Aug. 10: Trump says US to demand reparations from Iran, including for damage in Lebanon, Gaza

Trump teases ‘good response’ to Netanyahu’s rejection of Board of Peace’s Gaza plan

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump is asked by a reporter in the Oval Office if he has any response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the disarmament proposal of the US-controlled Board of Peace.

“I have a response. I put it out today on Truth — a good response,” Trump responds.

No such statement has been posted on Truth Social to date.

It is unclear if Trump is suggesting the statement will come out later today or if he misheard the question.

Regardless, Trump insists his relationship with Netanyahu is “very good.”

IAEA to soon remove nuclear material from clandestine Syria site — report

The International Atomic Energy Agency will soon remove nuclear material stored at a clandestine site in Syria after US President Donald Trump’s administration reached understandings with Syria and Israel, Axios reports, citing unnamed Israeli and US officials.

Resigning Likud MK set to be replaced by party’s first-ever ultra-Orthodox lawmaker

Rebel Likud MK Dan Illouz is set to be replaced by an ultra-Orthodox member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling party, after Illouz announced his pending resignation and move to a rival party over the recent raft of controversial legislation the coalition has pushed through the Knesset, aimed at appeasing the ultra-Orthodox parties.

According to Hebrew press reports, Shabtai Katash, a Chabad Hasid and member of the Lod religious council, will take Illouz’s place once he officially resigns from the Knesset.

He will be the first-ever Haredi member of Knesset for Likud.

Speaking with the Kikar HaShabbat website, Katash says he believes “Likud is a people’s party, and the Haredi sector also has something to say within Likud.”

Katash says he views it as his mission “to connect the parts of the people and not deepen the divisions,” adding that he believes that members of the ultra-Orthodox community who are not enrolled full-time in yeshiva “must enlist.”

“Those who study Torah must remain in the yeshiva” and “we need to ensure that those who enter the army remain ultra-Orthodox. I wish all secular people would both study Torah and serve in the army,” he says.

In another interview with the Srugim news site, Katash criticizes Illouz, saying that he is “definitely wrong because we are part of a faction, part of the Likud faction and there is coalition discipline.”

Illouz was one of the most vocal opponents of Likud efforts to legislate draft exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students. Announcing his resignation from the party and move to Avigdor Liberman’s right-wing secularist Yisrael Beytenu, the freshman lawmaker slammed Likud for “promoting schemes exempting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from military service while our voters are collapsing in the reserves.”

Gaza Board of Peace official says plan is still operative, discussions with Israel ongoing

The peace plan for Gaza is still operative and discussions with Israel are continuing, a Board of Peace official tells Reuters, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an Israeli withdrawal until the Palestinian terror group Hamas is “genuinely disarmed.”

Likud appointee who called Trump a ‘piece of shit’ apologizes

Oren Dobronsky, an entrepreneur who was announced this evening as the first of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s potentially eight candidates to be placed on reserved slots on the Likud electoral slate, starts his political career with an apology to US President Donald Trump for calling him a “morally corrupt piece of shit.”

“President Trump is the greatest friend that Israel ever had in the Whitehouse,” he says on Facebook. “I posted in his favor countless times. On one occasion, not knowing all the facts, I lost my temper and posted something I regret. My apologies to President Trump whom I admire deerly [sic].”

Israel reportedly tells US that it will keep going after October 7 attackers

Israel has told the White House that it will continue to pursue Gazan terrorists who took part in the October 7, 2023 attacks, Channel 13 reports.

It is willing to discuss pausing assassination attempts against terrorists who did not take part in the attacks, according to the outlet.

However, Israel has not targeted October 7 terrorists or any other terror targets in Gaza this past week.

Israel has officially rejected the 15-point plan presented by the Board of Peace for Hamas disarmament, but has also reportedly drastically changed its rules of engagement in Gaza, including around assassinations.

‘They don’t want us to kill anyone’: IDF troops in Gaza tell of new rules of engagement against Hamas

IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip tell Channel 12 that the rules of engagement have changed dramatically in the wake of the Board of Peace disarmament roadmap.

“In the past week, something meaningful changed in the concept,” says a soldier. “They are trying as much as possible to avoid friction in general on the Yellow Line.”

Soldiers often refer to the current IDF line of control as the Yellow Line, though it has moved further into formerly Hamas-controlled territory than the original Yellow Line.

“They don’t want us to kill anyone.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected the 15-point plan, but there are quiet agreements with the Board of Peace that the IDF will drastically rein in operations.

“Until a week ago, there were different rules of engagement,” says an unnamed soldier.

“Even someone who represents a threat but hasn’t crossed Israeli-held lines, we need approval from the chief of staff to kill him,” the soldier continues.

“We are hoping the statistics happen to someone else,” he says — apparently arguing that the new rules will cause soldiers to be killed — expressing frustration that IDF units are largely static in Gaza and are not on the offensive.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office denies that the rules of engagement have changed.

Trump says Iran should also pay for damage and deaths in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Gaza

US President Donald Trump says Iran should also be responsible “for the damages and death caused to the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza.”

The latest declaration by Trump in a Truth Social post comes an hour after he claimed he had instructed his negotiators to demand that Iran pay reparations for Americans it has killed over the years.

