Dec. 10: Israel reopens West Bank-Jordan crossing for Gaza aid, months after shooting attack

Trump says Gaza Board of Peace members will be announced in early 2026, in sign process stalling

US President Donald Trump says he will announce the members of the Board of Peace overseeing the postwar management of Gaza early next year, in the latest sign that the effort is stalling.

Last week, US officials told The Times of Israel that Washington was aiming to announce a transition to phase two of Trump’s Gaza peace deal, as well as the members of the various bodies involved, by Christmas.

But conversations are still in their initial stages regarding phase two and Hamas’s disarmament, which Israel says is a prerequisite for the reconstruction of Gaza, in addition to the return of the last deceased hostage. The US is also yet to convince any country to join the International Stabilization Force that will be needed to replace the IDF in the eastern half of Gaza, which Israel still controls.

As the two-week deadline US officials gave to reporters on December 4 for announcing the phase two transition approaches, a reporter in the White House asks Trump when he would be announcing the makeup of the Board of Peace.

“We’ll do it early next year,” Trump responds, all but shutting down speculation that an announcement will be made earlier.

He reiterates that the board will be headed by him and made up of many world leaders who have expressed interest in joining. So far, no one has come forward.

The role of the board will be largely symbolic, as an intermediate-level executive committee filled by Trump’s top aides Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, along with former UK prime minister Tony Blair and former UN envoy to the Mideast Nikolay Mladenov, will be more directly involved in overseeing the Palestinian technocratic government which is also slated to be announced by Washington, US officials have said.

Video shows Israelis who entered Gaza are settler activists

The Israelis who entered the Gaza Strip this evening, before being captured by IDF troops, were settler activists, according to a video circulating on social media.

The video shows a man claiming to be inside the Strip while holding a sapling he says he intends to plant in the area.

“We came to plant for the Jewish settlement in Gaza. All of the land of Israel is ours,” he says.

עשרות ישראלים נכנסו הערב בחסות החשיכה לרצועת עזה – במטרה ליישב מחדש את יישובי גוש קטיף.

צה"ל הצליח להוציא את מרביתם והודיע כי השיב אותם ארצה, אך לטענת המארגנים: יש קבוצה שעדיין מצליחה להישאר בשטח ולא מצליחים לפנות אותה. pic.twitter.com/KxHNBYqni2

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— ינון שלום יתח (@inon_yttach) December 10, 2025

Report: 2026 state budget has hundreds of millions secretly allocated to political purposes

In addition to the NIS 5 billion ($1.5 billion) allocated in the 2026 state budget to coalition parties’ priorities, hundreds of millions of dollars more have been transferred to political purposes under the table, according to a report by Channel 12 news.

The report says that NIS 235 million ($73 million) has been taken from the Israeli Citizens’ Fund, which includes profits from sales of offshore natural gas, and diverted toward Jewish heritage, sports facilities and yeshivas.

A retroactive addition of NIS 100 million ($31 million) to the 2025 budget’s coalition funds will go toward the ZAKA emergency group and toward youth groups and schools in settlements.

And NIS 302 million ($93 million) will be included in the budget’s base, which is meant for non-political funds, yet will go toward goals normally defined as coalition funds such as Jewish culture, strengthening Jewish identity, Torah-based core groups known as garin torani, Zionist projects in the Diaspora, Jewish law, and a local settler group in the West Bank’s Hebron, the report says.

One said killed by IDF in southern Gaza’s Mawasi, a Hamas-controlled area

A man has been killed by IDF gunfire in the coastal area of Mawasi, near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reports, citing Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital.

Mawasi lies on the Hamas-controlled side of the Gaza ceasefire line.

WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, says the IDF opened fire on people at Mawasi’s al-‘Alam traffic circle, leading to one death and several injuries.

The military does not immediately comment.

Responding to UNIFIL, IDF says troops shot in direction of a suspect, not of UN observers

The IDF says its gunfire in southern Lebanon yesterday was not aimed at members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which had complained that its observers had allegedly been targeted.

According to the military, troops deployed to the Hamames post in Lebanon, just north of Metula, spotted a suspect approaching their position.

“In accordance with procedures and the rules of engagement, warning shots were fired toward them,” the army says.

While the troops were firing warning shots, the military says UNIFIL contacted the IDF, “claiming they were hearing shots in their direction.”

The IDF says it clarified to UNIFIL “that the gunfire was not toward them or in their direction, but rather to push back the threat in the area.” A military source adds that the shots were fired in the direction from which the suspect approached, which was not the location of the UN forces.

“The IDF emphasizes that it does not operate against UN forces and will continue to work in full, ongoing coordination with their representatives,” the military adds.

Netanyahu speaks with Bolivian president after restoring ties, invites him to visit Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke over the phone this evening with Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz and invited him to visit Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement, a day after Israel and Bolivia restored diplomatic ties following a rupture over the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu “congratulated President Paz on the shared intention to renew relations,” and “the two leaders agreed on the need to promote cooperation in various fields — with an emphasis on security — and to restore the strong flow of Israeli tourists who visit Bolivia’s natural landscapes and rich cultures,” the statement reads.

The premier “invited the Bolivian president to visit Israel, and Paz responded that “he looks forward to visiting soon and to fostering a strong friendship between the two peoples,” the readout concludes.

Israel reopens West Bank-Jordan crossing for Gaza aid, months after shooting attack

Israel reopened the only crossing on the border it controls between Jordan and the West Bank today to allow aid trucks for Gaza after nearly three months of closure, Israeli and Palestinian officials tell AFP.

Israel closed the crossing after a Jordanian truck driver shot dead an Israeli soldier and a reserve officer at the border in September.

The crossing in the Jordan Valley reopened to travelers a few days later, but not to humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by more than two years of war.

“The Allenby crossing was open today and trucks are going from the Allenby crossing to Gaza,” says a spokesperson for COGAT, the Defense Ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank and Gaza.

A Palestinian official speaking on condition of anonymity confirms that the crossing was opened.

Yesterday, 96 trucks carrying materials for the production of cement were allowed to pass through the crossing, the official says.

Today, a further 20 trucks of humanitarian aid entered, and tomorrow, more are expected to be allowed in for the construction sector, the official adds.

Israel said yesterday that the crossing would reopen today to aid.

Haredi parties, author of controversial enlistment law blast AG for opposing legislation

Haredi politicians and the Likud lawmaker behind the coalition’s controversial Haredi draft law panned Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara over her legal opinion objecting to the legislation, which she says will discourage enlistment and remove current legal tools for effective sanctions on draft dodgers.

Boaz Bismuth, the head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, who wrote up the bill, calls the legal opinion an attempt to divert public attention from her alleged involvement in a scandal involving a leak by the former military advocate general of a video of alleged abuse of a Palestinian detainee by IDF soldiers.

“Nice try, but not this time,” Bismuth says.

The Shas party calls Baharav-Miara’s legal opinion “a transparent and embarrassing trick,” arguing that it is an attempt “to deal a blow to the Torah world to divert attention from one of the biggest scandals in the state’s history.”

“Her legal opinion is detached and doesn’t reflect the position of the army,” Shas claims. “The blatant political tone in her letter reveals her goal of toppling the right-wing government and preventing her dismissal.”

Baharav-Miara has consistently clashed with the current government, leading the cabinet to fire her — a move frozen by the High Court of Justice.

MK Moshe Gafni, the leader of the Degal HaTorah faction of the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism, argues that the attorney general is voicing her opinion on a bill that isn’t yet finalized, out of a “clear goal to prevent Torah studies” and make sure the state doesn’t fund Haredi yeshivas.

“Throughout the history of the Jewish people, there were always those who fought against the holy Torah and those who study it, and the Torah is continuing to exist and lead the Jewish people while those who fought against it vanished in the dust of history,” he says.

Several Israeli civilians cross into Gaza before being detained by IDF troops

Several Israeli civilians crossed the border into the Gaza Strip a short while ago, before being detained by IDF troops, the military says.

According to the IDF, the civilians were monitored the entire time by soldiers operating surveillance cameras.

Troops stationed in the area captured the suspects, brought them back to Israel, and handed them over to the police for further questioning, the army adds.

Their motive is not immediately clear.

“The IDF emphasizes that any entry into a combat zone is prohibited, endangers civilians, and disrupts the activity of IDF troops in the area,” the military says.

