April 30: Fires force Israel’s leading TV station to evacuate studio in mid-news broadcast

Two reservists wounded, one seriously, in West Bank roadside bomb attack

Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers operate in the West Bank town of Beita, August 21, 2023. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)

Two IDF reservists were wounded, one of them seriously, in a roadside bomb attack near the West Bank town of Beita, close to Nablus earlier today, the military announces.

The soldiers of the Ephraim Regional Brigade’s 9221st Reserve Battalion were carrying out a routine patrol in Beita when they were hit by an explosive.

Both soldiers were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The IDF says it encircled the town and is operating in the area to locate the assailants behind the attack.

Ukraine to send plane to help fight wildfires in hills outside Jerusalem

Ukraine will send a plane to help fight the wildfires in the hills outside of Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s office announces.

Spain, France, Romania, Croatia and Italy have also committed to sending planes

Ukraine is in the midst of a brutal three-year-long war with Russia.

Lebanese official claims army dismantled ‘over 90%’ of Hezbollah infrastructure near Israel

Illustrative: Lebanese army soldiers deploy in the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal, 2025. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT/ AFP)

The Lebanese army has dismantled “over 90 percent” of Hezbollah’s infrastructure near the border with Israel since a November ceasefire, a Lebanese security official says.

“We have dismantled over 90 percent of the infrastructure in the area south of the Litani,” the official, who requested anonymity as the matter is sensitive, tells AFP.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, meanwhile, said in an interview with Sky News Arabia that the army is now in control of over 85 percent of the country’s south.

The November truce deal, which ended over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, was based on a UN Security Council resolution that says Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon. Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters north of Lebanon’s Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south.

Much of Hezbollah’s robust underground infrastructure in the south has been “filled and closed” by the army, the official says. Soldiers have also reinforced their control of crossing points into the area south of the Litani “to prevent the transfer of weapons from the north of the river to the south.”

There is currently no outside confirmation of the claim.

KKL-JNF says some 2,900 acres burned in today’s blazes

Some 11,700 dunam (2,900 acres) were burned in today’s blazes, according to an estimate by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund.

KKL says Canada Park, near Latrun, has been almost completely torched.

France to send plane to help fight Israel wildfires

France will send a plane to fight the wildfires west of Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s office announces.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has informed Sa’ar that Madrid will send two firefighting planes, Sa’ar’s office says.

Romania, Croatia and Italy have also committed to sending planes.

Deri: IDF should ‘eliminate from the air’ any terrorist identified as an arsonist

MK Aryeh Deri attends a plenum session at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 10, 2025.(Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Shas leader Aryeh Deri writes on X that Palestinians ostensibly responsible for starting today’s major fires across the country should be “eliminated from the air.”

Though the cause of the many fires is being investigated, including by the Shin Bet security agency, and an East Jerusalem suspect has been arrested, little evidence has been produced so far to back up assertions of mass arson.

“Arsonists during wartime are terrorists in every sense,” Deri writes. “I call on the prime minister to instruct the IDF to eliminate from the air any terrorist identified as an arsonist.”

He adds: “Whoever starts fires during a heatwave and war — their blood is on their own head. This is a ticking time bomb, just like someone who fires a weapon.”

Netanyahu’s son suggests Israeli left is behind today’s wildfires

Yair Netanyahu arrives for a court hearing in Tel Aviv, on November 29, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

In his latest inflammatory post, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair makes a baseless suggestion that the Israeli left is behind today’s raging fires.

“Something here is suspicious,” he writes on X. “The Kaplanist left has been frantically trying in recent weeks to cancel Independence Day celebrations and the torch-lighting ceremony.”

He is referring to anti-government demonstrators, who have often protest in Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street.

“I really hope the arson was only carried out by Arabs, without any collaboration from our own people,” he says.

The cause of the fires is not clear at this time, though it has been suggested some could have been a result of arson, while one East Jerusalem resident was arrested today on suspicion of attempted arson.

Air Force Super Hercules planes drop over 25 loads of fire retardant on blazes — IDF

IAF pilot is seen in a C-130J Super Hercules during firefighting efforts in the Jerusalem area, April 30, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Two Israeli Air Force C-130J Super Hercules heavy transport planes dropped more than 25 loads of fire retardant material over major fires raging in the Jerusalem area this evening, the military says.

In the coming hours, a third Super Hercules will join the firefighting efforts, the military adds.

An IAF C-130J Super Hercules is seen dropping fire retardant material over fires in the Jerusalem area, April 30, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Romania, Spain join European nations assisting Israel in fire crisis

Romania’s foreign minister has informed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that Romania will send two aircraft tomorrow — a firefighting plane and another for logistical support — to combat the fires in Israel, announces Sa’ar’s office.

Spain also updated Sa’ar that it will join the aid effort, and additional countries have expressed “willingness to assist,” including France, Ukraine and Ecuador, a statement from Sa’ar’s office says, adding that other nations have offered to send helicopters in support.

US hostage families see Trump’s May trip to region as chance for loved ones’ return

US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he steps off Air Force upon arrival at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey on April 26, 2025. (Mandel NGAN / AFP)

WASHINGTON — Families of American-Israeli hostages in Gaza say they view US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East as an opportunity to secure the release of their loved ones.

Trump is slated to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to May 16. The White House is not currently planning for the president to make a stop in Israel during his first trip to the Middle East since his re-election.

“The vision that I have is that when he visits Saudi Arabia… he brings back five US citizens on his plane, including my son, and that he calls up and says, ‘Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen. I got your kid. He’s on his way back home,” said Ruby Chen, whose son Itay was killed during Hamas’s October 7 onslaught and whose body has been held in Gaza since.

Four other Americans are also being held: 21-year-old Edan Alexander — who is believed to still be alive — and the bodies of 21-year-old Omer Neutra, 70-year-old Judih Weinstein Haggai and 73-year-old Gadi Haggai.

The parents of Alexander, Chen and Neutra held a briefing with reporters in Washington while they were in town for meetings with senior administration officials.

The American hostage families were very critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer’s handling of the negotiations, while expressing appreciation for the support they’ve received from both the former and current US administrations.

Turkey calls on Israel to stop airstrikes on Syria

An antenna lies amidst debris at the scene of an Israeli strike in Syria's southern Hama governorate, on April 3, 2025. (Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP)

Turkey’s foreign ministry demands Israel “cease its aerial strikes” on Syria.

“At this sensitive time for Syria, the duty of the international community is to contribute to the establishment of security and stability in Syria. Given this context, Israel must put an end to its airstrikes, which are damaging the country’s efforts to achieve unity and integrity,” says ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli.

Knesset speaker to hostages at state ceremony: Israel committed to bringing you home

At the prerecorded Independence Day ceremony, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana offers a message to hostages in Gaza.

“Even this evening, the State of Israel is not whole, because 59 of our brothers and sisters are still held hostage in Gaza,” he says.

“I speak to them, in the hope that they can hear me — and I also speak to their families, who surely are listening: The State of Israel is committed to bringing you home, each and every one of you! Just as the country has managed, since the outbreak of the war, to secure the release of most of the hostages, so too will it secure the release of all of them, and it will not cease this mission until it is completed.”