It is unclear how significant these social media declarations are, given that Trump acknowledged just yesterday that the US is only “semi-negotiating” with Iran.

Netanyahu reserves Likud spot for entrepreneur who has slammed ‘piece of shit’ Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party announces political newcomer Oren Dobronsky as the premier’s first pick to fill one of the eight slots he has been granted for his handpicked candidates.

Likud’s Central Committee voted last month to grant Netanyahu control of the 3rd, 5th, 9th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 26th and 29th spots on the list, giving him unprecedented influence over more than a third of the party’s realistic slate.

The move came after months in which he sought unsuccessfully to cancel Likud’s primaries and have a committee select candidates instead.

In a statement announcing the pick, the party describes Dobronsky, who has no background in politics or government, as “a successful businessman, one of the founders of Israeli high-tech, and a right-wing figure.”

It adds that he will lead efforts related to artificial intelligence in the economy, education, healthcare, and other sectors.

Dobronsky is known as one of the investors, or “sharks,” on “The Sharks,” Israel’s version of the reality TV show “Shark Tank,” who has made a number of controversial remarks.

In June, he called US President Donald Trump “a morally corrupt piece of shit” for not including Israel in negotiations with Iran in a post on X, and in a separate post, accused him and his team of being “imbeciles” responsible for a “colossal failure” against Iran worse than former president Joe Biden’s “debacle” in Afghanistan.

US intelligence assesses: Iran will be able to block the Strait of Hormuz whenever it wants from now on. (CNN)

Great job Trump and your imbecile team. You have managed to worsen the status quo as of before the war.

And now with the funds you are releasing to them (which is no…

— Oren Dobronsky (@ODobronsky) June 17, 2026

https://twitter.com/ODobronsky/status/2067298160632889489

During the war in Gaza, Dobronsky wrote in a Facebook post in 2024 that Israel should fight “as if we don’t have hostages there” and that defeating Hamas should take precedence even if it meant risking the lives of hostages in Gaza.

According to the IDF’s data, 38 of the hostages were abducted alive and killed in captivity after October 8, 2023. In many cases, they were murdered by their captors, and in others, the military has confirmed that its own actions, including airstrikes, led to the deaths of hostages.

IDF chief, hosting CENTCOM head, says current various talks are product of ‘historic’ battlefield achievements

Hosting dozens of senior Israeli officers, as well as US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declares that this is a “fateful time for the country” from a defense perspective.

“Our mission is to affect reality and not be dragged after it, by taking the tactical and operational initiative,” Zamir says, according to the army.

He argues that the negotiations currently taking place on the Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza fronts are all “products of the historic IDF achievements” on the battlefield.

“We must ensure that we maximize the battle achievements,” he adds. “We are well prepared on defense, alongside immediate readiness to return to full-on fighting.”

Venezuela’s chief rabbi asks President Rodríguez to restore ties with Israel

Venezuela’s Chief Rabbi Isaac Cohen has delivered a letter to President Delcy Rodríguez asking her to restore diplomatic and consular relations with Israel, the country’s foreign ministry said yesterday.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia González says on social media that he received the letter during a meeting with Cohen. The letter calls for the renewal of ties between the two countries, saying the move is needed to address the needs of the country’s Jewish community.

Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009 under then-president Hugo Chávez, amid deteriorating relations between Chávez’s government and Israel. The two countries have not maintained formal diplomatic ties since.

But since Rodríguez was installed as the country’s president after the United States captured the previous leader, Nicolás Maduro, in January, officials have sharply changed their tone regarding the Jewish state, community leaders have said.

Ties have also warmed since Israel sent humanitarian assistance following a double earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24.

Plasencia González praises Venezuela’s Jewish community, saying the country has historically welcomed Jews whose contributions have helped the nation’s development.

“Venezuela has historically welcomed, with open arms, an important Jewish community, whose contributions have contributed and continue to contribute to the well-being and development of our nation,” he says.

????#Diplomacia | Rabino principal de la Asociación Israelita de Venezuela, Isaac Cohen, entregó carta solicitando a la presidenta Delcy Rodríguez considerar el restablecimiento de las relaciones diplomáticas entre Venezuela e Israelhttps://t.co/OfwzqiR36L pic.twitter.com/6U2eHoN7Md

— Min.Relaciones Exteriores y Comercio Internacional (@Cancilleria_ve) August 9, 2026

Trump says he has instructed US negotiators to demand reparations from Iran

US President Donald Trump declares that he is demanding compensation from Iran for the Americans it has killed and wounded over the years after Tehran reportedly insisted on similar reparations for the damages caused by the US and Israel in this year’s war.

“I see that representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five month military conflict… even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings!” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“But it is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded,” he continues.

“I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump claims.

It is unclear how significant the announcement is, given that negotiations with Iran are said to have hit a dead end.

Trump said yesterday that Washington was “low-keying” its approach to Iran and only “semi-negotiating” with the Islamic Republic.

Palestinian club soccer to restart in September after Gaza war halt

The Palestinian soccer association announces that it will resume activity in September after a nearly three-year pause due to the Gaza war.

“We announce the resumption of sports activities and the football association’s league beginning September 4,” association president Jibril Rajoub says at a Ramallah press conference.

