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The Times of Israel liveblogged Thursday’s events as they unfolded.
Palestinian soccer federation head refuses to shake hands with Israeli VP at FIFA congress
VANCOUVER, Canada — Palestinian soccer federation President Jibril Rajoub refuses to shake hands with Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman in a heated moment at the FIFA Congress.
Both men are called to the stand by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but Rajoub declines to shake hands with Arab-Israeli Suliman.
Asked what Rajoub said when he refused to shake hands, Palestinian FA Vice-President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, tells Reuters: “I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering.”
A little unclear from the back of the hall, but Palestine FA's Jibril Rajou and Israel FA VP Basim Sheikh Suliman seemed to be asked for a photo with Infantino after addressing the Congress.
Rajou was clearly frustrated and did not do it.pic.twitter.com/72RKoteTPt
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) April 30, 2026
Iranian media says air defenses shooting at drones over Tehran
Iran’s air defenses were engaging small drones and surveillance UAVs over parts of the capital, Tehran, with air defense fire continuing to be heard in western, central, and southeastern areas of the city, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.
US pushes Lebanese president to meet with Netanyahu, suggesting sit-down could lead to IDF withdrawal
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Collage/AP)
The US appears to be intensifying its push for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that the sit-down could lead to the IDF withdrawing from the country’s south.
“A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States,” reads a statement from the US Embassy in Lebanon.
The US has been pushing such direct engagement between the two leaders for weeks, with little success.
Aoun faces significant domestic pressure back home, including threats from Hezbollah, and it’s unclear whether he would be willing to meet Netanyahu while Israeli forces continue to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
“Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation,” reads the statement from the US embassy.
“Direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries that should have never been at war, can mark the beginning of a national revival. The extended cessation of hostilities, achieved at the personal request of President Trump, has given Lebanon the space and the opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table with the full attention of the United States government,” the statement continues.
“This is Lebanon’s moment to decide its own destiny, one which belongs to all its people. The United States is ready to stand with Lebanon as it seizes this opportunity with confidence and wisdom. The time for hesitation is over,” the US embassy adds.
Air defenses heard in some parts of Tehran; reasons not yet known
Air defense sounds heard in some areas of Iran’s capital, Tehran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reports, with no immediate details on the cause.
UAE bans travel to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq over regional situation
The United Arab Emirates has banned its citizens from traveling to Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq, and urged Emiratis currently in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments, its foreign ministry says.
Veteran election czar Orly Adas quits despite Supreme Court judge’s pleas for her to remain in role
Central Elections Committee director-General Orly Adas speaks at a press conference at the Knesset, October 26, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Orly Adas, director-general of the Central Elections Committee, resigns after more than 15 years in the position, rebuffing efforts by Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg, the chairman of the committee, to remain in the role.
In a statement, Solberg praises Adas on her professionalism and determination to ensure the smooth running of elections.
“Attorney Adas did not respond to my pleas to continue in her position until after the elections; I regret this, but I respect her decision, and wish to express my full appreciation and gratitude for her work over the years,” he says.
Adas ran seven elections throughout her career, and has quit ahead of another round of elections that is supposed to be held by October.
Two IDF soldiers moderately hurt in Hezbollah drone attack in south Lebanon
Two IDF soldiers were moderately wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil earlier today.
The military says the pair, a female officer and a male non-commissioned officer, were taken to a hospital and their families were notified.
Hezbollah took responsibility, claiming to have targeted two tanks in Bint Jbeil with explosive drones.
Israel police footage shows vicious daylight assault on French nun in Jerusalem on Tuesday
Bruising on the face of a nun following an assault in Jerusalem, April 29, 2026. (Israel Police)
Footage published by Israel Police shows a man assaulting a French nun in broad daylight at Mount Zion in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
In the footage, the assailant runs up from behind the nun and pushes her to the ground. He walks away, then returns while she is still on the ground, and kicks her.
The man then scuffles briefly with a passerby, who appears to attempt to intervene in the assault.
The suspect, 36, was arrested on the same day as the attack, and police yesterday issued footage of the arrest, which also showed the nun with a head wound.
תקיפת הנזירה אתמול באזור קבר דוד בירושלים – שוטרי מרחב דוד איתרו את החשוד (36) ועצרו אותו בחשד לתקיפה ממניע גזעני >>> pic.twitter.com/agRpznR84X
— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) April 30, 2026
FIFA head insists Iran will play World Cup in US despite absence from body’s Congress
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaking during the 2026 Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
VANCOUVER, Canada — FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists Iran would play World Cup matches in the United States, as the soccer governing body’s Congress opened today without the country’s delegation, its absence highlighting tensions and challenges surrounding the tournament.
“Let me start at the outset. Of course, Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America,” Infantino says.
“And the reason for that is very simple, we have to unite. It is my responsibility, our responsibility.”
Iranian football federation officials, including president Mehdi Taj, were due to attend the gathering but turned back at Toronto airport after what Tehran described as “unacceptable behaviour” by Canadian immigration authorities, despite traveling with valid visas. A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters two members of the delegation could have attended the FIFA congress but chose not to after one of their delegation members was denied entry into Canada.
Taj is a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Canadian officials said entry decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and individuals linked to the IRGC, which Ottawa designates as a terrorist organization, are inadmissible.
Ex-Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen reportedly set to join Eisenkot’s Yashar party
Former head of the Shin Bet, Yoram Cohen, speaks at a protest against the Israeli government's planned overhaul to the legal system, in Jerusalem. February 18, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen is set to join Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, according to the Arutz Sheva news outlet.
The report does not indicate which spot Cohen would take on the Yashar electoral list.
It also says that Ram Ben Barak, a former deputy Mossad director and current Yesh Atid MK, will move over to Eisenkot’s slate.
Cohen served as head of the Shin Bet from 2011 to 2016 under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has since become a fierce critic of the sitting premier.
Last year, Cohen said Netanyahu once asked him to “disqualify” his political rival Naftali Bennett from his security cabinet by revoking his security clearance, citing a case of an unspecified “loyalty problem” while Bennett was serving in the army.
Netanyahu’s office denied the story and accused Cohen of making it up.
US CENTCOM asks for long-delayed hypersonic missile to be deployed for possible use against Iran — report
The US CENTCOM has requested that the long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile be sent to the Middle East for potential use against Iran, marking the first time Washington would deploy the technology, the Bloomberg news outlet reports.
The request by US CENTCOM was made after Iran shifted its missile launchers out of range of the US Army’s Precision Strike Missile, the current technology it has deployed, a person with direct knowledge of the request tells Bloomberg, who adds the request to the military is still pending.
US CENTCOM declines to comment on the report.
China and Russia have already deployed their hypersonic missiles, with the latter using the technology in the war in Ukraine.
Report: IDF Central Command chief warns ‘Jewish terrorism’ could spark Palestinian uprising
Palestinians stand at the scene where vehicles and a home were set on fire in a settler attack in the village of Beit Amrin, west of Nablus, in the West Bank, April 22, 2026. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)
IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth warns that rising settler violence in the West Bank could spark a Palestinian uprising, according to Haaretz.
Describing the phenomenon as “Jewish terrorism,” Bluth cautions that “it’s quite a miracle the Palestinian public is still indifferent… but it won’t remain indifferent forever,” Haaretz reports, citing remarks he made in a closed forum.
Bluth reportedly says he recently warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet that while overall Palestinian terror levels are low, tensions are building beneath the surface.
“The coffee brewing is a good coffee – the level of terrorism is at its lowest – but there’s a constant simmer and we don’t know where it will spill over. And when it spills over, it spills quickly,” he says.
He also points to a direct link between settler attacks and Palestinian violence, saying, “We know today of people [Palestinians] who were harmed in ‘price tag’ attacks and immediately afterward went out to carry out an attack.”
The price tag term is used by extremist Jews to describe attacks carried out against Palestinians, the military, and other targets as retribution for Israeli government decisions they perceive as being oriented against settlers.
According to Haaretz, Bluth argues that much of the violence originates from unauthorized outposts and describes perpetrators as “fringe anarchist youth,” adding that their actions are “infuriating” and “causing unimaginable damage to the State of Israel and the Zionist enterprise.”
The general also criticizes what he describes as weak law enforcement, saying punishments handed down to suspects were “a joke” and failed to deter further attacks.
Bluth says that some settlers had sought to exploit the war with Iran to escalate violence, saying they believed it was “the time to conquer Area A.”
He adds that “these people don’t see Arabs as human beings and think they can burn people, burn homes with their occupants – and unfortunately they do so time and again,” calling the phenomenon “a disgrace to the Jewish people” and noting that he is personally “ashamed” of the matter.
Only 22% of Israeli 9th graders met English requirements in latest tests, sparking alarm over education system
Illustrative photo of Israeli high school students taking an exam, in Tel Aviv on June 29, 2020. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Only 22 percent of Israeli ninth graders met the requirements of the English language curriculum in Israel, according to results of the National Authority for Educational Measurement and Evaluation (RAMA) held in 2024-25.