Freed hostage Emily Damari lights a torch at Independence Day event; Eli Sharabi is introduced but was not present at rehearsal now being screened

Released hostage Emily Damari lights a torch at the prerecorded opening event of Israel's 77th Independence Day, broadcast on April 30, 2025 (Screenshot)

As the prerecorded Independence Day opening ceremony continues, the hosts introduce the evening’s torch-lighters, including Eli Sharabi, whose wife Lianne and daughters Noiya and Yahel were murdered on October 7, and who was taken captive from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was also taken hostage and was killed in captivity, likely as the result of an IDF strike.

Eli was returned as part of a ceasefire deal in February and since then has spoken widely and publicly about the horrors he faced in captivity and the need to bring everyone still there home.

Sharabi, however, was not present at the recorded rehearsal for the event which is now being screened, and consequently does not appear.

The recording moves on to the next torch-lighter, Emily Damari, who was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and lost two of her fingers when she was shot during her kidnapping. The day of her release in January, an image of her using that hand to make a “rock on” emoji quickly became a viral symbol of resilience and survival.

Damari says she is lighting the torch for the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, stating, “We need to do everything to get them back home.”

She thanks the security forces still fighting to defend the country, and mentions those widowed and orphaned by the war.

To her friends, hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, she promises, “We will yet see rosy sunsets together.”

שורדת השבי אמילי דמארי השיאה משואה: "גל וזיוי – מבטיחה שעוד נראה שקיעות ורודות יחד" pic.twitter.com/jfiQiVfnzK

— i24NEWS (@i24NEWS_HE) April 30, 2025

Damari lights the torch to enthusiastic applause from the audience at the rehearsal.

France ‘assessing how we can help’ Israel with fires

France is “currently assessing how we can help in the best way possible,” a French diplomat tells The Times of Israel.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot earlier this evening to ask for assistance in battling wildfires west of Jerusalem.

In prerecorded message for Independence Day event, Netanyahu hails Israel’s warriors; TV broadcasts then switch from ceremony to updates on the fires

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a pre-recorded message for the opening event of Israel's 77th Independence Day, April 30, 2025 (Screenshot)

On a surreal, fraught evening, in which Israel is starting to mark its 77th Independence Day while firefighters battle some of the worst wildfires in its history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a prerecorded Independence Day message, as part of a prerecorded rehearsal for the intended live Independence Day opening ceremony, which is currently being screened in place of the live event, which was cancelled because of the day’s high winds even before the fires began to rage.

Netanyahu hails the wonders of Israel, and the warriors who have fallen in Israel’s defense. He recalls that a year ago, there were those who doubted Israel’s power, but says, “This year, nobody doubts it… because Israel has changed the face of the Middle East.”

He says Israel is determined to achieve “complete victory” over all of its enemies, and to bring home all the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Netanyahu notes that the people of Israel have always been able to recover from crises and thrive again. Today, in contrast to the generations before independence, Israel is a country with a potent army and “brave warriors respected worldwide,” he adds. “This is a generation of lions.”

And for all the internal divisions, he declares, “we all stand together… We will continue to fight and ensure our freedom. We will continue to struggle and to defend our homeland… We will continue to build the land, because we have only one home,” he says.

After Netanyahu’s brief speech, and at other stages of the pre-recorded ceremony, Channels 12 and 13 interrupt their broadcasts of the event and switch to real-time updates on the state of the wildfires, the evacuation of affected areas, and the efforts to gain control of the blazes.

At recorded ceremony, freed hostage Agam Berger plays violin to accompany prayer for return of hostages

At the prerecorded dress rehearsal of the torch-lighting ceremony, freed hostage Agam Berger plays the violin as Dudu Fisher sings a prayer for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

שורדת השבי אגם ברגר ליוותה בכינור תפילה להשבת החטופים בפיוט של דודו פישר pic.twitter.com/aBUvFqA8r2

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 30, 2025

Syrian authorities vow to ‘protect all components’ of society, including Druze

A member of Syria's security forces deploys in an area near the Syrian capital Damascus on April 30, 2025, amid deadly sectarian clashes (Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)

Syria’s Islamist-led government vows to “protect all components” of society, including the Druze minority, following sectarian clashes with its loyalists that killed about 40 people in two days.

Syria “affirms its unwavering commitment to protect all components of the Syrian people… including the children of the honorable Druze community,” the foreign ministry says in a statement, also expressing its rejection of “foreign interference.”

Earlier, Israel warned it could take military action against the regime if attacks on Druze continue.

Police investigating car blast that killed a man in Ness Ziona

Police are investigating a car explosion that killed a man in the central town of Ness Ziona this evening.

Law enforcement suspects that the explosion was a targeted assassination related to a dispute between criminal gangs, Ynet reports.

After firefighters extinguished the burning vehicle, first responders found a man critically wounded inside the car. He was soon pronounced dead by paramedics.

Police have not yet arrested any suspects in relation to the incident.

Three Syrian Druze wounded in sectarian violence evacuated to Israel

Three Syrian Druze, who were apparently wounded during sectarian violence in the country, were evacuated by the Israeli military to a hospital a short while ago, the IDF says.

The three arrived at the Israeli border and were initially taken to the Nafah base in the Golan Heights. They were then taken to Ziv Hospital in Safed for treatment.

“The IDF is monitoring developments in the Syrian region, and forces are deployed in readiness for defense and various scenarios,” the military says.

WATCH: Israel’s 77th Independence Day opening ceremony begins; it’s a pre-recording, after winds and then wildfires forced cancellation of live event

A rehearsal for the 77th Independence Day ceremony, filmed at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, April 28, 2025. The recorded rehearsal for the ceremony was in fact broadcast on the evening of April 30, at the start of Independence Day, in place of the intended live event, which was canceled because of wildfires raging around Jerusalem. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel’s 77th Independence Day opening ceremony is being broadcast now.

The broadcast, which features the annual torch-lighting centerpiece, is a prerecording of what was the final dress rehearsal for the ceremony.

The live ceremony has been cancelled because of high winds earlier today that preceded the huge wildfires that are now raging in the Jerusalem area.

Related — ‘Bridges of Hope’: The 35 torch-lighters set to take the stage on Independence Day

Authorities evacuate communities Neve Ilan, Shoresh, Nataf and Yad Hashmona

Emergency services and police are evacuating the communities of Neve Ilan, Shoresh, Nataf and Yad Hashmona, as wildfires in the Jerusalem area continue to spread eastward. So far, 10 communities have been evacuated as a result of the blazes.

Firefighters are concentrating on the area around Shoresh and sending convoys towards the HaMasrek nature reserve, to extinguish the front of “an active and spreading fire,” says a spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Service.

Earlier, a Super Hercules heavy transport plane, known in the IDF as Shimson, dropped flame retardant in the vicinity of Mesilat Zion. The aircraft can hold up to 18,000 liters (4,755 gallons) of firefighting materials.

Blazes are still raging in several areas outside Jerusalem, including multiple spots in Latrun, Neve Shalom and Eshtaol Forest. There are also fires spreading in Mevo Horon, along Burma Road towards Beit Meir, Mesilat Zion and near a gas station in Sha’ar Hagai.

Israel has yet to respond to PA offer to send firefighting teams

More than three hours after the PA has offered to send firefighting teams to help extinguish the fires, Israel hasn’t responded to the offer.

