue, the attorney general says that “the state cannot continue to indirectly finance” religious institutions where men who have failed to report for military service are enrolled, saying that granting such institutions tax credits would “encourage evasion.”

Baharav-Miara says that the tax authorities need further time to implement her instructions.

The High Court has explicitly ruled that the state must not provide any funds, directly or indirectly, to such institutions.

Ultra-Orthodox politicians lambaste Baharv-Miara over her instructions, with United Torah Judaism chair MK Yitzhak Goldknopf stating that she was acting “without restraint in her war against those who study Torah in the hold land.”

King Charles III ‘deeply concerned’ after two Jewish men stabbed in London terror attack

LONDON — King Charles III, on a state visit to the US, was “deeply concerned” after two Jewish men were stabbed today in a London attack police have declared a “terrorist” incident, Buckingham Palace says.

“His Majesty is being kept fully informed and is naturally deeply concerned, in particular about the impact for the Jewish community,” the palace says.

“His thoughts and prayers are with the two individuals who were injured and offers his heartfelt gratitude to those who so selflessly rushed to their aid.”

Trump rejects Iran offer, says blockade of Iranian ports will continue until a nuclear deal is reached

USS George H.W. Bush sailing in the Indian Ocean, in an image released on April 23, 2026. (CENTCOM)

US President Donald Trump tells Axios that he rejects an Iranian proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz while Washington lifts the blockade on Iran, pushing nuclear talks off.

The US will not lift its blockade of Iran until a nuclear deal is reached, Trump stresses. “They want to settle. They don’t want me to keep the blockade. I don’t want to [end the blockade] because I don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon,” he says.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing,” Trump says. “They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

The president also says that Iran’s energy infrastructure is going “to explode soon” if it isn’t able to export oil.

Meanwhile, three sources with knowledge tell the US outlet that the US Central Command has prepared a “short and powerful” bombing campaign in order to push Iran to accept US demands. The strikes would include infrastructure targets, say the officials.

60-year-old Palestinian herder, daughter, detained by IDF after settlers lay claim to their sheep

Two Palestinians are detained by IDF forces in the hamlet of Maghayir al ‘Abeed in the Masafer Yatta region of the southern West Bank, after extremist settlers laid claim to their sheep.

Those detained are Shahadi Mahamreh, a 60-year-old herder from the village, and his daughter. Video footage taken by civil rights activists in the hamlet shows Mahamreh handcuffed and blindfolded as he is led away by an IDF soldier

According to the activists, the settlers from nearby illegal outposts arrived earlier in the day and claimed that their sheep had gotten lost. They then accused Mahamreh of having taken them.

Police have been present in the hamlet for several hours in an apparent effort to clarify the situation.

Salaam Adra, one of the Palestinian civil rights activists at the scene, says that an IDF soldier beat a resident of Maghayir al ‘Abeed and one of the Palestinian activists during the incident.

The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment as to why Mahamreh and his daughter were arrested, or on the allegation that IDF soldiers beat people at the scene.

A police spokesperson tells The Times of Israel that police arrived at the scene after settlers claimed that their sheep had been stolen.

She says the police are photographing the sheep and will bring in a veterinary service to determine ownership of the sheep, adding that no sheep have been removed from the village at present.

Theft of Palestinian livestock by settler extremists has become increasingly common in recent years and has been documented in video footage on numerous occasions, including with the cooperation of IDF soldiers and in the Masafer Yatta region.

Civil rights activists and legal representatives for Palestinian herders have repeatedly reported efforts by settler extremists to cast doubt on ownership of livestock as part of their efforts to steal sheep, goats, and cattle.

Shahadi Mahamreh, a 60-year old herder, handcuffed and blindfolded as he is led away by an IDF soldier in the hamlet of Maghayir al ‘Abeed in the Masafer Yatta region of the southern West Bank, April 29, 2026. (Courtesy of Peace Bearer)

IDF says it destroyed Hezbollah rocket launcher in civilian building in south Lebanon

The IDF says it struck and destroyed a Hezbollah rocket launcher embedded within a civilian building in southern Lebanon today.

Troops of the Givati Brigade identified the launcher during operations in the Israeli-held security zone. The military says it was aimed at Israel and IDF troops stationed in southern Lebanon.

The IDF says it then struck the launcher “to remove the threat.”

צפו בתיעוד: כך ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה ממקם את משגריו בנכסים אזרחיים בדרום לבנון

כוחות חטיבת גבעתי בפיקוד אוגדה 91 זיהו מוקדם יותר היום משגר של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שהוצב בתוך מבנה אזרחי בדרום לבנון, בסמוך לכוחות צה״ל הפועלים מדרום לקו ההגנה הקדמי.

המשגר שאותר כוון לעבר שטח מדינת… pic.twitter.com/ySpB9FSliM

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 29, 2026

Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched several more explosive-laden FPV drones at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, in two separate incidents today.

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

Police arrest 12-year-old boy suspected of threatening others at school with taser

A knife and taser brought to school by a 12-year-old student, in Tel Aviv, April 29, 2026. (Israel Police)

Police arrested a 12-year-old Tel Aviv boy suspected of coming to school armed with a knife and threatening students with a taser.

Police say officers took the student to the station for questioning.

After London terror stabbing, British chief rabbi says ‘words of condemnation are no longer sufficient’

British Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis says “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient” after two Jewish men were wounded in a terror stabbing attack in London.

“This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader, and every decent person in our country. This is a hatred that we must face down together,” he writes on X.

Following the antisemitic stabbing of two Jewish people on the streets of Golders Green this morning, words of condemnation are no longer sufficient. This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader, and every decent…

— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) April 29, 2026

London police chief says suspect in stabbing attack has history of violence, mental health issues

Police officers patrol the high street after two people were stabbed in Golders Green neighborhood, that has a large Jewish community, in London, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

LONDON — The head of London’s Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, says the 45-year-old suspect in the London stabbing attack that wounded two Jewish men had a history of serious violence and mental health issues.

Rowley, during a news conference, says this was a “horrendous act of violence” directed against the Jewish community.

War in Iran cost US $25 billion, senior Pentagon official tells Congress

A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft takes off for a mission during Operation Epic Fury, March 14, 2026. (US Air Force photo)

WASHINGTON — The United States’ war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official says, providing the first official estimate of war costs.

Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, tells lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.

The United States started carrying out strikes against Iran with Israel on February 28, and the two sides are currently maintaining a fragile ceasefire.

The ceasefire declared by Trump came with core declared goals of the war unfulfilled, including ensuring that Iran does not attain nuclear weapons, destroying its missile program, and creating the conditions for the Iranian public to overthrow the regime.

IDF video shows first-person video drone killing Hezbollah operative

The Israeli military publishes a video showing a Hezbollah operative being targeted in a first-person video (FPV) drone strike.

Reservists of the 226th Paratroopers Brigade identified a Hezbollah operative in their area of operations yesterday. While he tried to flee on a motorcycle, the troops targeted and killed him using an FPV drone, the IDF says.

Hezbollah has also repeatedly targeted Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon with FPV drones in recent weeks. This week, a soldier and a civilian Defense Ministry contractor were killed in FPV drone attacks in southern Lebanon.