Israeli civilians have on several occasions attempted to enter Gaza since the start of the war, often pro-settlement activists seeking to reclaim communities in the Strip evacuated by Israel in 2005.

The Israeli side of the Gaza border barrier is unprotected in some areas, as the IDF is deployed deeper within the Strip.

Herzog said to host secret meetings on forming Oct. 7 state probe, ask bereaved families to sign confidentiality forms

President Isaac Herzog has been quietly convening consultations in recent months at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem aimed at reaching an agreement on a framework for establishing a widely sought state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre, Channel 12 reports, without citing sources.

According to the report, participants in the closed-door discussions have included representatives of bereaved families from the October Council, a large group of families who lost loved ones in the attack and are calling for a state probe, and the hawkish Gvura Forum, which represents dozens of families of soldiers killed in the subsequent war against Hamas in Gaza.

The four participating representatives — named as Yehoshua Shani and Menachem Klemenson of the Gvura Forum, and Eyal Eshel and Reut Hecht-Edri of the October Council — were reportedly asked to sign confidentiality agreements barring them from disclosing the existence or content of the meetings. They have been meeting roughly every two weeks, including in the past month, the report says.

Asked by Channel 12 for comment, Herzog’s office responded: “The President’s Residence fundamentally serves as a space for gathering, open dialogue, and conversation for all citizens of Israel. Various forums and diverse groups meet here in different frameworks regularly for the purpose of dialogue — even when the goal is not to reach agreements, but rather simply to listen, converse, and confront the complex issues that are tearing Israeli society apart. Meetings at the President’s Residence take place in a variety of formats, to enable such dialogue also among bereaved families who have lost what is most precious to them.”

Channel 12 adds that this initiative follows an earlier attempt by Herzog in May to promote a state commission of inquiry whose composition would have been determined by Supreme Court President Justice Isaac Amit in consultation with Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg. That effort was blocked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ultimately shelved, which the report says left victims’ families increasingly frustrated, potentially driving the new initiative.

Why the initiative was kept secret, whether or not the political echelon was aware of it, and what impact any potential agreements would have on the government remain unclear, the report notes.

Netanyahu has consistently opposed creating a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding October 7. His coalition is instead trying to establish its own probe, claiming that a sizable portion of the public would not accept the findings of a traditional state probe — which polls consistently show is the public’s preferred form of inquiry.

US envoy says ISF is tasked with disarming Hamas, in remarks unlikely to convince potential contributors

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz says that Washington expects the International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza to fulfill its mandate by engaging in the disarmament process, in comments that may not sit well with countries on the fence about joining the ISF.

“The stabilization force in the Security Council resolution is authorized to [disarm Hamas]. We specifically put language in there that said, ‘by all means necessary.’ That’ll be a conversation with each country. [Conversations on the] rules of engagement [for the ISF] are ongoing… President Trump has repeatedly said, Hamas will disarm one way or another — the easy way or the hard way,” Waltz says in an interview with Channel 12 at the tail end of his trip to Israel this week.

Since its UN Security Council resolution that grants an international mandate for the ISF was adopted last month, the US has yet to announce any countries joining the foreign force, as just about all potential contributors are not seen as interested in engaging in clashing with Hamas in order to disarm the terror group or getting their soldiers caught in the Israel-Hamas crossfire in Gaza.

While Waltz publicly names Azerbaijan as a likely contributor, an Azerbaijani official told The Times of Israel over the weekend that Baku is far from making such a decision.

One of the issues holding countries back is Israel’s veto on Turkish involvement in the ISF. Potential contributors feel that Ankara is needed as an insurance policy, given its ties to Hamas and its role as a mediator and guarantor of the ceasefire.

Waltz indicates that the US is still working to shift the Israeli stance on the issue, telling Channel 12 that conversations on the matter are “ongoing.”

Asked whether the US will allow for the transition to phase two of Trump’s Gaza plan — where the ISF and a transitional mechanism for running Gaza are set up — before the body of the last hostage still held in the Strip is recovered, Waltz avoids answering directly but says that Washington is committed to bringing all captives home.

Waltz is also pressed on reporting that in a call last week, US President Donald Trump asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be a better partner in the implementation of the Gaza peace plan.

The US envoy downplays the notion of a rift, insisting that the US-Israel relationship is as strong as ever under Trump, even if there are disagreements and “tough conversations” between “families” — a defense that was regularly used during Democratic administrations to downplay the notion of tensions between the countries.

Waltz also says that Trump “would like to see this pardon” for Netanyahu, noting that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has been engaged on the matter. Trump wrote a formal request to President Isaac Herzog last month, and Netanyahu did the same. Herzog is now going through the process to make a decision, Waltz says.

On northern border tensions, Waltz agrees with Israel’s warning that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild and has succeeded in doing so to a degree. Still, the US envoy touts the “progress” that has been made in getting the Lebanese army to establish itself in southern Lebanon to prevent the return of Hezbollah. The remarks were the latest indication that the US is not yet comfortable with Israel resuming wide-scale fighting in Lebanon, similar to how it doesn’t want to see such military operations by Israel in Syria.

As for the growing anti-Israel voices in his Republican party, Waltz says the way to combat the phenomenon is “to constantly remind everyone… of our… Judeo-Christian values and our shared values” along with the security cooperation between the US and Israel.

“Israel is an indispensable ally in the Middle East… A lot of this is just… going back to those basics and communicating that to the next generation of Americans on the right,” Waltz says.

AG objects to Haredi draft law, says it disincentivizes enlistment, fails to alleviate burden on reservists

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara states in a position paper that a controversial bill to regulate ultra-Orthodox enlistment to the IDF, being legislated in the Knesset, would actually disincentivize recruitment, and provides for the needs of Haredi yeshivas and their students rather than for the manpower needs of the military.

The legislation would not alleviate the critical shortage of manpower facing the IDF or the burden of service on reservists, but would deny the military effective tools to enforce conscription, she maintains.

“Not only does it fail to promote the enlistment of members of the Haredi community for military service, but it also contains a negative incentive for recruitment and even anchors in the long term the inequality between the communities that perform [military] service and the communities that do not,” writes the attorney general.

“In practice, the bill rolls back the tools currently available to the government and the army [to increase ultra-Orthodox enlistment], compared to the existing legal situation,” she adds.

Baharav-Miara says that the bill would immediately provide “direct and indirect support funds” for yeshivas; restore benefits enjoyed by yeshiva students before the High Court ruled they were no longer valid; and cancel the tens of thousands of drafting orders issued to young Haredi men this year, as well as the personal enforcement measures currently available against draft evaders.

“On the other hand, the bill does not include arrangements that would advance urgent security needs as presented by the army, or reduce the burden on the reserve force, and it does not provide state and military bodies with effective tools to immediately enforce the draft obligation,” she adds.

Meeting Abbas, Spanish PM says: ‘Those responsible for this genocide will be held accountable’

Spain’s prime minister calls on the international community to “raise its voice” to prevent the plight of Palestinians from being forgotten, during a meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Pedro Sanchez also repeats Madrid’s support for a two-state solution, describing it as “the only possible solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He stresses that the recent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza must be real and not “fictitious,” and says attacks on civilians must end.

“The year 2025 has been terrible for the Palestinian people,” the Socialist prime minister says as he stands alongside Abbas in Madrid. “Genuine peace must be based on justice. Those responsible for this genocide will be held accountable, sooner or later.”

Abbas thanks Spain for recognizing a Palestinian state in May 2024 and praises Madrid’s leadership in building an international coalition to expand recognition. He also calls for an end to violence in Gaza and the West Bank.

Spain, where support for the Palestinian cause is strong, has been one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza following the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, that began the war.

Syria lets group restore Jewish property, as 2 Israeli rabbis said to tour shuttered Aleppo synagogues

Syria’s Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat tells AFP that the new Syrian government has, for the first time, granted a license to a Jewish organization, which plans to work to return properties confiscated under previous Syrian governments.

“This is a strong message from the Syrian state that we do not discriminate between one religion and another… Syria helps all Syrian men and women of every religion and sect who want to build our new state,” says Kabawat.

The president of the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation is Henry Hamra, who fled from Syria to the US in the 1990s with his father, Yusuf Hamra, reportedly the last rabbi to leave Syria amid restrictions placed on it by the now-deposed Assad regime.