Palestinian sports leagues, including professional soccer, came to a halt with the war, which was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The association has named the first tournament back the “Thousand Martyrs’ Cup,” to honor what it says are 1,014 Palestinian athletes allegedly killed by Israel during the war according to the association’s data. Israel has said many people described by Palestinians as athletes were actually members of terror groups.

More than 200 clubs will compete in the tournament, including 146 from the West Bank, 44 from Gaza, and 36 from Palestinian camps for refugees and their descendants in Lebanon.

The tournament will kick off simultaneously in the three locations.

Rajoub says the war “created difficult conditions for all Palestinians that led to the suspension of our competitions and activities. But we have not lost our Palestinian national will, nor have we lost our belief that sport will remain a symbol of hope and life.”

Rajoub says the association and Palestinian clubs face tough financial circumstances.

During the press conference, he calls on FIFA and other federations to stand by Palestinian sports and to protect the rights of players, clubs and children to enjoy sports in “freedom and dignity.”

The association has called on FIFA to impose sanctions on Israeli clubs that operate in West Bank settlements and to suspend Israel’s FIFA membership over the country’s conduct in Gaza.

New Colombian government recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights

Colombia’s new government recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

“Given the persistent regional instability in the Middle East and considering the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel’s security, the Government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as Israel’s right to protect itself against external threats,” writes the country’s Foreign Ministry.

“In this regional security context, Colombia recognizes that maintaining Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect and safeguard its citizens,” Bogota continues.

In 2019, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of US policy by signing a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, a strategic plateau it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War.

Israel extended Israeli law to the Golan in 1981, a step tantamount to annexation.

The announcement comes on the heels of Colombia’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Iran announces several new military appointments, including for head of military

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has made six new appointments to the Revolutionary Guards and armed forces, including Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff of the armed forces and Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as commander-in-chief of the IRGC, according to a written message carried on Khamenei’s social media accounts.

However, Vahidi is already the IRGC commander-in-chief, having served in the role since March. It isn’t immediately clear why it is being announced as a new appointment.

Russian-Israeli historian critical of Jewish state said missing after landing at Ben Gurion last week

A Russian-Israeli historian known for his criticism of Israel has disappeared after landing at Ben Gurion Airport last week.

Artyom Kirpichenok, who lives in Russia, came to Israel on August 4 for a conference but hasn’t been seen since getting off the plane, according to Hebrew media reports. Family and friends who have tried to contact him have been unsuccessful.

Russia’s ambassador in Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, has reached out to Israeli authorities about the matter, Haaretz reports, citing Russian state media. Daria Mitina, a former Russian lawmaker, claims on Telegram that the Shin Bet intelligence service has taken Kirpichenok into custody.

“Our worst fears have been confirmed… Artem Ivanovich Kirpichenok is in prison, in the hands of the Israeli secret police [Shin Bet],” she writes, according to Izvestia, a Russian outlet linked to the Kremlin.

IDF says it’s probing incident in which soldiers prayed with settlers besieging Palestinian home

The IDF tells The Times of Israel in response to footage from yesterday showing soldiers praying alongside settlers who are blocking a Palestinian home in the West Bank that “the incident is being investigated by the commanders. Disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the findings.”

Settlers have been blocking a Palestinian home in the village of Qusra for the past day, preventing the family living there from entering or leaving.

Soldiers were filmed arriving at the scene yesterday, sitting with the settlers and praying with them, before leaving without removing the settlers.

אך ביומיים האחרונים האירוע החמיר עם חסימת דרכי הגישה. הוא הוסיף כי הוא מנסה למצוא דרך להוציא את אשתו ובנותיו. אתמול תועדו חיילים מגיעים לסוכה שאותה הקימו המתנחלים ומתפללים איתם. לאחר מכן לפי חסאן הם עזבו את המקום ולא פינו את המתנחלים. פניתי לצה"ל לפני זמן קצר, נאמר לי שבודקים. pic.twitter.com/OTwREJ8zGM

— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) August 10, 2026

Hostage activist Zangauker: Golan promised me a reserved spot on Democrats slate, then broke pledge

Einav Zangauker, mother of former Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker and a top activist for the captives and outspoken critic of the government’s handling of the crisis, accuses The Democrats party chief Yair Golan of long promising her a reserved spot on the left-wing party’s slate, causing her not to run in the primaries, only to recently renege on the pledge.

Days after Hebrew media reported that Golan won’t secure a spot for Zangauker, she reveals in a lengthy social media post that in February, Golan initiated a meeting with her in which he promised to place her immediately after the sitting MKs on the list of candidates, and she accepted the offer.

“From that moment, I was asked to keep this a secret, and Golan’s people made sure to keep in touch, and throughout this period the pledge was reaffirmed several times with Golan himself,” Zangauker writes. “Each time, it was stressed to me a word is a word, that our arrangement is valid, and that after the primaries, it will be announced that I am placed in a high spot.”

“I was asked by them, as part of the arrangement, to lower my media profile until the announcement,” she adds. “Of course, I upheld my commitment and kept our arrangement secret, lowered my profile and didn’t consider other options, such as participating in the primaries. I upheld my side of the arrangement.”

“Unfortunately, and as published, Golan decided otherwise,” she says diplomatically. “That is the entire story. This event is over and is already in the past.”