תיעוד ממצלמת רחפן של כוחותינו: מחבל חיזבאללה מנסה להימלט על גבי אופנוע ומחוסל על ידי כוחות חטיבה 226

צה"ל תקף כ-20 מפקדות ומבנים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במהלך הלילה

אתמול, כוחות חטיבה 226 בפיקוד אוגדה 146, זיהו באמצעות רחפן חמוש, מחבל מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שפעל בסמוך… pic.twitter.com/2AuZfzi1XH

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 29, 2026

Separately, the IDF says that overnight it struck some 20 Hezbollah command centers and other buildings used by the terror group to advance attacks, in several areas of southern Lebanon.

London police declare Golders Green stabbing a terror incident

A police officer talks with two boys where two people were stabbed, in Golders Green neighborhood, that has a large Jewish community, in London, April 29, 2026. (Lucy North/PA via AP)

London police’s counterterror chief Lawrence Taylor says the stabbing of two Jewish people in Golders Green has been declared a terrorist incident, in remarks to reporters.

“Our highly specialised teams of officers are working… to progress this investigation quickly and establish exactly what has happened,” says Assistant Commissioner Taylor.

“We’re also working with our partners in the security services to ensure we have a full intelligence picture,” he adds, noting “one of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London.”

Two people were seriously injured in the incident and were hospitalized in stable condition, and an assailant was apprehended, police said earlier.

Police working to disperse Haredi protesters blocking Jerusalem’s main entrance

Police say they are working to disperse ultra-Orthodox protesters from the extremist Jerusalem Faction blocking the main entrance into Jerusalem.

The rioters are rallying against the arrest of ultra-Orthodox military draft evaders.

It comes a day after Haredi demonstrators belonging to the same group breached the home of the head of the IDF’s Military Police in Ashkelon and blocked Route 4 near the central city of Bnei Brak in protest of the arrest of yeshiva students who have evaded military conscription.

מאות מפגיני הפלג הירושלמי עולים לכבישים באזור גשר המיתרים pic.twitter.com/5RedUufdit

— דניאל גרובייס Daniel Grovais (@daniel_grovais) April 29, 2026

Lebanon’s Aoun: We’re waiting for US to set date for Israel talks, but full ceasefire must come first

Lebanon is waiting for the White House to set a date for the start of direct negotiations with Israel, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun tells local business leaders.

The only path for Israel to achieve security, he says, is through negotiations, but it must accept a full ceasefire before talks.

“If Israel believes that through its violations and the destruction of border villages, it can achieve security,” says Aoun, “then it is mistaken, because it has tried that before and it did not lead to any result.”

The US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which started on April 16, was extended for an additional three weeks, US President Donald Trump announced last week during talks in Washington between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, despite continued cross-border violence.

Sa’ar to Al Arabiya: Hezbollah still dragging Lebanon into war despite ceasefire

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in an interview with Al Arabiya English, April 29, 2026. (Screen capture: Al Arabiya English)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accuses Hezbollah of continuing to “drag Lebanon into this war” despite an ongoing ceasefire, warning that Israel will keep responding to attacks from across the border.

In an interview with Al Arabiya English, Sa’ar says Israel supports the ceasefire but will not hesitate to act when its northern communities or IDF troops in southern Lebanon are targeted, saying, “When they attack… we need to respond.”

He stresses that Israel has “no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,” describing Hezbollah as “a mutual problem for us and for the Lebanese,” and says Israel will have “no problem to withdraw” once the group is dismantled alongside other armed factions.

“We must do today what the army of Lebanon should have done a long time ago,” he adds.

Addressing comparisons to the war against Hamas in Gaza, where the terror group remains armed and in power, Sa’ar says Israel had “dramatically” reduced the group’s threat to Israeli citizens, while noting ongoing talks aimed at its disarmament.

He also rejects claims that Israel pushed the United States into the war with Iran, saying US President Donald Trump had made clear that Israel “hadn’t dragged him into this war.”

Sa’ar adds that Gulf states that were “attacked unprovoked by Iran during the last war” now better understand the Iranian threat, arguing that preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons is critical not only for Israel but for broader regional and global security.

Minister Zohar declares ‘cultural revolution,’ drawing online ridicule over association with Communist China

Internet users mock Culture Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) after he promotes a new program of subsidized cultural events by proclaiming a “cultural revolution,” a term usually associated with one of the worst periods in the history of Communist China.

“I am happy to announce that today we have set out on a revolutionary program that will finally bring high-quality performances featuring beloved artists to all citizens of Israel, in every part of the Land of Israel,” Zohar posts on X alongside an image of himself emblazoned with the slogan “Cultural revolution Israel 2026.”

The 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution was a period of social turmoil and widespread political ‌persecution in ⁠China that led to millions of deaths. During the Cultural Revolution, children turned on parents and students on teachers after the country’s leader, Mao Zedong, declared class war, convulsing the country in chaos and violence. The upheaval affected industry as well, including the critical steel sector.

Some social media users have created AI-generated images of Chinese Communist Party-style propaganda, while others have equated Zohar’s Likud party to the CCP.

In a lengthy post on X, The Democrats MK Efrat Rayten calls Zohar’s choice of terminology “disturbing and absurd,” noting that it is “historically associated with one of the darkest and most traumatic periods in China of the 1960s and 1970s. A period in which centralized rule used culture as a political tool: to mark enemies, silence criticism, erase heritage, and consolidate power.”

“The government in Israel, whether willingly or thoughtlessly, is signaling its intentions. Culture as a mechanism of power,” Rayten alleges.

Culture Minister Miki Zohar is getting roasted online for using the phrase "Cultural Revolution" to refer to one of his programs. I just saw this AI-generated image on Facebook making fun of him https://t.co/2TZpnpNBJx pic.twitter.com/4kQ0LBIBVC

— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) April 29, 2026

Reuters contributed to this report.

Price of oil spikes by over 5% after report Trump told officials to prepare for extended Hormuz blockade

LONDON — Oil prices spike sharply after a report that US President Donald Trump had told national security officials to prepare for a long blockade of Iran’s ports and the Strait of Hormuz.

At around 1335 GMT, a barrel of Brent crude for June delivery was up 5.16 percent at $117, its highest level since the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran came into effect.

Benchmark US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, for delivery in the same month, gained 4.85 percent to reach $104.78, following the report in The Wall Street Journal.

Limited security cabinet meeting being held at Tel Aviv’s Kirya, reports say

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a cabinet meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, January 7, 2024. (Yariv Katz / Pool)

A limited security cabinet is meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Hebrew media outlets report, as the country continues to face tensions with Iran and Hezbollah.

The makeup of the limited cabinet changes, but tends to include top ministers such as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz, along with senior defense officials.

The cabinet meeting comes after US President Donald Trump reportedly told his aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, while the commander-in-chief posted on his Truth Social platform that the Islamic Republic “can’t get their act together” and “better get smart soon.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to fire projectiles at Israel, risking a total collapse of the ceasefire with Lebanon.

IDF says siren in northern community was false alarm

The IDF says the siren that sounded in the northern border community of Misgav Am a short while ago was a false alarm.

Israel in ‘democratic retreat,’ says former acting Supreme Court president

Then-acting Supreme Court president Uzi Vogelman presides over a hearing on a petition demanding the Sde Teiman detention facility be shut down due to allegations of abuse and severe human rights violations, June 5, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Former acting Supreme Court President Uzi Vogelman says that Israel is in “democratic retreat,” and that the judiciary is being delegitimized by politicians on an almost daily basis.

In comments obtained by Haaretz, Vogelman also decries the effort last week by pro-government demonstrators to break into a High Court of Justice hearing, and says that the government’s efforts to “dismantle” the Knesset legal advisory system were aimed at removing checks and balances on government power.