Henry Hamra, who ran unsuccessfully in Syria’s legislative elections in October, says the group will “work on making an inventory of Jewish properties and returning those confiscated during the previous regime, as well as protecting, caring for and restoring holy sites so that they are accessible to all Jews in the world.”

Henry Hamra the president of @JHS_Foundation meeting with the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Damascus (one of my dearest friends and one of my favorite Ministers on earth) thank you to the @syrianetf for continuing to do incredible work for a peaceful, prosperous,… pic.twitter.com/dItRoOMlgd

— Mouaz Moustafa (@SoccerMouaz) December 10, 2025

Hamra met with Kabawat in Damascus today, according to photos published by Mouaz Moustafa, head of the former Syrian opposition group Syrian Emergency Task Force.

Photos published by AFP also show Hamra praying with his son Joseph at Damascus’s al-Franj Synagogue, which he previously visited in February with his father, the synagogue’s former rabbi.

Another formerly opposition-aligned group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says a Jewish group, including two unnamed Israeli rabbis, also visited two synagogues in northwestern Syria’s Aleppo that had closed decades ago.

SOHR publishes footage from the visit showing the group in front of the entrance to a synagogue. According to SOHR, the visit took place under heavy protection by authorities.

???????????????? — FOOTAGE: An unusual video from Syria showed a Jewish organization visiting a long shut down shul and Jewish school in Aleppo’s al-Jamiliya neighborhood during a religious-cultural event, with two rabbis from Israel taking part, according to footage released by the Syrian… pic.twitter.com/ErdDgCWy6P

— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) December 10, 2025

The visit “aimed to inspect the assets of Syrian-Jewish people” and came amid “a religious-cultural event with the participation of an association that operates in north Syria,” SOHR says, without naming the association. During the visit, Aleppo’s governor promised the group that help restore stolen Syrian Jewish property to its owners, SOHR reports.

Syria’s new authorities, who this week celebrated the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, have made overtures toward the country’s dwindling, storied Jewish community, including by letting in Jewish groups. One group that visited Damascus in September, with the express approval of Syria’s Foreign Ministry, included The Times of Israel Editor David Horovitz.

Netanyahu approves outgoing Mossad chief’s appointment of new deputy head

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea’s appointment of a new deputy head of the spy agency, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement issued on behalf of the Mossad.

According to the statement, Barnea announced his decision to appoint a senior official identified only by the Hebrew initial Alef to the post, and Netanyahu approved the appointment today.

Alef had also been a candidate for the position of Mossad director, according to the statement, and “has served in the organization for more than two decades in a variety of roles at the core of its operational spearhead, and has commanded two operational divisions.”

“He brings with him extensive knowledge, experience, and a deep familiarity with the organization and its activities — assets of particular importance in light of the strategic challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the Mossad at this historic moment,” the statement adds.

Alef will replace Ayin, the Mossad’s deputy director for the past two years, “during which he led the organization’s operational activity and made a significant contribution to the Mossad’s achievements,” the statement concludes.

The announcement comes after Netanyahu last week tapped his military secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next Mossad director. Though Gofman’s appointment is not expected to face much opposition, Barnea had reportedly put forward two alternative names to succeed him, but they were not selected, and some observers have argued that the premier’s choice to appoint someone from outside the Mossad reflects a lack of trust in the agency’s leadership.

A source close to the premier says that Alef’s appointment “reflects Prime Minister Netanyahu’s confidence in the Mossad and its outstanding personnel, and is a continuation of the organization’s offensive activity over the past two years.”

Arab Israeli man shot to death in West Bank, in what police say is a criminal incident

A young Arab Israeli man was shot and killed in the West Bank earlier today, in what police say is a criminal incident.

The deceased is named by Arabic outlets as Anan Abu Raqiq, a resident of Ramle in his 20s.

The man was brought in critical condition by his friend, also an Israeli citizen, to a checkpoint near the Palestinian city of Qalqilya, police say. The two had been in Khirbet Sir, a small town east of the city.

He was transported to an Israeli hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

The investigation into his killing is being handled jointly by the Israel Police and Palestinian Authority police, an IDF spokesman tells The Times of Israel.

In DC, Sa’ar tells Rubio that attempts to ‘dilute Hamas’s obligation to disarm’ are unacceptable

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, and stresses that “attempts to dilute Hamas’s obligation to disarm should not be accepted,” according to his office.

Sa’ar tells Rubio that there is a “turning point” in South America after Israel renewed diplomatic ties with Bolivia.

IDF goes into lockdown, limits activities as Storm Byron hits Israel

Amid the stormy weather, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has issued new safety guidelines and restrictions to the entire military.

Soldiers will not be permitted to leave their bases and head home for the weekend furlough from tonight at 8 p.m. until at least Friday at 6 a.m.

All outdoor training activities are prohibited, both on foot or in vehicles, though exceptions may be permitted by a major general. Navigation and camouflage training, or similar drills, are strictly prohibited, according to the directives.

Staying outside overnight is prohibited unless required for “operational needs,” and it must be approved by the regional division commander.

Routine security activities are being limited to “essential activities,” and other operational movement on foot or in vehicles is also being limited to “essential travel only.” Logistical movements must be approved by a colonel or a corps commander.

The guidelines are in effect until Friday at 6 a.m., and are subject to change in light of ongoing assessments, the IDF adds.

Storm Byron, after battering Greece and Cyprus, hit Israel overnight, threatening flooding and high winds throughout the days to come.

US expected to unveil Gaza Board of Peace in late December, around Trump-Netanyahu meeting, official says

The United States plans to formally announce the establishment of the Board of Peace — the international board tasked with overseeing the management of Gaza under Washington’s peace plan for the Strip — at the end of this month, a senior European official briefed on the issue tells The Times of Israel.

Officials working to advance the plan’s second phase — in coordination with Israel, the US and other mediating countries — were initially given a specific mid-December date by the Americans for the Board of Peace announcement, according to the official. “That date has since disappeared,” the official says, adding that Washington has now indicated “it might not be so soon.”

Since then, the expected timeframe has shifted to the end of this month, during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US, where he will meet with US President Donald Trump on advancing the plan, the official adds.

Once the Board of Peace, which is to be headed by Trump, is announced, the body will announce an intermediate “executive committee,” which will then nominate the committee of Palestinian technocrats that will oversee the day-to-day management of the Strip, according to the official.

The official’s comments were made shortly before US envoy to the United Nations Mike Waltz said he expects announcements to be made soon on components of the second phase of the plan, including the Board of Peace, the committee of Palestinian technocrats, and the international force that would patrol the Strip.

Netanyahu’s office announced this evening that the premier’s meeting with Trump will take place at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on December 29, and that his trip will take place from December 28 to January 1.

IDF says it killed Palestinian terror operative who crossed Gaza’s ceasefire line

The military says it killed a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip’s north earlier today.

According to the IDF, two operatives were identified crossing the Yellow Line and approaching troops of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade, who are stationed near Jabalia.

The IDF says that the troops “eliminated one of the terrorists to remove the threat.”

Palestinian media reported earlier that three people were killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, including a 16-year-old.

Modi says he and Netanyahu agreed to boost cooperation, doesn’t mention plan to meet

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed bilateral ties over the phone today, shortly after Netanyahu’s office announced that the two held a phone call today.

Modi says the two “reviewed progress in the India-Israel Strategic Partnership and agreed to further strengthen our cooperation,” in a post on his X account.

“Also reaffirmed our shared commitment to zero tolerance for terrorism. India supports all efforts aimed at achieving a just and durable peace in the region,” Modi concludes.

According to the Israeli readout, the two leaders agreed “to meet very soon,” though Modi does not make mention of any such arrangement.

UNIFIL claims IDF tank fired at its patrol in southern Lebanon yesterday

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says its observers came under fire from Israeli troops in a tank yesterday, during a patrol along the Blue Line close to the village of Sarda.

“One ten-round burst of machine-gun fire was fired above the convoy, and four further ten-round bursts were fired nearby,” UNIFIL says.

The observer force says it “asked the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL’s liaison channels,” adding that nobody was injured in the incident.

UNIFIL claims that the IDF was “informed of the location and timing of the patrol in advance, following usual practice for patrols in sensitive areas near the Blue Line.”