She says that while she won’t be in the next Knesset, she will continue her public work to “fix all that is broken here,” and urges the public to “ensure that the failed government doesn’t succeed in its plot to make us forget the [October 7, 2023] massacre, the abandonment and the complete failure it has achieved on all fronts.”

Golan reacts with a tweet that doesn’t deny and doesn’t directly comment on the accusation that he made such a promise.

He says Zangauker is “dear to me,” adding: “I know my decision disappointed you, and I am deeply sorry for that. It was my decision, and I bear full responsibility for it and the pain it caused you.”

He says he decided not to use his right to reserve a candidate of his choosing, “out of respect for the decision of the 113,000 members of The Democrats and out of trust in the excellent list they chose,” ignoring Zangauker’s assertion that it had been his promise that caused her not to run in the primaries in the first place.

Golan claims he has offered her, and is still offering, a “significant role” in the party’s election campaign and also after the election.

Iranian president says meeting with supreme leader lasted 7 hours, war repercussions were discussed

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian tells state TV that his recent meeting with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei lasted seven hours.

“I discussed with him all of the country’s issues, including people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, housing, sanctions, how we stand firm, the people’s support, unity and cohesion,” he says, according to a translation by Iran International.

The meeting is also said to have focused on the repercussions of the war.

Pezeshkian reportedly describes the meeting as positive and productive, saying Khamenei’s top priority is preserving internal unity.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not made any public appearances since he became supreme leader, and no recordings of him speaking have been aired — only written statements attributed to him by state media. He was reportedly injured and possibly deformed in some manner during the attack that killed his father at the start of the war, and he has remained in hiding, reportedly communicating with other senior regime figures via a slow array of intermediaries to avoid being targeted.

District court rejects Netanyahu-backed Likud appeal, upholds ban on sitting MKs running for district slots

The Tel Aviv District Court rejects a petition by Likud MK Afef Abed — backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — to strike down a ruling by the party’s internal tribunal that canceled a Likud Central Committee vote to allow sitting and former Knesset members, ministers and deputy ministers to compete for slots reserved for regional districts in the upcoming August 17 primaries.

Likud says it will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, Hebrew media reports.

For decades, Likud’s reserved spots for districts have only been available for new MKs, acting as a diversifying tool that gives a chance for new figures to make it into the Knesset.

But following public opinion polls that consistently show Likud getting around 22-24 seats in the October 27 election, significantly down from its current 32, Netanyahu heavily campaigned for the Likud Central Committee to approve a change that would let current and former lawmakers, ministers and deputy ministers vie for those spots.

Late last month, Likud’s roughly 4,500-member Central Committee approved the proposal by a majority of only five votes, immediately prompting petitions to the party’s internal tribunal, including by MKs Eliyahu Revivo and David Bitan.

“MKs competing for the district [spots] contradicts the [Likud] constitution since it harms the value of equality,” Likud court chief Michael Kleiner wrote in his ruling last week, adding that the district slots “have always been a protected space that has enabled new leadership to sprout in fair conditions… and that started the careers of most [current] Likud ministers.”

As 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, Israel offers as much help as needed

As a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar offers his Colombian counterpart Omar Bula “any assistance that Israel can provide.”

“Israel is prepared to assist Colombia as much as required,” writes Sa’ar on X.

Last month, Israel sent an aid delegation for three weeks to earthquake-stricken Venezuela.

Sa’ar was in Colombia last week for the inauguration of its new government, which says it will “renew a strategic alliance with the State of Israel,” open an embassy in Jerusalem, and “defend the Judeo-Christian principles that form the foundation of Western civilization.”

Oil spill from tanker near Oman spreads over huge area after blast on board

An oil slick is covering an area of around 390 square kilometers (150 square miles) off the coast of Oman, the country’s government says, after a vessel under sanctions and carrying Russian crude sustained damage.

The Caroline Bezengi’s crew first reported difficulties on June 8 off the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, two maritime ​security sources said, adding that initial assessments indicated that a blast occurred onboard.

In its first public disclosure of details of the environmental impact, Oman says it is seeking to tackle the oil leak in its waters near the Hallaniyat Islands off the southern governorate of Dhofar.

A statement from Oman’s Environment Authority carried by the Omani state news agency says the oil slick covers approximately 390 square kilometers based on its latest analysis that included satellite imagery. It says the slick extends northeast of the islands towards the mainland and at its nearest point comes within an estimated seven kilometers of the shore.

An analysis by Reuters of satellite imagery and shipping specialists shows the spill from the stranded 274-metre (900-foot) Caroline Bezengi tanker was still spreading at the end of last month, raising concern about possible environmental damage.

The cause of the damage to the vessel is unclear and Oman does not offer any explanation.

Settlers besiege Palestinian family’s West Bank home since yesterday

Settlers have been surrounding the home of a Palestinian family on the outskirts of the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, for more than a day, preventing the family from entering or leaving.

Youssef Hassan, the homeowner, who lives there with his wife and their two young daughters, aged two and four, tells The Times of Israel by phone that settlers erected a makeshift structure in front of the entrance to his home yesterday and have since prevented anyone from entering or leaving, leaving him trapped inside. He says they also cut the electricity lines.