There may be good reasons to refuse the PA request, such as a preference to let the PA keep its forces ready in case the fires spread into the West Bank. However, Israel hasn’t answered at all.

Fires force Israel’s leading TV station to evacuate Neve Ilan studio in mid-news broadcast

Channel 12 news anchor Danny Kushmaro (left), announcing on air that the station's Neve Ilan studio is being evacuated because of an approaching wildfire, hands over the TV news broadcast to colleague Liron Zaid at an "alternative studio" in Herzliya, April 30, 2025. (Screenshot)

For what it says is the first time in its history, Israel’s most-watched television station, Channel 12, announces that it is evacuating its studio at Neve Ilan outside Jerusalem in mid-broadcast, on the orders of the Fire and Rescue Services.

The fire service has just ordered the evacuation of the Neve Ilan area amid the huge ongoing fires in the area.

Channel 12 news anchor Danny Kushmaro announces the “unprecedented” evacuation of the studio, on air, a few minutes into the evening’s news broadcast, and hands over to his colleague in the channel’s “alternative studio” in Herzliya.

“We’re stopping the broadcast [from here] in order to get out safely,” Kushmaro says.

Foreign minister speaks with more countries about assistance

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar speaks with more countries about assistance in battling wildfires west of Jerusalem.

According to his office, Sa’ar has spoken with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan.

He is reaching out to additional countries, his office says.

Fire official says fires ‘may be Israel’s largest ever’

Fire and Rescue Service's Jerusalem District Commander Shmulik Friedman speaks to the press about wildfires that have spread rapidly across Israel on April 30, 2025. (Screenshot/Youtube)

The Fire and Rescue Service’s Jerusalem District commander says that today’s fires may be the largest in Israel’s history and that firefighters have a long way to go before the blazes are contained.

“We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,” Shmulik Friedman says during a press conference held in Eshtaol this evening.

“Regarding our activity, it will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control [over the fires],” he says.

He notes that the blazes, which began near Mesilat Zion at around 9:30 a.m., were carried west by strong winds. The fires have since shifted direction eastward.

The senior firefighter warns that winds are expected to pick up this evening and could reach speeds of up to 90-100 kilometers per hour (56-62 mph), which could worsen the spread of the wildfires.

When asked about the underlying causes, Friedman replies: “We do not currently know what caused the fire, we have absolutely no clue, and we are not yet dealing with this.”

Video shows Air Force Super Hercules taking part in firefighting

An Israeli Air Force C-130J Super Hercules heavy transport plane, known in the military as Shimshon, is seen dropping fire retardant material over the Mesilat Zion area, close to Jerusalem, as major fires rage in the area.

The IAF says it is deploying several Super Hercules planes to assist with the firefighting efforts.

An IAF C-130J Super Hercules is seen dropping fire retardant material over the Mesilat Zion area, close to Jerusalem, April 30, 2025. (Fire and Rescue Service)

Syrian state media says forces deploy near Damascus to ‘restore security’

Druze men demonstrate in solidarity with the Syrian Druze community near the border barrier in the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights on April 30, 2025 (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

Syrian security forces have deployed near Damascus to “restore security,” state media reports, following deadly sectarian clashes between government forces and local Druze fighters.

Security official Hussam al-Tahan tells state news agency SANA that forces completed a “security operation” in the Sahnaya area and that General Security personnel deployed there to “restore security and stability.”

Earlier, Israel warned it could strike government sites if attacks on the Druze community, which has ties to Israeli Druze, continue.

Vermont judge orders release of Palestinian man arrested at US citizenship interview

File: Mohsen Mahdawi, center, looks on during a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

A judge has ordered the release of a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested by immigration officials during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship.

US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford in Burlington, Vermont, issued his ruling following a hearing on Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on April 14. He has been held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.

A judge later issued an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country.

Mahdawi’s lawyers say he was detained in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights.

According to court documents, his notice to appear in immigration court says he is removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act because Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined his presence and activities “would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling US foreign policy interest.”

The government argues that Mahdawi’s detention is a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process” and that district courts are barred from hearing challenges to how and when such proceedings are begun.

Shin Bet involved in investigations into fires

The Shin Bet domestic security agency is involved in the investigations into the fires in the Jerusalem area, some of which are suspected to be arson.

The agency is also assisting the Israel Police in locating those who may have sparked some of the blazes.

International firefighting teams expected to begin operating tomorrow

The Foreign Ministry has reached out to Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria for firefighting aid, says a joint announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Ministry and the Foreign Ministry.

International teams are expected to begin operating tomorrow, says the statement, because of limitations of firefighting aircraft at night.

Israel’s Elad aerial firefighting squadron aircraft and Israel Police helicopters are currently fighting the flames, while the Israel Air Force is “preparing for immediate operational support,” according to the statement.

Two pregnant women among those hospitalized as a result of fires

At least 13 people have been admitted to Kaplan Medical Center and Shamir Medical Center as a result of the fires in the Jerusalem Hills, Magen David Adom says.

Most of the injuries were due to smoke inhalation and burns. Among the injured are two pregnant women and two infants — one a month old and the other about six months old.

Some 10 others were treated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.

MDA teams also assisted and evacuated patients who were homebound and needed to be transported from their homes via ambulances and mobile intensive care units.

National Security Council meets to discuss international assistance on fires

The National Security Council holds a meeting on international assistance in dealing with the fires west of Jerusalem.

Three Canadair aerial firefighting “Superscooper” planes are on their way from Italy and Croatia, according to the NSC.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to the command center of the firefighting effort, says his spokesman.

Tel Aviv cancels this evening’s Independence Day events

Tel Aviv has joined municipalities canceling this evening’s planned Independence Day events due to the fires raging around the country and expectations of inclement weather.

IDF Super Hercules planes to help firefighting efforts

A fire in the Jerusalem area is seen from an Israeli Air Force helicopter, April 30, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israeli Air Force C-130J Super Hercules heavy transport planes, known in the military as Shimshon, are set to participate in the firefighting efforts in the Jerusalem area soon, the IDF says.

The Super Hercules plane can hold up to 18,000 liters (4,755 gallons) of firefighting materials.

The IAF has also deployed several ground firefighting teams from airbases to extinguish the blazes, while the search and rescue Unit 669 carries out scans with its helicopters, alongside a Beechcraft King Air utility aircraft carrying out observation.

The Home Front Command, meanwhile, has deployed 70 firefighters, two fire engines, two heavy construction vehicles to clear obstructions, and three water tanks, along with several teams of search and rescue cadets.

The Technological and Logistics Directorate has also provided several fire engines and containers with over 100,000 liters of water, the IDF adds.

Rally planned for Hostages Square tonight postponed because of the fires and winds

Hostages Forum announcement postponing an eve of Independence Day rally because of fires and winds in central Israel, April 30, 2025.

A rally planned for Hostages Square tonight has been postponed because of the fires and winds causing havoc in the Jerusalem area and beyond, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum announces.

The rally, intended to coincide with the start of Independence Day and highlight the plight of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, will be rescheduled, the forum says.

It says the postponement is on the advice of the police and other authorities: “While the families are deeply moved by the intention of thousands to come and stand alongside them in solidarity, the safety of all participants remains the highest priority.”

Hadassah Hospital asking non-urgent patients to leave, preparing to receive casualties

Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem has begun asking non-urgent patients to leave and is preparing to receive casualties who may arrive from the fires raging around Jerusalem, a hospital spokesperson says.

