Dec. 5: US envoy, noting Trump-Erdogan ‘bromance,’ says US wants role for Turkey in Gaza

US approves potential sale of Medium Tactical Vehicles to Lebanon for $90.5 million

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of M1085A2 and M1078A2 Medium Tactical Vehicles and related equipment to Lebanon for an estimated cost of $90.5 million, the Pentagon says.

The principal contractor for the sale is Oshkosh Defense.

According to the contractor’s website, Medium Tactical Vehicles are used for “general resupply, ammunition resupply, maintenance and recovery, engineer support missions, troop transport, weapon systems platforms, and combat support in tactical environments.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

IDF: Blasts heard as far as Tel Aviv area result of military activity in Gaza

Loud blasts reported across central Israel a short while ago were the result of military activity in the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF.

The booms are reported as far away as the Tel Aviv area, some 60 kilometers (38 miles) away.

Amid the ongoing ceasefire, the IDF has been demolishing Hamas tunnels and sites in areas of the Strip under Israeli military control.

Architect Frank Gehry, designer of Guggenheim Bilbao, dies at 96

Frank Gehry, whose daring and whimsical creations of leaning towers and sweeping sheets of curved metal, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, made him a superstar in the world of architecture, died on Friday at the age of 96, The New York Times says.

Gehry was born Frank Owen Goldberg to Jewish parents in Toronto, Canada, and won several awards and honors throughout his career, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Muslim-majority countries worried Israel aims to transfer Gazans to Egypt with opening of Rafah Crossing

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Gaza mediators Egypt and Qatar, and six other Muslim-majority countries, say they are concerned about Israel stating it would open a one-way crossing for Palestinians to exit the Strip.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates “expressed their deep concern regarding the statements issued by the Israeli side concerning the opening of the Rafah Crossing in one direction with the aim of transferring residents of the Gaza Strip to” Egypt, they say in a joint statement.

Israel announced on Wednesday that it will reopen the Rafah Border Crossing in the coming days for the exit of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt, though Cairo denied it was coordinating with Jerusalem on renewing operations at the facility.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Israel told mediators Gaza terror groups can reach body of last hostage, demand action for release — TV report

Israel has told mediators with Hamas that the terror group and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group know how to reach the body of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, 24, the last hostage held in the Gaza Strip, Channel 12 news reports.

According to the report, a delegation led by the government’s hostage point man Gal Hirsch traveled to Cairo yesterday and demanded action from mediators to ensure the terror groups retrieve the body and return him to Israel.

An Israeli official cited by the network says that mediators have informed Israel that Hamas is “showing interest” in standing by the ceasefire-hostage deal, and wants to move to the next stage, including disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza.

In official statements, Hamas has insisted on retaining its weapons.

‘Conceivable’ to hold in-abstentia hearings against Netanyahu, Putin, ICC dep. prosecutor says

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — It would be “conceivable” to hold an in-absentia hearing against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin, the deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says.

“We tested it in the Kony case. It’s a cumbersome process. But we tried it, and we realized it was possible and useful,” Mame Mandiaye Niang says, in an interview with AFP.

Niang is referring to an unprecedented “confirmation of charges” hearing against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony earlier this year, held in absentia.

The deputy prosecutor also lashes out at US sanctions, saying they effectively put top court officials on a par with “terrorists and drug traffickers.”

“You can disagree with what we’re doing. That happens all the time,” Niang says.

Trump wins new FIFA peace prize at 2026 World Cup draw

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump is awarded the new FIFA peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw — giving the soccer spectacle to set matchups for the quadrennial tournament even more of a Trumpian flair.

Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, had been heavily favored to win the newly created FIFA prize. He and FIFA president Gianni Infantino are close allies, and Infantino had made it clear that he thought Trump should have won the Nobel for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

“This is your prize, this is your peace prize,” Infantino says. He has repeatedly spoken about soccer as a unifier for the world, but the prize is a departure from the federation’s traditional focus on sport.

Trump told reporters upon arriving at the Kennedy Center that he didn’t know whether he was going to get the award, and added, “I don’t need prizes. I just want to save lives.”

FIFA has described the prize as one that rewards “individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.”

CENTCOM congratulates Syria on blocking weapons smuggling to Hezbollah

The US military commends Syrian security forces for thwarting “multiple weapons shipments” to Hezbollah.

“Congratulations to Syria’s security forces for recently interdicting multiple weapons shipments,” CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper says in a statement.

“These shipments were intended for Lebanese Hezbollah. The United States and our regional partners have a shared interest in ensuring the disarmament of Lebanese Hezbollah and in preserving peace and stability across the Middle East,” he says.

On Thursday, Syrian authorities said they killed a man and arrested four others who were attempting to smuggle hundreds of landmines to the terrorist group.

Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander: pic.twitter.com/ALmhPd7SoZ

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 5, 2025

Lebanon’s Salam tells UN delegation follow-up force needed after UNIFIL mandate ends

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Lebanese prime minister tells a visiting UN delegation that his country will need a follow-up force in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel to fill the vacuum once the UN peacekeepers’ term expires by the end of next year.

The UN Security Council voted unanimously in August to terminate the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, at the end of 2026 — nearly five decades after the force was deployed.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam holds talks with the team representing the 15 members of the UN Security Council, saying he believes another follow-up force would help Lebanese troops along the border, where they have intensified efforts in the volatile area that witnessed the 14-month war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.

Salam proposes that a small follow-up force could work much like the UN observer force that has been deployed along Syria’s border with Israel since 1974.