Video footage shows settlers gathered in the structure near the house. In another clip, they can be seen attempting to open one of the gates to the yard.

Hassan says he has lived in the house for five years. Settlers began coming to the property and harassing the family around seven months ago, he says, but the situation escalated over the past two days when they blocked the access routes to the home.

מתנחלים צרים כבר יממה על בית משפחה פלסטינית שמתגוררת בקצה הכפר קוסרה דרומית לשכם ומונעים מבני הבית לצאת או להיכנס. יוסוף חסאן, בעל הבית שגר עם אשתו ושתי בנותיו הקטנות – בנות שנתיים וארבע, סיפר לי בטלפון כי מאז אתמול מתנחלים הקימו סוכה מול הכניסה לביתו –> pic.twitter.com/e4jyz6KYaF

— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) August 10, 2026

He adds that he is trying to find a way to get his wife and daughters out of the house because of the danger he says the settlers pose to them.

Soldiers were filmed yesterday arriving at the structure erected by the settlers and praying with them. According to Hassan, they later left without removing the settlers.

The IDF has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Doron Meinert, of the group “Looking the Occupation in the Eye,” who was at the scene this morning, says in a statement that the family is “trapped in their home, with a violent and armed settler militia threatening them, with the aim of pressuring them to abandon the house.”

Last month, settlers surrounded a home in the nearby village of Jalud for more than two weeks, after which the family living there fled and settlers took over the property. Settlers remain in the Jalud home to this day, and its owners have been unable to return.

German foreign ministry says Gaza plan could lead toward disarmament of Hamas

The German government regards US President Donald Trump’s latest Gaza plan as an opportunity to make progress toward the disarmament of Hamas, a German foreign ministry spokesperson says.

Asked in a news conference about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of the plan, the spokesperson also says some disagreement is to be expected.

“With such a complex undertaking, it was perfectly clear there would be many, many unanswered questions,” he says.

UAE says it thwarted cyber attacks targeting energy and aviation sectors

UAE’s state-run Cyber Security Council thwarted cyber attacks targeting the Gulf country’s aviation, energy and education sectors, the Emirati state news agency reports.

Settler attacks in West Bank surge by 63% in first half of 2026 – report

Israel’s security establishment recorded a sharp rise of 63 percent in settler “nationalistic crime” in the West Bank during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with such offenses classified by security bodies as terrorism, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

According to the report, 660 settler attacks were recorded in the first six months of 2026, up from 405 during the same period in 2025.

Attacks targeting Israeli security forces also rose by 50%, with 45 such incidents recorded in the first half of 2026.

Palestinian casualties from settler violence climbed sharply as well, with 140 Palestinians wounded and six killed during the first half of the year, compared with 82 wounded and none killed during the same period last year.

The figures do not include July, when roughly 100 additional incidents of nationalist crime were recorded, according to Kan, apparently continuing the upward trend.

Responding to Trump’s ‘chess game’ comments, Iran asserts they are ‘professional players’

Tehran says Iranians have shown “they are professional chess players” in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump comparing his dealings with Iran to the board game.

Trump yesterday signaled he was prepared to let economic pressure mount against Iran, apparently backing away from more military strikes after Tehran issued a list of demands for opening the Strait of Hormuz.

“Lights out or lights on, Iranians showed they are professional chess players,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says.

Trump had earlier been quoted by news outlet Axios as saying he was “low-keying it” with Iran: “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” he added. “It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game.”

Baghaei reiterates that “as long as the US naval blockade continues… as long as other violations by the United States continue, the necessary conditions for saying that the Strait of Hormuz has become a safe waterway will not exist.”

British couple held in Iran end hunger strikes, their family says

A British couple detained in Iran accused of spying have ended their latest monthslong hunger strikes protesting their treatment in prison, their family says.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their early 50s, were seized in January 2025 as they passed through central Iran while on a round-the-world motorbike trip.

They were each sentenced in February this year to a decade in prison on espionage charges that they deny, with two years subsequently added to Craig Foreman’s term for talking to the media, his stepson said in July.

They launched their latest hunger strikes in May, protesting the “serious physical toll” their detentions were taking, with Craig Foreman lasting 93 days and his wife 84 days, according to their relatives.

The couple have consistently complained about overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at Evin Prison, a large, heavily fortified complex in northern Tehran, which rights groups say holds political prisoners and foreign nationals.

“After almost three months of protest, Lindsay and Craig chose to end their hunger strikes,” the family says in a statement, noting the pair ended the action by turning the final five days into a “fast for good.”

Lindsay Foreman’s son Joe Bennett says that “the immediate focus remains Lindsay and Craig’s health, their welfare and securing their release after more than 18 months in detention.”

Unexploded grenade found in north Tel Aviv residential complex, police say

Police announce an unexploded grenade was found in a residential complex in north Tel Aviv this morning.

Sappers disposed of the grenade and an investigation has been launched, police say.

The incident is of a “criminal” nature, rather than terror-related, according to police.

Earlier today, police said a blast heard in Holon overnight was apparently caused by a grenade, which according to Hebrew media exploded in an apartment building that had been targeted in a grenade attack some 18 months ago.

Another suspected grenade was found, unexploded, near a gas station in Hadera, according to police.