“The delegitimization is being done almost on a daily basis,” says Vogelman, who served on the Supreme Court from 2009 to 2024, including as deputy president and then acting president.

“The public is being fed messages made by politicians and various public figures,” continues the retired justice, in apparent reference to the ferocious criticism of the judiciary and the Supreme Court in particular by coalition politicians and right-wing media.

Vogelman’s comments are made in an episode of the Talking Law podcast of Tel Aviv University set to be broadcast next week.

He says that Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s boycott of current Supreme Court President Isaac Amit is another aspect of the government’s delegitimization efforts against the judiciary, as well as its controversial legislation politicizing the judicial selection process.

PM’s office denies reports Netanyahu will visit Washington next week

US President Donald Trump, right, speaks to reporters as he greets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2025. (AP/Alex Brandon)

The Prime Minister’s Office denies reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning a trip to Washington next week, telling The Times of Israel that “no such plans are currently in place.”

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said he would invite Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House, though no visit has yet been scheduled.

Herzog decries ‘unacceptable situation’ for Jews in West after London stabbing

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) greets President Isaac Herzog on the steps of 10 Downing Street in central London on September 10, 2025. (Toby Shepheard / AFP)

President Isaac Herzog expresses fury over what he calls an “unacceptable situation” for Jewish people in the Western world after two were stabbed in the north London suburb of Golders Green.

“I am horrified by yet another violent attack on Jews in broad daylight on the streets of London. We are praying for a speedy recovery for all those injured,” he says in a statement.

“Let me be clear: No Jew anywhere in the world should be a target because of their faith. In one of the great capital cities of the West, it has become dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew. This is an unacceptable situation. The British government and authorities must take urgent and immediate action before the next antisemitic attack occurs,” he says.

“We have raised the alarm over the rise in global antisemitism again and again. It’s time for the world to wake up and fight this vicious wave of Jew hatred with all possible means. We in Israel will not stay silent as our Jewish sisters and brothers are threatened and attacked around the world,” he adds.

Sirens warn of suspected drone attack in northern community

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

The IDF says it is investigating.

European Parliament slams PA textbooks for antisemitism, says future funding must be conditioned on removal

A Grade 5 Arabic language book produced by the Palestinian Authority Education Ministry and adopted by UNRWA in its schools, glorifying Palestinian terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, a PLO member who participated in the 1978 Coastal Road massacre in Israel that resulted in the death of 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children (IMPACT-se, courtesy).

The European Parliament passes resolutions calling for future European Union funding to the Palestinian Authority to be conditioned on the removal of antisemitic and inciting content, and condemning textbooks printed by the PA for the seventeenth year in a row, the IMPACT-se education watchdog says.

The parliament passes resolutions condemning the educational materials, which include “antisemitic content, incitement to violence and the glorification of martyrdom and jihad,” IMPACT-se says.

The watchdog notes that the PA agreed with the EU to remove such content from textbooks in 2024, but has not done so yet.

“Today, the European Parliament has sent a clear and vital message to both the Palestinian Authority and the European Commission – It is unthinkable that after the October 7 massacres, the PA’s curriculum remains infected with hatred, violence and antisemitism,” IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff says in a statement.

“The PA’s pledge to reform its curriculum has proven to be an empty promise – The time has come for the Commission to demonstrate that the PA’s inaction and duplicity, which threatens to radicalize the next generation of Palestinians, has real-world diplomatic and financial consequences,” he adds.

Israel raps UK after stabbing of two Jews, urges action on antisemitism

The Foreign Ministry sharply criticizes the British government following a stabbing attack targeting Jews in north London, saying authorities can “no longer claim” antisemitism is under control.

“Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statements are no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism festering across United Kingdom,” the ministry says in a post on X.

“British Jews should not need security patrols and emergency volunteers to live openly as Jews. Enough words. The UK must act decisively and urgently,” the ministry adds.

The statement comes after two Jewish men were said to be seriously wounded in a stabbing outside a synagogue in London’s Golders Green neighborhood. The suspect was detained at the scene by members of the Shomrim neighborhood watch group before being arrested by police.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning” and said authorities are investigating, vowing to confront such incidents.

Defense lawyer says officer compared Haredi rioters who broke into Military Police chief’s home to ‘Nukhba terrorists’

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)

An attorney representing those arrested last night for breaching the home of the head of the IDF’s Military Police slams the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court after it rules that 10 suspects implicated in the incident should be held in custody another day.

The suspects are charged with assaulting a police officer, malicious damage to property, criminal trespass, and unlawful assembly.

“We regret that the court did not see fit to send a sharp and clear message against the unrestrained conduct of a senior police officer. As revealed during the hearing, the Commander of the Ashkelon Station hurled appalling remarks at the detainees and compared them to Nukhba terrorists,” claims attorney Menachem Stauber, in a statement released by the Jerusalem Faction.

“When a remand request is born out of an atmosphere of hatred and dehumanization, it constitutes a vengeful arrest rather than a legal one. It is unacceptable for a police officer to pre-mark targets and exploit the nation’s most painful tragedies to justify depriving protesters of their liberty,” he declares.

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.

During today’s hearing, Stauber claimed that the commander of the Ashkelon police station had told his clients that they were “sons of whores, terrorists, worse than terrorists” and compared them to Hamas’ elite Nukhba terrorist unit. The attorney further claimed that the damage to Military Police commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin’s home “was caused by the police pushing the demonstrators.”

In his ruling, Judge Yaniv Ben Harush wrote that “the evidence presents a picture of an organized initiative to reach the home of a military police officer and intimidate him, while a large crowd entered his yard, causing damage to the yard, and sowing fear and terror among his family members.”

“These are serious acts, and while every person in a democratic country is granted the right to express his protest on a given issue in public dispute, the respondents’ behavior exceeded the limits of legitimate protest,” Ben Harush wrote.

The military on Tuesday evening said the extremists broke into Military Police commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin’s home “while his family was inside.” Yamin himself was not at home at the time. Police said in a statement that the rioters “trespassed into the yard, acted violently, and disrupted the routine of life in the area.”

Police later announced that 25 suspects, among them minors, were arrested.

Responding to condemnations by the prime minister, IDF chief of staff and others, the Jerusalem Faction said on Tuesday: “Red lines have been crossed; leave the Torah students alone.”

According to the Jerusalem Faction, 26 suspects were arrested on Tuesday evening, 14 of whom were released overnight. An additional two minor suspects were released during the day, the group states.

Mayor Sadiq Khan decries ‘appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners’

LONDON — London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemns an attack on two Jewish people and confirmed that police had arrested someone for Wednesday’s assault.

“There has been an appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners in Golders Green. The police have made an arrest and I’d like to thank all the emergency services and heroic volunteers… for their swift response,” Khan says in a post on X.

“London’s Jewish community have been the target of a series of shocking antisemitic attacks. There must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society,” he adds.

There has been an appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners in Golders Green. The police have made an arrest and I’d like to thank all the emergency services and heroic volunteers from @Hatzola @ShomrimLondon in the area for their swift response to this horrific incident.

I’m…

— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 29, 2026

British police say man arrested over attempted London stabbing; two hospitalized in stable condition

Local residents look on from outside a cordoned off area following a stabbing attack in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on April 29, 2026, (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

LONDON — British police say that a man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two men were stabbed in an area of north London with a large Jewish population.

London’s Metropolitan Police say the two men who had been stabbed had been taken to a hospital and were in stable condition.