There is no immediate response from the UN delegation, which arrived in Lebanon after a visit to Syria. Earlier today, the delegation also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who said Lebanon would welcome any country’s decision to keep its forces in southern Lebanon after UNIFIL’s term expires.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Antisemitic attacker sentenced to 2 years in prison for 2021 beating of Jewish man in Times Square

The Manhattan district attorney says Salem Seleiman, 30, has been sentenced to two years in prison for the beating of Joey Borgen, a Jewish man, in 2021.

Borgen was attacked in Times Square, near an anti-Israel rally held during the 2021 conflict between Israel and Gaza terror groups. Borgen was going to a pro-Israel counter-protest when he was assaulted by six attackers.

The violent beating, caught on video, became a major hate crime case in New York.

Seleiman, the last of the six attackers to be sentenced, pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree and assault in the third degree as a hate crime in September.

“Salem Seleiman took part in the repugnant and bias-motivated assault of a Jewish man who was peacefully attending a rally,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says in a statement. “The victim was targeted based on his religion and did nothing to warrant physical violence.

The statement says that Borgen was thrown to the ground, punched, hit with a crutch, pepper-sprayed, and kicked by the group of attackers, who mocked him as a “filthy Jew” and “dirty Jew.”

Borgen moved to Israel earlier this year.

Seleiman had fled New York and was arrested in Florida in May, then extradited to New York City for prosecution.

Jews are targeted in hate crimes in New York City far more than any other group.

IDF reservist killed in car accident while returning from reserve duty

Maj. (res) Eitan Orbach, 50, was killed in a car accident while returning to his home in Beit She’an from reserve duty in the Jordan Valley, the city’s municipality says in a statement.

“In the name of the city’s residents, the city’s administration and its employees ask to extend our condolences to his wife, Nehama, and his children Tzion, Da’el, Zari, Karmi and Argaman Shuva.”

Group of Holocaust survivors demand Nigel Farage apologize over reported antisemitic remarks

A group of 11 Holocaust survivors urges far-right British politician Nigel Farage to make a sincere apology following a report alleging he made antisemitic remarks at school, in a letter seen by the Guardian newspaper.

After the Guardian reported that some of Farage’s contemporaries at school had accused him of making racist and antisemitic remarks, including that “Hitler was right,” Farage told BBC News: “I’ve never directly racially abused anybody. No.”

Several former classmates promptly rejected Farage’s comments, accusing him of intentionally targeting fellow students and now lying about it.

“As Holocaust survivors, we understand the danger of hateful words – because we have seen where such words lead,” the survivors write in the letter. “Let us be clear: praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter. Not in a playground. Not anywhere.

“When allegations arise about invoking Nazi attitudes toward Jewish children, the responsible response is honesty, reflection, and commitment to truth.

“So we ask you: did you say ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to antisemitic abuse?

“If you deny saying those words, are you saying that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? If you did say them, now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong, and apologize.

“Those who hope to lead our country should never divide people by race or religion. Antisemitic hatred must never be normalized. This moment is about moral responsibility. The choice is yours, Mr Farage.”

Among the signatories is Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who spent almost a year in Auschwitz Birkenau before being moved to Bergen-Belsen until she was liberated in April 1945.

Hedi Argent, Simon Winston, Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, Helen Aronson, Ruth Barnett, John Fieldsend, Susan Pollack, Hanneke Dye, and Agnes Kaposi are others named in the letter.

IDF says it killed terror operative approaching troops in Gaza today

The IDF says it killed a terror operative who approached troops in the northern Gaza Strip earlier today.

According to the military, two terror operatives “carrying suspicious objects” had been identified by troops of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

The operatives approached the forces stationed in northern Gaza, “in a way that posed an immediate threat,” the IDF says.

The Israeli Air Force then struck the pair, “to remove the threat,” the military says, adding that “one of the terrorists was eliminated.”

Suspect in Jerusalem assault on public employees to remain in custody until tomorrow night

One of the suspects in a brutal assault on two Arab public employees in Jerusalem this morning will remain in custody until tomorrow night, police say, after a Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court judge ruled on the matter.

He is to stay in detention for an extra day, despite the police’s request to extend his remand for several days, given the “severity of his actions and extreme violence he used earlier this morning.”

He was arrested alongside his accomplice, an 18-year-old, for assaulting a bus driver and a sanitation worker in the capital’s Ramot neighborhood. The pair had been roving around on a motorized bicycle in the northern neighborhood this morning when they ran into an Arab sanitation worker sweeping the sidewalk.

They dismounted the bike and threw him to the sidewalk — one of the suspects pummeled him in the face as the other kicked him several times. Police say the young men left the sanitation worker with broken teeth and a rib fracture.

The pair moved on to a bus driver in the area. One, who was wearing tzitzit, was seen filming the driver from the outside of the bus. His friend, meanwhile, damaged one of the vehicle’s rearview mirrors. They attacked the bus driver as well, however were not caught on film during the act.

The driver, named Muhammad Ismail, was hospitalized with a broken arm at Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus as a result of the assault.

IDF officer pulls promotion request after Katz blocks appointment over anti-government activism

Col. (res.) German Giltman, whose promotion was blocked by Defense Minister Israel Katz, requested to withdraw his candidacy for a senior position that he was appointed to.

Last night, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced a round of senior appointments in the military. Among the list was Giltman, who retired from the IDF in 2022 and was set to be promoted to brigadier general and return to the military to serve in a senior role in the Ground Forces.

Zamir met this afternoon with Giltman, after Katz said that he would not approve the appointment, citing the reserve officer’s involvement in the Brother in Arms protest group.