The hospital urges the public not to come to Hadassah Ein Kerem unless it is “absolutely necessary,” the spokesperson says.

East Jerusalem resident arrested on suspicion of arson

Police say they arrested a 50-year-old resident of East Jerusalem’s Umm Tuba neighborhood on suspicion of helping ignite fires raging near Jerusalem.

They carried out the arrest after receiving a tip that someone had seen a person attempting to set fire to vegetation in southern Jerusalem, a spokesman says. The suspect was detained for questioning at the Oz police station in East Jerusalem.

Police say the suspect attempted to flee from police officers but was nabbed after a brief pursuit. Cops say they found a lighter, cotton wool and other flammable materials on his person.

24 firefighting teams battling fires in country’s north

A Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson says 24 firefighting teams and four volunteer units in northern Israel are working to put out blazes in the area, as wildfires rage throughout the country.

Most of the fires broke out in open areas. However, a fire near Afula is threatening to spread toward Route 65 and several buildings, the spokesperson adds.

Four squads are also working to extinguish a fire near Ramat Zvi that poses no threat to buildings at the moment.

Earlier, five firefighting teams succeeded in containing a fire that spread near Rumat al-Heib, a village in the Lower Galilee.

Another 12 firefighting squads from northern Israel are headed south to help combat blazes around Jerusalem.

In the Central District, police have closed roads leading to the central city of Elad, further west of Jerusalem, as another fire spreads in the area.

שריפה נוספת פרצה בעפולה.
בנוסף המשטרה עצרה 3 חשודים בחשד להצתות בהרי ירושלים. pic.twitter.com/d238CaFHzM

— שלמה ⛈️ מזג אוויר (@MezgAvirIL) April 30, 2025

Calls to carry out arson attacks in Israel on Palestinian social media

In recent hours, some Palestinians have been calling on social media to carry out arson attacks in Israel, to create further chaos amid the spreading fires. One message on the Palestinian channel Shehab, which is affiliated with Hamas, says: “There are popular calls to set fire to forests near the settlements” (a term used for all Israeli communities).

Another message circulated on Twitter across several accounts states: “Your role is to set fire to gardens, vehicles, and everything around the settlements.”

#عاجل| دعوات شعبية واسعة لحرق الأحراش والغابات القريبة من المستوطنات ومواقع الجيش pic.twitter.com/4x8WHYeIHN

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) April 30, 2025

Fire rages near decommissioned tanks at IDF’s Latrun memorial site outside Jerusalem

A fire is seen raging near decommissioned tanks at Yad Lashiryon, the Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum, next to Latrun outside Jerusalem, April 30, 2025. (X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A fire is seen raging near decommissioned tanks at Yad Lashiryon, the Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum, next to Latrun outside Jerusalem.

The site has been evacuated amid major brush fires in the area. In the foreground in the first seconds of the footage are rows of chairs set up for a Memorial Day ceremony.

יד לשריון שריפה ליד הטנקים.???? pic.twitter.com/sUDxMeIYPZ

— מה חדש. What's new❓ (@Gloz111) April 30, 2025

Fire service says 12 planes in the air, 105 teams on the ground battling blazes

The fire service says teams are battling conflagrations at five hotspots: Neve Shalom, Latrun Interchange, Latrun, Mesilat Zion and Canada Park.

It says “12 firefighting planes are in the air and 105 teams are on the ground.”

מנכ"ל מד"א לחדשות 12: "רמת הכוננות עלתה לגבוהה ביותר. 12 נפגעו מהעשן הכבד"https://t.co/EW5RV6ILBT pic.twitter.com/YOKgEJHnrG

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) April 30, 2025

But police are also evacuating areas further west as the conflagrations spread.

Ynet reported earlier that officers evacuated residents on the edges of Elad. The Central District commander is instructing forces to prepare for the possibility of evacuating other communities in the area.

Meanwhile, a spokesman says that police chief Danny Levy is holding a joint situational assessment with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Jerusalem District police commander Amir Arzani, Fire and Rescue Service representatives, and Magen David Adom and Home Front Command officials.

IDF to hit Syrian government sites ‘if violence against Druze doesn’t stop’

Following an assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has instructed the military to target Syrian government sites “if the violence against the Druze does not stop.”

Earlier today, the IDF says it carried out a drone strike on the outskirts of Damascus against operatives who attacked Druze civilians.

“The IDF is monitoring developments in Syria. The forces are deployed with readiness for defense and various scenarios,” the military adds.

IDF’s Unit 669 on standby for rescue operations amid fires, if needed

The Israeli Air Force’s elite Unit 669 is on standby to carry out rescue operations and provide medical treatment amid the fires in the Jerusalem area, the military says.

The unit is also carrying out scans in the area.

Earlier, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the military to help battle the blazes.

Firefighting teams from the Home Front Command and the Air Force are deployed. The Air Force is also helping provide aerial pictures to help the Fire and Rescue Service and Israel Police combat the blazes.

Netanyahu’s office says he’s holding assessments on fires

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits with his Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman and Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as they discuss firefighting efforts, April 30, 2025 (Prime Minister's Office)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is receiving updates and conducting assessments of the firefighting efforts west of Jerusalem, his office says. He is speaking regularly with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and firefighting and security officials, says the Prime Minister’s Office.

Palestinian Authority offers Israel assistance in firefighting effort

The Palestinian Authority has offered to send firefighting teams to help extinguish fires in the Jerusalem area, a security source tells the Times of Israel.

Israel has not yet responded to the offer. In the past, Palestinian Authority firefighting teams have assisted in putting out large fires in Israel.

Italy and Greece said sending Israel firefighting assistance

Channel 12 reports that Italy and Greece are sending assistance to Israel amid raging fires, with planes expected to arrive in a few hours.

Exact details on the aid are not immediately available.

Police assists firefighters as blazes also spread in southern Israel

Police say their forces are assisting fire and rescue teams as blazes spread in southern Israel near Lachish, in tandem with the wildfires still raging near Jerusalem.

Fires further south threaten the moshavim of Kfar Warburg, Shafir and Massuot Yitzhak, near Kiryat Gat, police say.

Law enforcement has blocked the entrance to a forest in the area and is evacuating hikers.

No injuries have yet been reported in those conflagrations.

Police note that the fires are still developing and authorities have established an operations room in Massuot Yitzhak.

Lachish Region Commander Roy Waldman is on his way to conduct a situation assessment at the scene, says a spokesman.

סיוע בינלאומי בדרך: יוון, קרואטיה, איטליה, וקפריסין צפויות לשלוח סיוע של מטוסי כיבוי בשעות הקרובות.

תיעוד מכביש 1 כעת pic.twitter.com/yfVtkvCi4P

— שלמה ⛈️ מזג אוויר (@MezgAvirIL) April 30, 2025

Paramedics: At least 12 people lightly hurt by fires, including 2 infants

At least 12 people have been lightly hurt and hospitalized as a result of the fires in the Jerusalem hills, mostly as a result of smoke inhalation, Magen David Adom says.

Among those hurt are two infants.

Some 10 others were treated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.

Ashkelon, Beersheba, Modiin and others cancel Independence Day events due to weather

Following the cancelation of the torch-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem, several towns and cities have announced they are also nixing their Independence Day events in light of expectations of intense winds.