Sa’ar confirms Kyiv submitted official request against ‘stolen’ grain ship, now being examined after public spat

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attends the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace hosted by US President Donald Trump at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on February 19, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirms that Israel received Ukraine’s request for legal assistance regarding a vessel waiting to dock in Haifa, which is suspected of carrying grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territory, while taking another swipe at Kyiv’s handling of the issue.

In a post on X, Sa’ar says the request was submitted “late last night” after earlier public statements by Ukrainian officials, adding, “One would expect the submission of a legal request before Tweeting. You chose differently, for your own reasons.”

He says the request is now being reviewed by the relevant Israeli authorities.

The remarks follow an X post by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha saying that Kyiv had formally approached Israel through legal and diplomatic channels over the Panormitis vessel and rejecting Sa’ar’s earlier accusation of “Twitter diplomacy.”

The dispute comes amid heightened tensions between Jerusalem and Kyiv over the handling of the case, which Ukraine says involves grain illegally transported from Russian-occupied territory.

After public tiff, German leader claims relationship with Trump is ‘as good as ever’

US President Donald Trump, right, greets Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz during summit to support ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, October 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says his relationship with US President Donald Trump remains “as good as ever,” but that he has “had doubts from the very beginning about what was started there with the war in Iran.”

“We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences of, for example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Merz says. This hurts energy supplies and the economy, “and in that regard, I urge that this conflict be resolved.”

Trump yesterday attacked Merz on his Truth Social platform: “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 wrote.

Trump was responding to Merz’s comments on Monday, when the German Chancellor said the US was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.

Footage shows stabbing of one of the victims in London attack

CCTV footage published online shows one of the victims in the Golders Green stabbing attack in London being stabbed at a bus stop, shortly after fidgeting with his kippa.

Warning: Graphic footage

🚨 WATCH: The moment a Jewish man is stabbed in the Golders Green attack pic.twitter.com/GRHt8j4l86

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 29, 2026

Police arrest another teen suspect in killing of pizzeria worker in Petah Tikva

People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, who was stabbed to death there, April 25, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Police have arrested another minor implicated in the fatal stabbing of Yemanu Zelka last week in Petah Tikva, bringing the number of detained suspects in the case to 11.

Zelka, a 21-year-old pizzeria employee, was stabbed to death by a group of youths who ambushed him after work on the eve of Independence Day. He was seriously injured and succumbed to his wounds in the hospital a day later.

The youth arrested today, a resident of Petah Tikva, will be brought tomorrow before a judge for an extension on his remand. Police say they are continuing to search for additional individuals suspected of involvement in Zelka’s killing.

Defense Ministry urges boost in weapons production amid ‘state of emergency’

Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram (left) at a meeting with the heads of Israel's leading defense firms, April 29, 2026. (Defense Ministry)

Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram says Israel is in a “prolonged state of emergency” and must accelerate weapons production to achieve greater self-sufficiency, during a meeting with the heads of the country’s leading defense firms, according to the Defense Ministry.

The meeting is attended by senior officials and executives from major companies, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Elbit Systems and Tomer to assess efforts to boost procurement and readiness for potential war scenarios, the Defense Ministry says.

According to the ministry, industry leaders report record production levels in recent months, with manufacturing continuing around the clock. Baram urges them to further increase output of munitions, citing a directive from Defense Minister Israel Katz to strengthen immediate preparedness while advancing Israel’s “production independence in the long term.”

He also says the ministry is working to reduce outstanding debts to defense companies, allegedly stemming from under-budgeting by the Finance Ministry.

2 Jewish men stabbed in London attack are in serious condition, BBC says

A person talks to a security officer at a cordon following a stabbing attack in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London, on April 29, 2026. (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

The two Jewish men stabbed in an attack in London’s Golders Green neighborhood are in serious condition, the BBC reports. There is no official comment from authorities.

The two were attacked by a man who was seen running on Golders Green Road while brandishing a knife. He was detained on the scene by members of a Jewish security group and police officers.

A witness tells the BBC that one of the victims was attacked outside a shop, while the second was stabbed on a side road outside a synagogue.

The attack in the heavily Jewish neighborhood was carried out some 300 meters away from where an arson incident last month targeted four Hatzola ambulances outside a synagogue, and about 500 meters away from a memorial wall for October 7 victims and Iranian protesters killed by the regime that was set alight yesterday.

UK’s Starmer says stabbing in London’s Golders Green ‘deeply concerning’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the stabbing of two Jews in London’s Golders Green is “deeply concerning.”

“It is deeply concerning to everyone in this house,” Starmer tells lawmakers, saying he was made aware of the incident before answering questions in parliament.

“There is now a police investigation, and I think we all need to do everything we can to support that investigation and be absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offenses, the like of which we’ve seen too much recently.”

Ukraine says it has formally asked Israel to act on ‘stolen’ grain ship, rejects claims of ‘Twitter diplomacy’

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha speaks at the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, November 12, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/ Pool via AP)

Ukraine says it has formally asked Israel to act against a vessel suspected of transporting allegedly stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territory, following Israeli claims that Kyiv has not pursued the matter through official channels.

In a post on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says Kyiv “has officially addressed Israel through diplomatic and legal channels” regarding the Panormitis vessel that is waiting to dock in Haifa’s port, charging that its cargo is being transported “in violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation.”

“The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine has submitted a relevant request to the Israeli authorities based on a Ukrainian court ruling to arrest the vessel as part of the ongoing investigation,” Sybiha says.

“This is not Twitter diplomacy,” Sybiha adds, “but a very concrete legal and diplomatic request for international legal assistance that necessitates a response. We expect the Israeli side to take it seriously rather than responding with emotional statements.”

Sybiha’s statement comes a day after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Ukraine of conducting “Twitter diplomacy,” saying Kyiv had neither submitted a formal request for legal assistance nor provided evidence to back its claims.

Sa’ar’s remarks followed an X post by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that Kyiv was preparing to place sanctions on those involved in the transaction.

IDF says troops killed Palestinian who crossed ceasefire line, posed immediate threat

The IDF says troops shot dead a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip’s south earlier today.

The operative was identified crossing the Yellow Line and approaching reservists of the Negev Brigade “in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” the military says.

“Immediately after the identification, the troops opened fire and eliminated the terrorist to remove the threat,” the IDF adds.

Jewish man detained in Rome for allegedly shooting two left-wing demonstrators with air gun

People demonstrate on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Italy from Nazi Germany and the Fascist regime, in Rome, Italy, on April 25, 2026. (Riccardo De Luca / Anadolu via Reuters)

A young Jewish man is in detention in Rome for allegedly shooting and lightly wounding two left-wing demonstrators at a Saturday rally celebrating the anniversary of “Liberation Day” at the end of World War II in Italy.

The individual arrived at a park on a motorcycle wearing a full helmet and targeted a couple in their sixties who were wearing a red neckerchief, a symbol of the Association of Italian Partisans. The man was injured in his neck, and the woman in her shoulder. Both were treated at the site.

According to the Corriere della Sera news outlet, Italian police identified the shooter as he used his own motorcycle, and he confessed, adding that he was “a member of the Jewish Brigade.”

The Jewish Brigade was a group of about 5,000 Jewish soldiers, mostly from Mandatory Palestine, who volunteered to join the British Army to fight against the Nazis.