During their meeting, Giltman “clarified that he never called for refusal of service and that the video that was circulated does not accurately reflect his positions,” the IDF says, referring to a video from March 2023 showing the reservist officer participating in a Brother in Arms press conference.

Giltman has served some 700 days in reserves as a “combat manager” and the chief of staff for the 162nd Division, which operated in the Gaza Strip for many months amid the war.

The IDF says that Zamir “reviewed the matter and noted that he will not allow any manifestations of refusal in the IDF, and was pleased to hear that the officer denounces the issue.”

“He added that he values the officer and his significant contribution to the IDF during his regular and reserve service, especially in the two years since the events of October 7,” the army says.

However, the IDF says that Giltman told Zamir that “in light of the publications and the turmoil that has developed around his appointment, he wishes to withdraw his candidacy for the position.”

“Giltman stressed that he will continue to serve in the reserves, as he has over the years, out of deep and principled commitment to the state and to the IDF,” the army adds.

The IDF adds that Zamir “expressed regret over the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the appointment and reiterated his deep appreciation for the officer’s work and his willingness to continue serving in the reserves.”

Hezbollah chief slams ‘free concession’ after Lebanon sends civilian delegation to talks with Israel

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem criticizes the Lebanese government’s decision to send a civilian delegate to the ceasefire committee, calling it a “free concession” to Israel and a clear violation of previous government positions.

On Wednesday, both Israel and Lebanon sent civilian envoys to a military committee monitoring their ceasefire, marking an expansion in the scope of talks between the two nations.

Family of hostage Ran Gvili asks gov’t not to proceed to next phase of ceasefire until his body is released

Shira Gvili, the sister of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, whose body is the final remaining hostage in Gaza, speaks at a Kabbalat Shabbat service this afternoon at Hostages Square. Former hostage Yocheved Lifschitz, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, is also present at the rally.

“This is the first Shabbat that Rani has remained alone there,” says Gvili. “I ask again to reiterate the demand not to proceed to phase two until Rani is home. To compel Hamas to return Rani to the country he loved so much.”

US President Donald Trump’s administration is aiming to announce the transition to the second phase of its Gaza peace plan in about two weeks, a US official confirmed to The Times of Israel, maintaining the fragile ceasefire the US brokered between Israel and Hamas nearly two months ago.

Ran Gvili, 24, was last heard from on October 7, 2023, when he set out to join the fight against Hamas in southern Israel amid the Palestinian terror group’s invasion. He fought terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim and was killed in battle; his body was abducted by Hamas to Gaza.

The Gvili family continues speaking about Ran in the present tense, refusing to call him a fallen soldier or to refer to him in the past tense until his body is returned to them.

Shira Gvili tells the gathering at Hostages Square that her brother is always the first to help, assist, and save. She calls him the “unsung hero,” a charismatic, strong, calm, brave leader.

The Gvili family announced earlier in the week that, as the final hostage family, they had agreed with the Hostages Forum to end the weekly Saturday night rallies, but decided to use the Friday afternoon gathering, organized most weeks by one of the kibbutz communities from the Gaza envelope region, as a rally for Ran Gvili.

There are other rallies and sit-ins taking place around the country on Friday and Saturday evening.

Shira Gvili says her family has done everything they could over the last two years, attending countless meetings, giving interviews, shouting, asking, pleading, and praying.

“Continue to stand with us, think of my Rani, of all of our Rani,” says Shira Gvili.

Marwan Barghouti’s son: Released prisoner said guards ‘physically shattered’ my dad, cut off part of his ear

Qassam Barghouti, son of Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, says on Facebook that he received this morning a call telling him Marwan’s Israeli guards “physically shattered” him, breaking his ribs and teeth and cutting off part of one ear, “for entertainment.”

The caller claimed to be a released Palestinian prisoner and called from an Israeli number, the younger Barghouti says in the post, which he appears to have deleted.

In a later post, Barghouti says the family is still trying to reach the unnamed released prisoner again and has contacted all possible official bodies for more information, to no avail.

“I apologize for worrying so many people,” he says. “I hope my dad and all the other prisoners are okay. That’s all I care about.”

A spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service says in a statement to The Times of Israel that the allegations are “another total lie by the lying and propaganda machine” against IPS staff “serving with professionalism in the face of a convicted terrorist.”

Responding to Barghouti’s statement, the Palestinian Authority’s prisoners’ affairs committee says it is working to learn more about Barghouti’s condition, adding that Palestinian prisoners’ families are sometimes subject to harassment and intimidation.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s office also puts out a statement condemning the treatment of Barghouti and other Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

“These violations constitute a full-fledged war crime,” says the statement.

Marwan Barghouti, formerly head of Fatah’s Tanzim armed wing, is serving five life terms for his role in the murder of five Israelis during the Second Intifada. He denies the charges.

Opinion polls consistently show Barghouti to be the most popular figure in Palestinian politics.

Barghouti’s family and lawyers have reported a sharp deterioration in his condition since the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, including being placed in solitary confinement and subject to severe beatings.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has publicly touted the worsened conditions of Palestinian prisoners and filmed a video of himself taunting Barghouthi in prison.

Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. studio, streaming business for $72 billion

NEW YORK — Netflix has struck a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to buy the legacy Hollywood giant’s studio and streaming business for $72 billion.

The acquisition, announced today, would bring two of the industry’s biggest players in film and TV under one roof. Beyond its namesake television and motion picture division, Warner owns HBO Max and DC Studios. And Netflix has risen to dominance as a household name ubiquitous to on-demand content, while building its own production arm to release popular titles like “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game.”

The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion. The transaction is expected to close after Warner separates its Discovery Global cable operations into a new publicly traded company in the third quarter of 2026.

Belgium confirms it will take part in Eurovision 2026

Belgium’s public broadcaster confirms that it will participate in the 2026 Eurovision, not joining those countries that are boycotting due to Israel’s inclusion.

Belgium operates two public broadcasters — VRT in Flemish and RTBF in French — and they alternate taking part in the Eurovision each year. While VRT issued a clear position against Israel’s participation, RTBF — which is in charge of next year’s contest — now says it will still take part.

Nevertheless, the broadcaster says that its participation “comes with a commitment” that “no cultural celebration and no international event can overshadow the absolute necessity of protecting citizens and those who report from conflict zones.” It is not clear how that will manifest, although last year, VRT aired a protest message against Israel ahead of the Eurovision broadcast.

Following the news last night that Israel would be allowed to stay in the Eurovision after a vote, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Ireland quit in protest. The Netherlands said it would still broadcast the competition, while the others said they would not.

Iceland, another harsh Israel critic who has called for it to be booted from the contest, said it will make its final decision on participation next week.

US envoy, noting Trump-Erdogan ‘bromance,’ says US wants role for Turkey in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack tells a conference in Abu Dhabi that Washington wants Ankara to be involved in the international stabilization force envisioned for the Gaza Strip.

He posits that, if included, Turkey could succeed at nonviolently disarming Hamas, due to its ties with the terror group. Still, he says he doesn’t think Israel will agree to let Turkey participate.

“If I were personally advising [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, I’d say that’s one of the most brilliant things he could do,” Barrack says, according to Bloomberg. “Do I think it’s going to happen? No. It’s trust and I don’t think that trust exists.”

Barrack also repeats his concern about escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, one year after a US-brokered ceasefire went into effect, which called on both the terror group and Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon, which has nevertheless seen near-daily Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives.

“My personal opinion is: you kill one terrorist, you create 10,” he says of Israeli military actions. “That can’t be the answer. There has to be another answer.”

Barrack urges direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, saying it’s “time to march to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, sit down and have a discussion,” declaring: “It’s time to end this.”

The American ambassador also says he expects Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to get soon rid of Russian defense equipment whose purchase precluded Ankara from participating in the US’s F-35 stealth jet development program.

“My belief is that those issues will be resolved in the next upcoming four to six months,” Barrack says, according to the news site. Asked if Turkey is closer to getting rid of the system, he says “yes.”

He notes the “bromance” between Erdogan and US President Donald Trump.

Additionally, Barrack, who also serves as a special envoy to Syria, says he’s hopeful the US Congress will lift remaining sanctions against Damascus, imposed when the now-toppled Bashar al-Assad regime ruled the country.

PM praises government’s ‘harmony’ passing budget, reiterates it will finish term

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praises the government’s “harmony” in passing the 2026 state budget, in remarks at the conclusion of the meeting at which it was approved.

“I estimate that around this table, in this room, I’ve passed at least 23 budgets, I don’t know the exact count, as prime minister or as finance minister. But I can hardly remember passing a budget in such harmony,” he said, though he acknowledged some “blips here and there.”

“And in an election year in particular, there’s never been anything like it,” he adds.

“I would say, this testifies to the spirit — the spirit of enlisting oneself, of ‘getting under the stretcher,’ the desire to continue with the burdens and missions of this government, which — as I said — will live out its days,” the premier continues, referring to his own comments before the vote.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says, “I really believe that this budget is good. On a political-national level, and in terms of our security and public diplomacy, etc., and also on an economic level — a great deal of infrastructure, a great deal of benefits that encourage growth, a lot of good news for the public, we spoke about lowering the cost of living and lowering taxes. A good budget.”

“We need to pass this budget in the Knesset, quickly, unanimously, with all the agreements. The faster we pass it — the easier it will be for all of us,” Smotrich says.

IDF says it’s finished 10-day raid in northern West Bank, killed 6 terrorists

The IDF says it has wrapped up a 10-day major raid in the northern West Bank, during which “six terrorists were eliminated, and hundreds of thousands of shekels in terror funds were seized.”

Dozens of wanted Palestinians were also arrested as part of the operation, which took place in several villages in the northeast of the West Bank — including Tubas, Tammun, and al-Faraa — as well as the Jenin area.

The army says that it seized hundreds of thousands of shekels “intended to fund terror activity,” and dozens of weapons, including assault rifles and pistols.

The Israeli Air Force carried out some 30 strikes amid the raid, as well as airlifted troops to and from the area, the IDF adds.

Zamir urges ‘external’ probe into Oct. 7 failures, like ‘after Yom Kippur War,’ but avoids calling for state inquiry

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reiterates that while the military is fully responsible for the failures on October 7, 2023, in order to reach full conclusions an “external” commission of inquiry must be established.

“The IDF has taken responsibility and investigated itself, but the incident is not its alone, and it would not be appropriate to direct all the attention solely toward it,” Zamir writes in a missive to officers, summarizing the findings of a team of former senior officers who conducted a review of the IDF’s internal probes into the failures on October 7.

“To reach the truth and full national-level conclusions, an external and objective commission of inquiry must be established, as was done after the [1973] Yom Kippur War,” he says.

The chief of staff says that “among other things, the interface between the political echelon and the military echelon, and the political and security conceptions that preceded the war, must be investigated.”

Zamir notably avoids explicitly calling for a state commission of inquiry, which the government opposes despite surveys showing a majority of the public supports it. A state commission of inquiry was carried out after the 1973 war.

Lebanon urges UNSC delegation to press Israel to ‘implement the ceasefire and withdraw’

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urges a United Nations Security Council delegation to pressure Israel to respect a year-old ceasefire and to support his army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

A ceasefire in November 2024 ended a war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group, which began when the Iran-backed force attacked the Jewish state with missiles and drones on October 8, 2023, and escalated into two months of combat the next year, including an Israeli ground invasion.

The truce called for both Hezbollah and Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but the area has seen near-daily Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives there. The Israeli military has also remained deployed at five strategic points.

Speaking to the UN delegation, Aoun stresses the “need to pressure the Israeli side to implement the ceasefire and withdraw, and expressed his hope for pressure from the delegation,” according to a statement from the presidency.

He also notes “Lebanon’s commitment to implementing international resolutions” and asks the envoys to support the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm non-government groups.

PA Health ministry: 38-year-old man killed by IDF gunfire south of Nablus

A Palestinian man was killed this afternoon by Israeli gunfire in the village of Odala south of Nablus, the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry says, referring to the military as “occupation forces.”

He is identified as Bahaa Rashid, 38.

الشهيد بهاء عبد الرحمن راشد الذي ارتقى برصاص الاحتلال في قرية أودلا جنوب نابلس pic.twitter.com/vjv7rKRoKt

— القسطل الإخباري (@AlQastalps) December 5, 2025

Citing security and local sources, the PA’s WAFA news agency reports that Rashid took a bullet to the head from IDF forces who clashed with Palestinians outside a mosque in the center of the village.

Israeli forces also arrested two men from the nearby village of Beita and from Khalayel al-Loz, south of Bethlehem, WAFA reports.

The IDF does not immediately comment.

WAFA also reports that early this morning settlers set fire to two cars and graffitied “liberty for Israel” with a Star of David on a shed in the village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah. Local sources cited by WAFA say this is the sixth time their village has been attacked by settlers.

#صور مستوطنون يهاجمون قرية الطيبة قضاء رام الله ويعتدون على ممتلكات الفلسطينيين ويحرقون مركباتهم ويخطون شعارات تدعو لقتل العرب. pic.twitter.com/40pycqXQb4

— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) December 5, 2025

WAFA reports that the attack took place after Taybeh opened its Christmas market last night, with diplomats present.

IDF deems pilot program integrating female recruits into elite Yahalom unit a success

The IDF has deemed a pilot program integrating female recruits into the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit a success, paving the way for women combat engineers to have a permanent role in the military.

The program, which began two and a half years ago, was intended to examine the integration of women in Yahalom, as part of efforts by the IDF to open up more roles for female fighters.

During that time, three cohorts of female troops were recruited to Yahalom and underwent “a unique training track that included specialization in operating special platforms, advanced technologies, and meeting the operational standards” of the elite unit, according to the IDF.

The military says that over the past two years, officers in the corps and the Ground Forces “refined the operational role of the female soldiers in light of the operational needs.”

The female combat engineers were “integrated into hundreds of operational activities” on the northern front and in the Gaza Strip, and they “contributed significantly to the unit’s capabilities, and demonstrated professionalism, determination, and high motivation,” the IDF says.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has concluded that the pilot program was a success and instructed the army “to continue the integration model of female combat soldiers in Yahalom as part of the overall approach to strengthening the Combat Engineering Corps’ combat array and integrating women into combat roles throughout the IDF,” the military says.

Iran holds drills in Gulf, firing ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy fire ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets in the Gulf during a two-day military exercise aimed at countering foreign threats, state media report.

Earlier, Iran hosted an anti-terrorism drill in its northwestern province of East Azerbaijan with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which, according to state Press TV, was intended to signal both “peace and friendship” to neighboring states and warn enemies that “any miscalculation would meet a decisive response.”

State media report a massive launch of Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadr 360 cruise missiles and 303 ballistic missiles at targets in the Gulf of Oman. Drones simultaneously struck simulated enemy bases, the reports say.

The IRGC Navy began its exercise in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.

It emphasized what it said was its heightened artificial intelligence readiness and the “unwavering spirit and resistance” of its sailors in confronting any threat.

Second suspect arrested over Jerusalem assault that left bus driver hospitalized

Police say they have arrested an 18-year-old suspected of taking part in a violent assault on a bus driver and sanitation worker this morning in Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood.

He is the second suspect to be arrested, as police ramp up their efforts to crack down on violence against transit workers amid pressure from politicians and bus companies.

This morning’s attack left both victims injured and the bus driver, Muhammad Ismail, hospitalized with a broken arm as a result. Two buses were also damaged.

The 18-year-old, a Jewish resident of the neighborhood in the capital’s northern outskirts, was arrested for questioning at the Lev HaBira police station.

Police say that the two suspects had been riding around the neighborhood on electric bikes and attacked innocent passersby. One sanitation worker who had been cleaning the street was attacked by them and suffered facial injuries, they add.

The pair then attacked Ismail, breaking his arm and damaging his bus’s rearview window. Both suspects, aged 17 and 18, will be brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court for an extension on their remand.

Bennett slams 2026 budget, says ‘serving and working public’ will be made to swallow cost

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett blasts the freshly approved state budget for 2026, calling it a “protection” budget, from a government that is “extorted by draft-dodgers, and bankrupting those who serve” in the army.

“Instead of fighting the insane cost of living, the government has worsened it by raising benefits for sectors that threaten to topple it. This is what ‘protection’ looks like,” says Bennett.

He adds: “The one who pays the price is the serving and working public.”

“Israel needs a responsible budget that will take care of the cost of living and allow citizens to breathe — soon, we will fix this,” pledges the former premier.

Government approves 2026 budget, after fights over defense spending, taxes

The government has approved the 2026 state budget, announces the Prime Minister’s Office.

The vote comes after a compromise deal between the Finance and Defense ministries, after conflicts around defense spending and tax cuts.

The budget has already been condemned by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who said it was for the benefit of “crooks and draft-dodgers.”

Lapid blasts ‘budget of corruption and draft-dodging,’ warns of higher taxes

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid blasts the proposed 2026 state budget on X, after a deal was reached between the Defense and Finance Ministries that allocated NIS 112 billion ($34.7b) for defense.

“This morning, the government is approving a budget of corruption and draft-dodging. In order to fund the NIS 60 billion ($18.6b) cost of Haredi draft-dodging, they are raising taxes on the citizens of Israel,” he writes.

“They didn’t even consider closing superfluous government offices, or getting rid of the corrupt coalition funds,” he continues.

“In the next government we will fix this; we will approve a budget of changes in the national order of priorities, which will take the money from the crooks and draft-dodgers and transfer it to people who work hard, pay taxes, and serve in the army,” Lapid pledges.

Government approves dairy reform, over agriculture minister’s opposition

The government approves a plan to reform the dairy industry, waiving high tariffs on imports and scrapping a centralized quota system.

Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter votes against the plan. His is the only no-vote.

The Finance Ministry celebrates the “important achievement in the struggle over cost-of-living,” noting: “Now the dairy reform will continue through the legislative process in the Knesset.”

PM: Government to approve budget before Shabbat, will complete its term

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a cabinet meeting about the 2026 state budget, says, “We’ve come to vote on the budget at a good time, and we will finish at a good time, too, before Shabbat.”

The remarks are published around noon on Friday, some four hours before the Sabbath.

Netanyahu commends ministers, in particular Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for their “practical, positive approach.”

“We are on our way to bringing [to fruition] a budget — a budget that is good news for the State of Israel,” the premier says.

Then, addressing “those who are concerned about the matter,” he adds: “This government will live out its days.”

Teen arrested for assaulting bus driver, sanitation worker; police seek 2nd suspect

Police have arrested a 17-year-old on suspicion of assaulting a bus driver and sanitation worker this morning with his friend. They are still searching for the second suspect.

The attack left both public employees injured and in need of medical attention. The bus driver, Muhammad Ismail, is now in Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus with a broken arm, his coworker tells The Times of Israel.

Damage was also caused to two buses at the scene, police say.

Video footage shared by police shows two young men outside the vehicle, idle near a bus stop on the road. One of the young men damages a rear view mirror on the bus’s exterior, as the other films the driver on his phone.

Officers nabbed the 17-year-old suspect in his home this morning and brought him to the Lev HaBira police station for questioning. He will be brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court for an extension on his detention.

Two young men are seen harassing a bus driver and damaging his vehicle in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem on December 5, 2025. (Israel Police)

Ex-IDF advocate general discharged from hospital, will be questioned in coming days

Former military advocate general Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi is discharged this morning from Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center, after spending nearly a month in the hospital.

Police say that she will be summoned for interrogation in the coming days for her role in the Sde Teiman video leak scandal, as the battle over who will oversee the investigation drags on in the High Court.

The ex-IDF legal chief was hospitalized on November 9 after medics were called to her home to find that she had overdosed on sleeping pills, in what was later confirmed to have been a suicide attempt.

Tomer-Yerushalmi is at the center of the ongoing investigation into the leak and its subsequent cover-up. Soon after police announced the probe’s launch, she resigned from her post and admitted to approving the leak of the footage, which purported to show IDF troops abusing a Gazan detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility.

Officer blocked for promotion by Katz denies he was part of Brothers in Arms protest group

Col. (res.) German Giltman says he was never part of the Brothers in Arms protest group, as he tries to defend against Katz’s decision to block his promotion and return to the military.

“I was never part of the Brothers in Arms movement; it seems someone is misleading the minister,” Giltman tells Army Radio.

“I was in the Armored Corps Soldiers for the Defense of Democracy movement. I did not call for refusal or for not volunteering,” he says.

He says that the press conference that he participated in, in March 2023, in which he was wearing a Brothers in Arms t-shirt, “was of all the reservist movements, and I did not speak there about refusal.”

“Since I was released from the IDF, I have been doing reserve duty, including during the war,” Giltman tells the radio station. “I was asked to return to permanent service, and for me, this is an important and moral matter, just as I have acted for the good of the state for 33 years until today.”

“It’s important that the truth come out,” he adds.

IDF says it thwarted attempt to smuggle weapons from Jordan via drone

The IDF says it foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Jordan into Israel using a drone.

The drone was identified last night crossing the border by the Israeli Air Force’s air traffic control.

According to the IDF, troops of the Yoav Regional Brigade scanned the area and located the drone, which was found to be ferrying nine pistols and numerous magazines.

The weapons were handed over to the police for further investigation.

Six-year-old boy dies of flu complications in second case this week

A six-year-old boy has died of complications from influenza A, in the second such case this week.

The child was rushed to Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot in critical condition after he collapsed in his home this morning, Hebrew-language media reports.

He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, following unsuccessful resuscitation efforts.

The boy, who had no underlying health conditions and was not vaccinated against the flu, began showing respiratory symptoms yesterday, reports say.

His death is the third flu-related fatality of the season, after a vaccinated six-year-old died on Wednesday, and a 10-year-old girl, who had not yet been vaccinated this season, died last week.

Brothers in Arms fumes after ‘minister of draft dodging’ Katz blocks promotion of reservist officer involved in group

Responding to Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision to block the promotion of Col. (res.) German Giltman, the Brothers in Arms protest group slams Katz as the “minister of draft dodging.”

“Israel Katz, who is pushing a [draft] evasion scheme for tens of thousands of Haredim, dares to disqualify a senior officer with 30 years of dedicated service to the state,” says the group with which Giltman was affiliated after his retirement from the IDF.

“Giltman, who served dozens of days in reserve duty and who reported for duty immediately on October 7 — he is Katz’s enemy,” Brothers in Arms says.

“But draft dodgers who declare ‘we will die before we enlist’ — for them, he hands over an evasion scheme. There has never been a defense minister who harmed the country’s security and the fighters’ morale like the minister of draft dodging. Katz does not fight Israel’s enemies — he fights the heroes who defend it,” the protest group adds.

During the war, Giltman served some 700 days in reserves as a “combat manager” and the chief of staff of the 162nd Division, which operated in the Gaza Strip for many months.

Giltman’s promotion and appointment to a senior role in the Ground Forces were recommended to Zamir by senior officers, including Operations Division chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, who was the commander of the 162nd Division — and Giltman’s commander — for most of the war.

British maritime agency reports vessel hit by fire off coast of Yemen

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency says that a vessel located 15 nautical miles west of Yemen reported an incident.

“A vessel reports sighting small craft at a range of 1-2 cables and they are under fire,” UKMTO says.

Katz bars promotion of senior IDF reserves officer involved in Brothers in Arms protest group

Defense Minister Israel Katz says he will not approve the promotion of a senior reserves officer who was on a list of appointments announced by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir last night, citing his involvement in the Brothers in Arms protest group.

Col. (res.) German Giltman, who retired from the IDF in 2022, was set to be promoted to brigadier general and return to the military to serve in a senior role in the Ground Forces.

After being released from the IDF, Giltman participated in a press conference of Brothers in Arms, a group made up of reserve soldiers that played a key role in mass protests against the government’s judicial overhaul plans in 2023.

At the conference in March 2023, Giltman said: “I have served until today, both in active duty and in the reserves, because of an unwritten contract with the state. I am not willing to serve in a place that is not a democracy. You are putting us in a dilemma.”

“Whoever advocates refusal will not serve in the IDF,” Katz says in a statement this morning.

The defense minister says he informed Zamir that he “categorically rejects” the promotion and appointment of Giltman, who he describes as “one of the leaders of Brothers in Arms, who called for refusal to serve in the IDF.”

“Anyone who preaches or encourages refusal will not serve in the IDF and will not be promoted to any position,” Katz adds.

Report: Hamas worried Israel will target its leaders ‘in a non-Arab state,’ takes steps to prevent it

Hamas is concerned that Israel may try to target its terror operatives and leaders abroad and has instructed them to take additional precautionary measures, the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reports.

Citing unnamed Hamas sources, the newspaper reports that the terror group is concerned Israel will carry out strikes similar to the attack on Doha in September, when the IDF targeted, but failed to kill, senior Hamas leaders as they gathered to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

The sources say that despite assurances from the US that Israel will not carry out such a strike again, the Hamas leaders are not reassured.

One of the sources tells Asharq Al-Awsat that “there are assessments that the movement’s [Hamas’s] leaders may be targeted in a non-Arab state,” but does not say which.

As such, the Saudi newspaper reports that Hamas leaders abroad have been issued new guidelines aimed at preventing them from being killed in Israeli operations.

The steps include a ban on meetings in fixed locations, with the Hamas officials instructed to instead meet at a different location each time.

Attendees will not be allowed to bring mobile devices within 70 meters of any meeting spot, the report says, for fear that they will be tracked via phone signal.

Meetings must not take place in any buildings with “air conditioners, internet routers, television screens or even home intercom systems,” the report adds.

NIS 112 billion allocated for defense spending in 2026 budget, Smotrich and Katz agree

Israel’s defense budget for 2026 will stand at NIS 112 billion ($34 billion), following an agreement between Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Smotrich had sought a smaller defense budget, around NIS 90 billion, criticizing the defense establishment for inefficiently managing its spending as he unveiled the principles of the 2026 state budget last month, following two years of ballooning war costs. In response, Defense Ministry officials said that Smotrich would be delaying critical deals with a smaller budget.

Meanwhile, the military had initially sought a budget of NIS 140 billion.

Following negotiations between Katz and Smotrich, and between officials at both ministries, the sides agreed on NIS 112 billion, the defense minister’s office says.

According to the agreement, the budget is based on the assumption that only an average of 40,000 reservists will be called up for duty in 2026, “in accordance with the defense minister’s directive to ease the burden on reserve soldiers.”

At the peak of the war, the IDF activated some 300,000 reservists, and was expected to call up some 60,000 during 2026. Katz was set to instruct the army to make various adjustments in light of his decision to reduce the scope of reservists called up in the coming year from 60,000 to 40,000.

In addition, the sides agreed on a package of approximately NIS 725 million, spread over three years, for security measures in the West Bank and on the Jordanian border, Katz’s office adds.

Netanyahu said to push Bank of Israel chief to further cut interest rates, prompting angry response

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron to lower interest rates during a meeting Thursday evening, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

“I don’t decide for you, but I recommend lowering the rate so it is at least like in the United States,” Netanyahu is quoted as saying telling Yaron, who reportedly was angered by the remarks and told the premier that “the government cannot interfere in the interest rate decisions of the Bank of Israel.”

The report says Netanyahu responded by stressing to Yaron that he “understands the separation [between the central bank and government], but it shouldn’t prevent me from telling you that this is my opinion.”

The reported exchange came after the Bank of Israel cut interest rates last week for the first time in nearly two years, while cautioning that any further cuts “will depend a lot on the developments, both on the geopolitical front and on the fiscal front.” Netanyahu has previously defended the bank’s independence following criticism from members of his ruling Likud party pushing for lower rates.

Trump shares news article about Netanyahu’s request for a pardon

US President Donald Trump has shared a news article from an Israeli website on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s formal request for a pardon from President Isaac Herzog.

The post is one of dozens Trump has published on Truth Social in the past several hours.

Trump has weighed in on Netanyahu’s trial several times on Netanyahu’s behalf, dismissing the cases against the premier.

In a speech before the Knesset in October, Trump appealed directly to Herzog and urged him to pardon Netanyahu.

Last month, he made the request more formally in a letter to Herzog.

In a call earlier this week, Netanyahu reportedly asked Trump if he could do more, even though US officials are said to believe that the president has done all he can at this point.

Netanyahu submits request to President Herzog for pardon: https://t.co/xpom5wY9Iq

(TS: 04 Dec 18:43 ET)​​​‍​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍

— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) December 4, 2025

Around 1,000 gather in support of NYC synagogue targeted in protest

Over 1,000 people gather in New York City near a synagogue targeted in a vitriolic protest late last month.

The protest, near Park East Synagogue, is organized by Jewish groups led by the UJA-Federation of New York.

The synagogue’s rabbi, Holocaust survivor Arthur Schneier, says the protest was a targeted act of intimidation against the Jewish community.

“United we prevail, divided we fail,” he tells the crowd. “Be strong. Let us strengthen one another.”

Vance denies rising antisemitism in Republican ranks, expresses admiration for Mamdani

US Vice President JD Vance rejects the notion that his Republican Party is experiencing an uptick in antisemitism.

“Judging anybody based on their skin color or immutable characteristics, I think, is fundamentally anti-American and anti-Christian,” Vance says in an interview with NBC News. “I do think it’s important to call this stuff out when I see it. [But] when I talk to young conservatives, I don’t see some simmering antisemitism that’s exploding.”

Vance’s former Republican colleague in the Senate, Ted Cruz has argued otherwise, warning about an escalation of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment, particularly among young conservatives influenced by Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes.

“Do I think that the Republican Party is substantially more antisemitic than it was 10 or 15 years ago? Absolutely not,” Vance says. “In any bunch of apples, you have bad people. We should be firm in saying antisemitism and racism is wrong… [but] I think it’s kind of slanderous to say that the Republican Party, the conservative movement, is extremely antisemitic.”

Later in the interview, Vance volunteered the names of the progressives lawmakers he has come to respect for various reasons: Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Ro Khanna and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

Vance describes Mamdani, who had a friendly meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House last month, as “fascinating.”

“Obviously, I’m not a communist, but the fact that he focuses so aggressively on the affordability question in New York City, which does have one of the worst affordability crises anywhere in the world, is smart, and he’s at least listening to people,” Vance says.

“Most politicians, it’s a very low bar, but they don’t even listen to people. I would put Mamdani, Bernie and Ro Khanna in the category of those who, at least sometimes, they are,” he adds.

IDF chief announces new senior appointments, setting up another potential clash with Katz

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announces a round of senior appointments in the military, which will be sent to Defense Minister Israel Katz for approval.

Katz has previously said he would not approve any promotions and appointments in the military that are not brought to him beforehand for review.

The list announced by Zamir includes two officers promoted to brigadier general, 28 promoted to colonel, as well as one brigadier general and nine colonels who are moving to new positions at the same rank.

There is no immediate response from Katz on the IDF’s late-night announcement.

Survey: Majority of Israels oppose pardon for Netanyahu without admission of guilt

A majority of Israelis oppose granting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a presidential pardon in his criminal trial without an admission of guilt or an expression of remorse, according to a new survey.

The poll was conducted for Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language sister site, by Tatika Research and Media in collaboration with the Adgenda panel.

In response to the question, “Do you support or oppose Netanyahu’s request for a presidential pardon without admitting guilt or expressing remorse?” 53.2% said they oppose it, while 42.4% said they support it.

On the Haredi conscription bill, the respondents were asked if they support or oppose the law proposed by MK Boaz Bismuth: 53.8% said they oppose the law in any case, 24.8% said they support it in any case, and 13.8% said they would support it only if changes were made.

The survey was conducted on December 3–4, 2025, and included 500 Jewish and Arab respondents. The margin of error is 4.4%.

IDF says it carried out major raid in West Bank’s Qalqiliya

The IDF says it conducted a large-scale raid in the West Bank city of Qalqiliya in the past day, searching hundreds of buildings and detaining several terror suspects.

The operation was carried out by three IDF brigades, along with Border Police and Israel Police forces, the army says.

The IDF says the troops seized an assault rifle, weapon parts, and ammunition, and detained “weapons dealers, terrorists, and suspects involved in the preparation of explosives.”

During the operation, the soldiers also opened fire on a Palestinian suspect who “posed a threat to the force and threw a suspicious object at them,” the army adds. Palestinian media reported that a 12-year-old was seriously wounded by IDF gunfire in the area.

The raid came hours after an Israeli civilian entered Qalqiliya on foot and was extracted by Israeli authorities.