These include Ashkelon, Modiin, Beersheba, Mevasseret Zion, Lod, Ariel, Ma’aleh Adumim and Kiryat Ono.

Israel appeals for help from nearby countries to battle wildfires

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire which broke out near Moshav Mesilat Zion, April 30, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar turns to his counterparts in Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, and Greece to ask for assistance in fighting fires in the hills west of Jerusalem, says his office.

A Greek diplomat tells The Times of Israel that Athens had received the request, and “is looking into possibilities that we can send immediately.”

No decision has been made, but an option is to send planes with firefighting crews on them.

Zamir orders IDF to help combat Jerusalem hills fires

IDF chief Eyal Zamir orders the military to help battle the blazes raging around the Jerusalem hills area, the military says.

Fire-fighting teams from the Home Front Command and the Air Force are deployed. The Air Force is also helping provide aerial pictures to help the Fire and Rescue Service and Israel Police combat the blazes.

Travelers evacuated along Route 1 toward Jerusalem on the back of a tow truck

People are evacuated from a highway during a forest fire near the central Israeli town of Bet Shemesh on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)

Footage shows Israelis being evacuated along Route 1 toward Jerusalem on the back of a tow truck.

בחיים לא חשבתי שנראה תיעוד כזה, אחרי אסון הכרמל. אזרחים מפונים ונמלטים מכביש 1 על גבי גרר pic.twitter.com/xqGgHLBS14

— ‏Lian Marai (@LianMarai) April 30, 2025

Other footage shows Israelis abandoning their cars on the highway as flames encroach.

מילה קטנה על כביש 1, תכנון לקוי ומה שביניהם
לפני כ 12-13 שנים אני זוכר שריפה בכביש 1 באזור מבשרת.
תוך כמה דקות מרגע שהכביש נחסם עבר טרקטור פרטי ופתח נתיב מילוט לכיוון השני.
רוב הקטעים בכביש 1 שודרגו ושופצו בשנים האחרונות pic.twitter.com/9FwRxkGJxP

— Aharon Parnes (@aharon_parnes) April 30, 2025

Orders given to evacuate Mevo Horon

People are evacuated from a highway during a forest fire near the central Israeli town of Bet Shemesh on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)

The Fire and Rescue service orders the evacuation of the community of Mevo Horon near the city of Modiin as fires rage out of control.

Defense Ministry tells public not to visit cemeteries on Memorial Day amid chaotic weather, fires

Bereaved families visit the graves of fallen soldier during Memorial Day at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on April 30, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Defense Ministry urges the public to refrain from visiting cemeteries across Israel on Memorial Day due to worsening weather conditions and strong winds.

Citing assessments from the Israel Meteorological Service, the ministry warns of the risk posed by falling shade structures and equipment set up for Memorial Day ceremonies. The advisory comes as high winds and dry heat raise safety concerns nationwide.

Major fires are raging in the Jerusalem hills area, fanned by the strong winds.

Defense minister asks IDF to help with Jerusalem hills fires: ‘A national emergency’

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire which broke out near Moshav Mesilat Zion, April 30, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz calls on IDF chief Eyal Zamir to deploy the military to help fight the fires raging in the Jerusalem hills area.

“We are in a national emergency and we have to concentrate all available forces to save lives and take control of the flames,” a statement from Katz’s office says.

Medics say 12 people treated so far for smoke inhalation in Jerusalem hills fires

The Magen David Adom rescue service says that 12 people have been treated so far for smoke inhalation in the fires that are sweeping through the Jerusalem hills.

Fire and rescue services are working to evacuate trapped motorists on Route 1.

Man charged with terror offense for trying to break into Israeli embassy in London with a weapon

Police officers guard a barrier close to the Israeli embassy, the destination for a National March for Palestine in central London on February 17, 2024. (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

London’s police force charged a man today with a terror offense after he was detained trying to enter the grounds of the Israeli Embassy while in possession of what appears to have been a knife.

Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, has been charged with preparing “terrorist acts” and of two counts of possession of a pointed or bladed article, London’s Metropolitan Police force says in a statement.

The incident took place on Monday shortly before 6 p.m. when officers from the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command became aware of a man attempting to gain unauthorized access to the embassy’s grounds in Kensington in west London, police said.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command, says that inquiries so far indicated that no one else was involved and that there was no wider threat to the public.

“Although the man has now been charged, we continue with our investigation and would urge the public not to speculate further at this time,” he adds.

Albadri is due to appear in court later today.

Fire service evacuating motorists trapped on Route 1; 4 cars on fire; no serious injuries

Firefighters and police gather on the highway during a forest fire near the central Israeli town of Bet Shemesh on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)

The Fire and Rescue service says it is evacuating motorists stranded by fires that threaten the Route 1 highway amid a series of wildfires.

The service says there is “a real danger” at the scene and that 119 teams and 10 aircraft are working to battle the fire.

An additional 22 teams are on their way to the area.

Nine people have been rescued so far from vehicles that were engulfed in smoke. Four vehicles have caught fire, but no occupants are trapped, the service says.

Several people have been lightly injured from smoke inhalation, the service says.

הזוי…. כביש 1 לבירת ישראל… האירוע לא בשליטה, מי שבאיזור שפשוט יברח על נפשו.
תשאירו רכוש ועופו מהמקום שלא יגמר באסון לנפש #שרפותכביש1 pic.twitter.com/GBlPOfUn11

— איציק קליין,איחוד אנושי ???????????? (@izikla32) April 30, 2025

At memorial for terror victims, Herzog says ‘Israeli covenant’ forged in blood obligates us to bring every hostage home

The “Israeli covenant” forged in the blood of Israeli terror victims demands that the public support Israel’s soldiers and bring every last hostage home from Gaza, says President Isaac Herzog.

“It obligates us to support the soldiers of the IDF and all security forces — whether on national service, career soldiers, and reservists — and to care for those wounded in terror attacks and Israel’s wars,” he says at the State Memorial Ceremony for terror victims.

“This covenant — this Israeli covenant — demands that we act in every way, with all our might, to bring all the hostages home,” he continues. “Every last one of them. The return of the hostages is the most fundamental covenant between a state and its citizens — and indeed, it is also the moral and Jewish covenant that guides our path.”

Herzog returns to his message of unity, and to the urgent need to calm the public discourse.

“This Israeli covenant rests on all our shoulders, in every possible sense,” says the president. “It obligates us to strengthen the bridges between us, to lower the divisions and flames of internal strife, and not to grant our enemies the gift of internal hatred.”

“We must not forget: Our enemies do not distinguish between the blood of soldiers and civilians, between the blood of the elderly and children, women and men,” he says.

נאום נשיא המדינה בטקס האזכרה הממלכתי לחללי פעולות האיבה בארץ ובחו”ל >> pic.twitter.com/k1OThqSd2t

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) April 30, 2025

Motorists forced to abandon vehicles and flee as fire engulfs major highway

Motorists are forced to abondon their vehicles and flee on foot as fires close in on the Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Video posted to social media shows dozens of people leaving the scene with flames on both sides of the road.