The poor results, released today, have sparked widespread concern over Israel’s education system, amid several years of disruptions to learning, including the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers’ strikes, and wartime closures.
Only 9% of students at Arab-speaking schools met the English language requirements, compared to 27% in Hebrew-speaking schools, according to the results of the standardized test given to all ninth-grade students.
The worst results were observed in southern Bedouin communities, with 86% of students demonstrating low levels of English proficiency, and only 1% meeting the curriculum requirements.
In their first participation in the exams, only 7% of Haredi students met the English requirements, compared to 16% in the national religious system and 31% in the Hebrew secular system.
English has been taught less in schools since 2020, with five hours a week of lessons at most, curricula have been frequently changed, and there is an acute shortage of English teachers, according to the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education.
In tests in their mother tongue, only 38% of ninth graders met the requirements; 19% of students at Arab-speaking schools and 44% in Hebrew-speaking schools.
Three hundred and eighteen schools, and a total of 30,256 students, took part in the tests.
Jewish group condemns antisemitic outburst at progressive Brooklyn food co-op
A sign for the Park Slope Food Coop on September 17, 2010 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images/AFP)
A leading Jewish group in New York condemns an antisemitic outburst at a meeting held by a progressive food co-op in Brooklyn.
The Park Slope Food Coop has been riven by an attempted boycott of Israeli products for years, although there are only a handful of Israeli products on its shelves.
Jewish members have said the anti-Israel activism bleeds into anti-Jewish discrimination.
The New York Post reports that, at a Tuesday Zoom meeting focused on the boycott, an attendee said, “Jewish supremacism is a problem in this country,” prompting applause from dozens of others.
“We can’t keep making the same mistakes between what we did with the Nazis and what we did with other hateful, racist groups,” the speaker said, comparing the Jewish state to the Nazis.
Mark Treyger, the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, says, “This inflammatory rhetoric does not emerge in a vacuum.”
“It is the predictable result of a sustained disinformation and demonization campaign advanced by some Coop members under the pretext of legitimate criticism of Israel. It is not. It is textbook antisemitism,” Treyger says.
Treyger called on the New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York City Commission on Human Rights to review the situation.
“New York’s strength is rooted in diversity, pluralism, and the rule of law. Jewish members of the Coop should not be demeaned, targeted, made to feel unsafe, or subjected to collective blame because of disagreements over Middle East policy,” Treyger says.
The co-op is a major institution in the neighborhood, with around 16,000 members. The co-op’s membership works shifts at the store to receive discounts and a voice in the organization’s policy.
Footage shows IDF blowing up seaside restaurant in south Lebanon; military yet to comment
The IDF blew up a seaside restaurant in southern Lebanon, footage posted to social media shows.
The video shows Safina, a ship-themed restaurant located at the Ras al-Bayada headland south of Tyre, being demolished in a controlled explosion.
Amwaj Albayyada, South Lebanon |
Israeli troops blows up the popular Al-Safina, or “The Boat,” restaurant.
The restaurant opened a decade ago as part of a project aimed at boosting tourism in southern Lebanon 1/2 pic.twitter.com/g7ELZ3NWB3
— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) April 29, 2026
The IDF has yet to respond after being asked to comment Wednesday on whether the site had been destroyed because it contained Hezbollah infrastructure.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that the IDF will raze all of the Lebanese border villages — with the exception of several Christian communities — to prevent Hezbollah from staging attacks from the area.
The IDF has insisted that it is only destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, which it says is often embedded within civilian homes.
Earlier, the IDF announced that it had demolished a Hezbollah tunnel in Ras al-Bayada.
Pezeshkian says US blockade ‘extension of military operations’ amid ceasefire
In this handout picture provided by Iranian presidency, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses cabinet members, as they visit of the tomb of the late Iranian revolutionary leader ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on January 31, 2026. (Handout/Iranian Presidency/AFP)
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says that a US naval blockade of his country’s ports was effectively an “extension of military operations” by Washington, in spite of an ongoing ceasefire between the two sides.
“The world has witnessed Iran’s tolerance and conciliation. What is being done under the guise of a naval blockade is an extension of military operations against a nation paying the price for its resistance and independence,” he says on X. “Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable.”
Report: Bennett called Lapid ‘toxic’ days before announcing joint slate
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (right) and former prime minister Naftali Bennett at a press conference announcing their joint run in the coming elections, in Herzliya, central Israel, April 26, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett privately dismissed a political alliance with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid as a strategic mistake just days before the two announced a joint slate, Channel 12 reports.
Citing multiple sources, the report says Bennett told associates in meetings shortly before the announcement that he would not unite with Lapid alone, reportedly saying, “Lapid is toxic, toxic, toxic.”
He further argued that such a partnership would repel right-wing voters rather than attract them.
Responding to the report, the newly formed Together party noted that its merger has propelled it to become the largest party in Israel, and argued that the only “toxic” force in Israeli politics is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, which it accused of advancing draft exemptions and dividing the country.
Essa Suleiman, 45, named as suspect in northwest London terror attack
A photo of the suspect in the April 29 terror stabbing of two Jews in London. (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Essa Suleiman, 45, is named in British media reports as the suspected assailant in yesterday’s antisemitic terror attack in northwest London.
He was born in Somalia but immigrated to the United Kingdom in the 1990s, and is now a British citizen, according to the BBC.
The two victims remain in the hospital in stable condition. They have been identified as Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76.
Report: Israel braces for Iran fighting to resume as early as next week, as Trump briefed on military options
An Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet takes off for strikes in Iran, in a handout photo published April 6, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israel is on heightened alert, ramping up preparations for a possible return to fighting with Iran, amid indications that US President Donald Trump may be nearing a decision on renewed military action, Channel 12 News reports.
Trump is reportedly being briefed at the White House on military options by US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, as Israeli officials held a series of intensive consultations amid what they see as growing momentum toward a decision in Washington.
According to Channel 12, Israeli officials are bracing for the possibility that negotiations between the US and Iran could collapse as early as the start of next week. The report cites cabinet ministers briefed in recent days as assessing that the US may need to “give a push” to its pressure campaign in the Strait of Hormuz through military strikes on Iranian gas and energy facilities, as well as government infrastructure.
As part of the buildup, Israel and the US are also said to be working to project a credible naval threat against Iran.
Jury for Venice Biennale quits over participation of countries whose leaders have ICC arrest warrants
An outside view of the Arsenale during the 60th Biennale of Arts exhibition in Venice, Italy, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
ROME, Italy — The international jury of the upcoming Venice Biennale Art Exhibition resigns over the organization’s refusal to ban countries with International Criminal Court arrest warrants.
The resignations come a week after the jury said it would exclude countries from awards if the ICC had issued arrest warrants for war crimes against their leaders — meaning Russia and Israel. This comes just days before the exhibition is due to open on May 9.
The organizers of the event — the world’s top international art exhibition — said in March that they would allow Russia to take part, but the decision has been strongly criticized by Ukraine and the EU.
Brussels warned it could cut funding, while the Italian government — which has supported Ukraine in the war — stressed the Biennale was acting “entirely independent” of Rome’s wishes.
Following the resignations, the Biennale says it has “decided that the award ceremony of the 61st International Art Exhibition, previously scheduled for May 9, will take place on Sunday, 22 November.”
It also says it would hand out two awards, one which could be won by any one of the “National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment.”
“This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship,” it says in a statement.
“La Biennale seeks to be, and must remain, a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom,” it says.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Britain raises terror threat level to ‘severe’ after antisemitic attack in London
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)
LONDON — Britain raises its national terrorism threat level to “severe,” signaling that a terrorist attack was considered highly likely, following an antisemitic stabbing in north London.
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood says the level had been increased from “substantial” after the attack in the Golders Green area yesterday, adding that the decision reflected a broader and rising threat environment rather than a single event.
Syria confirms it is holding German journalist who went missing months ago
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian government confirms that a German journalist who went missing months ago is detained in Syria.
Eva Maria Michelmann, 36, was last seen on January 18, when she and a Kurdish-Turkish colleague were supposedly detained by Syrian government forces during the takeover of Raqqa during military operations against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, said earlier this week.
The group called for her release.
Syria’s Information Ministry says in a statement that Michelmann and a Turkish man — identified by CPJ as Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Polad — were found during a sweep of Raqqa by Interior Ministry forces, in a building that had been used by the SDF as a “security headquarters.”
It says the two foreign nationals had “refused to disclose their true identities and possessed no official documentation verifying who they were.” During initial questioning, it says, they “claimed to be engaged in humanitarian work and made no mention of any journalistic role” and said they were working for the United Nations, which was later determined to be false.