For the past several years, some Italian Jews have worked to revive the Brigade’s legacy, joining the annual rallies under its banners. Its presence, however, has increasingly been contested by other groups of demonstrators, sometimes referring to its direct connection to Israel and sometimes with plain antisemitic rhetoric.

For several years, the Jewish community in Rome has officially decided to stop attending the rally.

“The arrest of a young man who is a member of the Jewish Community of Rome over the events of April 25 fills us with shock and indignation,” the community’s President Victor Fadlun says in a statement. “The Jewish Community of Rome condemns and unequivocally dissociates itself from any form of anti-democratic violence.”

“We express our full solidarity and closeness to the injured,” he adds. “At such a tense moment, we call on political forces and civil society to avoid any exploitation that could fuel hatred and generate further violence.”

Italy marks the end of the war on April 25, a few weeks before the official Victory Day celebrated across Europe on May 8. The day is a national holiday, and rallies are organized in most major cities.

IDF says Hezbollah fired 2 rockets at Galilee; one downed, other strikes open area

Two rockets were launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at the Upper Galilee a short while ago.

The IDF says one of the rockets was intercepted while the other struck an open area.

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

Court extends remand of 4 out of 10 minors suspected in Petah Tikva pizzeria killing

A court has extended the detention of four of the 10 minors suspected in last week’s killing of Yemanu Zelka in Petah Tikva. They will remain in custody until Friday.

The 21-year-old pizzeria employee was stabbed to death by a group of youths who ambushed him after work on the eve of Independence Day. He was seriously injured and succumbed to his wounds in the hospital a day later.

Around two hundred protesters, most of them Ethiopian Israelis, gathered outside the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court ahead of today’s remand hearing, demanding “justice for Yemanu” and urging a harsh punishment for the suspects. “Ethiopian blood is not cheap,” the protesters chanted.

Of the 10 suspects in the case, three have been transferred to house arrest on the order of a judge, including two 12-year-olds.

The main suspect in the case, a 15-year-old believed to have carried out the lethal stabbing, and two other detainees have not yet been brought before a judge to extend their detention a second time.

Rocket sirens sound in Upper Galilee

Sirens warning of rocket fire from Lebanon sound in the Upper Galilee.

The IDF says it is investigating.

2 Jews injured in stabbing attack in London’s Golders Green, says emergency response group

The scene of a stabbing attack in Golders Green, London, April 29, 2026. (Screenshots: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Two British Jews have been stabbed by an assailant outside a synagogue in the Golders Green neighborhood of London, the Shomrim emergency response organization says.

Shomrim of northwest London says on X that a man was seen running on Golders Green Road while brandishing a knife.

It says its staff detained the suspect, after which police arrived, tased him and arrested him.

The victims are being treated by the Hatzola ambulance service.

The attack occurs some 300 meters away from an arson incident last month that target Hatzola ambulances — which would have been the closest ambulances to today’s stabbing — and about 500 meters away from a memorial wall for October 7 victims and Iranian protesters killed by the regime that was set alight yesterday.

Moments alleged knife attacker is arrested by police and members of the public after stabbing two British Jews in Golders Green. pic.twitter.com/25G0OYwbZD

— Elad Simchayoff (@Elad_Si) April 29, 2026

There are unconfirmed reports that two people were stabbed this morning in Jewish heartland Golders Green.

A man has been arrested.

According to @shomrimlondon

*Knife Attack on Golders Green Road – Suspect Detained by Shomrim and Arrested*

One male was seen running along… pic.twitter.com/3tPDNhFZ4J

— Nicole Lampert (@nicolelampert) April 29, 2026

Knife Attack on Golders Green Road – Suspect Detained by Shomrim and Arrested*

One male was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public.

Shomrim responded immediately and detained the suspect. Police attended and…

— Shomrim (North West London) (@shomrimlondon) April 29, 2026

Lebanese army says soldier and his brother were killed in IDF strike on motorcycle

A Lebanese soldier and his brother were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army says.

According to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the strike took place in the town of Khirbet Selm, which is outside of the Israeli-designated security zone.

The LAF says the pair were on a motorcycle heading from the soldier’s post to his home in the adjacent village of Souaneh.

The IDF does not immediately comment on the incident.

Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely at Isfahan site, UN nuclear chief says

Rafael Grossi speaks during an event at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s US-Israeli war, the head of the UN nuclear agency tells The Associated Press.

Rafael Grossi says in an interview that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel in June 2025 launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The UN nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran’s highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi says.

“We haven’t been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there,” he says. “I hope we’ll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate.”

Images from an Airbus satellite show a truck loaded with 18 blue containers going into a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025, just before the start of the June war. Those containers, believed to contain highly enriched uranium, likely remain there.

The IAEA also wants to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordo, where there is also some nuclear material, the IAEA director-general adds.

Iran is a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, whose five-year review is underway at UN headquarters. Under its provisions, Iran is required to open its nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection, Grossi says.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the agency. Grossi has said the IAEA believes roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) is stored in tunnels at the Isfahan site.

Palestinian says Shin Bet threatened him not to run in local PA elections over his late son’s Islamic Jihad ties

Atif Awawdeh, a resident of the village of Deir Samet, near Hebron, claims he was threatened twice in the past week by the IDF and the Shin Bet and told not to run in local Palestinian Authority elections — and later not to assume his role on the village council following the vote.

Awawdeh was held in administrative detention two and a half years ago for five months and was released without charges. In administrative detention, detainees are not presented with formal charges or clear allegations. He said he was told verbally at the time that he had been detained in order to pressure him to turn in his son, who was wanted by the Shin Bet. During his detention, his son, Ahmad Awawdeh — a member of Islamic Jihad’s Jenin Battalion — was killed by IDF forces in Jenin.

قوات الاحتلال تعتقل نائب رئيس بلدية دير سامت الجديد عاطف عواودة بعد اقتحام منزله غرب مدينة دورا جنوب الخليل. pic.twitter.com/YLstk4RHfL

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 27, 2026

Awawdeh, 56, tells The Times of Israel that on April 23, three days before the local election, IDF forces arrived and detained him, taking him to a military facility south of Hebron.

There, he says, he was instructed to speak by phone with “Captain Zidan” — “captain” being the term commonly used for Shin Bet field coordinators. The Shin Bet officer told him not to run in the elections, but did not explain why. Awawdeh says he chose to run anyway, heading a list he formed for the Deir Samet village council.

Despite the warning, Awawdeh did not withdraw his candidacy and, following the elections and negotiations with other slates, was appointed deputy head of the council. He says that about two hours after posting about his new role on Facebook on Monday, IDF forces detained him again and took him to a military base.

There, he says, he met the same officer face to face, who told him he must not “enter the village council” because his son was killed and he is “the father of a martyr,” adding that “those who do not learn the easy way will learn the hard way.”

Following the incident, Awawdeh announced he would give up the position.

In recent months, Awawdeh has posted content critical of Israel’s actions toward Palestinians and expressed approval of the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, the head of a militia formed in Gaza to oppose Hamas with alleged Israeli backing. He has not expressed support for acts of terrorism.

He tells The Times of Israel he has no connection to his son’s activities and says that once his son reached adulthood, he left home and he did not know his whereabouts.

Awawdeh says he has worked for the past 20 years in exporting construction materials abroad and maintains ties with Israeli companies.

The IDF refers questions to the Shin Bet and declines to comment. The Shin Bet also declines to comment.

Iran rial hits record low against dollar amid US blockade

This picture shows new Iranian bank notes of 1 million, 500,000, and 100,000 rials on August 3, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The Iranian rial has plummeted to a record low against the dollar, according to currency-tracking websites, as a US naval blockade of the country’s ports continues.