מטורף האש הגיע לכביש 1 כשהכביש עמוס, איבוד שליטה באזור כלל הכוחות מפונים למקום. pic.twitter.com/CPa4icQ3fN

— שלמה ⛈️ מזג אוויר (@MezgAvirIL) April 30, 2025

Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony canceled amid fires, strong winds

Blanca Gut and Itzik Akrish light the torch during the main rehearsal of the 77th anniversary Independence Day ceremony, held at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, on April 28, 2025. The recorded rehearsal for the ceremony was in fact broadcast on the evening of April 30, at the start of Independence Day, in place of the intended live event, which was canceled because of wildfires raging around Jerusalem. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Transportation Minister Miri Regev announces that she is canceling the Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony this evening in Jerusalem due to strong winds and brush fires raging in the nearby hills.

“I just concluded a situational assessment with the safety officials. There is potential for serious damage and risk to human life. My decision is unequivocal — not to take any risk,” Regev says.

The ceremony on Mount Herzl is a pivotal event marking the emotional transition from Memorial Day to Independence Day, from mourning to celebration.

Regev says footage from the main dress rehearsal will be broadcast instead.

Firefighters battling new blaze that’s threatening city of Beit Shemesh

Firefighters are battling a new blaze that erupted near the city of Beit Shemesh and trying to stop it from reaching homes.

The fire began in an open area near the Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet neighborhood.

It comes as first responders are fighting a series of fires in the nearby Jerusalem hills area.

בעקבות שריפה שפרצה בשטח סמוך לרח' פנחס בן יאיר בשכונת נהר הירדן בבית שמש, ניתנה הנחיה לפנות קו בתים ראשון – מטעמי עשן בלבד. pic.twitter.com/krAyA7XRuc

— זירת החדשות (@ZiratNews) April 30, 2025

Opposition MK calls for Ra’anana Likud boss to be probed for incitement to violence

Police escort a woman away from right-wing rioters who disrupted a screening at Ra'anana's Beit Samueli synagogue of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony, April 29, 2025. (X screenshot)

Democrats MK Gilad Kariv calls on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a criminal investigation into the head of the Likud’s Ra’anana branch on suspicion of incitement to violence, after the Likud boss made threatening remarks to “the left” following an attack by a right-wing mob on a joint Israeli-Palestinian Remembrance Day ceremony in the city last night.

Writing to the attorney general, Kariv points out that Racheli Ben Ari Sakat, the head of the Likud branch in Ra’anana, had called on people to demonstrate outside the joint Remembrance Day ceremony, and then issued threats to those on the political left afterwards, saying the riot was just “the opening shot” and that “we will come out in droves to protest.”

Kariv says it is “unacceptable” that a leading figure in the city “acts in a manner that could incite violence and gives a tailwind for serious acts against innocent citizens,” adding that her “support for [the violence] after the fact” meant that a criminal investigation must be opened.

Three people were arrested by police during the riot, in which four police officers and three participants in the event were lightly injured.

“To the left in Ra’anana, I announce that this is only the opening shot, don’t try us,” wrote Ben Ari Sakat in a post on Facebook after the riot.

“Whoever comes from outside Ra’anana, get away from here… And those in Ra’anana, see, you have been warned. We will not be silent anymore. We will come out in droves against any activity that does sanctify those who fell in Israel’s wars and enemy action.”

Switzerland to implement Hamas ban from May 15

A new Swiss law banning Hamas and related organizations will come into force on May 15, the government says, aiming to prevent the Palestinian terror group from using Switzerland as a safe haven by making entry bans or expulsions easier to arrange.

The law, which was approved by parliament last December and came in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, gives Swiss authorities “the necessary tools to take action against Hamas activities or support for the organization in Switzerland,” the government says.

The Swiss law enables preventive police measures such as entry bans or expulsions, and also makes it more difficult for Hamas to use Switzerland as a financial hub for its activities.

Knifeman tried to break into Israeli embassy in London, no injuries

British police officers stand guard outside the Israeli embassy in London during a protest against Israeli policy, on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

On Monday evening “an individual armed with a knife” attempted to break into the premises of the Israeli embassy in London “with the intent to carry out an attack,” says the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

“Local security forces prevented the intrusion into embassy grounds and apprehended the attacker,” continues the statement.

“All embassy staff are safe, and no damage was caused to the embassy,” the Foreign Ministry adds.

Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian journalist in West Bank, say he was working with Islamic Jihad

Palestinian journalist Ali Al Samoudi visits a makeshift shrine at the site where veteran Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during clashes between IDF troops and Palestinian gunmen while covering an IDF raid in Jenin, May 19, 2022. (AP/Majdi Mohammed)

Israel’s military says it arrested Ali Samoudi, a well-known journalist, in an overnight raid in Jenin in the northern West Bank

Samoudi previously worked for international outlets including CNN and Al Jazeera. In 2022, he was injured in the same spray of gunfire that killed prominent Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. US officials say Abu Akleh was shot dead by an Israeli sniper.

Israel’s military says Samoudi was affiliated with and transferred funds for the Islamic Jihad group, without providing evidence. They say Samoudi had been transferred to Israel’s security forces.

Lebanon’s president urges US military to put pressure on Israel to withdraw

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, meeting with a US military delegation, urges it to pressure Israel to withdraw from areas it still controls in the country and to release Lebanese prisoners.

The delegation is headed by US Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, the co-chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism.

Aoun tells the American delegation that the Lebanese army is carrying out its work along the border with Israel, where troops have been confiscating weapons and preventing armed presence by Hezbollah.

A statement released by Aoun’s office says that Jeffers, who had held the post since before the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in late November, will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Michael J. Leeney. It adds that Leeney also attended Wednesday’s meeting.

More communities evacuated as at least 5 fires rage in Jerusalem hills

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire which broke out near Moshav Mesilat Zion, April 30, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

The Fire and Rescue Service says that more communities are being evacuated as fires rage in at least five places in the Jerusalem hills.

The communities of Neveh Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, Nachshon and Mesilat Tzion have been evacuated along with the military memorial in Latrun and the nearby monastery.

The rescue service says 63 teams and 11 aircraft and two helicopters are battling the flames, which are being spread by heavy winds.

The rescue service has implemented a general call-up of all members in the Jerusalem area.

Israel says it carried out strike to protect Druze in Syria, warns Damascus to ensure their safety

Druze from Syria enter Israel on the occasion of Nabi Shuaib's holiday, at Majdal Shams, April 25, 2025. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)

The IDF carried out a strike on an armed group preparing to attack a Druze community in the town of Sahnaya in Syria’s Damascus province, say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz in a joint statement.

They call the strike a “warning operation.”

Israel also conveys a “serious message” to Syria’s leadership: “Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze.”

More than a dozen people were killed in a predominantly Druze town near the Syrian capital on Tuesday in clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad, which angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said.

The fighting marked the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minorities have been swelling since Islamist-led rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad from power in December, installing their own government and security forces.

“On Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers,” says the Israeli statement, “when we honor the great contribution of the Druze community to Israel’s security and the memory of the Druze fallen who risked their lives to defend Israel, we see great importance in fulfilling our commitment to the Druze community in Israel and to protecting their brothers in Syria.”

“Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel,” Netanyahu and Katz say, “who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria.”