The Information Ministry says they had then attempted to escape and were detained again on “suspicions that they may be foreign fighters present in Syria illegally.”
The statement says that the two were “formally detained, and legal proceedings have been initiated in preparation for referral to the competent judicial authorities.”
It does not specify the charges against them.
CPJ said the two journalists worked for Istanbul-based Etkin News Agency ETHA and Özgür TV, which operates across several cities in Europe.
IAF intercepts Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon before crossing into Israel
The Israeli Air Force shot down a Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon a short while ago.
The military says the “suspicious aerial target” was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory.
“This is another violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization,” the IDF adds.
Netanyahu says Gaza flotilla activists will ‘continue to watch Gaza on YouTube’ after ships seized
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. (Shalev Shalom/POOL)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says activists on a flotilla seeking to break the blockade in Gaza will “continue to watch Gaza on YouTube” after their ships were seized by the Israeli Navy last night, in a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Well done to our Navy! I instructed to prevent the flotilla of Hamas supporters from arriving on Gaza’s shores. The task was carried out completely successfully. Not one ship or Hamas supporter arrived in our territory, not even in our maritime territory,” he says.
“They have been turned back and will return to their countries of origin. They will continue to watch Gaza on YouTube,” he says.
Haifa court convicts two Arab community leaders over protest chants during Gaza war
The Haifa Magistrate’s Court has convicted two Arab community leaders of “indirect” incitement to terrorism and identification with a terrorist group over chants they led during a protest against the Gaza war.
Ahmad Khalifa and Mohammad Taher Jabareen were both arrested alongside other protesters during the demonstration, which took place in Umm al-Fahm during the first month of the fighting.
The two men were indicted on several terror-related speech offenses. They were charged, but not convicted, of direct incitement to terrorism.
Adalah, a legal advocacy group for Arab citizens of Israel, says the decision is an “unprecedented prosecution of protected speech” meant to criminalize “legitimate political protest” by the minority.
The organization, representing the pair, says none of the chants led by their clients included calls to violence or references to terror groups.
The charges are based on “traditional, well-established political chants voiced during the demonstration, rather than on any concrete act,” the group says.
These include chants such as, “In spirit and blood we redeem you, O Gaza.”
The court deemed the combination of the chants shortly after the Hamas-led October 7 massacre constituted indirect incitement.
The maximum sentence for this offense is five years imprisonment, while the maximum sentence for identification with a terrorist organization is three years imprisonment.
Adalah, contending with the ruling, notes the protest was held in a specific context, in the wake of a devastating strike on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital early into the war.
140-meter-long Hezbollah tunnel blown up in south Lebanon — IDF
A Hezbollah tunnel located by Israeli forces in the Ras al-Bayada headland south of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published on April 30, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says it razed a 140-meter-long Hezbollah tunnel in the Ras al-Bayada headland south of Tyre, in southern Lebanon.
Combat engineers of the elite Yahalom unit blew up the tunnel using 24 tons of explosives this morning, the military says.
Inside the tunnel, the IDF says troops located numerous weapons, as well as rooms where operatives would reside.
The IDF says the tunnel was “recently used by Hezbollah terrorists” to advance attacks.
A Hezbollah tunnel located by Israeli forces in the Ras al-Bayada headland south of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, is demolished on April 30, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Separately, the military says it struck several Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure in the western sector of southern Lebanon in the past day.
Israel’s Rafael intends to buy Volkswagen plant in western Germany, sources say
BERLIN, Germany — Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has signed a letter of intent with Volkswagen to acquire the German automaker’s plant in Osnabrueck in western Germany, two people familiar with the matter say.
Both VW, which announced sweeping plans to overhaul its struggling core car business today, and Israeli government-owned Rafael decline to comment. However, VW Chief Executive Oliver Blume tells a call with investors that the group was in advanced talks with defense companies over the plant.
Volkswagen previously said it wants to sell or reconfigure the site, which employs around 2,300 people, as part of a wider revamp, but has ruled out the production of weapons.
The Financial Times reported in March that VW and Rafael were in talks to shift production at the plant from cars to missile defense.
Rafael, one of the main partners in Israel’s Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling air and missile defense systems, would focus on building missile parts including motors rather than on explosives, which, for security reasons, would be built at a separate site, the sources say.
The switch from auto components would reflect German industry’s growing focus on defense as the government in Berlin has set aside hundreds of billions of euros to rebuild the military after decades of neglect.
People familiar with the issue say the German government wanted to ensure it retained overall control over defense technology projects in Germany and that the technology remained in Germany.
Sa’ar says all Gaza flotilla activists set to be handed over to Greece in coming hours
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says that all participants of a flotilla attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza are set to be handed over to Greece, after the vessels were seized by the Israeli Navy last night. Some 175 activists were said to have been detained when 21 vessels were intercepted.
“So far, Israel — through the IDF — has successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla, including last night,” he writes on X.
“All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed. In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours,” he says.
“We thank the Greek government for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants. We call on anyone who is not interested in provocations but rather in humanitarian aid to Gaza to do so through the BOP, which also issued a statement on the matter today. Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza,” he says, referring to the Board of Peace.
So far, Israel – through the IDF – has successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla, including last night.
All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken…— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 30, 2026
9-year-old killed after being hit by vehicle in Jerusalem-area community
A nine-year-old is killed after being hit by a vehicle in a moshav near Jerusalem, the Magen David Adom ambulance service says.
Paramedics called to the scene found the child lying on the side of the road, unconscious with severe head wounds, MDA says.
The responders attempted to revive him but declared him dead at the scene, MDA adds.
Rocket fired by Hezbollah at north strikes open area — IDF
A rocket launched from Lebanon at northern Israel a short while ago struck an open area, the military says.
No sirens sounded in any towns.
The IDF says the attack is “another violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization.”
Starmer accuses Iran of seeking ‘to harm British Jews’ after London terror attack
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, meets first responders from Shomrim North West London during a visit to Golders Green, April 30, 2026. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accuses Iran of wanting “to harm British Jews,” in the wake of the latest terror attack targeting the country’s Jewish community.
“We need stronger powers to tackle the malign threat posed by states like Iran, because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews,” he says in a statement delivered from Downing Street.
It comes the day after two Jewish men were stabbed in the street in north London, and following repeated warnings by Starmer and other officials that hostile states were intent on using proxies to conduct terror attacks in the UK.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo, 19, killed by Hezbollah drone in south Lebanon
Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo, 19.
An Israeli soldier was killed and another was moderately wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon earlier today, the military announces.
The slain soldier is named as Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo, 19, of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, from Herzliya.
During the incident, Hezbollah launched two explosive-laden drones at troops stationed in the village of Qantara. According to the IDF, one of the drones was intercepted by the troops, while the second struck next to the forces.
The drone impact killed Ben Hamo and wounded the second soldier moderately.
While the casualties were being evacuated, the military says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
Hezbollah took responsibility, claiming in a statement to have targeted two Israeli tanks in Qantara with drones.
Emaciated Palestinian journalist released without charge after yearlong administrative detention
Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi has been released after a full year in Israeli administrative detention.
A well-known figure among Palestinians in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, who has ties with Israeli journalists, never ended up being charged with a crime, despite being held for so long, Palestinian media reports.
Media reports said Samoudi was suspected of transferring funds to Islamic Jihad, though, given that he was never charged, those allegations appear to have been thin.
In footage following his release, Samoudi says he lost half of his body weight — 60 kilograms — while in prison.
Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi, 59-year-old, abducted on April 29, 2025, by the Israeli army from Jenin in the West Bank and held in administrative detention without charge or trial for one year, was released today. pic.twitter.com/kSi56RtmNR
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 30, 2026
A recent report from Israel’s own Public Defender’s Office determined that Palestinian security detainees held in Israeli prisons have suffered from severe and systematic violence from prison guards, deprivation of food, and medical neglect, while also having been subjected to unsanitary conditions that caused and exacerbated outbreaks of disease in the prisons.
Thousands of Palestinians are currently in administrative detention, a legal mechanism that allows Israeli authorities to indefinitely keep a suspect in custody without charge, based on covert intelligence information.
The practice is so controversial that Defense Minister Israel Katz barred its use against Jewish suspects last year. It is now only employed against Palestinians and a small number of Arab Israelis, leading to charges of discrimination by Israeli authorities.
The Israel Prisons Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why Samoudi was held for so long, given that he was never charged.
Trump’s Board of Peace condemns Gaza flotilla as ‘love boat activism’
The Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump in January labels the Gaza-bound flotilla seized by Israel overnight as “love boat activism” while highlighting the board’s work in scaling up aid to the Strip since the October ceasefire.
“Since the ceasefire last October, the Board of Peace has SIGNIFICANTLY scaled up support for the people of Gaza. Food aid is reaching 3 times more people than before. Hamas’ theft of aid has dwindled from 90% to less than 1%. According to the United Nations, nutrition has improved dramatically,” the post on X reads.
“We are currently hard at work on the next critical step in Gaza’s recovery: finalizing the process by which Hamas decommissions its weapons and allows for the transition to a new government that will lead the redevelopment of this war-torn region. This will allow us to accelerate aid and rebirth,” it says.
“The ‘flotilla’ heading to Gaza is the performative love-boat activism of people who know nothing of and care even less for the condition of Gazans. It is distasteful to trade on the misery of people to build your social media profiles,” the statement says.
“For those actually wanting to help Gaza, here is a suggestion: use whatever influence you have to maintain the pressure on Hamas so they fulfill their obligations to pave the way forward for the communities they destroyed. If you would like to contribute to the recovery, we welcome support through established humanitarian channels coordinated by the Board of Peace, the United Nations, and the World Bank, so that your contributions reach those who deserve and need our aid,” the board adds.
Since the ceasefire last October, the Board of Peace has SIGNIFICANTLY scaled up support for the people of Gaza. Food aid is reaching 3 times more people than before. Hamas’ theft of aid has dwindled from 90% to less than 1%. According to the United Nations, nutrition has…
— Board of Peace (@BoardOfPeace) April 30, 2026
IDF battalion that detained, allegedly assaulted CNN crew returns to West Bank
A masked soldier, identified as Meir, looks at the camera as he opens the door of the car where CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond, left, sits detained in the northern West Bank village of Tayasir, March 26, 2026. (Screen capture: CNN)
A reservist battalion that was removed from the West Bank following an incident last month in which its soldiers detained and allegedly assaulted a CNN crew has returned to the territory.
In late March, the military said that the Menashe Regional Brigade’s 941st “Netzah Israel” Battalion — a reserve unit made up mostly of several hundred former soldiers of the Kfir Brigade’s ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion — was sent for a training and learning seminar aimed at “strengthening its professional and ethical foundations.”
The unit has not yet been fully redeployed to the West Bank but is currently serving as a “reserve force” for various missions within the Central Command.
Earlier this week, the battalion conducted a raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, and it is expected to conduct additional missions in the coming days, according to Army Radio.
The battalion will only return to full activity in the West Bank with the approval of Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the military said.
Katz warns Israel may act ‘soon’ to eliminate ‘existential threats’ by Iran
Defense Minister Israel Katz (right) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (left) award incoming Israeli Air Force chief Omer Tischler the rank of major general, at the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv, April 30, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Defense Minister Israel Katz says while Israel supports the United States’ diplomatic efforts with Iran, it may “soon be required to act again” to remove the “existential threats” posed by the Islamic Republic.
“Iran has suffered extremely severe blows over the past year, blows that have set it back years in all areas,” says Katz during a ceremony promoting the next Israeli Air Force chief, Omer Tischler, to the rank of major general.
“US President Trump, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the effort to complete the campaign’s objectives in a way that ensures Iran will not return to being a threat to the existence of Israel, to the United States, and to the free world for generations to come,” he says.
“We support this effort and provide the necessary backing, but we may soon be required to act again to ensure the objectives are achieved,” Katz adds.
Tischler will enter the role of IAF chief on May 5, replacing Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
Spain says it ‘energetically condemns’ seizure of Gaza flotilla
MADRID, Spain — Spain says it “energetically condemns” the seizure by Israeli forces of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla carrying Spanish nationals in international waters off Greece.
Madrid has summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires in Spain to convey its protest over the detention of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels, the foreign ministry adds in a statement.
Earlier Israel said it had detained around 175 activists after intercepting 21 of the 58 vessels in the flotilla, publishing footage of them making their way toward Israel.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
International media outlets urge Israel to lift ban on reporters independently entering Gaza
Palestinian journalists march at the funeral of colleagues killed in Gaza City on August 11, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
The leaders of major media companies around the world, including The Associated Press, call on Israel’s government to lift a ban keeping foreign journalists from being able to independently enter and report from Gaza, a barrier that’s been in place since the war’s start in 2023 and continues even as a ceasefire has been in place for more than six months.
“Being on the ground is essential. It allows journalists to question official accounts on all sides, to speak directly with civilians and report back what they witness firsthand,” says the statement from the executives. “That is why news organizations send their reporters into the field, often at great personal risk.”
From the AP and the BBC to CNN to MS NOW, from Reuters to German news agency dpa to The Washington Post, the top editors of more than two dozen organizations say the Israeli government has so far not responded to their efforts to discuss the situation. They question the country’s rationale for why the restrictions are still in place.
Initially, Israel said the ban was necessary because foreign journalists allowed into Gaza could give away the positions of Israeli soldiers and endanger them. Other rationales have included that, as an active battle zone, it was too dangerous. The army has occasionally brought foreign reporters in on highly controlled trips, but media outlets want independent access.
Currently, “the heaviest fighting is over and there is a ceasefire in place,” the editors’ statement says. “The hostages have come home. Journalists do not pose a threat to Israeli troops. There is a mechanism in place—however restrictive—that allows aid workers to enter and exit the territory. Why not journalists?”
There have been attempts at legal action to force the issue. The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, has been waiting on a decision from the Israeli Supreme Court on a petition for independent access to Gaza. That action was filed in 2024, but a ruling has been repeatedly delayed, most recently in January.
Guterres warns of worsening economic impact of Hormuz closure
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during a media conference at the EU summit in Brussels, on March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
UNITED NATIONS — UN chief Antonio Guterres sounds the alarm over the worsening global economic impacts of the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed due to the Iran war.
The closure of the vital waterway is “strangling the global economy,” the secretary-general warns in remarks to the press.
Even if restrictions were lifted today, “supply chains will take months to recover, prolonging lower economic output and higher prices,” he says.
Israeli rights group asks court to release 14 Gazan doctors held without charge for over a year
L-R: Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya, in an undated screenshot taken from a Democracy Now video posted to YouTube on January 14, 2025 (Democracy Now screenshot/Youtube); A resurfaced photo from 2016 shows Abu Safiya wearing a Hamas uniform alongside other senior officers in the terror group. (Medical services – Gaza Strip)
An Israeli rights organization petitions the Supreme Court to demand the immediate release of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza who have been held without charge for more than a year.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) say the doctors have been denied adequate medical care and food and subjected to physical abuse while in detention. The group says they are being held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows for indefinite detention without charge.
“The Israeli army already investigated them and despite the lack of any evidence incriminating them… (prosecutors) decided to continue their detention,” says lawyer Nasser Odeh, who represents Hussam Abu Safiya, the detained director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Israel’s Prison Service tells Reuters it rejected all allegations that the doctors had been mistreated in prison. It was not immediately clear if or when the court would hear the petition.
In February, a decades-old photo resurfaced of Abu Safiya wearing a Hamas uniform alongside other senior officers in the terror group.
Abu Safiya holds the rank of colonel in Hamas’s Military Medical Services, according to the MMS and Palestinian media reports. The MMS is separate from Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, though its members directly participated in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught in southern Israel.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Court extends detention of main suspect in Petah Tikva Independence Day killing
A child walks in front of a memorial mural of Yemanu Zelka, who was stabbed to death in Petah Tikva on Independence Day a week earlier, Ashdod, April 28, 2026. (Liron Moldovan/Flash90)
A judge in the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court has extended the remand of the central suspect in the fatal stabbing of Yemanu Zelka until Tuesday, as police continue to investigate the killing.
The 15-year-old is suspected of stabbing Zelka, a 21-year-old Pizza Hut employee in Petah Tikva, while he and his friends beat the young man outside his work last week. The group left him to bleed out on the ground, and he died of his wounds a day later in the hospital.
The judge has also extended the detention of two other suspects until Tuesday, including one minor who police believe helped the stabbing perpetrator hide from law enforcement after the lethal incident, according to the Maariv news outlet. The two were arrested last night.
So far, police have nabbed a total of 13 minors on suspicion of participating in the killing. Searches for others involved are ongoing.
Three reportedly killed, one seriously hurt in IDF strike in Gaza Strip
Displaced Palestinian carry jerrycans filled with water through a tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Three people were killed and another seriously wounded in an Israeli military strike in Gaza City, Palestinian media outlets in Gaza affiliated with Hamas report.
The toll does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
The IDF has not yet commented.
The Times of Israel cannot independently verify the information.
Trump says Germany’s Merz should spend ‘less time on interfering’ with efforts against Iran
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)
US President Donald Trump criticizes German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he should focus on trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war and spend “less time on interfering” with the effort to tackle “the Iran nuclear threat.”
Trump has been sparring with Merz over the war in Iran in recent days. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn’t know what he was talking about after the German leader said the Iranians were humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war.
Trump makes his comments in a Truth Social post.
“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!” Trump says.
Shipments from US carrying 6,500 tons of military gear arrived in Israel in past day
Military equipment is loaded off a cargo ship at Ashdod Port, in footage released by the Defense Ministry on April 30, 2026. (Defense Ministry)
Two cargo ships and several planes carrying 6,500 tons of military equipment from the United States, including thousands of munitions and light armored utility vehicles, arrived in Israel in the past day, the Defense Ministry announces.
The ships, which docked at the Haifa and Ashdod ports, were carrying “thousands of air munitions, ground munitions, military trucks, JLTV combat mobility vehicles, and additional equipment,” the ministry says.
The 6,500 tons of equipment were loaded onto trucks and taken to various military bases across the country.
Ministry director general Amir Baram says the procurement operation “will continue and intensify in the coming weeks.”
The ministry says that since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, more than 115,600 tons of military equipment have arrived in Israel on 403 flights and 10 ships.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says the ministry’s goal is “to ensure that the IDF receives all the necessary means so that it can return to operating at full strength against our enemies at any time and in any place required.”
Interceptors fired at suspected Hezbollah drone over south Lebanon — IDF
Interceptor missiles were launched at a suspected Hezbollah drone identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.
The IDF says the results of the interception are under review.
Iran’s Ghalibaf says Hormuz control will ensure ‘future free from American presence’
A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz, April 22, 2026. (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vows that his country’s control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz will ensure a future without US presence in the area.
“Today, by managing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will provide itself and its neighbors with the precious blessing of a future free from American presence and interference,” Ghalibaf says in a post on X to mark the national “Persian Gulf” day.
Keeping online spat with Ukraine alive, Israel says Kyiv’s request for help over stolen grain didn’t include evidence
Despite the resolution of the latest shipment, Israel continues its back-and-forth with Ukraine over stolen grain reaching Israeli ports, saying that Ukraine’s request for legal assistance this week “contained significant factual gaps and did not include any supporting evidence.”
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that Israel received Ukraine’s request for legal assistance the night before regarding a vessel waiting to dock in Haifa, which is suspected of carrying grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territory.
The two sides continued fighting on X over the shipment, which the Israeli importer finally rejected today.
“The Israel Police reached out to the Ukrainian Prosecution with a request to provide additional information and supporting evidence, as required by Israeli law,” says the Foreign Ministry on X.
“Meanwhile, we were informed that the vessel that was supposed to enter the port next week decided to depart from Israel’s territorial waters,” the ministry continues. “Israel abides by the rule of law and its authorities will always act in accordance with the law.”
The Panama-flagged Panormitis bulk cargo ship arrived in Haifa Bay this week and was waiting for permission to berth in the northern Israeli port and unload the grain.
Kyiv considers all grain produced in the four regions that Russia claims as its own since invading Ukraine in 2022 — as well as Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014 — to be stolen, and has protested its export to other countries.
Starmer booed upon arrival at site of terror attack in London Jewish suburb
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits the site of a terrorist attack in London’s Golders Green, a suburb with a significant Jewish population, where his arrival is greeted by a small group of protesters jeering and shouting “Shame on you,” and “Jew harmer.”
There is also loud booing and cries of “Starmer is a coward” and “show your face,” AFP witnesses.
Yesterday, a man, who was later detained, stabbed and injured two Jewish men in the suburb.
Starmer’s critics have accused the government of not doing enough to combat antisemitism in the country.
???? BREAKING: Keir Starmer is booed by Jewish people as he arrives near the Golders Green terror attack scene
???? Paul Brand pic.twitter.com/jRSJ2yCArc
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 30, 2026
IDF says it struck south Lebanon buildings where Hezbollah operatives were located
The IDF says it struck buildings in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah operatives were active.
“The infrastructures that were struck were used by Hezbollah to advance terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the military says.
The strikes were carried out by the Israeli Air Force and the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division.
צה"ל תקף מחבלים ומבנים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה
חיל האוויר וכוחות אוגדה 91 תקפו מבנים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה מהם פעלו מחבלים.
התשתיות שהותקפו שימשו את חיזבאללה לקידום מתווי טרור נגד כוחות צה"ל ומדינת ישראל.
צה"ל ימשיך לפעול בנחישות למול איומים כלפי אזרחי מדינת… pic.twitter.com/lheH48IVDk
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 30, 2026
IDF issues evacuation warnings for another 15 south Lebanon villages
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows the smoke traces of Israeli shelling as it targets the village of Yohmor on April 30, 2026. (AFP)
The IDF issues evacuation warnings for another 15 villages in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes.
Residents of Jibshit, Habboush, Harouf, Kfar Jouz, Nabatiyeh al-Faouqa, Ebba, Aadshit, Arab Salim, Toul, Houmine al-Faouqa, Mjadel, Arzoun, Dounine, Haumeiri, and Maaroub are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.
“Hezbollah activities are forcing the IDF to act against it, as it does not intend to harm you,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
The towns are north of the Israeli-declared “security zone” held by troops in southern Lebanon.
IDF says interceptors were fired at Hezbollah drone targeting northern Israel
Interceptor missiles were launched toward a suspected Hezbollah drone that was launched from Lebanon at northern Israel a short while ago.
The IDF says the results of the interception are under review. Sirens had sounded in the border communities of Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi amid the incident.
Iranian general threatens ‘long and painful strikes’ if US attacks Iran
Any US attack on Iran, even if limited, will usher in “long and painful strikes” on US regional positions, a senior Revolutionary Guards official is quoted by state media as saying.
“We’ve seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships,” Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi adds, according to the Student News Network.
He is responding to an Axios report saying that the US military has prepared a plan for a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran.
UK police say suspect in London stabbing known to government counter-radicalization program
A police officer directs children after two people were stabbed in the Golders Green neighborhood, which has a large Jewish community, in London, April 29, 2026. (AP/Kin Cheung)
British police say that the man suspected of being involved in the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London yesterday was known to the government’s counter-radicalization Prevent program.
The 45-year-old British national, who was born in Somalia, was subject to a “Prevent” referral in 2020, which was closed in the same year, the police statement says, without elaborating.
Lufthansa group extends cancellation of Israel flights through June
A Lufthansa plane takes off at the Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, August 14, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
The Lufthansa group of carriers extends the suspension of all flight services to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport through the entire month of June, as it monitors the situation in the Middle East.
But the German group, whose carriers also include SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, says it may nevertheless resume some flight operations as early as the beginning of June, depending on the security situation in the region.
The airlines in the group will contact affected passengers directly to offer flexible rebooking options or a full refund.
The European Union’s aviation agency has extended a warning through May 1 for airlines to avoid most Middle East airspace, including Israel, citing “risks to civil aviation” and uncertainty about the ceasefire with Iran.
Rocket, drone sirens sound in Lebanon border towns
Sirens warning of a drone attack from Lebanon sound in the border communities of Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi.
An alert warning of rocket fire also sounds in the area.
The IDF says it is investigating.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes killed 9 people, including 2 children
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows the smoke traces of Israeli shelling as it targets the village of Yohmor on April 30, 2026. (AFP)
Israeli strikes on three south Lebanon villages killed nine people, among them two children and five women, Lebanon’s health ministry says, nearly two weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Israeli enemy strikes on south Lebanon led, in an initial toll, to nine martyrs, among them two children and five women, and 23 wounded, among them eight children and seven women,” the ministry says in a statement issued shortly after Lebanon’s president slammed “continuing Israeli violations” of the ceasefire.
British white supremacist who venerated Hitler found guilty of plotting gun attack
A British white supremacist who prosecutors say idolized Adolf Hitler is convicted of preparing terrorism acts after trying to buy a gun and ammunition from undercover officers.
Alfie Coleman paid 3,500 pounds ($4,730) for a pistol and around 200 rounds of ammunition before being arrested by police in September 2023.
The 21-year-old venerated Nazi dictator Hitler and Thomas Mair, a loner obsessed with the Nazis who murdered lawmaker Jo Cox in a frenzied street attack in 2016, prosecutors say.
Prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer told jurors at London’s Old Bailey court that Coleman had written his own manifesto as a diary, in which he stated: “All people whom are not on our side must die.”
Hezbollah drones targeted troops in south Lebanon in 3 incidents, says IDF
Interceptor missiles were launched at suspected Hezbollah drones identified over areas of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed in three incidents today, the military says.
The IDF says most of the “suspicious aerial targets” were intercepted, while the results of others are still under review.
Italy demands Israel release Italians on flotilla stopped by IDF
This grab from black and white CCTV footage shows members on flotilla boat with hands in air as Israeli forces intercepted activists who set sail earlier this month from Barcelona attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, near the southern Greek island of Crete, April 30, 2026. (Global Sumud Flotilla via AP)
Italy calls for the immediate release of Italian nationals on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla raided by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece.
Italy “condemns the seizure of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels… and calls on Israel to immediately release all the unlawfully detained Italians,” the government says.
Earlier Israel said it had detained around 175 activists after intercepting 21 of the 58 vessels in the flotilla, publishing footage of them making their way toward Israel.
In written statement attributed to him, Khamenei defends nuclear capabilities, says only US place in Gulf is ‘at the bottom of its waters’
An Iranian woman walks past a poster featuring a portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, in the capital Tehran on April 13, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Iran’s supreme leader purportedly says that the Islamic Republic will protect its “nuclear and missile capabilities” as a national asset, even as US President Donald Trump tries to get a deal on those issues.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei ostensibly issues a written statement read aloud on Iranian state television, as he has done several times since he took over after the Feb. 28 airstrike that killed his 86-year-old father, Ali Khamenei. Multiple media reports have suggested he was seriously wounded in the strike, and he has not been seen or heard in public since assuming the role.
“Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities — from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities — as national assets, and will protect them just as they protect the country’s waters, land and airspace,” Khamenei says.
The supreme leader also says that the only place Americans belong in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters,” as the Strait of Hormuz remains in Tehran’s chokehold.
“By God’s help and power, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without America, one serving the progress, comfort and prosperity of its people,” Khamenei says in the statement.
“We and our neighbors across the waters of the Persian Gulf and the [Gulf] of Oman share a common destiny. Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it — except at the bottom of its waters.”
He proclaims that Tehran will secure the Gulf region and eliminate what he describes as “the enemy’s abuses of the waterway.”
The supreme leader adds that new management of the Strait of Hormuz will bring calm, progress and economic benefits to all Gulf nations.
12 soldiers wounded as Hezbollah drone hit cargo carrier at artillery site in northern Israel, says IDF
A M548 cargo carrier at an Israeli military artillery site near the northern border community of Shomera that was hit by a Hezbollah drone on April 30, 2026. (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Twelve soldiers were wounded in Hezbollah’s drone attack on an artillery position near the northern border community of Shomera this morning.
According to the IDF, two of the soldiers were moderately hurt, while the rest are in good condition.
The Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon struck a cargo carrier, which caught fire. Several artillery shells in the area also exploded.
The M548, known in the IDF as the Alfa, is used to transport artillery shells.
The military is investigating whether the drone was guided by a fiber optic cable, which is immune to electronic jamming. Hezbollah has been using fiber optic-guided drones repeatedly in attacks on troops in southern Lebanon in recent weeks.
Starmer says response to attacks on British Jews must be ‘swift and visible’
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech in north-west England, Britain, April 27, 2026. (Temilade Adelaja/Pool Photo via AP)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the justice system’s response to attacks on Britain’s Jewish community must be “swift and visible.”
“It’s really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible,” he tells a top-level meeting at his Downing Street office following the latest in a spate of attacks.
Troops demolish several Hezbollah combat positions on Mount Dov, says IDF
A Hezbollah fighting position is located by troops on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov, in a handout photo published by the military on April 30, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says it demolished several Hezbollah combat positions on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov during a recent raid.
The operation was led by the elite Alpinist Unit and Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit. The military says the forces located and demolished several Hezbollah combat positions, including rocket-launching posts.
Lithuanian president says his country should join US in defending Hormuz
The sun rising behind tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, April 18, 2026. (Asghar Besharati/AP)
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda says he is supportive of his country joining the US freedom of navigation mission in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that he would present the proposal to the Baltic state’s defense council.
The United States is pushing for other countries to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, as oil prices surged to their highest in more than four years on fears of longer-term disruptions to global fuel supplies.
“We have received the US proposal to join the Hormuz Strait navigation restoration coalition, and I intend to shortly present this proposal to the State Defense Council,” the president tells a news conference in Vilnius. “We would need a mandate from parliament.”
Lebanon president condemns ‘continuing Israeli violations’ of truce
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun decries what he describes as Israel’s continued violations of the ceasefire, calling for international pressure on Israel to stop strikes on civilians and paramedics.
Aoun slams the “continuing Israeli violations” in south Lebanon, saying they are occurring “despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day.”
“Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defense, and humanitarian health and relief organizations,” he adds in a statement, as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah nears the two-week mark.
The terms of the ceasefire allow the IDF to respond to immediate threats, and Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire. Hezbollah has repeatedly targeted northern Israel and troops stationed in south Lebanon since the truce came into effect.
IDF issues evacuation warning for several villages in southern Lebanon
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows the smoke traces of Israeli shelling as it targets the village of Yohmor on April 30, 2026. (AFP)
The IDF issues an evacuation warning for several villages in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah.
The warning is addressed to residents of Sammaaiyeh, Hanniyeh, Qlaileh, Wadi Jilou, Kniseh, Kafra, Majdal Zoun and Seddiqin. They are called to evacuate to at least a kilometer away.
“Hezbollah activities are forcing the IDF to act against it, as it does not intend to harm you,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
Ukraine praises decision not to unload allegedly stolen grain at Haifa’s port
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha calls the decision not to let a ship carrying allegedly stolen grain unload in Haifa a “welcome development.”
The Israeli importer Zenziper decided earlier today not to accept the shipment, which Kyiv says was stolen by Russia from Ukrainian territories it occupies.
“This demonstrates that Ukraine’s legal and diplomatic actions have been effective,” says Sybiha on X. “This is also a clear signal to all other vessels, captains, operators, insurers, and governments: do not buy stolen Ukrainian grain. Do not become part of this crime.”
Sybiha says that Ukraine will continue to track the Panormitis ship, and “will also continue to ramp up international sanctions measures against Russia’s shadow grain fleet.”
Former Welfare Ministry chief of staff Inbar Yehezkeli joins Eisenkot’s Yashar party
Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot (right ) shakes hands with Inbar Yehezkeli, a newcomer to his electoral list, April 30, 2026. (Courtesy Yashar)
Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party announces that former chief of staff to three welfare ministers and social policy adviser Inbar Yehezkeli is joining its slate ahead of the upcoming elections and will lead the party’s efforts to address war-related trauma and national rehabilitation.
Yehezkeli, 48, has more than two decades of experience in senior roles across government and civil society, including as senior social policy adviser to then-finance minister Moshe Kahlon.
She has also led several civil society organizations, including the Democratic Institute and the Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center, headed the legal department of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, and served as legal adviser to the Bizchut center for people with disabilities.
Yashar says that Yehezkeli is leading a team tasked with crafting Yashar’s national recovery platform, “with an emphasis on addressing and treating national and individual post-trauma.”
Eisenkot, in a statement, calls Yehezkeli “a leader with deep understanding and experience in addressing the societal challenges Israel faces,” adding that the societal impact of more than two years of war will receive “serious and comprehensive attention” under her leadership.
Yehezkeli says that social issues in Israel have been neglected for years and that the scale of trauma created by the war requires a comprehensive shift in policy.
“Tens of thousands of Israelis and their families have been drawn into the cycle of trauma,” she says. “They deserve the best possible care. This is an immensely important mission, and we are committed to bringing about fundamental change.”
Yehezkeli joins a slate that includes former Finance Ministry budget chief Shaul Meridor, former MK and communications minister Matan Kahana, who resigned from Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party and the Knesset last year alongside Eisenkot, MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen, who also resigned from Blue and White but remains in the Knesset, and Inbar Harush Gity, who led the Defense Ministry’s Directorate for Promoting the Recruitment and Integration of Haredim in the IDF.
Hamas operative planning attack on troops killed in Gaza airstrike, says IDF
A Hamas operative who was planning an attack on Israeli troops was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip yesterday, the military says.
The IDF says Ibrahim Abu Sakkar had planned an attack on troops “in the immediate timeframe” and during the war led numerous attacks on soldiers and Israel.
Abu Sakkar also served as a paramedic in Hamas’s Military Medical Services, according to the IDF.
The military publishes footage of the strike.
צה"ל חיסל מחבל מארגון הטרור חמאס שתכנן לבצע מתווה התקפי נגד כוחותינו בטווח הזמן המיידי
צה"ל תקף אתמול, וחיסל את אברהים אבו צקר, מחבל מארגון הטרור חמאס.
אבו צקר תכן לבצע מתווה טרור נגד כוחותינו בטווח הזמן המיידי, ולאורך המלחמה הוביל מתווי טרור רבים נגד כוחות צה"ל ומדינת ישראל.… pic.twitter.com/5ysEvNiyfZ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 30, 2026
IDF says it has launched new wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows the smoke traces of Israeli shelling as it targets the village of Yohmor on April 30, 2026. (AFP)
The IDF says it has launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure sites across southern Lebanon.
No further details are immediately given.
Hezbollah says it targeted self-propelled howitzer in drone attack on northern Israel
Hezbollah takes responsibility for this morning’s drone attack on northern Israel, claiming to have targeted an Israeli artillery site on the border.
In a statement, Hezbollah says it struck a self-propelled howitzer with an explosive-laden drone. The IDF confirmed a Hezbollah drone struck near the northern town of Shomera, and said it was investigating the incident.
The terror group also says it shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over southern Lebanon today, and the IDF confirmed one of its unmanned aerial vehicles was downed by a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile.
IDF major indicted for smuggling contraband into Gaza, says military
Illustrative: IDF troops of the 162nd Division operate in Gaza City, in a handout photo issued on September 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
An officer with the rank of major in the IDF has been indicted for smuggling contraband into Gaza as well as bringing an Israeli civilian into the Strip, the military announces.
The officer was arrested by the Shin Bet security agency several months ago, and yesterday, military prosecutors charged him with several offenses, including aiding the enemy, taking bribes, and smuggling goods under aggravated circumstances.
According to the indictment, on January 10, the officer led a truck into the Gaza Strip containing mobile phones, cigarettes, car batteries, electric bicycles, laptop computers, network routers — all of which Israel currently bans from entering Gaza — with a total value of millions of shekels. The officer had arranged the smuggling with several Israeli civilians, against whom indictments were filed at the Haifa Magistrate’s Court.
The truck had been driven by an Israeli civilian, while the officer traveled ahead of him in a military vehicle.
The indictment says the officer “bypassed inspection and supervision mechanisms, and exploited his authority and military position, while presenting a false representation to soldiers and officers that this was a legitimate operational activity.”
After crossing the border, the civilian left the truck in the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel with the officer. At a later time, the officer brought the civilian again into Gaza “to complete the transfer of the goods.”
“The civilian drove the truck further into the Gaza Strip and remained there for several days, until he was extracted with the assistance of the parties involved in the smuggling,” according to the indictment.
Prosecutors say that the officer “carried out these acts knowing that the goods were being brought into the Gaza Strip without authorization and without supervision, and that they could reach terror organizations, including Hamas, and assist their activities.”
The indictment also states that the officer “knew, or turned a blind eye to the possibility, that bringing an Israeli civilian into the Gaza Strip could also assist the enemy.”
The investigation was carried out jointly by the Shin Bet, Israel Police, Military Police and Israel Tax Authority.
“The IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Police view the phenomenon of smuggling into the Gaza Strip gravely, as it poses a risk to national security in general, and especially in cases where IDF personnel in regular or reserve service are involved,” a joint statement says.
Amazon says Bahrain, UAE cloud regions damaged in Iran war
Amazon says that damage to its cloud regions in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates amid the conflict in the Middle East has left them unable to support customer applications.
Amazon Web Services says it has suspended billing operations in both regions while teams work to restore normal operations, a process it expects to take several months.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters query on whether its facilities were hit by a drone attack or were damaged by strikes nearby. The extent of damage could not be determined.
Last month, Reuters had reported that Amazon’s cloud region in Bahrain had been “disrupted” due to drone activity in the area.
Victims of Golders Green terror attack still hospitalized, in stable condition
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)
The two people stabbed in an antisemitic terror attack yesterday in the heavily Jewish London neighborhood of Golders Green have been identified as Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76.
Both victims remain in the hospital in stable condition, according to local media reports.
Rand’s sister tells the Daily Mail that Rand, who is also a US citizen, had left a synagogue shortly before he was stabbed. The knife wounds came within centimeters of hitting his vital organs, she says.
“It’s appalling, but also not surprising,” the sister says. “We get targeted by antisemitism all the time.”
Shine, who was said to pray every day at the synagogue, was described by friends as “a lovely man who minded his own business and never bothered anyone.”
The assailant, a 45-year-old Somalian national, also tried to stab police officers in the attack, and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The newly formed terror group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) claimed responsibility for the attack.
TERROR IN Golders Green.
Two Jewish men Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76 were stabbed in broad daylight just after 11am.
Police have arrested a 45-year-old Somali-born British man on suspicion of attempted murder. He remains in custody.
Rand had just left morning prayer… pic.twitter.com/h7fKJZLcQp
— Benonwine (@benonwine) April 30, 2026
Israeli drone shot down by Hezbollah over southern Lebanon, says IDF
An Israeli military drone was shot down by Hezbollah over southern Lebanon a short while ago, the IDF says.
The IDF says the unmanned aerial vehicle was hit by a surface-to-air missile launched by the terror group.
“There is no fear of information leaking,” the military says, adding that the incident is under further investigation.
IDF: 5 Hezbollah operatives killed in airstrikes yesterday in south Lebanon
IDF reservists of the 226th Paratroopers Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on April 29, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Five Hezbollah operatives identified near Israeli forces in southern Lebanon yesterday were killed in airstrikes, the military says.
The IDF says the operatives were identified by troops of the 146th Division in the western sector of southern Lebanon, before being targeted by the Israeli Air Force.
Five Hezbollah operatives identified near Israeli forces in southern Lebanon yesterday were killed in airstrikes, the military says.
The IDF says the operatives were identified by troops of the 146th Division in the western sector of southern Lebanon, before being targeted by… pic.twitter.com/kopDgNWaMU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 30, 2026
Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched several explosive-laden drones at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon in two incidents yesterday. The IDF says the drones struck near the forces but did not cause any injuries.
“These are further violations of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization,” the military says.
Galilee man indicted for swearing allegiance to ISIS, planning to attack soldiers
A young man from the Galilee is indicted on terror charges after allegedly swearing allegiance to ISIS and planning to carry out an attack against soldiers.
The defendant, 20-year-old Muhammad Abdel Ghani from the northern Arab town of Nahf, was arrested several weeks ago.
Police say the young man tried to acquire a handgun and “intended to advance terrorist activity against IDF soldiers in the city of Karmiel” just south of Nahf.
Officers arrested the suspect during a house raid in which they seized “posters and various symbols” from his room, indicating his affiliation with and affinity for the Islamic State terror group, police say.
An indictment was filed against Abdel Ghani this morning in the Nazareth District Court. Prosecutors are requesting to keep him in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
Ukrainian grain shipment allegedly stolen by Russia will not be unloaded in Israel, says official
A shipment of grain that Ukraine says was stolen by Russia will not be unloaded in Israel, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The cargo sparked a war of words between Israel and Ukraine in recent days, with Ukraine’s foreign minister promising that Kyiv would go after the “enablers” of Russia’s shadow fleet.
“We warn all entities and nations that we will react strongly to any theft of our grain,” said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha earlier this week.
According to the Israeli official, the decision not to accept the wheat and barley aboard the Panama-flagged Panormitis was made by the Israeli importer, not by government officials.
Iran’s president says US naval blockade is ‘doomed to fail’
In this handout picture provided by Iranian presidency, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses cabinet members, as they visit of the tomb of the late Iranian revolutionary leader ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on January 31, 2026. (Handout/Iranian Presidency/AFP)
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says a US naval blockade on Iranian ports will deepen disruptions in the Gulf and fail to achieve its targets.
“Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law… and is doomed to fail,” Pezeshkian says in a statement.
He adds that such measures would “not only fail to enhance regional security, but are in fact a source of tension and a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf.”
UK promises extra 25 million pounds to protect Jewish community after stabbing attack
A man walks past a road blocked by police after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green neighborhood of London, April 29, 2026. (AP/Kin Cheung)
Britain’s security minister Dan Jarvis says the government will bring forward additional funding and faster legislation to tackle state threats after two Jewish men were stabbed in north London yesterday.
Jarvis tells Times Radio there will be an additional 25 million pounds ($33.65 million) to protect the Jewish community.
The government will also fast-track new legislation in order to tackle state threats, which Jarvis said will provide additional capability for the government.
Israeli Navy detains around 175 activists aboard Gaza flotilla
A flotilla sets off, carrying activists and humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip, from Barcelona, Spain, April 12, 2026. (AP/Joan Mateu Parra)
The Israeli Navy has detained some 175 activists from the flotilla that was sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade.
In total, the Navy intercepted 21 of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s 58 vessels overnight near the Greek island of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles from Israel. The other boats have been warned to change course, or they will also be intercepted.
In a post on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry publishes a video showing some of the activists “enjoying themselves aboard Israeli vessels,” while adding that “approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats of the condom flotilla are now making their way peacefully to Israel.”
Last night, the ministry published a video showing “condoms and drugs” that were found on one of the boats.
Approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats of the condom flotilla are now making their way peacefully to Israel.
In the video: the activists enjoying themselves aboard Israeli vessels pic.twitter.com/0sz8kDpKLX
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 30, 2026
Hezbollah drone sparks fire after impacting in northern Israel, no injuries reported
A Hezbollah explosive-laden drone launched from Lebanon struck near the northern border community of Shomera a short while ago, after sirens sounded across the Western Galilee.
The IDF says it is investigating the incident. There are no immediate reports of injuries.
The drone impact sparked a fire in the area, with reports of a vehicle ablaze.
דיווח: נפילת כטב"ם זוהתה באזור שומרה – רכבים עלו באש@sharonknoblich pic.twitter.com/5aCHRoNjxm
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) April 30, 2026
Drone alert sirens sound in Lebanon border towns
Sirens warning of a suspected drone attack from Lebanon sound in the border communities of Zarit, Adamit, Shomera and others.
The IDF says it is investigating.
IDF: Interceptor fired at suspected Hezbollah drone over troops in south Lebanon
An interceptor missile was fired toward a suspected Hezbollah drone that was identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.
The IDF says the results of the interception of the “suspicious aerial target” are under review.
Gaza flotilla organizers say Israel intercepted 15 of 58 vessels overnight
A flotilla sets off, carrying activists and humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip, from Barcelona, Spain, April 12, 2026. (AP/Joan Mateu Parra)
Organizers of a flotilla sailing to the Gaza Strip say the Israeli Navy intercepted 15 of their 58 vessels overnight.
“Fifteen of our vessels abducted – our people at sea remain unaccounted for,” the Global Sumud Flotilla says.
The Israeli Navy began to intercept the flotilla near the Greek island of Crete last night, hundreds of nautical miles from Israel.
The Navy has called on the remaining activists to turn back, or alternatively if they have humanitarian aid, deliver it to Ashdod Port where it will be inspected before entering Gaza. If they continue on their course, the Navy said they would also be stopped.
“In a violent raid in international waters, Israeli naval forces have intercepted, boarded, and systematically disabled various boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla,” the organizers say.
Global Sumud Flotilla claims that “after smashing engines and destroying navigation arrays, the military retreated — intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm.”
“Furthermore, communications with multiple vessels have been jammed, severing their ability to coordinate or signal for help,” they claim.
Australia state premier says he takes ‘responsibility’ for Bondi attack failings
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns (center) arrives at the funeral of rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in the December 14 Bondi beach terror attack, at the Chabad of Bondi Synagogue in Sydney on December 17, 2025. (HOLLIE ADAMS / POOL / AFP)
An Australian state premier says he takes “responsibility” for failing to protect the victims of an antisemitic mass shooting at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah event in December.
“A state government’s highest responsibility is to protect its people, and on December 14 last year we didn’t do that. We take responsibility for that today,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns tells reporters.
A high-powered royal commission tasked with investigating the shooting released its interim report today.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s book about Hersh hits #1 on NYT bestseller list
A 2015 image of Rachel Goldberg-Polin and her son, Hersh. (Courtesy)
Author Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s new book, “When We See You Again,” is number one on The New York Times Bestsellers list of hardcover nonfiction, one week after it was published.
Goldberg-Polin is the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was captured from the Nova desert rave on October 7, 2023, and executed by his Hamas captors in August 2024, after being held hostage for 330 days in a Gaza tunnel.
The author told The Times of Israel that she began writing the book as a way of finding some relief from her pain after burying her son.
The bulk of the book takes place after the Goldberg-Polins buried Hersh on August 31, 2024, and is an accounting of their lives in what Goldberg-Polin terms the Before and After.
Goldberg-Polin is the voice in the audio version of the book. It is being published in Hebrew in May.
Brent crude soars more than 5% after Trump blockade warning
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, DC. (AP/Matt Rourke)
Brent crude oil soars more than 5% after US President Donald Trump warned that the US blockade of Iranian ports could last months as peace talks remain stalled.
The contract jumped 5.6 percent to $124.67 in Asian trade, while West Texas Intermediate climbed 2.4 percent to $109.49.
ICE says it arrested Israeli in New Jersey who is wanted for child sex crimes
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that its agents earlier this month arrested an Israeli national in Lakewood, New Jersey, who was wanted for child sex crimes in Israel.
“Following an investigation and coordination between international and US law enforcement agencies, Yechiel Yehoshua Farkash, a 43-year-old Lakewood resident, was taken into federal custody without incident April 17,” ICE says in a statement.
ICE says US authorities began pursuing Farkash after they were tipped off by Israeli authorities, which have been trying to prosecute the suspect for attempted rape and indecent acts involving children that were allegedly committed in Israel between 2020 and 2023.
Israel requested Farkash’s provisional arrest in order to have him extradited.
ICE HSI and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Yechiel Yehoshua Farkash, a foreign fugitive from Israel who was wanted in his home nation for alleged sex crimes against children. Our team arrested him at his home in Lakewood, N.J.
ICE HSI Atlantic City will coordinate with ICE… pic.twitter.com/gPzqO0r9nX
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) April 30, 2026
CENTCOM chief to brief Trump on new plans for US military action against Iran — report
Admiral Charles Bradford 'Brad' Cooper II, Commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Octavio JONES / AFP)
US President Donald Trump is slated to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from the leader of the US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, Axios reports.
Three sources with knowledge of the matter tell the outlet that CENTCOM has drawn up plans for a “short and powerful” series of strikes on Iranian targets, with the aim of pressuring Iran to give ground in negotiations.
One of the sources says other options being readied include a takeover of parts of the Strait of Hormuz and dispatching special forces to snag Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
US working on building new coalition to ensure ships can pass through Hormuz — WSJ
The sun rising behind tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, April 18, 2026. (Asghar Besharati/AP)
The United States is asking other countries to join a new international coalition that would enable ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz after traffic through the waterway stalled, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The proposed coalition, dubbed the “Maritime Freedom Construct,” would share information, coordinate diplomatically and help enforce sanctions, the Journal says, citing an internal State Department cable.
“Your participation will strengthen our collective ability to restore freedom of navigation and protect the global economy,” the cable sent to US embassies reportedly says. “Collective action is essential to demonstrate unified resolve and impose meaningful costs on Iranian obstruction of transit through the Strait.”
According to the report, the cable says US diplomats should ask their foreign interlocutors whether their countries want to be a “diplomatic and/or military partner,” and that the mission will be run jointly by the State Department and US Central Command.
“The MFC would be complementary to other security maritime task forces, including the maritime planning effort the U.K. and France are leading,” the cable also reportedly says.
Australia should bolster security at Jewish events after Bondi mass terror shooting — royal commission
Mourners gather in front of tributes laid in memory of victims of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney on December 20, 2025. (DAVID GRAY / AFP)
Australia should bolster security at Jewish events in the wake of an antisemitic mass shooting that killed 15 at Bondi Beach last year, a high-powered inquiry finds.
Police should consider ramping up security arrangements at Jewish celebrations “that have a public facing element,” says retired judge Virginia Bell, who is leading a royal commission into the attack.
IDF says ‘false identification’ set off sirens in Gaza border kibbutz
The military says rocket warning sirens were activated in Kibbutz Be’eri near the Gaza Strip due to a “false identification.”
Trump says US may cut number of troops in Germany, amid spat with chancellor over Iran
US President Donald Trump announces on Truth Social that his administration “is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time.”
The announcement comes amid a public spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israel war against Iran.
Merz said the Iranians were humiliating the United States in talks to end the war, leading Trump to claim that the chancellor “thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
There are currently about 35,000 active-duty US military personnel stationed in Germany, more than any other country in Europe.
London cops ID Golders Green terrorist as a UK national from Somalia, don’t name him
The London Metropolitan Police identify the 45-year-old man who stabbed and seriously wounded two Jewish men in Golders Green as a UK national born in Somalia, but refrain from naming him.
A statement from the police force adds that the suspect has been taken to a local police station after being discharged from the hospital, while officers carry out a search at an address in southeast London.
Canada says IRGC members banned, after Iranian soccer officials who arrived at airport return home
Officials with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are banned from Canada, the country’s government says after Iranian soccer officials arrived at Toronto airport and decided to immediately return home, citing their treatment by immigration officials.
In video, Navy officer calls on Gaza flotilla organizers to change course; Israel says ‘condoms and drugs’ found aboard a boat
Organizers of a flotilla sailing to the Gaza Strip publish footage in which an Israeli Navy officer can be heard calling on the activists to change course.
“If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, you may do so through established and recognized channels. Please change course and return to the port of origin. If you are carrying humanitarian aid, you are invited to proceed to the port of Ashdod,” the officer can be heard saying.
Same script, different year. The israeli navy thinks a radio warning can drown out the cries for justice. You call it a "maritime security blockade" — the rest of the world calls it a crime scene. We aren't "invited" to Ashdod; we aren't your guests. We are the witnesses you… pic.twitter.com/dElolWN59Y
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@gbsumudflotilla) April 29, 2026
Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Ministry publishes a video it says shows “condoms and drugs” that were found aboard one of the vessels that has been intercepted by the Israeli Navy.
This is the “medical aid” found aboard the PR stunt flotilla: condoms and drugs pic.twitter.com/RKiHrGLWfw
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 29, 2026
The Israeli Navy began intercepting the flotilla, made up of 58 vessels, near the Greek Island of Crete, this evening.
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