On the black market, the rial is trading at around 1.8 million rials against the dollar, the Bonbast and AlanChand websites report. When the war erupted two months ago, one dollar was traded at about 1.7 million rials.

Iran officially has several fixed exchange rates, but the two websites are generally used as benchmarks for unofficial rates.

IDF soldier who lost leg in Lebanon fighting is released from Rambam hospital after a month

Maj. Boaz Tamam, injured in fighting in Lebanon on March 29, says goodbye to various staff members from the intensive care, orthopedics and plastic surgery departments at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa on April 29, 2026. (Courtesy/Rambam Health Care Campus)

Maj. Boaz Tamam, who was seriously wounded fighting in Lebanon on March 29, was released today from Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus, the hospital says.

Tamam, the deputy commander of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 9th Battalion, lost his leg and suffered severe burns in his other leg in a Hezbollah anti-tank guided missile attack on March 29. One of his troops, Sgt. Liran Ben Zion, 19, was killed in the attack.

The doctors fought for the injured leg and managed to save it. He now begins rehabilitation at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Center.

Tamam is one of 107 soldiers who have been treated so far at Rambam from the fighting in Lebanon.

Katz says he has imposed ‘sanctions’ on Gaza-bound activist flotilla’s fundraisers

A flotilla sets off, carrying activists and humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip, from Barcelona, Spain, April 12, 2026. (AP/Joan Mateu Parra)

As a pro-Palestinian mission sails to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, Defense Minister Israel Katz says he “imposed sanctions” on the flotilla’s fundraisers.

The flotilla, which consists of some 100 vessels and around 1,000 participants from various countries, is expected to arrive off the coast of Gaza over the weekend. The Israeli Navy is gearing up to intercept it, as it has done with past activist missions.

Katz, in a statement, says he imposed sanctions on a crowdfunding campaign launched by the Global Sumud Flotilla, which he says is “organized by the Hamas terror organization, in cooperation with additional international organizations and under the guise of a humanitarian aid flotilla.”

“The imposition of sanctions on the crowdfunding campaign constitutes a significant step in the effort to disrupt the flotilla’s sources of funding,” the statement reads, adding that it is “intended to deter donors from contributing to a terror organization.”

It is unclear what practical effect the sanctions will have. The statement notes that according to Israeli law, the defense minister can order the seizure of property of a designated terror organization or property intended to be used for terrorism.

The Navy is set to intercept the boats, and in the past has done so well before the activists were able to get close to Gaza’s coast.

Israel has dismissed previous flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amount of symbolic aid they had been carrying with them to Israel or international organizations to be taken into the Strip and distributed via official channels.

Palestinian couple suspected of living in Israel under stolen identity for 20 years, in longest-ever impersonation case

Police arrest a suspect as part of an investigation into alleged identity fraud by a Palestinian couple from the West Bank on April 29, 2026. (Israel Police)

Police have arrested a Palestinian couple on suspicion of living under a stolen Israeli identity for over twenty years.

The couple led a double life between the West Bank and Rahat, a Bedouin city in the Negev, and had several children born in Israel, police say.

“It appears this is the longest-running case of impersonation under a fake identity that Israel has known over its 78 years of existence,” says Supt. Barak Revivo, a West Bank District police detective.

Police believe the 57-year-old husband, from the West Bank city of Halhul, possessed a family reunification permit that allowed him to reside periodically in Rahat.

He married his wife, a 43-year-old from the same city, over two decades ago, and the two resolved to fraudulently obtain an identity card that would allow them to live together in Israel.

As part of the scheme, the couple divorced on paper and the husband married an Israeli citizen from Arara whom he had never met, and the woman’s identity was effectively transferred to his wife. Police believe the couple purchased the woman’s identity.

Police raided suspects’ homes last night and this morning, arresting the couple and two other family members suspected of assisting the alleged fraud.

Law enforcement began probing the suspicions in late 2025 alongside the National Insurance Institute, as the husband and wife are also suspected of having defrauded state funds by virtue of impersonating an Israeli citizen.

Report said to find jump in anxiety, alcoholism, drug use among teens amid war

An annual report from the Israel National Council for the Child, released this morning, shows a 31% increase in anxiety among boys (aged 12–17) between October 2024 and October 2025, according to Hebrew news media.

The report also finds that while there was a decrease in the total number of suicide attempts in 2024, there was a 53% increase in the number of suicide attempts among children aged six to nine.

There was also a 25% increase in the rate of referrals of children and youth to the emergency room due to alcohol, and referrals due to drug use increased by 10%.

“It can be assumed that these tribulations even worsened during the recent period,” says Vered Windman, the Council’s executive director.

Report: Iran hardliners clash publicly as split over US policy widens

A deepening rift within Iran’s hardline leadership over how to handle the United States has spilled into public view, with rival factions clashing in both parliament and state-linked media, the Iranian opposition outlet Iran International reports.

According to the report, divisions surfaced this week when 27 ultraconservative Iranian lawmakers refused to sign a letter backing Tehran’s negotiating team, exposing a rare break in what is typically a publicly unified front.

The alleged dispute has pitted allies of former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili against supporters of parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who recently led the Iranian delegation in talks with the US in Islamabad.

The tensions escalated into a public feud between state-linked media outlets, including Raja News and the Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, with both sides trading accusations of undermining national unity.

Several lawmakers have criticized the negotiating team, claiming that negotiators had crossed “red lines” set by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei by engaging with Washington on nuclear issues, while Jalili himself called for a formal clarification from Khamenei on whether such moves had his backing.

State-linked commentary has also reflected the divide, with a Tasnim editorial dismissing Iran’s maximalist demands in talks with the US as unrealistic, before being taken down amid backlash from Raja News.

Netanyahu said to halt testimony to attend security consultation on Gaza flotilla

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu temporarily halted his cross-examination to hold a security consultation on an international flotilla en route to the Gaza Strip, heading to the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv after receiving judges’ approval to pause proceedings, the Ynet news site reports.

The Global Sumud Flotilla reportedly set sail from Sicily two days ago with more than 60 vessels carrying symbolic humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Netanyahu is expected to return to the Tel Aviv District Court and resume his testimony once the discussion concludes.

UN says Iran has executed 21, arrested 4,000 since start of war with US, Israel

Iran has executed at least 21 people and arrested more than 4,000 since the beginning of the war against the US and Israel, the United Nations says.

Since the US-Israeli strikes sparked the war in late February, “at least nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, ten for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges,” the UN’s rights office says.

“Since 28 February, more than 4,000 individuals are estimated to have been arrested on national security related charges in Iran,” the agency adds in a statement.

Construction plans approved for reestablished Sa-Nur settlement

Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan (center), Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (second on Dagan's right) and numerous other cabinet ministers, MKs and other dignitaries cut a ribbon to celebrate the reestablishment of the Sa-Nur settlement, April 19, 2026. (Roi Hadi)

The Higher Planning Committee of the Civil Administration, an agency of the Defense Ministry, approves plans for the construction of 126 housing units in the recently reestablished far-flung settlement of Sa-Nur in the northern West Bank.

Sa-Nur was one of four settlements in the northern West Bank evacuated concurrently with the Gush Katif settlements in Gaza under the 2005 Disengagement Plan, in order to provide territorial contiguity for the Palestinians in that region of the West Bank and reduce the presence of Israeli security forces.