Minister says Israel ‘will make sure that nobody hurts the Druze in Syria’

Druze leaders at the military cemetery in Hurfeish on April 25, 2025. (Diana Bletter/Times of Israel)

Jerusalem Affairs Minister Meir Porush tells the crowd gathered in the Hurfeish military cemetery for Memorial Day that the government knows about the “terrible situation in Syria,” and “we will make sure that nobody hurts the Druze in Syria.”

His comments come as dozens of Druze block roads in northern Israel, calling on Jerusalem to intervene in Syria amid reports of Druze being killed in sectarian clashes in Syria.

“I call on Israel to act immediately to prevent a massacre in Druze communities near Damascus,” says Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the head of the community in Israel.

The Druze, Porush says, “give so much to the nation. We know that the government can do more to strengthen the Druze community.”

“We know the covenant between the Druze and Jews is a covenant of life,” he says.

Ministers heckled at Memorial Day ceremonies as protesters call for return of hostages

Several ministers are heckled by the public as they take part in Memorial Day ceremonies across the country.

In Tel Aviv, people shout “All of them, now!” at Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, a call to bring home all 59 hostages still held in Gaza.

בזמן נאום דיכטר בבית העלמין קריית שאול – קריאות מהקהל "את כולם עכשיו"@eli_zil pic.twitter.com/vo16sEilhc

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) April 30, 2025

Others held up signs with the number “59.”

In Ramle, people shout “traitor” at Social Justice Minister May Golan. Others walked out when she began her speech.

The interruptions come despite a heavy police presence at military cemeteries in a bid to stop a repeat of the outbursts that marked last year’s commemorations.

Participants held up signs with the names of the hostages as Transportation Minister Mir Regev spoke in Holon, but did not interrupt her.

Police evacuating Latrun as fire burns in area, Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway closed

Fires rage in the Jerusalem hills on April 30 2025 (Fire and Rescue Service)

Police say that they are evacuating Latrun as a fire rages in the area.

The main Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv is closed in the area and police call on people to avoid the area. Nearby Route 3 is also closed.

At Memorial Day ceremony, Netanyahu says Israel will bring ‘monsters’ behind Oct 7. to account

People stand still as a two-minute siren sounded across Israel, marking Memorial Day at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on April 30, 2025. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

Israel’s soldiers “are determined to bring to account those who carried out acts of slaughter and atrocities,” says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the state memorial ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

“From crumbling Rafah to the lofty peak of Mount Hermon – our sons and daughters are not willing to excuse what the monsters who attacked us have done,” he says, referring to the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of southern Israel and the ensuing attacks by Iranian proxies.

“They are endangering themselves in order to create the conditions for bringing back all of our hostages, and for victory over our enemies,” says the prime minister.

Israeli negotiators are in Cairo working to hammer out a hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas, while IDF forces operate in the Gaza Strip with the aim of pressuring the terror group to agree to Israel’s terms.

Iran says next round of talks with US over nuclear program will be held in Rome

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center, and Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, left, walk through the Muscat International Book Fair in Oman, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Iran says the next round of negotiations over its rapidly advancing nuclear program it will have with the United States will be in Rome on Saturday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi makes the comment on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, adding that Iran also anticipated having a meeting Friday with France, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss the talks.

The talks with the US again will be mediated by Oman. The sultanate has hosted two rounds of talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat, and one round at its embassy in Rome.

The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on a half-century of enmity.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

French, British and German officials to meet with Iran on Friday

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Masoud Pezeshkian (2nd R) and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) chief Mohammad Eslami (R) during the 'National Day of Nuclear Technology,' in Tehran, on April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency / AFP)

French, British and German officials will meet with Iran on Friday in Rome, two diplomatic sources tell Reuters.

Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the United States that resumed in Oman on Saturday, and talks with Russia and China last week.

The moves by Iran to reach out to Britain, France and Germany – known as the E3 – suggest Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of UN sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires.

Syrian state media says 11 dead in new sectarian clashes near Damascus

Syria state media says that 11 people have been killed in clashes that erupted overnight between security forces and “outlaw groups” near Damascus, as sectarian violence a day earlier spread.

“The number of dead after outlaw groups targeted civilians and security forces” in the Sahnaya area “has risen to 11 dead and a number of wounded,” state news agency SANA says, citing a health ministry statement, without elaborating on the identity of those killed.

Families express relief as ultra-Orthodox minister stays away from memorial ceremony

Israelis gather in the Kiryat Gat military cemetery for the city’s annual Memorial Day ceremony, April 30, 2025. (Stav Levaton/Times of Israel)

Bereaved families at Kiryat Gat’s Memorial Day ceremony express relief after Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, canceled his planned attendance amid public outcry.

Galim Yaffa, whose two nephews fell in combat, says Goldknopf should never have been invited.

“It’s outrageous to send someone who danced to the words ‘We will die rather than enlist’ to a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers,” she says, referencing a widely circulated video from last month showing the minister dancing to an anti-Zionist, anti-IDF song.

Another bereaved family member, who asks to remain anonymous, says she was initially shocked that Goldknopf had been scheduled to attend.

“He needs to sit quietly wherever he is,” she said.

Upon hearing of the cancellation, she added, “If he had come, I wouldn’t have.”

Ben Gvir calls for death penalty for terrorists at memorial for fallen police officers

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at a police Memorial Day ceremony at Mount Herzl military cemetery, April 30, 2025. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calls for the death penalty to be imposed on terrorists during a speech to bereaved families of slain police officers.

“We will continue to build up the Prison Service to be powerful and firm,” he says during the police Memorial Day ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, adding that on his watch, the agency has already “changed all the conditions for imprisoned terrorists.”

“May it be that we achieve a death penalty law for terrorists,” the far-right leader says.

He continues, saying that he will “continue to give backing to police” as national security minister.

Ben Gvir returned yesterday evening from a trip to the US that he cut short by a day, apparently in order to take part in Memorial Day ceremonies.

Police chief Daniel Levy is also in attendance.

After Ben Gvir speaks, he, Levy and other senior cops go up to place wreaths for fallen members of internal security forces.

WATCH — Sirens sound as Israel mourns fallen soldiers, terror victims on Memorial Day

People visit the graves of Israeli soldiers during the Memorial Day commemoration for fallen soldiers at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP)

Political leaders, bereaved families and other members of the public are at military cemeteries across the country to remember the nation’s fallen soldiers and terror victims on Memorial Day.

At 8:30 a.m., presenters at a state event at the Mount Herzl military ceremony in Jerusalem began reading out the names of fallen soldiers, with Defense Minister Israel Katz in attendance. The names of all of the fallen service members were being read out loud throughout the day at the site’s Remembrance Hall.

At 11 a.m., a two-minute siren signals the beginning of the main ceremonies at Israel’s 52 military cemeteries around the country to remember the 25,420 people who have died during service to the country since 1860, the year from which Israel, and before it the Jewish community in the region, began counting its fallen soldiers and defenders.

Memorial Day commenced at 8 p.m. last night with a one-minute siren that blared across the country

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Supreme Court President Isaac Amit are attending the main ceremony at Mount Herzl.

At 1 p.m., another ceremony at Mount Herzl commemorates the 5,229 civilian victims of terrorist attacks since 1851.

Druze soldiers mourned at Hurfeish ceremony on Memorial Day

Marwa Gadban, sister of fallen soldier Anwar Serhan, by his grave on April 30, 2025 in Hurfeish (Diana Bletter/Times of Israel)

Hundreds of people gather at the military cemetery in the Druze village of Hurfeish for a Memorial Day ceremony to honor fallen Israel Defense Forces soldiers from the community.