It says that attacks on or near its observers “are serious violations of Security Council Resolution 1701.”

“In this very sensitive situation, we call on the IDF to cease aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers working to rebuild stability along the Blue Line,” UNIFIL adds.

The IDF doesn’t immediately comment on the claim.

In recent months, UNIFIL has made an increasing number of complaints against the IDF. Last month, the IDF mistakenly fired on UNIFIL observers, blaming poor weather conditions.

Israel has long argued that the observer force has failed in its mission, doing little to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border over decades, as required under Resolution 1701. In August, the UN Security Council voted to end UNIFIL’s mission in 2027.

Netanyahu to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29, PM’s Office says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to take off from Israel to Miami on December 28, and to meet US President Donald Trump and his top advisers at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort the next day, according to Netanyahu’s office.

He is slated to head home on January 1 and to land back in Israel the next day.

For the second US visit in a row, Netanyahu will not allow reporters on his plane, Wing of Zion, even though it was built with a dedicated section for journalists.

The visit comes as the Trump administration is pushing for the start of phase two of the White House’s 20-point plan for Gaza.

Iceland joins 4 other countries in quitting Eurovision in protest of Israel’s inclusion

Iceland announces that it will not take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, following through on its threat to boycott the competition if Israel participates.

Following a vote of its board, the RUV public broadcaster issues a statement saying it will back out of the 2026 competition, since Israel’s inclusion has “caused division” among both the general public and members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Iceland is joining Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in quitting next year’s contest in protest after the EBU cleared Israel to compete last week.

“Given the public debate in Iceland and the reaction to last week’s EBU decision, it is clear that there will be neither joy nor harmony surrounding RUV’s participation in Eurovision,” adds the broadcaster in explaining its decision.

Last week, the EBU cleared Israel to compete in the contest in Vienna next year, following a vote in which an overwhelming majority of its members accepted a package of reforms to the contest rather than force a direct vote on Israel’s participation.

RUV says that it does not believe “these changes are enough” and that it asked the EBU to kick out Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, which it refused to do.

Poland’s public broadcaster TVP confirmed earlier today that it will be taking part in next year’s contest, releasing a statement saying that while it is “aware of the scale of tension surrounding the upcoming edition,” it believes that “Eurovision still has a chance to once again become a space filled with music. And only music.”

With today’s news, either 34 or 35 countries are slated to take part in next year’s competition, down from the 37 that appeared in this year’s contest in Basel, Switzerland. Armenia has yet to publicly confirm its participation, although it is expected to do so.

3 police officers grilled as part of sprawling probe into Nazareth municipality’s ties with criminals

Investigators have detained three police officers for interrogation on suspicion of breach of trust, as part of an unfolding probe into the Nazareth municipality’s ties to the Bakri crime family and potential police collusion with the case’s suspects.

One of the officers questioned this evening holds the rank of commander, says the Department of Internal Police Investigations in a statement announcing the development.

“According to the suspicions, the three [officers] maintained improper relations with criminal elements,” says the DIPI, which operates under the State Attorney’s Office.

The three were released after questioning, subject to limitations including a ban on entering police facilities and the city of Nazareth.

Earlier today, the DIPI announced that an ongoing investigation into Deputy Commissioner Manny Binyamin is linked to the Bakri case. Binyamin, who heads the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, is suspected of maintaining personal ties with Nazareth’s former mayor, a suspect in the investigation, without reporting a conflict of interest.

The probe is being overseen by a joint investigative team made up of DIPI detectives and officers in the Northern District police’s investigative unit.

In a statement today, Binyamin’s defense attorney Uri Korb divulged that his client held numerous meetings and phone calls with the ex-mayor, some of which were attended by other senior police officers.

He nevertheless maintains that Binyamin’s relationship with the official was “professional and transparent to everyone.”

Contact reestablished with missing Israeli yacht, Foreign Ministry says

Israel’s Foreign Ministry says contact has been renewed with a yacht that has been missing since yesterday near Cyprus en route to Greece’s Crete, amid stormy weather.

In a statement, the ministry reports that the four Israelis on board have made contact with Cypriot authorities, amid a major regional search effort.

“The vessel is making its way back to Israel,” the ministry says.

Israel summons Ukrainian ambassador after he criticizes Netanyahu for touting ties to Putin

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk was summoned to the Foreign Ministry today after criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with Ynet yesterday over the premier’s comments this week on his regular communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ministry says in a statement that the envoy was summoned “for a reprimand meeting” with the deputy director general for Euro-Asia, Yuval Fuchs, after he “criticized the prime minister’s remarks regarding his conversations with the Russian president” in the interview.

Fuchs “made clear to the ambassador that his comments were entirely unacceptable and deviated from diplomatic protocol. Moreover, the ambassador’s remarks ignore Israel’s clear position since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine – a position demonstrated, among other things, by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s visit to Kyiv this year and Israel’s votes at the United Nations,” the statement continues.

In a Knesset debate over Israel’s international standing on Monday evening, Netanyahu touted his “personal relationship” with Putin, who is largely reviled in the West for his invasion of Ukraine, saying he speaks with him “on a regular basis” to serve Israel’s “vital interests,” including the defense of its northern border.

In the Ynet interview, Korniychuk hit back at the premier for appearing to back the leader who invaded his country and has supported Iran and its terror proxies, saying he “was surprised by Netanyahu’s remarks, especially considering what Israel endured on October 7. One must stand on the right, moral side of history.”

Former IDF spokesman: Journalists should have been let into Gaza ‘a long time ago’

Amid the more than two-year ban on international journalists freely entering the Gaza Strip, a former spokesman for the IDF argues that these restrictions should have been lifted long ago.

“Israel should have let international journalists in to Gaza a long time ago, to deprive Israel haters and propagandists with one effective talking point repeatedly used against it,” tweets Jonathan Conricus, sharing a New York Times piece that includes comments from him on the matter.

The ban should have been eased “more than a year ago, and definitely since the ceasefire,” he tells the US outlet, saying that while the policy was logical at the start of the war, “I think there is very little logic left. I think it is self-defeating and does not serve any clear purpose for the State of Israel. At this stage, I think it is harmful.”

Conricus was the IDF’s international spokesman between 2017 and 2021, and later returned to serve in the Spokesperson’s Unit as a reservist during the war.

Now a senior fellow at the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Conricus adds on X that “many media workers and their bosses have failed in basic journalism and ethics in how they’ve chosen to cover this war and Israel in general, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allow them in to do their work. At this stage keeping them out only serves our enemies and antagonists.”

Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.

After criticism, Smotrich denies agreeing to support contentious Haredi draft law

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party denies media reports that it agreed to support the coalition’s controversial ultra-Orthodox military draft exemption law, declaring that it will “vote only for a law that will bring about real and rapid enlistment of Haredim into the IDF, in order to meet Israel’s security needs and ease the burden on the fighters and their families.”

The reported decision had been criticized by officials in the religious Zionist community.

“Last night, a joint meeting was held between the faction members and a broad forum of yeshiva heads, whose tens of thousands of students are leading the enlistment in this war, both in regular army service and in the reserves,” the party says in a statement, calling the meeting part of the MKs’ and rabbis’ in-depth study of “ways to correct the historical injustice and bring about the enlistment of Haredim into the IDF.”

“Contrary to various reports, no practical decisions have yet been made, and the faction is consolidating its demands and conditions for supporting the law,” the party says, adding that it “will make its decisions solely based on the merits of the issue, independent of campaigns and political interests from any side.”

According to Hebrew media, following consultations with his party’s rabbis, Religious Zionism chairman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decided last night to support the bill despite harsh opposition by several party MKs.

Among other issues, the rabbis reportedly stressed the need to keep the government from falling and to maintain political ties with Likud and the Haredi parties.

The proposed legislation stipulates that full-time yeshiva students who do not engage in any other vocation can be granted yearly deferments from enlistment, but it removed various provisions from a previous version that were intended to ensure that those registered for yeshiva study are actually doing so.

Supporting the bill is likely to be a highly unpopular move within the national-religious community that comprises Smotrich’s voter base, a sector that highly values military service and that Smotrich has previously said paid a disproportionate price during the war.

Netanyahu speaks to India’s Modi, leaders agree ‘to meet very soon’ — PM’s Office

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just spoke over the phone with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.

“At the end of the warm and friendly conversation, the two leaders agreed to meet very soon,” the PMO adds.

The two leaders have held several phone calls in recent months. Netanyahu mentioned earlier this week that he planned to meet soon with his Indian counterpart, without elaborating on the location or timing. New Delhi has yet to officially comment on any arrangement.

Police say 13 arrested today as part of probe into crime family’s hold on Nazareth municipality

Police say they have arrested 13 suspects since going public this morning with an investigation into the Bakri crime family’s suspected hold over the Nazareth municipality.

Hundreds of officers raided sites in the city linked to the criminal organization overnight, arresting members of the group as well as current and former municipal officials, including an ex-mayor.

The officials are suspected of having helped in the transfer of large sums of money to members of the criminal gang, to the detriment of the city and its residents. Police said earlier that the gang “took over the financial management of the municipality.”

This morning, officers continued their operations in Nazareth, searching and collecting evidence from municipal offices in the so-called “Money Maze” case, overseen by Northern District police’s investigative unit. Officers have also seized several luxury cars, as well as bank accounts and real estate assets estimated to be worth tens of millions of shekels, police say.

The Department of Internal Police Investigations revealed today that the ongoing probe into Deputy Commissioner Manny Binyamin, the head of the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, is linked to the Bakri case.

Investigators suspect the senior police officer maintained personal ties with Nazareth’s former mayor while he was under criminal investigation, putting him into a conflict of interest that he never reported to relevant authorities.

Police raid Nazareth’s city hall in a large-scale operation following an undercover probe into the Bakri crime family’s suspected sway over municipal officials on December 10, 2025. (Israel Police)

Israel’s defense attaché to US ends his term, with no permanent replacement for now

Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman has officially completed his role as Israel’s defense attaché to the US, after four and a half years, and is set to enter the role of Planning Directorate chief soon.

Due to an ongoing clash between Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the next defense attaché to the US has not yet been appointed.

In the interim, Brig. Gen. Arik Ben Dov has been appointed acting defense attaché, the military says. A handover ceremony took place on Monday.

US envoy to UN: Announcements ‘upcoming’ on phase 2 of Gaza plan; letting Hamas survive would be ‘insanity’

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz says he expects “upcoming” announcements on the advancement of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan in Gaza, stressing that Washington will not allow Hamas to rebuild under the framework, while meeting with President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem during the envoy’s visit this week to advance the plan.

In a readout from Herzog’s office, Waltz hails last month’s UN Security Council resolution on the Gaza plan as “probably the most positive resolution we’ve seen for Israel, for stability in the region,” saying “it was [not just] a lot of rhetoric, it puts a clear plan in place.”

He adds that he expects announcements to be made soon on components of the second phase of the plan, including the Board of Peace and the committee of Palestinian technocrats that is being established under the plan to oversee the management of Gaza, and the international force that would patrol the Strip.

“We now have that authorization. I think we will see announcements upcoming in terms of the Board of Peace, led by President Trump. The key components of that are a technocratic authority of Palestinians to get the water, the gas, the sewage, to get those basic services going again in Gaza. Of course, a funding mechanism for the owners to pay for it, and then the international stabilization force,” he says.

“What has been clear, and I want to be clear, is Hamas has to go,” the envoy continues. “President Trump has been clear, that’s going to happen the easy way or the hard way, but there will not be any more Hamas,” he says, adding: “What we’re determined to avoid, is what I call the definition of insanity: somehow Hamas is allowed to survive, they rebuild, the international community pours billions into reconstruction, Hamas attacks again, and Israel has no choice but to respond, and here we are in this cycle of insanity.”

Hosting Waltz at the President’s Residence, Herzog cautions: “We hope that the process will not take too long, because in the Middle East, if you wait for too long, then the vacuum fills in… Iran is trying to regroup, and its proxies are trying to regroup, and we have to show momentum to implement [the] resolution.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated this week that the initial ceasefire phase of the Gaza plan is “almost” complete and that efforts are underway to move to phase two ahead of his meeting with Trump later this month, while noting that Israel still awaits the return of the final deceased hostage in Gaza, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili.

Bennett accuses Smotrich’s party of ‘betraying’ Zionism and Judaism by backing Haredi draft law

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett accuses Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party of betraying Jewish and Zionist values, following media reports that the far-right faction will support the coalition’s controversial ultra-Orthodox military draft exemption law.

“This is a full-blown evasion law in disguise. The leaders of the ‘Religious Zionism’ party are betraying both the values of Zionism and the values of Judaism, and are tearing apart the people of Israel and the IDF,” tweets Bennett, who has already begun campaigning ahead of next year’s Knesset election.

“Soon we will repeal this anti-Zionist law and reunite Israel,” he declares.

Despite strong opposition within Religious Zionism, Smotrich reportedly decided to support the bill following an extended meeting with his party’s rabbis.

If passed into law, the bill would effectively reset the status of Haredi yeshiva students who ignored call-up orders over the past year, while yeshivas would immediately receive half of their pre-ruling funding, easing economic and legal pressure on the community.

The proposed legislation stipulates that full-time yeshiva students who do not engage in any other vocation can be granted yearly deferments from enlistment, but it removed various provisions from a previous version that were intended to ensure that those registered for yeshiva study are actually doing so.

Cyprus says it has launched search for missing yacht that set sail from Israel

Cypriot authorities say they have launched a national search-and-rescue operation after a yacht that departed Israel over a week ago went missing in stormy waters off the Mediterranean island.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) says it triggered the search yesterday to locate the vessel, which set sail on December 2 bound for the Greek island of Crete.

The yacht’s last known position was recorded on December 8 inside the Cyprus Search and Rescue Region (SRR), about 89 nautical miles (165 kilometers) from the southwestern coastal town of Paphos, the JRCC says in a statement.

“Vessels in the area have been tasked to assist in locating the missing sailboat,” it says, adding that government air assets will join the operation today.

Cyprus maintains one of the largest SRRs in the eastern Mediterranean and frequently coordinates operations involving neighboring states.

Authorities say more resources may be deployed depending on weather conditions and updated intelligence.

The disappearance coincides with the arrival of storm Byron, which has brought heavy rain and high winds across Cyprus, Israel and the region.

Byron has caused significant disruptions across the eastern Mediterranean, complicating visibility and search operations.

The JRCC says the search will remain active “as long as necessary.”

Three, including 16-year-old, said killed by IDF in north Gaza’s Jabalia

A man, a woman and a minor have been killed by Israeli gunfire in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA says.

The IDF does not immediately comment.

The minor is identified in Palestinian media as Zaher Shamia, whose age is given by some sources as 16. Some outlets report he was run over by a military vehicle after being shot.

A first responder cited by Al Jazeera says the three people were killed close to the Gaza ceasefire line, which runs through Jabalia. Medical sources cited by Turkish state news agency Anadolu say the three were killed on the Hamas-controlled side of the so-called Yellow Line.

#متابعة | استشهاد الطفل زاهر شامية؛ جراء إطلاق آليات الاحتلال النار عليه شرقي مخيم جباليا شمالي قطاع غزة pic.twitter.com/rOHpCTXIQG

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) December 10, 2025

Body of final Thai hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak arrives in Bangkok

The body of the last Thai national held hostage in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was returned home, Thailand’s foreign ministry says.

The remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from Tel Aviv, ministry official Jeerasak Pomsuwan tells AFP.

Sudthisak’s father Thongma tells local outlet Manager Online that the family had been waiting for his remains so they could perform Buddhist funeral rites in his hometown in the northeastern province of Nong Khai.

The remains of Rinthalak, 43, who was murdered in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023, were returned to Israel from Gaza last week.

The body of one hostage — police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili — remains in Gaza.

Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party set to support controversial Haredi draft exemption bill – reports

Following a consultation with his party’s rabbis, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism faction will support the coalition’s controversial ultra-Orthodox military draft exemption law, Hebrew media reports.

According to the Walla news site, the decision came after senior national-religious rabbis affiliated with the party expressed doubts regarding the IDF’s ability to absorb ultra-Orthodox recruits — pointing to what they said were issues with the conditions faced by members of their own community — and called on Smotrich to continue negotiations over the bill so that he can publicly endorse the legislation soon.

In addition, the rabbis stressed the need to keep the government from falling and to maintain political ties with Likud and the Haredi parties.

Public broadcaster Kan reports that the rabbis made their decision despite strong opposition to the legislation from Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer, who last week slammed the “shameful law” and pledged to vote against it, even if it costs him his position in the cabinet.

Several hours after Sofer’s comments, Smotrich announced that he would “not compromise on a conscription law that does not bring real change on the ground,” adding that his party would request changes to the law and may support it down the line.

According to Kan, in an effort to bring Smotrich on board, the coalition is considering amending a clause in the bill that allows up to ten percent of Haredi draftees to serve in non-military security services, such as the Shin Bet or Mossad. That clause also faces legal hurdles on the grounds of inequality.

Supporting the bill is likely to be a highly unpopular move within the national-religious community that comprises Smotrich’s voter base, a sector that highly values military service and that Smotrich has previously said paid a disproportionate price during the war.

Police say foul play suspected in deadly car blast near Nahalal

Police suspect foul play in a car blast that killed a driver today on a highway near the northern moshav of Nahalal.

“From collecting initial findings from the scene, the suspicion arises that this is a car explosion with a criminal motive,” police say in a statement.

Contradicting a previous statement by Magen David Adom on the incident, police say the driver killed is male, rather than female.

Forensic investigators and bomb disposal experts are still working at the scene to examine the circumstances of the incident, police add.

Bill giving justice minister power to appoint prosecutor if AG, state attorney are suspected of crimes approved in preliminary reading

A bill enabling the justice minister to appoint a prosecutor in the event that the attorney general or the state attorney is suspected of a crime by the police is approved in a preliminary reading in the Knesset.

According to the bill, the police would turn directly to the justice minister in such circumstances, and the minister would appoint a prosecutor to manage the investigation.

That prosecutor would be granted all the powers enjoyed by the attorney general and the state attorney, meaning they would have the power to decide whether to file indictments once the investigation was concluded.

The explanatory text of the bill states that it is designed to fill a lacuna in the law whereby there are no explicit instructions determined in legislation for dealing with suspicions against the attorney general and the state attorney who head Israel’s prosecutorial services.

The bill comes against the background of Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s ongoing effort to appoint a supervisor for the Sde Teiman video leak affair, since Attorney General Gali Bahrav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman were determined to have conflicts of interest over the scandal.

The High Court has issued strict limitations on who Levin can appoint, repeatedly stressing in several decisions on the matter the highly problematic nature of a politician being involved in the criminal investigation process.

Lebanon FM turns down invitation to Tehran ‘under the current circumstances’

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi announces on X that he declined an invitation from his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to visit Tehran.

“I could not accept his invitation to visit Tehran under the current circumstances,” says Raggi, without elaborating.

In his response to Araghchi, Raggi says, “I explained that this does not mean a refusal to engage in dialogue, but rather that the conditions are not conducive to this visit.”

Raggi’s rejection of Araghchi’s invitation comes after the Lebanese minister said last week that Beirut was seeking to disarm Hezbollah, but that Iran, Hezbollah’s backer, had the final word on the matter.

On X today, Raggi says he stressed in his response to Araghchi that “a strong state can only be built when the state alone, through its national army, has the exclusive right to carry weapons and to decide on issues of war and peace” — a veiled threat to Hezbollah’s extensive arsenal.

Raggi also says he invited Araghchi “to meet in a neutral third country that we both agree on,” and adds that the Iranian foreign minister “is always welcome to visit Lebanon.”

“I also expressed readiness to open a new chapter in relations between Lebanon and Iran, based strictly on mutual respect for each country’s independence and sovereignty, and on noninterference in each other’s internal affairs in any way,” says Raggi.

Foreign Ministry: Israel, Greece, Cyprus coordinating in search for Israeli yacht missing in storm

The Foreign Ministry says Israel, Greece and Cyprus are cooperating in the search for the Israeli yacht that authorities lost contact with yesterday in stormy weather.

A search and rescue operation is underway for the boat carrying four Israeli men, who had set off from Ashdod last week en route to Cyprus.

According to the Walla news site, the yacht did not transmit a distress signal.

The site says that Greece and Cyprus have diverted vessels to aid in the search. It is unclear what role Israel is taking.

The head of Shibli Umm al-Ghanem council, where three of the men are from, expressed frustration at what he says is a lack of help from the Israeli military.

“No one from the navy or the IDF has spoken to us at all… There are some among them who don’t even know what’s going on,” Hatem Shibli tells Walla. “I have contact with the Foreign Ministry, who are helping. I am in contact with the Northern Police District, who passed on details to Interpol.”

“I personally am very worried,” he says.

Tel Aviv accepts opposition to cliff-top residential tower, orders developer to find new location

In a precedent-setting decision, the Tel Aviv District Committee accepts public opposition to a plan for a 24-story tower on a cliff on the Bat Yam-Jaffa border in central Israel, and orders the developer to present options for transferring the building rights to another location within Bat Yam.

The building had been intended for use as a hotel and luxury residences.

“This is a precedent-setting decision, as it uses the tool of transferring building rights for public and environmental reasons,” says a statement from environmental advocacy group Adam Teva V’Din, which objected to the location of the tower.

The organization adds, “In this case, the transfer of rights will allow the development of a coastal park for the general public instead of a tower that threatened to block the view and access to the sea in the heart of the metropolis.”

Ortal Sanker from Adam Teva Ve Din’s legal department says: “We welcome the precedent-setting adoption of the transfer of rights, which allows for the protection of the beach and the public interest, without harming the rights of the developer.”

Woman killed in car explosion on highway in northern Israel

A woman was killed in a car explosion on a highway near Nahalal in northern Israel, emergency services say.

Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene after firefighters extinguished the flames caused by the blast.

Two nearby cars sustained damage from the explosion but the people inside them did not require medical treatment, Magen David Adom says.

Police say that officers are operating in the area alongside rescue services, and are currently examining the circumstances of the incident.

Route 73 is currently closed to traffic in both directions.

Hamas civil defense agency: Thousands of tents flooded in Gaza amid Storm Byron

Hamas’s civil defense agency warns Gazans of flash floods and tents being blown away as Storm Byron hits Gaza, particularly in the coastal Mawasi area near Khan Younis in the Strip’s south.

The agency calls on displaced people to dig drainage ditches near their tents.

????_ الأمطار الغزيرة تغمر خيام النازحين في قطاع غزة، وسط محاولات للتخفيف من تجمع المياه دون جدوى pic.twitter.com/utmWpFzkbf

— عربي بوست (@arabic_post) December 10, 2025

Agency spokesman Mahmoud Bassal, who has been accused by Israel of being a Hamas terrorist, tells Qatari network Alaraby TV that the civil defense agency has fielded about 1,000 weather-related calls across the Strip since dawn, and that thousands of tents have been flooded.

He calls for the entry of mobile housing into the Strip to replace the tents.

In Gaza City, Mayor Yahya al-Sarraj tells Al Jazeera that rising water levels have led to road closures and the flooding of displaced peoples’ shelters.

The Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network shows a displaced peoples’ encampment inundated with muddy water.

"رح نموت إذا ما لحقتونا، صرنا ما نحب الشتاء، عشان خايفين نغرق"..

رسائل نازحين بعد غرق الخيام؛ جراء هطول أمطار غزيرة، على مخيم في حي الزيتون بمدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/Ur8WGTdA2V

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 10, 2025

The displaced people, including children, are seen digging channels around the tents and trying to drain away the water with buckets and dishpans.

“We’ll die within three days” if the condition doesn’t change, says an unnamed man speaking to the outlet.

Energy Ministry holds assessment to ensure supply of power, water during Storm Byron

The Energy Ministry holds a special situation assessment in preparation for Storm Byron to ensure the ongoing supply of power and water.

Representatives of multiple organizations, including those responsible for electricity, information and cyber security, natural gas, sustainable energy, and natural resources present their preparations.

An operating plan for the energy sector during the storm is also presented, including an analysis of existing energy reserves to minimize disruptions in electricity and water supply.

A statement says that additional situation assessments will be held as needed in the coming days.

New military advocate general visited Gaza with senior officers, IDF says

The New Military Advocate General, Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir, visited the Gaza Strip yesterday with the chief of the Southern Command and other officers, the IDF says.

“It was important to me, immediately upon beginning my role, to closely observe the complex reality and challenges facing IDF troops and their commanders on the southern combat front,” Ofir is quoted as saying by the army.

“A central part of the role of the military advocate general is to create solutions in accordance with the law to help the IDF meet its missions and win the war,” he adds.

Ofir, who served as the Defense Ministry legal adviser between 2017 and 2024, and during his army service was an infantry officer, entered the role of military advocate general last month following the resignation of Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi.

Plane bound for Israel from Cyprus diverted through Lebanese airspace amid stormy weather

A plane bound for Israel from was diverted through Lebanese airspace amid stormy weather conditions, the Israel Airports Authority says.

The Greek airline flight was under Cypriot air traffic control when the decision to divert was made for the sake of passenger safety.

The IAA says responsibility for the flight was handed over to Israeli air traffic control once the plane had left Lebanese airspace.

According to Channel 12 news, which first reported the unusual incident, the passengers on the Aegean Airlines flight from Larnaca in Cyprus were not aware at the time that they were in Lebanese airspace.

It is illegal for Israelis to visit Lebanon as the two countries are still technically in a state of war.

Netanyahu testimony paused as bereaved families enter courtroom, demand Oct. 7 state commission of inquiry

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial is delayed for several minutes while bereaved parents whose children were killed during the war in Gaza or were murdered on October 7 enter the courtroom and court security guards try to remove them.

Some of the bereaved parents reportedly entered the courtroom with signs apparently demanding a state commission of inquiry into the failings surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, and court security guards sought to eject them.

Footage from the courtroom shows several parents remonstrating with the guards, insisting there was no reason for them to be removed.

“We are bereaved families who came to sit here with dignity,” says one woman.

“It’s cowardice… The coward has refused to meet with us for two years now,” she continues in apparent reference to Netanyahu.

Anat, the mother of Shani Ben Ami, who was killed trying to flee the Nova festival on October 7, sobs in the courtroom.

The prime minister’s defense attorney Amit Hadad requested that the family members not be ejected, and they were eventually allowed to remain.

Eyal Eshel, the father of Roni Eshel who was one of the surveillance soldiers killed during the October 7 Hamas attack at the Nahal Oz base after having warned of Hamas preparations for an attack, subsequently addressed the judges and said they had not come to create a “provocation” but simply to “look [Netanyahu] in the eyes and request the simplest of things – a state commission of inquiry.”

Netanyahu has steadfastly refused to establish a state commission of inquiry. The government is instead trying to establish its own probe, claiming that a sizable portion of the public would not accept the findings of a traditional independent state probe.

Polls consistently show that a clear majority of Israelis support a state commission.

משפט נתניהו: קבוצה של משפחות שכולות משבעה באוקטובר הגיעה לאולם
משמר בית המשפט ראה שיש שלטים ביד של מישהו מהם (כנראה תמונות)
השלטים לא הונפו
המאבטחים ביקשו את השלטים
קיבלו
ואז ביקשו מחלק מהמשפחות לצאת (לא הבינו שמדובר במשפחות שכולות)
השופטים יצאו לצורך בירור
המשפחות נסערות
אחת… pic.twitter.com/AXMPdQO41Q

— Or-ly Barlev ???? אור-לי ברלב (@orlybarlev) December 10, 2025

Long lines at Ben Gurion Airport amid baggage system malfunction

Long lines are reported at Ben Gurion Airport due to a technical malfunction in the baggage system at Terminal 3.

“The technical teams are working to immediately address the malfunction and are implementing an alternative work format until the system is fully operational,” the Israel Airports Authority says in a statement.

כמו באוגוסט: תורים אדירים בנתב"ג בעקבות התקלה במערכת המסועים pic.twitter.com/d5zvsBrmiu

— סודות הנגב (@News_Secrets_of) December 10, 2025

Soldiers at remote southern bases released early for weekend amid concerns of Storm Byron flooding

Following a fresh assessment as Storm Byron hits the country, the military says that soldiers serving in remote bases in southern Israel would be released to their weekend furlough early.

The soldiers are being let off today, instead of on Thursday or Friday, “to ensure their safe return home,” the army says.

Flooding is expected in many areas of the south, where the IDF maintains several large training bases.

Meanwhile, the IDF Home Front Command is on high alert amid the storm, and will assist emergency services with “forming a situational picture and providing a rescue response” if required, the military says.

Police reveal probe of head of major crimes unit head linked to investigation of mob activity at Nazareth city hall

Investigators reveal that the head of Lahav 433, police’s high-profile investigative body, is suspected of maintaining ties with a former mayor of Nazareth while the ex-local politician was under investigation over alleged financial control of the municipality by a crime family.

A gag order is lifted on the details of Deputy Commissioner Manny Binyamin’s case after police carried out overnight raids to arrest current and former officials from the Nazareth municipality, as well as members of the Bakri crime family.

In the wake of the raids, and the announcement of the investigation and undercover operation, the Department of Internal Police Investigations announces that Binyamin is suspected of acting with a conflict of interest due to his personal relationship with the now-detained former mayor of Nazareth, and even sharing police information with him. The former official is not named.

Investigators suspect that Binyamin, after realizing that evidence implicating him had been collected in the Bakri family probe, worked with police officials in the north to transfer investigative materials to a unit subordinate to him in Lahav 433.

Police say that officers are currently operating at the Nazareth municipality compound.

Binyamin is being investigated on suspicion of breach of trust and abuse of office. He is banned from contacting individuals in the ongoing case, but has returned to his post at the helm of Lahav 433 and has strong backing from police chief Danny Levy.

Police said earlier that evidence indicated that Bakri crime family had “taken over the financial management of the municipality” of Nazareth.

Health Ministry tells hospitals to make preparations as Storm Byron bears down on Israel

The Health Ministry says it has warned hospitals and clinics to make preparations for Storm Byron, which began to reach Israel’s shores overnight having battered both Greece and Cyprus.

The ministry says that the parents of babies and young children, along with the elderly, should take particular care amid the wintry conditions.

The ministry also warns the public to try and stay active and warm indoors. Additionally, they should arrange to visit the elderly who are living alone at least once a day, and be on the lookout for cases of hypothermia.

Palestinian prisoner died in custody at Jerusalem hospital, PA says

A Palestinian prisoner died in Israeli custody last night, the Palestinian Authority’s prisoners’ affairs office reports.

Abdelrahman al-Sabateen, 21, died at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, the PA office says.

Sabateen, a resident of Husan, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, was detained on June 24, the office says. It’s unclear why or from where he was arrested.

The office cites Sabateen’s family as saying he did not show any serious health problems during a court hearing on November 25.

The statement adds that Sabateen had suffered an unspecified abdominal wound a year before he was arrested, but “his condition later stabilized.”

Report: Coalition mulling change to draft exemption law to get around legal objection

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is reportedly considering amending its proposed ultra-Orthodox draft exemption law after the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s legal adviser objected, on the grounds of inequality, to a clause in the bill allowing up to ten percent of Haredi draftees to serve in non-military security services, such as the Shin Bet or Mossad.

According to the Kan public broadcaster, the coalition is mulling changing the bill to stipulate that Haredim sent to such service tracks be officially considered IDF soldiers on loan to the security services — a move it says is opposed by the Knesset’s ultra-Orthodox parties.

On Monday evening, committee legal adviser Miri Frenkel Shor raised serious concerns over the proposed legislation, stating in a letter that the proposed civil-security service alternative, open only to graduates of ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, violates equality principles and is not equivalent to military service.

Addressing the committee yesterday, Frenkel Shor informed the parliamentary panel that “the civil-security service track, which is open only to graduates of Haredi educational institutions, constitutes a violation of equality, since the nature of national-civic service is fundamentally different from military service.”

Moreover, she argued, this track is of shorter duration than military service, does not include reserve duty and “does not currently meet the test of present security needs, which require increasing the number of IDF combat soldiers.”

Critics have argued that the current proposal, drafted by committee chairman Likud MK Boaz Bismuth and backed by Netanyahu, incentivizes Haredim to remain in yeshiva and not integrate into either the military or workforce in any meaningful way.

UK announces conference, fund for peacebuilding efforts between Israelis and Palestinians

Britain announces it will host a “key peacebuilding conference” in March to help establish the International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine.

In a statement, the UK government says the fund will raise the finances required for efforts “to deliver genuine change.”

Britain says the fund will “support activities that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to reduce violence, build trust, and create the conditions for a lasting and just peace.”

Citing British experience of the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says the conference will bring Israelis and Palestinians together in the hope that they can reach common ground.

“This conference will be a crucial step in that journey, bringing together representatives of Palestinian and Israeli civil society to build common ground between their communities, challenge entrenched divisions, and work towards a future where both states can live side-by-side in peace and security,” Cooper says.

The UK says the conference will focus on practical steps, as well as the best practice that can be learned from other similar initiatives, “including the International Fund for Ireland that helped support dialogue and reconciliation between unionist and nationalist communities more than a decade before the Good Friday Agreement.”

The statement welcomes the release of all living hostages from Gaza under the US-led ceasefire agreement, but says that with regards to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Britain is “pressing for all restrictions to be lifted so that humanitarian supplies can be delivered at the pace and volume required, especially with winter drawing in.”

Man shot and killed in Tur’an overnight

Police are investigating the killing of 32-year-old Emad Bakarneh, who was fatally shot overnight in the north.

He was killed in a corner store in the Arab town of Tur’an, and another person was moderately injured in the shooting, police say.

There are no reports of arrests.

Bakarneh is the 241st Arab to be killed in Israel this year, according to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog, as the community continues to suffer a wave of violent crime that has reached unprecedented heights over the past three years.

Yesterday, 20-year-old Mohammad Abdelrahman Agbaria was shot and killed in the village of Bayada, near Umm al-Fahm.

Amid warming ties, Katz meets Zamir and appears to fold on demand for new IDF probes into Oct. 7

Amid apparently warming ties after a clash with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz appears to backtrack on his order to re-investigate a review of the military’s internal probes into the failures on October 7.

Katz says he met with Zamir yesterday, during which they agreed to merge the military’s “supplementary investigations” for the initial probes with the minister’s effort to have the defense establishment comptroller conduct a new review.

Last month, Zamir received the findings of an external review of the IDF’s internal October 7 probes led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman, who found that some of the initial investigations by the military were inadequate, and also pointed to several topics that were not investigated at all.

Zamir then instructed various IDF units to complete their investigations, and he has also appointed former officers to investigate topics that were not previously probed, chief among them the military’s failed handling of intelligence reports that outlined Hamas’s intent to launch a wide-scale attack against Israel.

Clashing with Zamir last month, Katz ordered the defense establishment comptroller to investigate Turgeman’s review of the internal October 7 probes, and said he was freezing all senior promotions in the military for 30 days.

However, in a statement announcing his meeting with Katz yesterday, the defense minister says that instead of conducting a full review, Defense Establishment Comptroller Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Volansky will only be “an observer” in the IDF’s investigation into the intelligence reports of Hamas’s attack plan, codenamed in the army “Jericho’s Walls.”

Katz says the comptroller will also be updated on the other investigations ordered by Zamir to be completed, after their initial probes were deemed inadequate, including in the Operations Directorate and Israeli Navy.

Additionally, Katz says the comptroller will review the Israeli Air Force’s October 7 investigation and the findings of Turgeman’s team regarding Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler, who served as chief of staff at the IAF on October 7, and who Zamir seeks to promote to IAF commander.

The announcement is the latest thawing in ties between the two top defense officials. On Monday, Katz met with Zamir and approved the IDF chief’s list of promotions in the military, despite announcing an earlier freeze.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado not expected to attend Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not be present to accept her Nobel Peace Prize award in Oslo today, the Nobel Institute tells AFP.

“She is not coming to the ceremony,” Nobel Institute spokesperson Erik Aasheim says ahead of the event. Machado, 58, lives in hiding and it was not known ahead of the ceremony whether she had managed to leave Venezuela.

Machado spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after she was awarded the prize and told him that she understood Israel’s struggle against the Iranian axis of evil, which she apparently noted was working against both Israel and the people of Venezuela, according to a statement from the premier’s office.

Brazilian lawmakers approve bill to cut Bolsonaro’s jail term

Brazil’s lower house of Congress approves a bill that could drastically reduce the sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who has been serving 27 years in jail for staging a coup.

If ratified by the Senate, the 70-year-old far-right leader, who has been behind bars since late November, could see his sentence cut to just over two years.

Storm Byron begins to hit Israel as officials warn of difficult conditions: ‘Rain expected like we’ve never seen’

Intensive preparations are underway as Storm Byron begins to hit Israel after battering Greece and Cyprus, with concerns of flooding in coastal regions and high winds.

Rain began to fall overnight and is expected to intensify as the day goes on, peaking tonight and tomorrow.

Residents of the entire country are warned to prepare for difficult weather conditions

“Winds will reach speeds of 90 km per hour in some places, with significant rain expected, the likes of which we have not seen,” Sgt. Yossi Deklo, from the Israeli Fire and Rescue Services tells the Kan public broadcaster.

Drainage infrastructure is expected to struggle to cope with the amounts of precipitation.

Residents have been warned not to use elevators to reach underground parking lots after a tragic incident in 2020.

The Israel Meteorological Service has also advised against swimming in the Mediterranean due to high waves and severe tidal changes.

Meanwhile, searches are ongoing for an Israeli yacht that was en route to Cyprus when it lost contact with authorities.

Police say Bakri crime family ‘took over Nazareth’s finances’ as officials, gang members arrested

Current and former officials from the Nazareth municipality and members of the Bakri crime family were arrested in overnight raids as part of an undercover investigation, police say.

Police say the officials are suspected of involvement in the transfer of large sums of money to members of criminal gang, to the detriment of the city and its residents.

According to police, evidence indicated that the criminal organization “took over the financial management of the municipality.”

Hebrew-language media reported that those arrested included a former mayor of the city.

Israel and Bolivia sign agreement to renew diplomatic ties

Israel and Bolivia have signed an agreement to renew diplomatic relations, which were severed at the start of the Gaza war.

“We’re continuing to work,” says Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in a statement announcing the renewal of ties.

Israel and Bolivia: We renewed our diplomatic relations! ????????????????
We're continuing to work. pic.twitter.com/oUtcXyyaHa

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 10, 2025

US ambassador says ‘fruitful’ talks held with Turkey on F-35s, Russian air defense system

The US ambassador to Turkey says Washington and Ankara are holding talks on purchasing F-35 stealth fighter jets, which it is barred from doing since acquiring the S-400 air defense system from Russia.

“As laid out in US law, Turkey must no longer operate nor possess the S-400 system to return to the F-35 program. The positive relationship between President Trump and President Erdogan has created a new atmosphere of cooperation, which has led to the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade,” Ambassador Tom Barrack writes on X.

“Our hope is that these talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months that meets both the security requirements of the United States and Turkey.”

Knesset speaker, US counterpart launch joint initiative to nominate Trump for future Nobel Peace Prize

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announce a joint initiative to mobilize their counterparts worldwide to nominate US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The initiative is announced following Ohana’s meeting with Johnson in Washington, and ahead of tomorrow’s Nobel Prize ceremony, when the Peace Prize will be awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

The announcement in October that Machado had been selected to win the award disappointed some who had hoped Trump would be the top candidate due to his efforts to end the war in Gaza.

Ohana and Johnson, in a joint statement, argue that Trump deserves to be nominated for next year’s peace prize, as “throughout his years of public service, President Trump has carried the banner for peace, has been steadfast in his commitment to promoting dialogue, fostering dialogue, and has set an example of leadership on the international stage.”

In addition to his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, the pair cite the Abraham Accords and US-brokered ceasefires, pacts, and agreements between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Azerbaijan and Armenia, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia as accomplishments that prove Trump’s eligibility for the award.

“In accordance with the founding principles of the Nobel Peace Prize, we are united in our beliefs that nobody has advanced peace in 2025 more than President Trump,” the statement says, adding that “few, if any, have done more throughout history to advance the cause of peace” than Trump has.”

Contact lost with Israeli yacht en route to Cyprus; vessel dispatched to search for it

The Israel Port Authority has lost contact with an Israeli yacht that was en route to Cyprus, Channel 12 reports.

Connection was severed with the yacht, a short distance from the port in Cyprus, Channel 12 says, and Cypriot authorities have dispatched a vessel to search for it.

There are five people on board the yacht, which set out from Ashdod, in southern Israel, two days ago.