Sa-Nur was re-inhabited last week after receiving government authorization in May 2025, with 16 families taking up residence in prefabricated homes, in anticipation of the planning permission approval.

Among them was Samaria District Council chairman Yossi Dagan, who was one of the residents evacuated from Sa-Nur in 2005.

“This approval is a clear message to our enemies: We are here to stay, Sa-Nur is returning to be an inseparable part of the map of Jewish settlements, and this is just the beginning,” says Smotrich following the approval of the plans by the Higher Planning Committee.

Smotrich has effective control over the committee and the Civil Administration due to his position as a minister in the Defense Ministry, and the subordination of the Civil Administration to a civilian director in the Settlements Administration in the ministry, which is itself under Smotrich’s authority.

The left-wing Peace Now organization, which opposes the settlement movement, denounces the approval of the housing units, asserting that Sa-Nur will be a “security burden” due to its isolated location in the northern West Bank.

“The establishment of Sa-Nur in the heart of a Palestinian population in an area without an Israeli presence is intended to sever any Palestinian contiguity and destroy even the little economic development possible for the Palestinians,” Peace Now says.

“It is inconceivable that after almost three years of war, the Israeli taxpayer should finance a dangerous messianic delusion of a government that has long since lost the people’s trust. We will all pay the price for this reckless abandonment.”

IDF says interceptor fired at Hezbollah drone that triggered sirens in Metula

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.

Sirens had sounded in the border community of Metula during the incident, though the military says the suspected drone did not cross into Israeli territory.

Suspect arrested in attack on nun yesterday in Jerusalem Old City

Police have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of attacking a nun near King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem yesterday afternoon.

He has been interrogated on suspicion of racially motivated assault and will be brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court for an extension of his remand.

The nun, who suffered a bruise to the head as a result of the attack, is employed by the French School of Biblical and Archeological Research.

The institute’s director, Olivier Poquillon, said yesterday that the nun was the “victim of an unprovoked assault” in the late afternoon in the Old City.

“We strongly condemn this act of sectarian violence and expect the authorities to act swiftly and decisively,” he wrote on X.

Trump: Iran ‘can’t get their act together,’ better ‘get smart soon’

US President Donald Trump derides Iran’s latest proposal for an end to the war, saying it “better get smart soon.”

In the latest indication that he is rejecting the offer to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and end the war while shelving the issue of Tehran’s nuclear program, Trump posts on Truth Social that the Islamic Republic “can’t get their act together.”

“They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal,” he says, alongside an AI image of himself holding a firearm against the backdrop of explosions, with the writing “No more Mr. Nice Guy.”

Suspected drone siren sounds in Metula

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

The IDF says it is investigating.

IDF downs Hezbollah drone heading toward Israel, tries to down another in southern Lebanon

A Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon was shot down by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago.

The military says the drone, which triggered sirens in the border community of Avivim, was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory.

In another incident, an interceptor missile was fired at a suspected Hezbollah drone that was identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed. The IDF says the results of the interception are under review.

“These are further violations of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization,” the IDF says.

Woman rammed by ex-husband in Ramle dies; police probing incident as possible murder-suicide

A woman injured in a car ramming carried out by her ex-husband this morning in Ramle has died, police say.

The victim, in her 60s, was seriously injured in the hit-and-run. Paramedics rushed her to Shamir Medical Center, where she succumbed to her wounds.

Police are investigating the fatal incident as a possible murder-suicide, after they tracked down the perpetrator and found him lifeless.

Sa’ar thanks Rubio after State Department report says PA still pays stipends to terror convicts

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanks US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for what he calls “moral clarity” after a newly published State Department report found the Palestinian Authority has continued payments to attackers of Israelis, including terror convicts, and their families, despite the authority’s claims to the contrary.

In a post on X, Sa’ar cites the report to Congress — based on open-source data covering September 2025 through February 2026 and published on the agency’s website yesterday — as evidence that Ramallah is still paying stipends despite modifying the mechanism used to distribute them.

According to the report, the payments violate the Taylor Force Act, which conditions US aid to the PA on the termination of its policy of compensating Palestinian terrorists and their families.

Sa’ar says that in 2025, the PA allocated some $156 million to what have been dubbed “pay-for-slay” payments, calling the practice “distorted,” and urging the international community to “stop whitewashing” the policy.

Suspected drone alert sounds in northern town

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

The IDF says it is investigating.

Ramle man runs over, seriously wounds his ex-wife before killing himself

Police are investigating a potential murder-suicide attempt in Ramle, after a man rammed into a pedestrian on the street, fled the scene and was then found dead by officers.

The victim of the hit-and-run, a woman in her 60s, is the suspect’s ex-wife, police say.

Paramedics found the woman conscious and suffering from severe and systemic injuries. She was taken to the hospital in serious condition, according to the Magen David Adom emergency service.

Officers launched a manhunt for the perpetrator, a man in his 70s, and within a short time found him lifeless.

Prominent artist, writer and controversial left-wing activist Yair Garbuz dies at 80

Artist Yair Garbuz on July 17, 2023. (Moshe Shai/FLASH90)

Prominent painter, writer, satirist and veteran left-wing activist Yair Garbuz has died, aged 80, after battling an illness.

Born in 1945 in Givatayim, Garbuz’s artworks have been presented in dozens of galleries in Israel and around the world since the 1960s.

He won the Sokolov journalism prize in 1993 and the EMET Prize for Art, Science and Culture in 2004.

A longtime backer of the left-wing Meretz party, Garbuz caused an uproar during the 2015 Knesset election campaign when he spoke at a rally and decried the left’s loss of the country to a “handful of amulet-kissers and idol-worshipers.”

The comment, perceived as a sharp attack against the traditional and religious community, Sephardi Jews and the right wing in general, drew condemnation from across the political spectrum and was seen by some as a factor behind the center-left Zionist Union’s election defeat to the Likud party’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In 2017, then-education minister Naftali Bennett blocked Garbuz from receiving the Israel Prize due to that remark.

Israel says senior Hamas intel operative who helped plan Oct. 7 killed in Gaza strike yesterday

A senior Hamas intelligence operative was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, the IDF and Shin Bet announce in a joint statement.

The strike killed Iyad Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Shambari, who served as chief of operations in Hamas’s intelligence division, according to the military and Shin Bet.

Shambari was a “central figure involved in gathering intelligence on IDF troops” for attacks, and he “posed an immediate threat to IDF troops operating in the area,” the statement says.

The IDF and Shin Bet say he also took part in planning the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught.

חיל-האוויר, כוחות צה״ל בפיקוד הדרום ושב״כ תקפו אתמול בצפון רצועת עזה וחיסלו את המחבל איאד אחמד עבד אלרחמן שמבארי, ראש מחלקת המבצעים במטה המודיעין הצבאי של ארגון הטרור חמאס.

שמבארי שימש בשנים האחרונות כראש מחלקת המבצעים במודיעין הצבאי של ארגון הטרור חמאס, ובמסגרת תפקידו היה… pic.twitter.com/otZ9kgvXjQ

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) April 29, 2026

Court allows Netanyahu to head to Kirya mid-hearing for urgent security-related call

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has started his day of cross-examination in his corruption trial at the Tel Aviv District Court building.

However, despite the court having rejected his request to delay the start of the hearing by three hours, it accepts Netanyahu’s declaration that he will have to head off to the Kirya military headquarters at 10:30 a.m. for an urgent security-related call.