“This past year was so hard,” says Diana Zoher Rabah, whose father, Merey Zoher, 39, was killed while serving in the IDF in 1994. “Every soldier who is killed brings up fresh memories.”

Two soldiers from Hurfeish were killed during the ongoing war, Anwar Serhan and Jawad Amer.

“We have lived with this pain for 30 years, and I know what they will go through for the next 30 years,” Rabah says.

Neveh Shalom evacuated as forest fire erupts in hills near Jerusalem

The Fire Service says that it is evacuating the community of Neveh Shalom as a  fire erupts in the Eshtaol Forest in the hills near Jerusalem.

The service says the move is a precaution as several teams battle the blaze and try and stop it from reaching the community.

The fire comes amid a heatwave and heavy winds that are making it difficult to bring the blaze under control.

Additional firefighting teams from Jerusalem are heading to the area and aircraft are being brought in.

A fire is burning near Latrun to the south of Route 1 that leads to Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/zMOwmQ7aCU

— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) April 30, 2025

Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel

Portraits are exhibited behind a noose as a placard reads, 'Executions pro day,' in front of the Brandenburg Gate during a demonstration by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Berlin, Germany on February 10, 2024. (STEFANIE LOOS / AFP)

An Iranian man convicted on charges of espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel has been executed, the semi-official Fars news agency reports.

Baby dies after police search in home

A seven-month-old baby who was hospitalized in critical condition after police carried out what his family called an aggressive search of their home in the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze’ev has died.

The baby was taken to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek hospital but later succumbed to his wounds, the hospital says.

During their search, police pulled several items from around the house and placed them on top of the playpen that the 7-month-old was in, the family told the Ynet news site.

The search was conducted due to suspicions that the baby’s father had committed fraud.

While police said the family’s version does not fit the timeline of events, the Department of Internal Police Investigations said it launched a probe into the matter.

Organizers consider canceling Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony due to high winds

Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, Racheli Tadesa Malkai and Riki Sitton light a torch during a rehearsal for the annual Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, April 28, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Organizers are considering canceling the torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl this evening amid expected heavy winds, Channel 12 reports.

Quoting people involved in organizing the ceremony that marks the intense and emotional transition from Memorial Day to Independence Day, the report says that the event will be canceled if winds reach 70 kilometers per hour (45 mph).

In the event that the ceremony is canceled, organizers will broadcast footage from the rehearsal.

Organizers say there is also a fear of fires in the area due to the hot, dry and windy conditions, similar to those that saw a massive blaze outside the city last week.

Amid protest, Goldknopf to stay away from Memorial Day ceremony

Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf speaks at a faction meeting for his ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party on March 3, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf says he will not attend a Memorial Day ceremony at Kiryat Gat’s military cemetery as scheduled, after an outcry from bereaved families in the city who oppose the presence of a representative from the ultra-Orthodox community.

Despite vowing to attend yesterday, Goldknopf now says that he will stay away and will instead go to the Western Wall to recite psalms for fallen soldiers.

In a letter addressed to the Haredi politician, the families wrote: “We, several bereaved families from Kiryat Gat, ask you in every way possible not to attend the Memorial Day ceremony for IDF fallen soldiers in Kiryat Gat.”

They added, “We believe that someone representing groups in Israeli society who refuse to bear the burden of military service cannot stand before bereaved parents and speak on a day that is so sacred to us.”

Goldknopf, who chairs the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, has strongly opposed conscripting Haredi men into the IDF amid heightened tensions over the issue, in part due to the ongoing Gaza offensive.

The families wrote that they preferred that Goldknopf invest his time in “recruiting yeshiva students” rather than speaking to bereaved families at the cemetery.

At ceremony for fallen soldiers, Katz says the goal is ‘a clear victory without compromise’

Speaking at a Memorial Day Ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Defense Minister Israel Katz vows to return the hostages in Gaza and win a “clear victory” over Hamas.

In his speech at the ceremony reading the names of the fallen, Katz highlights Arnon Zmora, a police counter-terror officer killed during an operation to rescue four captives from central Gaza.

“Arnon sacrificed his life to free our hostages, and by virtue of this mission and this sacred commitment — even at these very hours, IDF fighters in the Gaza Strip are working — to bring home all the kidnapped men and women, both the living and the dead,” Katz says. “This is the ultimate obligation of the State of Israel in the name of mutual responsibility and the unity of the people.”

“It is also our duty to defeat those who slaughtered our citizens on that terrible Sabbath, and to ensure that enemies of this kind will no longer be near our border and will not pose a threat to the State of Israel,” Katz says.

“Our goal is a clear victory without compromise,” he says.

He also reiterates Israel’s determination to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“We won’t allow the threat of destruction to the state of Israel,” he says.

‘Only the opening shot’: Local Likud boss issues threat after riot at Reform synagogue in Ra’anana

The head of the ruling Likud party’s branch in Ra’anana praises those who took part in a riot at a Reform synagogue in the central city that was screening the joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony.

“To the left in Ra’anana, I announce that this is only the opening shot, don’t try us,” Racheli Ben Ari Sakat writes in a post on Facebook that includes video of her addressing the demonstrators.

“Whoever comes from outside Ra’anana, get away from here,” she further threatens. “And those in Ra’anana, see you’ve been warned. We will not be silent anymore [and] will come out in throngs.”

British and US forces launch joint strike on Houthi target in Yemen

British and US forces participated in a joint military operation in Yemen on Tuesday, Britain’s Ministry of Defence says in a statement on Wednesday.

The strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced, the statement says, adding that its aircraft returned safely.

3 arrested for assault during right-wing riot at Ra’anana synagogue

Police say they arrested three people suspected of assault during a riot by by right-wing activists outside a synagogue in Ra’anana where people were gathered for a screening of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony.

Four police officers were lightly injured amid the violence.

Kfar Saba police were on the scene earlier that evening to provide security for the ceremony, a police spokesman says.

The three suspects were taken to a nearby police station for questioning. Officers will then decide whether to request an extension on the detainees’ remand.

Right-wing activists storm Ra’anana synagogue hosting screening of joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial event

Dozens of right-wing activists surrounded the Beit Samueli synagogue in the central Israeli city of Ra’anana earlier this evening, where people were gathered for a screening of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony in Jaffa.

In footage published online, protesters can be seen crowding around the courtyard and on the steps leading to the entrance to the synagogue, many of them clutching Israeli flags.

The Haaretz daily reports that a number of protesters also forced their way into the building itself, where they hurled abuse at the event’s participants, including by telling them to “go to Gaza,” while chasing after them.

“You are Nazis! Nazis!” someone screams at a participant, who captures the chaos on camera.

“Death to terrorists! Death to terrorists!” others chant and applaud. “All the Arabs are whores!”

Police were called to the scene to evacuate people from the event, but there are no immediate reports of any arrests.

זרקו אבנים, תקפו, ריסקו לאחותי את האוטו עם אבנים כשהיא בתוכו.
פיגוע טירור של נוחבות יהודיות בלב רעננה. pic.twitter.com/R6hChXkUqX

— dz ???????????? (@ZimermanDavid) April 29, 2025