IDF: Settler accused of attack to be freed from house arrest, barred from West Bank

IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth says that Tal Yinon Dardik, a suspect in a shocking attack on Palestinians in March, will no longer be under house arrest but will be barred from entering any areas of the West Bank except for the community of Modiin Illit.

The order comes after a court ruling yesterday rejected Bluth’s attempt to stop Dardik from serving house arrest in his illegal outpost in the West Bank.

A statement from the IDF says that in light of the court ruling, Dardik will no longer be restricted to a specific area but will be barred from entering the rest of the West Bank and required to report to the local police station twice a day.

Amid Bluth’s attempts to restrict Dardik’s movements due to his alleged participation in a violent attack on Palestinians earlier this year, Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered officials not to renew his detention, and called on the IDF to find an alternative solution. Katz then vowed on a TV show to replace Bluth, sparking widespread outcry and leading the defense minister to attempt to backtrack from his remarks.

Iran claims Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey deal shows ‘change in perception’ towards US

Iran’s foreign ministry says that a defense pact signed last week between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan is “a sign of a change in the perception” of countries in the region towards the United States.

“The countries of the region have realized that security is not a commodity that can be bought from false brokers,” says ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei at a weekly press conference, referring to the United States, an ally of the three signatories to the pact.

Baghaei says Iran has no reason to be concerned that the security pact is directed against Tehran.

“Any plan that is based on the geopolitical and historical realities of the region, is comprehensive and inclusive, and correctly identifies the enemy and the threat, has a chance of helping to strengthen security and prevent instability and abuses by the Zionist enemy and its allies,” he adds.

Apparent grenade explodes in residential building, none hurt

A blast heard in Holon overnight was apparently caused by a grenade, police say.

Photos published by the Ynet news site show the explosive went off inside a residential building. No one was hurt but there was some property damage, according to police.

The same building was targeted by a grenade some 18 months ago, Ynet says.

🚨 טרור הרימונים הפלילי נמשך: פיצוץ בחולון ורימון נוסף בחדרה 🚨

📌 רימון רסס הושלך הלילה לעבר בניין ברחוב צבי תדמור בחולון, לא היו נפגעים אך נגרם נזק בזירה

⚠️ בקצה הרחוב נמצאת תחנת משטרת חולון, וכוחות משטרה וחבלה הגיעו למקום לאיסוף ממצאים

🔥 בחדרה אותר רימון רסס שלא התפוצץ… pic.twitter.com/EYZbaKbcX5

— First Look | פירסט לוק – חדשות ומדיה (@firstlook_il) August 10, 2026

Separately, police say a suspected grenade was found this morning, unexploded, next to a gas station in Hadera.

Police are investigating both incidents.

Israel to offer 20,000 discounted homes to IDF reservists in coming years

The government has unveiled a new program aimed at expanding housing benefits for military reservists, promising approximately 20,000 discounted apartments or land parcels to be made available over the next two years.

Successful applicants could receive discounts of more than NIS 500,000 ($167,000) on a new home, the government says.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Construction and Housing Minister Haim Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich say the program will provide about 16,000 apartments through the government’s Target Price program and roughly 4,000 plots for ground-level housing.

Israel’s “Target Price” program, formerly known as the “Buyer’s Price” program, provides eligible first-time homebuyers the opportunity to purchase new apartments at prices below market value through government-run lotteries. The program has increasingly included reservists among those receiving priority, with eligibility and preferential allocations determined by government criteria.

The announcement comes after strong demand from reservists in the latest discount apartment lottery, in which 25,354 reservists registered and 4,734 won apartments, the government says. In the latest program, reservists will receive priority for 75 percent of apartments offered.

The housing opportunities will become available during 2026 and 2027, the government says.

Report: Degel HaTorah considering ousting veteran MKs Gafni and Maklev

The Degel HaTorah party’s senior leadership is reportedly considering replacing chairman Moshe Gafni and veteran MK Uri Maklev ahead of the upcoming national election over their failure to legislate a draft exemption for yeshiva students.

Degel HaTorah is one of the two factions that comprise the Knesset’s ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party.

According to the Haaretz daily, party spiritual leaders Rabbis Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch have been discussing the possibility and that, if the switch were made, MK Yaakov Asher would replace Gafni as chairman — a move that concerns some in Hirsch’s orbit because of Asher’s closeness to Lando.

Sources close to Gafni and Maklev deny the reports, telling Haaretz that “there are those who are trying to create tensions and disputes” ahead of the submission of the party list next month.

Spokespeople for Gafni and Rabbi Lando do not immediately respond to requests for comment, while a Haredi political source tells The Times of Israel that there are rumors about Gafni’s replacement nearly every election cycle.

Ex-Beit Shemesh mayor Aliza Bloch joins new Erdan-Edelstein political party

Former Beit Shemesh mayor Aliza Bloch joins Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein’s still-unnamed new right wing party ahead of the 2026 Knesset election, a spokesman for Erdan confirms to The Times of Israel.

Bloch is the former principal of the Branco-Weiss high school in Beit Shemesh. She was elected mayor of Beit Shemesh in 2018, ending a decade of ultra-Orthodox control over the rapidly growing bedroom community.

Her administration was seen by many national-religious and secular residents as one final chance to fix their city following years of religious violence at the hands of ultra-Orthodox zealots. She lost reelection in 2024 to Degel HaTorah’s Shmuel Greenberg.

The party did not release a statement and Bloch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The still-unnamed party marks the latest attempt by former members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s faction to break off and compete against him. Erdan, 55, is a former UN ambassador, and Edelstein quit Likud last month after decades in the party because he opposed its bid to legislate military draft exemptions for yeshiva students.

Gaza militia leader: Hamas will not agree to hand over its weapons

Hussam al-Astal, the commander of an Israeli-backed militia fighting Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip, tells The Times of Israel that Israel should reject the implementation of the second-stage ceasefire agreement, because Hamas will never hand over its weapons.

“I don’t think the agreement will go through. Hamas will not hand over the weapons it possesses. I hope there will be a ceasefire agreement, but without Hamas. Hamas will not agree to this,” al-Astal says, adding, “Hamas knows that if it hands over its weapons, it will no longer be in power.”

Al-Astal’s militia operates with Israeli logistical and military support in the Khan Younis area. Over the past year, despite the ceasefire, the militia has continued to periodically fight Hamas.

Health Ministry issues urgent call for Type O blood donors

The Health Ministry issues a call for the public to donate blood, particularly those with Type O, the universal donor, amid a “significant decline” in the national blood supply.

“We need to strengthen blood inventories on an ongoing basis, and I call on the public to come and donate,” says Health Ministry director general Moshe Bar Siman-Tov. “Donating blood is a simple act that saves lives, and it is part of our mutual responsibility and solidarity, both in routine times and in emergencies.”

He calls on the public to seek out blood donation sites run by Magen David Adom at locations around the country.

Israel-Lebanon talks said to include request to relocate Jewish graves to Israel

The Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reports that, as part of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over a permanent agreement, Israel has requested the transfer of remains of Jews buried in cemeteries in Lebanon to Israel.

According to the report, the Israeli side has pointed to a large number of Jewish graves in Beirut and Sidon which belong to people who have relatives currently living in Israel.

The issue was reportedly raised in the context of talks over Lebanese prisoners who were detained during the war in Lebanon and are being held in Israel, whose release Lebanon is demanding.

According to the report, Israel proposed transferring the remains from Lebanon as part of what it called a “civilian prisoner exchange deal,” which would include the transfer of the remains and the release of only some of the detained Lebanese, excluding Hezbollah operatives.

The Saudi Asharq News TV station reported last week that the talks in Rome included a “legal” track which dealt with Lebanese prisoners held by Israel — separate from detained Hezbollah operatives.

Israeli professor wins prestigious international physics award

Prof. Haim Sompolinsky, one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists and neuroscientists, has been awarded the prestigious Dirac Medal and Prize by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem announces.

Sompolinsky, 76, is professor emeritus at the university’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and Racah Institute of Physics, and professor of molecular and cellular biology and of physics in residence at Harvard University.

Sompolinsky was awarded the prize for his contribution to understanding the connection between the principles of physics and the study of the brain and artificial intelligence. In a statement, the university says his research has helped establish the groundbreaking field of theoretical neuroscience, explaining how neural networks perform learning and use memory, both in the biological brain and in computerized systems.

“This remarkable honor recognizes Professor Sompolinsky’s extraordinary scientific vision and his ability to reshape entire fields of research,” says Prof. Tamir Sheafer, president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “By forging deep connections between physics, neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Haim has fundamentally changed the way we understand intelligence, both natural and artificial.”

Established in 1985 in honor of Nobel laureate Paul A.M. Dirac, the Dirac Medal is among the world’s most distinguished awards in theoretical physics. It recognizes scientists whose groundbreaking work has fundamentally advanced the field. Sompolinsky shares the award with Prof. Deepak Dhar of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Prof. Bernard Derrida of the Collège de France and Prof. Marc Mézard of Bocconi University, Italy.

Sompolinsky, who was born in Denmark, is the son of the late Prof. David Sompolinsky, a prominent microbiologist who helped rescue hundreds of Jews in Denmark during the Holocaust.

Western Europe experienced hottest June-July on record, EU monitor says

Western Europe “experienced its hottest June-July period on record” as climate change fuels a historic summer of heat, drought and wildfires across the region, the EU climate monitor says.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service also says global average sea surface temperatures in July were “the highest on record for the month” at nearly 21ºC (nearly 70ºF).

Poll shows pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs shy of majority; new right-wing parties fall short

A poll by the Kan public broadcaster shows neither the pro- nor anti-Netanyahu blocs gaining enough seats to form a government following the October 27 election.

Neither of the two new right-wing parties would gain enough votes to enter the Knesset, the poll shows. One is led by Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel, while the other is led by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein, both of whom are former ministers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

Benny Gantz’s center-right Blue and White party, thought to be in the same ideological lane as those two parties, also falls short in the poll.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party leads the poll with 24 seats, while Yashar, led by his top rival Gadi Eisenkot, would win 23.

Next in line are three anti-Netanyahu parties: B’Yachad with 13, the Democrats with 10 and Yisrael Beytenu with 10. After that are three pro-Netanyahu parties with eight seats each: Otzma Yehudit, Shas and United Torah Judaism. The pro-Netanyahu Religious Zionism party would win five.

Among Arab parties, Ra’am would win six, while Hadash-Ta’al would win five and Balad would fall short of gaining seats.

Overall, the poll shows the anti-Netanyahu Jewish parties with 56 seats, the pro-Netanyahu parties with 53, and the Arab parties with 11, all short of a 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Yemeni military says Houthi attack on Mocha kills 7, wounds 30

The Yemeni military says seven people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed and 30 others wounded in a Houthi attack on the Red Sea port city of Mocha, including civilian infrastructure and armed forces.

“Four members of the armed forces and three civilians have been killed, and 30 others injured,” the Yemeni military says in a statement.

Air defenses intercepted and shot down 11 drones from the Iran-backed rebel terror group that participated in the attack, the military says.

Footage shown by Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV shows the launch of several ballistic missiles and drones, which Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree says in a post on Telegram targeted Saudi troop concentrations and weapons depots.

The Yemeni military says the Houthi attacks had also targeted residential neighbourhoods in Mocha.

Foreign Ministry’s public diplomacy staff meets West Bank settlement leader in show of support

The public diplomacy staff of the Foreign Ministry visits the West Bank and meets with Yisrael Ganz, chairman of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group for Israeli settlements, in a sign of the government’s support for the settlement enterprise.

Yacov Livne, the ministry’s senior deputy director general for public diplomacy, posts a photo of the visit to social media. It is unclear where the group visited.

“Judea and Samaria are at the heart of the Land of Israel,” Livne posts, using the territory’s biblical name and calling the visit and the meeting with Ganz “a valuable opportunity to see the region up close and share its story with the world.”

Most of the international community considers the settlements a violation of international law, a characterization Israel rejects. The government in recent years has taken a series of steps to expand the settlements, with the goal of blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Suspected Irish crime boss lands in Dublin after extradition from Dubai

The alleged leader of an Irish organized crime gang is extradited to Ireland from Dubai on Sunday to face allegations that he ran an international drug smuggling and money laundering empire with tentacles that stretched to Britain, Spain and the US.

The Irish Air Corps plane carrying Daniel Kinahan, 49, lands at an airport on the outskirts of Dublin after courts in Dubai refuse to block his extradition.

Kinahan is taken to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin where he is charged with directing the activities of a criminal organization. He is ordered to remain in custody at the high-security Portlaoise Prison about 90 miles southwest of the capital. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 5.

Ireland’s Special Criminal Court handles all organized crime and terrorism cases, as well as others where prosecutors believe the ordinary courts are inadequate to ensure the “effective administration of justice.” Cases are heard by a panel of three judges without a jury.

Trump names staff secretary Will Scharf as White House counsel

Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, will become White House counsel and assistant to the president effective September 1, US President Donald Trump says.

Scharf will become the White House’s top lawyer after overseeing the administrative work of the Oval Office in his current role.

He also led the National Capital Planning Commission, which approved the president’s controversial construction of the White House ballroom.

Scharf was raised Modern Orthodox in New York City and Florida, according to a 2023 profile in Jewish Insider, and attended Phillips Academy in Andover, an elite non-Jewish private prep school in Massachusetts. He told Jewish Insider that he lays tefillin every day and attends Shabbat services at Chabad.

Trump says David Warrington, the current White House counsel, is going to the private sector. Warrington formerly served as a personal counsel and a lawyer for Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Houthis resume attacks on Yemen’s Mocha port city

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have resumed attacks on the Red Sea port city of Mocha, a Yemeni military spokesperson says.

Footage shown by Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV shows the launch of several ballistic missiles and drones, which Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree says in a post on Telegram targeted Saudi troop concentrations and weapons depots.

The Yemeni military says on X that air defenses are intercepting a number of drones, adding Houthi attacks targeted residential neighborhoods in Mocha.

Golda ice cream chain faces huge class action lawsuit, accused of falsely labeling flavors ‘sugar-free’

The Central District Court has accepted and will hear a class action lawsuit against major ice cream chain Golda, that is seeking hundreds of millions in compensation from the company for allegedly misleading customers regarding sugar-free flavors.

The lawsuit alleges that for several years, the company sold two flavors — coffee and hazelnut — that were labeled as sugar-free, when in fact they had 13 times the amount of sugar allowed for such labeling under regulations (6.6 grams per 100g compared to a limit of 0.5g per 100g).

Golda claimed in its defense that the reasonable customer would understand that “no sugar” meant “no added sugar.” Judge Iris Rabinovitch-Brun rejected this assertion.

“The claim that the products were consumed as a result of the alleged misrepresentation is one that warrants examination as part of the lawsuit,” she writes. “There is grounds to assume that the ice cream was purchased and consumed under the impression that it was sugar-free. There is reason to believe that the sugar content of the product is a material consideration for a consumer purchasing ice cream labeled ‘sugar-free’ at an ice cream shop where the vast majority of the ice creams are not sugar-free.”

The lawyers leading the lawsuit assess the damages, if proven at court, could come to some NIS 350 million ($117 million).

Attorney Ori Eldar tells Channel 12: “The decision [to hear the case] sends a clear message to the food industry: anyone who labels a product ‘sugar-free’ must stand behind those words and their plain meaning. Consumers seeking to avoid sugar, including people with diabetes and those following specific diets, are entitled to rely on the sign in front of them.”