Netanyahu says he doesn’t know how long the call will take. He is afterward supposed to return to the courtroom.

IDF downs suspected Hezbollah drone over south Lebanon area where troops are deployed

A suspected Hezbollah drone was intercepted a short while ago over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.

The IDF says the “suspicious aerial target” did not cross into Israeli territory.

Report: US will not guarantee halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon under potential deal

The United States has indicated that any agreement between Israel and Lebanon will not include a firm American guarantee to halt Israeli strikes deep inside Lebanese territory, the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reports, citing Egyptian sources.

According to the report, this is because Israel “reserves the right to defend itself” against what it views as threats within Lebanon, including Hezbollah military activity, training, weapons transfers, and targeted killings of its leaders.

Israel reportedly considers all of the above to be legitimate targets unless the Lebanese state acts to address them.

The report adds that in recent days, there has been contact between Cairo and Beirut, during which the sides discussed the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, with Egyptian officials conveying advice and warnings regarding the next stage of talks.

IDF says 2 Hezbollah operatives were killed in airstrike on Monday

Two Hezbollah operatives were killed in an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Monday, the military says.

According to the IDF, the operatives were spotted by troops of the Givati Brigade inside the Israeli-held security zone.

The Israeli Air Force then struck and “eliminated the terrorists,” the military adds.

כוחות חטיבת גבעתי פועלים להשמדת תשתיות טרור במרחב קו ההגנה הקדמי ולהסרת איומים

לכל הפרטים:👇https://t.co/FzzAyXVKI3 pic.twitter.com/wn5vyYBlw9

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 29, 2026

The IDF says the Givati soldiers also located numerous weapons belonging to Hezbollah in their area of operations.

Netanyahu rebuffed after seeking to shorten his cross-examination today by 3 hours

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad asks the Jerusalem District Court to shorten today’s testimony by the premier in his corruption trial by three hours, citing a “security-related schedule,” but Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman rejects the request.

Friedman-Feldman says the material she received provided no sufficient grounds to delay the start of the hearing from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Yesterday was Netanyahu’s first day of cross-examination testimony in over two months, after a hiatus due to the US-Israeli war with Iran and renewed fighting with Hezbollah.

Avdija’s breakout NBA season ends as Trail Blazers are knocked out of playoffs

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) greets San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama after Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Deni Avdija’s Portland Trail Blazers are knocked out of the NBA playoffs, losing 95-114 to the San Antonio Spurs to make it 1-4 in the first-round series.

Avdija scores 22 points in his last game of what has been a breakout season for the Israeli basketballer.

IDF says soldier lightly hurt yesterday in Hezbollah drone attack; many Hezbollah sites hit, 3 members killed

An IDF soldier was lightly injured in a Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military says.

The IDF says Hezbollah launched several explosive-laden drones at troops stationed in southern Lebanon amid the ceasefire yesterday, in several incidents. The drones exploded near the troops, lightly injuring one in one incident, the army says.

The soldier was taken to a hospital, and his family was notified, the IDF adds.

Meanwhile, in a wave of airstrikes yesterday, the IDF says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure, including rocket launchers, in areas of southern Lebanon north of the Israeli-held security zone.

The targets included primed rocket launchers, weapon depots, and other buildings used by Hezbollah to advance attacks on troops and Israel, the military says.

Separately, in the western sector of southern Lebanon, troops of the 146th Division spotted three Hezbollah operatives who the IDF says were planning attacks on troops. “Immediately after the identification, the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated the terrorists,” the military adds.

IDF says forces shot dead a Palestinian who stabbed them in West Bank, arrested another; 2 troops hurt

The IDF says troops shot dead a Palestinian who stabbed them, and arrested another, in the West Bank town of Silwad overnight.

According to the military, during a counterterrorism raid in Silwad, troops entered a building where several Palestinians were residing. One of the Palestinians physically assaulted the soldiers, while a second stabbed them.

“The troops responded with fire,” the military says, adding that the suspect who stabbed the soldiers was killed and the second was “neutralized and arrested by the forces.”

The two troops were taken to a hospital in light condition and their families were notified, the army adds.

Trump reportedly tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran

FILE - In this photo released by Tasnim News Agency, a Revolutionary Guard Navy (IRGC) speedboat approaches the cargo ship Epaminondas during what state media described as the seizure of one of two vessels accused of violations in the Strait of Hormuz, April 21, 2026. (Meysam Mirzadeh/Tasnim News Agency via AP, File)

US President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials.

In recent meetings, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports, the report says, adding that he believes that his other options, including resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict, carry more risk than maintaining the blockade.

Trump says King Charles agrees Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb

Britain's King Charles III toasts with US President Donald Trump during a State Dinner with first lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla in the East Room of the White House State Dinner, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump says that the UK’s King Charles agrees Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb.

He makes the comments during a state visit to the United States by the British monarch.

Ex-FBI chief Comey says he’s innocent, ‘still not afraid’ after indictment

Former FBI director James Comey says he is “still innocent” and unafraid after US authorities indicted the critic of Donald Trump for threatening the life of the president.

“I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,” Comey says in a video statement.

The indictment by a grand jury in North Carolina stems from an Instagram post the 65-year-old Comey made last May which showed the numbers “86 47” spelled out in seashells — numbers which Trump claimed referred to a potential assassination.

Police arrest 25 suspects for breaking into home of Military Police chief

Police say they have arrested 25 suspects, among them minors, who were involved in breaking into the home of Military Police commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin during a riot in Ashkelon by Haredi extremists.

US soldier charged for threatening to ‘kill every single Jew’ inside a synagogue

A US soldier stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana was arrested last week after he told users on the popular messaging platform Discord that he planned to conduct a mass shooting at a synagogue.

Jakob Marcoulier, 22, was arrested on Thursday and charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce after the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received a tip in February that he had made threats toward synagogues, according to the US attorney’s office for the western district of Louisiana.

According to court documents, the FBI obtained audio from Discord in which Marcoulier allegedly said: “After this deployment if the Jews still have reign over our government, I am going to walk into a synagogue with my AK, with a 75-round drum mag, and all of my extra mags, with my level four plates, and my haka helmet that’s three plus, and I am going to kill every single Jew I know inside of that synagogue. And that’s my goal in life.”

During the communications, Marcoulier told the other users: “You guys will never do anything about but I will. I just have to finish this, I have to go back overseas and do what I have to do. And then you’ll see me in the news. I promise you.”

He also allegedly said that he would “kill these motherf—kers in order to make sure the white youth is f—king secured.”

It is not immediately clear when Marcoulier made the comments, but the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28 following a buildup of US troops in the Middle East.

Beirut claims Israeli strike on Lebanese army patrol killed 5, including 3 medics, and wounded 2 soldiers

An alleged Israeli strike on a Lebanese army patrol has killed five people, including three paramedics, and wounded two soldiers, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says, adding the toll is still preliminary.

The strike was in the southern town of Majdal Zoun, near the coastal city of Tyre.

Israeli forces hit an army patrol that was accompanying Civil Defense medical teams and bulldozers during a rescue operation at the site of a previous Israeli strike, the Lebanese army and Civil Defense say. Some of the responders were trapped under rubble by the second strike, they say.

The Israeli military does not immediately comment.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemns the strike, arguing it is part of a pattern of Israeli attacks on rescue and emergency workers in violation of international law. Israel accuses Hezbollah of embedding itself in the civilian population, including using medical facilities and vehicles for cover.

The Western-backed Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the recent rounds of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed.