Feb. 23: US meeting Russia, China teams in Geneva to discuss nuclear issue

President Isaac Herzog (center) hosts an iftar dinner at his official residence in Jerusalem on February 23, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Israel is “in a state of emergency,” amid near-daily deadly violence in Arab communities, President Isaac Herzog says at an iftar dinner hosted at his official residence.

“It is simply impossible to accept the current reality, with the violence and crime in the Arab society,” he tells Muslim community leaders, clergymen, educators, academics, IDF officers, and security personnel.

Herzog calls the violence “a security threat of the first rate,” and urges the country to use “all the tools at its disposal” to combat the phenomenon.

Turning to the region, Herzog says that “we stand at the threshold of a new era, one that holds great opportunities for the entire region.” He praises US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, saying it “has led to the return of the hostages home and to a ceasefire, and it is now receiving broad regional and international support.”

“Expanding the circle of peace, normalization and the Abraham Accords is a shared interest of all the peoples of the region,” he continues. “It is within our reach, provided that we stand together against the perpetrators of terror, particularly from Tehran.”

The dinner was attended by the ambassadors from the UAE, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tanzania, as well as diplomats from Chad and Nigeria.

8:44 pm

Top US general said to urge Trump to exercise caution on Iran military action

By Stav Levaton

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine speaks during a press conference with President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago club on January 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP)

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine has cautioned President Donald Trump and senior American officials that a military campaign against Iran could carry serious risks, including the possibility of becoming entangled in a prolonged conflict, the Axios news site reports, citing sources familiar with internal deliberations.

According to the report, Caine – Trump’s top military adviser – has warned that the stakes in Iran are higher than in the recent US operation in Venezuela, which saw the capture of former leader Nicolas Maduro, and that a strike could lead to significant US casualties and broader regional escalation.

While not opposing military action outright, one source described him as a “reluctant warrior” on Iran, with another source saying that Caine is “clear-eyed and realistic” in his assessment of what success would look like and what could follow once hostilities begin.

The report comes amid an ongoing debate within the administration over whether to pursue a strike or continue diplomacy. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been pressing the president to give negotiations more time and are scheduled to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Thursday. They have argued that US leverage will grow with time and that Trump should exhaust diplomatic avenues before taking military action.

Axios reports that Trump has been leaning toward military action in recent days, but agreed to allow additional diplomatic efforts before making a final decision.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing for military action, but Axios cites a US source as saying he left a meeting with Trump last week unsure where the president stands, reportedly asking afterward whether Trump is “still with us.”

8:26 pm

Israeli hospitals said to be preparing for potential prolonged war with Iran

By Diana Bletter

Medical workers wheel a patient to safety after a building at Soroka Hospital was hit by an Iranian missile, in Beersheba, on June 19, 2025. (John Wessels/AFP)

The Israeli health system is preparing for an emergency situation in case of a prolonged war with Iran, according to Hebrew news media reports.

The ministry is considering reducing internal medicine departments, which have hospitalized patients who can be transferred to their homes, so that there will be fewer patients in the hospitals.

There is also the possibility of the transfer of doctors from the center of the country, where there are more professionals in relation to the size of the population, to hospitals in the periphery.

Also, Assuta Ramat HaHayal has built and readied an underground hospital in Tel Aviv that can accommodate 200 hospital beds, responding to a request by the Health Ministry to be prepared in an emergency, according to Channel 12 news.

The new underground hospital will receive patients from public hospitals that are not sufficiently protected.

The hospital also has a support system and a complete system of protected operating rooms above ground to receive patients transferred from other hospitals for long and complex surgeries if necessary.

During last June’s 12-day war with Iran, a ballistic missile struck the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba, causing damage but not injuries.

8:21 pm

High Court expands panel for state ombudsman Oct. 7 probe hearings to five justices

By Jeremy Sharon

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit arrives for a hearing at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, December 23, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice expands a judicial panel to five judges for a pending hearing on petitions against the state comptroller’s probe into the failings surrounding the invasion and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and other terror groups on October 7, 2023.

The court’s order says that a date for the hearing needs to be set in short order, but a firm date has yet to be decided.

Expanding judicial panels beyond the standard three justices generally indicates that the court believes the issue to be of special importance.

The Military Advocate General’s Corps’ Military Defense unit and the Movement for Quality Government in Israel watchdog group petitioned the High Court in September against State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman’s review of the October 7 catastrophe.

The organizations allege that there are “substantive flaws” in Englman’s information-gathering processes that prejudiced the rights of some subjects of his probe, and argue more broadly that the ombudsman has no remit to conduct an inquiry into the October 7 attack, since the role of the office is to examine the processes of the agencies under review but not to examine policy and strategy.

Englman insists that Basic Law: State Comptroller authorizes him to examine the functioning of all state institutions, and that, due to the ongoing refusal of the government to establish a state commission of inquiry, his probe is the only state-backed examination of the October 7 invasion.

8:07 pm

Police say remains discovered near Jerusalem belong to Finnish tourist missing since 2024

Skeletal remains discovered in a wooded area in Jerusalem earlier this month belong to a Finnish tourist who went missing in 2024, police announce.

The woman’s bones were discovered three weeks ago near the northern neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev.

Police sent the remains to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where the DNA sample was matched with the deceased tourist.

The tourist’s family has been notified, police add.

7:59 pm

Netanyahu convenes security meeting in Jerusalem

L-R: Defense Minister Israel Katz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and IAF Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler, at the IAF's command center, August 24, 2025. (Elad Malka/ Defense Ministry)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begins a security discussion in Jerusalem with top aides, senior ministers, and security officials.

Netanyahu left the Knesset to attend the meeting, which was scheduled earlier in the day, the office of one of the attendees tells The Times of Israel.

The meeting takes place amid anticipation over a potential US or US-Israeli strike on Iran, and scheduled talks between American and Iranian officials later this week.

7:47 pm

Son of Rob Reiner pleads not guilty to murdering his parents

Nick Reiner arrives at the premiere of 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' on September 9, 2025, at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Nick Reiner, the troubled son of slain Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner, pleads not guilty to murder charges stemming from the fatal stabbing of his parents in their home, one of the most shocking celebrity homicide cases in Los Angeles history.

The 32-year-old Nick Reiner is arraigned during a brief proceeding that had been twice rescheduled, most recently last month, when his original attorney abruptly quit without explanation and was replaced by a public defender.

He pleads not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deadly knife attack on actor-director Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer-producer Michele Reiner, 70, whose bodies were found on December 14 inside their West Los Angeles mansion.

Nick Reiner, who has acknowledged a years-long struggle with substance abuse, is ordered to remain jailed without bond, as he has been since his arrest in the hours after his parents were slain.

7:40 pm

Man shot and killed in northern Israel

A young man has been shot and killed in northern Israel amid an unflagging crime wave in Arab communities.

The victim, around 20 years old, was shot outside a bakery in Shibli-Umm al-Ghanem, an Arab town in the lower Galilee.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the young man while rushing him to a nearby hospital, but he soon succumbed to his wounds.

Police at the scene of the shooting have launched an investigation into the incident and are searching for suspects.

7:30 pm

IDF says it fired warning shots near Lebanon border, accidentally damaged road

Errant gunfire by Israeli soldiers caused damage to a road and a storage container in the northern village of Ghajar, which straddles the Israel-Lebanon border, earlier today.

According to the IDF, troops had fired warning shots to disperse suspects near the Lebanese border.

“After an examination, it was discovered that several stray bullets hit a road and a container” in Ghajar, the IDF says.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

7:16 pm

Amid Epstein scrutiny, ex-UK ambassador Mandelson arrested by British police

Then-British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson speaks during the rededication ceremony of the George Washington Statue in the National Gallery in London, June 18, 2025. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Former British ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson has been arrested by London police on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Mandelson, 72, was fired from the most prestigious posting in Britain’s diplomatic service in September, when the depth of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein started to become clear.

Police earlier this month began a criminal investigation into Mandelson after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government passed on communications between the former ambassador and Epstein.

“Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” London’s Metropolitan says, in a statement relating to an investigation into a former government minister.

7:14 pm

US official confirms resumption of Iran nuclear talks on Thursday

By AFP

The United States will resume nuclear talks with Iran on Thursday, a US official confirms to AFP, as Washington continues its huge military build-up to put pressure on Tehran.

The US official does not give further details. Iran said yesterday that the talks were expected to happen on Thursday in Geneva, as did regional mediator Oman.

7:04 pm

Suspect arrested in connection with deadly incident at Ashdod oil refinery

Security and rescue forces at the scene where two women were killed at the oil refinery in Ashdod, February 11, 2026. (Liron Moldovan/Flash90)

Police say they have arrested a suspect linked to a deadly workplace accident that occurred in an Ashdod oil refinery earlier this month, in which two factory workers were killed.

The employees were found unconscious two weeks ago after having suffocated in their hazmat suits. Paramedics pronounced them dead on the spot soon after.

The suspect arrested today is a partner in the company that supplies oxygen cylinders to the factory. Police plan to take him to court tomorrow with a request to keep him in custody.

According to Ynet, the detainee is suspected of murder with indifference. Police reportedly believe that the tanks provided to the deceased employees did not contain medical air, and may have even been filled with another substance that caused them to suffocate.

6:56 pm

Board of Peace’s Mladenov discusses Gaza with wary EU diplomats in Brussels

By AP

The European Union’s top diplomats meet in Brussels with the director of the Board of Peace after a shaky and controversial embrace of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Nikolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and UN diplomat chosen by Trump to manage the Board of Peace, meets EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the 27-nation bloc.

“We want to be part of the peace process in Gaza and also contribute with what we have,” Kallas said ahead of the meeting.

She says Mladenov updated diplomats on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Board of Peace’s activities and strategy, which included an EU presence in stabilization and humanitarian efforts.

“It was good to hear from Mladenov that it’s really right now trying to improve the situation, that he sees this in the same way, that actually they also need us there contributing,” Kallas says.

One EU nation blocked new sanctions on Israeli settlers agreed by the rest of the bloc, she says, without naming the holdout. The EU’s planned training of Palestinian police in Gaza is awaiting approval by Israel, Kallas adds.

6:45 pm

After Chabad gathering, blizzard strands 1,500 Jewish teens in New York

By Luke Tress

Pedestrians cross 42nd Street near Bryant Park during a snowstorm, February 23, 2026, in New York City. (AP/Seth Wenig)

A blizzard leaves around 1,500 Jewish teens stranded in New York after visiting the city for an annual youth gathering hosted by the Chabad Hasidic movement.

Chabad’s CTeen International Shabbaton brought around 8,000 Jewish teenagers from 60 countries to New York City, Chabad’s home base.

A massive snowfall cancels flights around the northeast US, leaving many of the participants stuck. More than 15 inches (0.4 meters) of snow has landed on JFK Airport in Queens.

One of the teens, from Australia, says in a statement from Chabad that she’s missing important schoolwork.

It’s not all bad news, though — some of the youths, from areas like Brazil, have never experienced snow before.

Program organizers have put together activities such as workshops to keep the visitors busy.

Around 50 of the teenagers from six US cities who had their flights canceled drove overnight on a bus from New York to Midwestern cities such as Skokie, Illinois.

6:28 pm

London-based Persian TV channel halts live broadcasts after threats

By AFP

A London-based Persian language channel says it has been forced to suspend live broadcasts after UK counterterror police alerted its landlord to a potential threat from Tehran.

Manoto TV, which launched in 2010 and is an opposition channel popular with the Iranian diaspora, says the temporary suspension came as Iran faced one of the “most sensitive moments” in its history.

“At a time when… domestic and regional developments are unfolding at an unprecedented pace, the Islamic Republic’s threats against freedom of speech — aimed at suppressing independent reporting — have intensified,” Manoto TV says in a statement.

“Our landlord has informed us of their intention to terminate our tenancy following notification from the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing regarding a potential threat against us from the Islamic Republic of Iran Regime,” the private broadcaster adds.

Staff has been blocked from entering the building, resulting in the temporary suspension while alternative arrangements are put in place.

“Our priority is to return to live broadcasting from a safe and stable location as soon as possible,” the station adds.

6:09 pm

Lapid: If war with Iran comes, internal conflicts ‘will be put into deep freeze’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid addresses the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

After excoriating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid nevertheless avows that Israel will stand as one in the face of any escalation with Iran.

Lapid tells the Knesset plenum that if war with Iran comes, “all differences of opinion will be put into deep freeze” until the conflict is over.

“As in the past, I will mobilize for Israeli public diplomacy and strengthening Israel’s international status,” he declares. “As in the previous attack, I will go wherever necessary, from CNN to the British parliament, and tell them: ‘You know that I am the head of the opposition, you know that Netanyahu and I are rivals, but Iran must be attacked with full force, the rule of the ayatollahs must be overthrown.'”

Before those comments, Lapid blasts Netanyahu, saying that his historical legacy will be defined “only” by October 7.

“I understand the attempt to write a different history. You know the truth. That’s what scares you so much. History will only remember you for October 7,” Lapid says, referring to Netanyahu’s efforts to deflect blame for the devastating Hamas attack. “How you didn’t see where the suitcases of money from Qatar were leading. How you didn’t see where the wrong, destructive policy of strengthening Hamas was leading.”

Lapid also takes aim at the Prime Minister’s Office’s effort to remove the word massacre from a bill commemorating October 7, stating that “when babies are burned, when entire families are murdered in a mass murder, it’s not an event, it’s a massacre. There will be no stronger or more significant association, nothing else that will define your term as prime minister, other than the October 7 massacre.”

5:58 pm

Four Syrian security personnel killed in ISIS attack, reports state media

By AFP

Four Syrian security personnel were killed in an Islamic State group attack in the northern city of Raqa, which was recently taken by Damascus from Kurdish forces, state media reports.

Syria’s interior ministry says in a statement that the “terrorist attack” targeted a checkpoint in the area, adding that one of the assailants was killed.

In its spokesperson’s first audio message in two years, ISIS had called on its fighters on Saturday to fight Syrian authorities.

5:52 pm

Iran’s deputy FM warns of ‘consequences’ of any escalation in the region

By AFP

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi adresses the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, on February 23, 2026. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warns of the risk of a wider escalation if his country is attacked, after US President Donald Trump has raised the threat of strikes.

“We call upon all nations committed to peace and justice to take meaningful steps to prevent further escalation. The consequences of any renewed aggression wouldn’t remain confined to one country and responsibility would rest with those who initiate or support such actions,” Gharibabadi says at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

5:42 pm

Police officer indicted for years of alleged domestic abuse against wife

A police officer from northern Israel is accused of severe domestic violence after years of allegedly abusing his wife, sometimes in front of their young daughter.

Prosecutors write that the defendant, indicted today, physically and verbally abused his wife and routinely intimidated her, creating a “threatening and dangerous living environment” for her and their daughter.

He also allegedly pointed a handgun at his wife’s and daughter’s heads, used the firearm recklessly and allowed the child to handle the weapon.

The officer was arrested two weeks ago by investigators in the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DIPI), a body in the State Attorney’s Office that investigates police suspected of criminal offenses.

He is charged in the Haifa Magistrate’s Court with several counts of aggravated assault, threats and reckless use of a firearm.

Prosecutors have requested the defendant remain in custody until the end of legal proceedings against him. A gag order has been imposed on the case in order to protect the daughter’s identity.

5:33 pm

Netanyahu wraps up terse Knesset address focused on Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem on February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wraps up an uncharacteristically short, direct speech during the Knesset 40-signatures debate.

He usually takes the opportunity to attack the opposition, the press and others he sees as adversaries, and delves into a range of domestic and international issues.

However, today he focuses almost entirely on Iran in his short address, repeating that it is not the time for lengthy debate, finishing with a call for unity ahead of next week’s Purim holiday, which saw the Jews of the Persian empire emerge victorious over those who sought to destroy them.

“On the eve of the festival of Purim,” he says, “we will stand together and, with God’s help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel.”

5:15 pm

Netanyahu: An attack on Israel would be Iran’s ‘most serious mistake’ in its history

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen in the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem on February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel has never been stronger than it is now, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a speech to the Knesset plenum.

“The pact with the United States has never been closer,” declares Netanyahu, speaking at a “40-signatures” debate in the Knesset.

In a possible message to Iran, he stresses that the personal ties between himself and US President Donald Trump, and between the IDF and the US military, have also never been better.

At the same time, he says, “we are in very complex and challenging times.”

If the Iranian regime “makes perhaps the most serious mistake in its history,” he warns, “and attacks Israel, we will respond with strength that it can’t even imagine.”

5:07 pm

US refuelers, cargo planes seen at Ben Gurion Airport amid Iran tensions

American refueling planes are seen at Ben Gurion Airport, February 23, 2026. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

As part of the United States’s massive buildup of military forces in the Middle East, American refueler and cargo planes are spotted at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The tankers and cargo planes arrived at Ben Gurion in the past day.

There is no comment from Israeli authorities regarding the American military deployment at Israel’s main civilian airport, and it is unclear if the planes are here temporarily as part of a stopover.

According to the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity, more than 85 fuel tankers and over 170 cargo planes have headed into the region since mid-February, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran.

5:05 pm

Smotrich slams Bank of Israel for ‘wrong decision’ in leaving interest rates unchanged

By Sharon Wrobel

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich heads a Religious Zionist party faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich takes aim at Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron for leaving interest rates unchanged, calling it a “wrong decision,” and urging him to reverse it.

“The decision to keep interest rates high is wrong and is not supported by the macroeconomic data of the Israeli economy,” Smotrich writes in a post on X. “The shekel is strong, inflation is weakening and has moved well within the government’s target range.”

“The main challenge today is growth and the need to ease conditions for Israeli citizens, households, mortgage holders and small and medium-sized businesses… as credit is choking the economy and delaying recovery,” says Smotrich.

Smotrich calls on the governor to “reverse his decision and continue the trend of reducing interest rates.”

The comments come after the Bank of Israel left interest rates on hold at 4 percent, citing rising tensions over potential hostilities with Iran. In January, the central bank cut borrowing costs by 25 basis points from 4.25% to 4%. In its previous rate decision in November, it had lowered the benchmark lending rate for the first time in almost two years to 4.25% from 4.5%, following a ceasefire agreement with the Hamas terror group.

4:56 pm

Liberman accuses Netanyahu of being ‘main guilty party’ in October 7 massacre

Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman speaks to the Knesset plenum on February 23, 2026. (Noam Moskowitz/Knesset Spokesman's Office)

Addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a so-called 40-signatures debate in the Knesset, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman declares that the premier is responsible for “the largest and most terrible massacre in the history of the Jewish people after the Holocaust,” calling him “the main guilty party in [the October 7] massacre.”

A 40-signatures debate is a monthly opportunity for lawmakers to compel the prime minister to speak and answer his opponents after they garner the requisite number of signatories on a petition.

Liberman says that the 55-page document recently released by Netanyahu containing his answers given to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman as part of the ombudsman’s since-frozen investigation into the October 7 attack was incomplete, and failed to mention a cabinet meeting in November 2018 when Liberman “demanded to begin a large-scale operation to eradicate the Hamas regime.”

Netanyahu did not mention it in his testimony because “you want to escape from responsibility and rewrite history,” Liberman says.

Instead, Netanyahu began transferring Qatari cash to Hamas in order to buy quiet, Liberman says, adding that shortly before the attack, Netanyahu asked “to increase the money that is transferred every month to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

“You created a zone of immunity for terrorists when you pledged never to attack Qatar again. Thanks to you, the Qataris won a defense agreement from the United States that no country in the world has,” he continues. “Where is the total victory? You promised us total victory, you brought total disgrace.”

4:37 pm

Bank of Israel leaves interest rates at 4% despite lower inflation

By Sharon Wrobel

The Bank of Israel's main offices in Jerusalem, January 2, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

The Bank of Israel decides to leave interest rates on hold at 4 percent amid rising tensions over potential hostilities with Iran, and despite lower inflation and a strong shekel.

“Geopolitical uncertainty has resurfaced in recent days, in view of a potential confrontation with Iran,” the central bank says in a statement. “There still remain several risks for a renewed increase of inflation: geopolitical developments and their impact on economic activity, an increase in demand alongside supply constraints, and fiscal developments.”

The Israel Manufacturers’ Association calls on the central bank to lower interest rates in light of a strong shekel. The association says the 15% appreciation of the shekel against the dollar over the past nine months is harming exporters’ competitiveness and is damaging the industry and high-tech. Exports make up as much as 40% of economic activity in Israel.

Ahead of the decision, economists were split over whether the central bank would cut interest rates in light of lower inflation and a strong shekel or pause amid heightened geopolitical risks.

Leader Capital Markets chief economist Jonathan Katz said ahead of the decision that he didn’t forecast a change in borrowing costs, citing “rising geopolitical risks due to possible escalation with Iran and very robust growth.” However, looking ahead, Katz expects borrowing costs to be reduced to 3%-3.25% by the end of 2026.

Bucking expectations, the central bank in January cut borrowing costs by 25 basis points from 4.25% to 4%. In its previous rate decision in November, it had reduced the benchmark lending rate for the first time in almost two years to 4.25% from 4.5%, following a ceasefire agreement with the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

4:34 pm

Smotrich decries upcoming Knesset vote against his move to double VAT exemption on personal imports

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks ahead of a Religious Zionist party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 16, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls on members of the public to follow tonight’s Knesset vote on repealing his order to raise the tax-exemption ceiling on personal imports to $150, stating that they should pay attention to “see who is voting for you and who is voting against you.”

“Who is voting for competition? For low prices, for strong citizens? For it to be cheap here. And who will vote against? Who is voting against this order? Because they want it to be expensive here,” he says.

“This should not be related to the coalition and the opposition. This is related to the citizens of the State of Israel. The opposition needs to decide whether it is an opposition to the government or an opposition to the citizens of the State of Israel, and there are members of the coalition who are considering overturning the order” as well, he continues, calling his proposed economic reforms “a revolution that breaks monopolies.”

“They need to come to their senses and not harm the citizens of Israel,” Smotrich insists.

The cabinet on Sunday approved Smotrich’s order to raise the tax-exemption ceiling on personal imports from the previous cut-off of $75.

Since the order went into effect on December 24, it has been popular among the general public but has drawn sharp condemnation from local business owners, who succeeded in garnering support from other members of the coalition, in particular from Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party.

4:21 pm

Rubio trip to Israel on Iran tensions ‘subject to change,’ says US official

By AFP

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a thumbs up as he departs at the Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, February 16, 2026. (AP/Alex Brandon, Pool)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may push back a trip to Israel in which he is expected to speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about potential strikes on Iran, says a US official.

“Secretary Rubio is still planning to travel to Israel but the schedule remains subject to change,” the official tells AFP on condition of anonymity.

Rubio had earlier been expected to meet Netanyahu on Saturday, but Israeli media reports say he is now instead expected in the country on Monday.

4:20 pm

Lapid says anti-Netanyahu bloc must ‘stop nonsense and focus on the goal’

Opposition leader Yair Lapid leads a Yesh Atid party faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid doubles down on his call for the anti-Netanyahu camp to unite behind his Yesh Atid party, declaring that “this is not the time to gamble, you have to play it safe” and arguing that the opposition factions must commit to not sitting with the prime minister in a future coalition in order to win.

Addressing reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Lapid reiterates the statement he made last week that the “liberal bloc” may no longer be able to win the next election and must unite behind him and warns against “complacency and excessive self-confidence.”

“The camp needs to stop doing nonsense and focus on the goal. There is no room for mistakes. We are facing a tough and desperate opponent. They have money, they have television channels, they are completely uninhibited. We can win, we have to win, but it is going to be difficult,” he says, insisting that elections are won through “iron discipline” and “by having people who go door to door to increase the voter turnout.”

“Elections are won when everyone knows in advance that you will not enter another Netanyahu government under any circumstances, and will not surrender to the Haredim,” he continues, calling the upcoming elections “the most critical in the history of the country.”

“What wins elections are purposeful professionals who know what they are doing, preferably those who have already done it before,” Lapid says, insisting that “there here is only one such party on the field: Yesh Atid is the key to victory” and that while he will not speak negatively about other opposition figures, “we are the only ones you can count on.”

“Because our camp is divided, it needs a central axis that you can count on. Yesh Atid is the central axis,” Lapid reiterates, stating that anti-Netanyahu party leaders Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan are not current members of the Knesset, while his party blocked the coalition’s judicial overhaul agenda and “evasion law.”

4:08 pm

Odeh says Hadash-Ta’al not ‘officially’ in talks with other opposition parties

By Ariela Karmel

Joint List party chairman Ayman Odeh speaks during a Hadash–Ta'al faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Hadash-Ta’al leader Ayman Odeh says that his Arab-majority party is not in talks with any other opposition parties “officially,” since the four Arab parties signed an agreement last month to work toward running together in the next election, set to be held later this year.

“Officially, we’re not talking. There could be some, here and there, informally,” he says in response to a question from The Times of Israel ahead of a faction meeting at the Knesset.

Since the communist Arab-majority party signed an agreement with the Islamist Ra’am, secularist Ta’al, and nationalist Balad parties, the possible merger has been projected to win between 12 and 15 seats, potentially making the Joint List one of the largest and most significant blocs in the Knesset, and making their support key to forming a government.

While Odeh states that the four parties will do all they can to bring down the current government, he does not express strong enthusiasm for the current opposition.

“This isn’t a real opposition. It’s not a normal opposition. It doesn’t present a real alternative to the government,” he says. “They aren’t sure of themselves. They aren’t sure of their path,” Odeh continues, adding that opposition parties “say one thing in closed rooms and another to the press.”

In contrast, the Hadash-Ta’al leader says that the “fascist right” is consistent and clear, and most notably, knows how to work together.

Within the right, he says, “there are Haredim, secular people, settlers and residents of Tel Aviv. I look at Haredi parties that know how to work with the Knesset speaker, with whom they disagree over what is best for the government, but they work together.”

“This opposition does not know how to work together,” Odeh emphasizes.

The opposition bloc is made up of a hodgepodge of various parties from the left-wing Democrats to centrist Yesh Atid to right-wing Yisrael Beytenu, many of whom have said they will not sit in a government with an Arab party, including frontrunner Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman and Blue and White head Benny Gantz.

3:53 pm

El Al faces $35 million fine for barring Arkia from accessing hangar services

By Sharon Wrobel

An El Al flight takes off at Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, June 19, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

El Al faces a NIS 110 million ($35 million) fine as the country’s competition watchdog alleges that Israel’s flagship carrier abused its monopolistic position by refusing to grant smaller local rival Arkia access to hangar services for aircraft maintenance during the recent war.

The Israel Competition Authority says it has notified El Al of its intention to impose a financial sanction on the Israeli carrier. The move follows an investigation, which found that starting in August 2024, at the height of the war with the Hamas terror group, when many foreign airlines halted their flight operations, the Israeli airline began to consistently refuse Arkia’s requests to rent the hangars to service its aircraft, regardless of whether they were available or not.

The competition watchdog notes that for years, an agreement between El Al and Arkia has been in place, allowing Arkia to rent hangars owned by El Al to maintain and service its aircraft.

“El Al’s conduct could have harmed Arkia’s competitiveness, exposing it to economic, safety, and reputational risks,” the Israel Competition Authority says. “Impairing Arkia’s ability to handle malfunctions and perform necessary inspections and service on its aircraft could lead to cancellations or significant delays in Arkia flights.”

“Beyond the direct harm to the flying public, this could expose Arkia to lawsuits and reputational risk, thereby harming its competitiveness,” the watchdog adds.

El Al will be given a hearing to present its position before a final decision on the imposition of the sanction is announced, the competition watchdog says.

“El Al always acts in accordance with competition law provisions,” El Al says in a statement. “Throughout the war, El Al acted to assist Israeli airlines far beyond what was required by law, out of a sense of solidarity and commitment to the traveling public in Israel.”

“El Al provided and continues to provide Arkia with various services, including the usage of hangars, to the extent that it is possible,” the airline says.

3:45 pm

Lapid: Not inviting Supreme Court to Modi’s Knesset speech doesn’t ‘allow us to be there’

Opposition leader Yair Lapid leads a Yesh Atid party faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 23, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Asked about his threat to boycott Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming Knesset speech unless Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana invites High Court president Isaac Amit to the event, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tells reporters that “we are not boycotting the plenum, we are being excluded.”

Speaking with the press ahead of Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Lapid says he told Netanyahu that the opposition wants to be present because “we need to be there. India is one of the most important countries in the world. It is essential to me that the entire Knesset be there.”

“And what Ohana knows is that by not inviting the president of the Supreme Court, he is not allowing us to be there. It turns this into a Knesset of half a country,” he says. “I really beg the prime minister to make sure that they do not boycott us during Modi’s visit. We want to be there.”

Amit has been excluded from multiple Knesset events to which he would have traditionally been invited, including speeches by US President Donald Trump and several other world leaders.

Asked why he did not boycott previous speeches by foreign leaders, Lapid replies that Amit’s absence went under the radar until Trump’s visit last October, when Ohana briefed reporters shortly before the president’s speech.

“We didn’t want to blow up a meeting with an American president at any moment. That’s why I’m warning in advance,” Lapid says.

3:31 pm

USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrives in Crete

USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has arrived at the Greek Island of Crete, footage shows.

US President Donald Trump ordered the carrier strike group to the Middle East earlier this month, as he considers whether to take military action against Iran.

A Reuters photo and other footage circulating online show the carrier arriving at Crete’s Souda Bay, likely as part of a supply stop at the US Naval Support Activity base located there.

USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrives at Souda Bay on the island of Crete, Greece, February 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas pic.twitter.com/1wVMm4lwKg

— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) February 23, 2026

NEW: USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) arriving at Souda Bay, Greece

Geoconfirmed by Faytuks Network:
35.504080, 24.151804@andynovy pic.twitter.com/fVIcGw2MOV

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) February 23, 2026

3:30 pm

Germany restitutes 18th-century statue stolen by Nazi regime

By Zev Stub

Germany’s Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (known as SPK) has returned an early 18th-century sculpture to its rightful heirs after determining it was sold under Nazi persecution, the organization says.

The carved statuette of “Christ at the Column” once belonged to journalist and publisher Albin von Prybram-Gladona, SPK explained in a statement this week. Although his parents had converted from Judaism before his birth, he was persecuted by the Nazi regime, which repossessed his publishing house in Munich in 1935. Unemployed, he faced severe financial hardship and began selling parts of his art collection.

In November 1935, he offered the sculpture to the Berlin museum, now known as the Bode-Museum, which purchased it for 400 Reichsmarks. Given the timing and the price, the sale must be classified as a loss of assets due to persecution, and restored to its original owner, SPK says.

“Once the origin was clear, we contacted the heirs of [Albin’s late wife] Charlotte Prybram-Gladona, and I am very pleased that a work can now be returned to its rightful owners,” says SPK president Marion Ackermann. “With this restitution, we hope to try to make amends, at least in part, for the injustice suffered.”

3:25 pm

Reports of fresh anti-regime protests in Iran

There are reports of fresh anti-regime protests in Iran today, with photos and videos purportedly from demonstrations in Tehran, including ones in which the flag of the Islamic Republic was burned.

Isfahan university;
Student Protesters standing strong and chanting for end of Islamic republic and want #PahlaviReturns . They are chanting #JavidShah
Will @VOAfarsi and @KariLake show any of this clips?
pic.twitter.com/ctM63wx7th

— ماسكي (@Brittan14850243) February 23, 2026

#Iran’s regime burns American and Israeli flags. But these Iranian students at the university protests are burning and desecrating the flag of the Islamic Republic. Their message couldn’t be clearer. pic.twitter.com/M5UeRuyUiz

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) February 23, 2026

Meanwhile, there are reports that many Iranians received text messages from an unknown source today declaring: “The American president is a man of action, wait.”

🇺🇲🇮🇷 State-run media in Iran reported that people across the country received an unsigned text alert on Monday saying: “To the oppressed people of Iran: the US president is a man of action, wait and see.”#Iran #USA #America #DonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/CuUi9DM4Ci

— War Monitor (@ResistEye) February 23, 2026

3:09 pm

Liberman says all opposition party heads should vow not to join Netanyahu government

Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on February 16, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman calls on all fellow opposition party leaders to pledge not to sit in a government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu, stating that “he cannot be a partner in any government, and it is impossible to join with him.”

Addressing reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting, Liberman says all opposition parties must commit to passing a universal conscription law for all Israelis “without even a single exemption” in the next government, adding that merely declaring that “‘we will pass an equal conscription law’ is an empty slogan, without meaning and without commitment.”

“I call on Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot and all the opposition leaders to say this clearly and commit to the same position, without hiding behind vague formulations,” he says.

“And in the same breath, I call on them to also commit not to sit with the prime minister of October 7, Benjamin Netanyahu. He cannot be a partner in any government, and it is impossible to join with him. I believe that there are many on the right for whom a real conscription law is a red line, and I believe that even among Likud and coalition voters, not everyone wants Netanyahu as prime minister,” he argues.

“I call on all the opposition leaders: There must be no zigzagging and no stuttering. Only a sharp and clear message wins in this campaign.”

2:36 pm

Amid opposition boycott, Knesset speaker means to fill seats at Modi speech with former MKs

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana speaks during a plenum session at the parliament in Jerusalem, February 17, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

If the opposition boycotts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Knesset speech Wednesday, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana will fill their seats with former lawmakers, national broadcaster Kan reports.

According to the network, Yesh Atid MK Meirav Ben-Ari challenged Ohana during a meeting today, during which he replied that “of course” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit had not been invited to attend the speech.

“Don’t worry, I promise you that Prime Minister Modi will not speak to a half-empty plenum,” Ohana said.

Opposition Leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid has threatened to boycott Modi’s speech unless Amit is invited.

Addressing reporters ahead of his weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman blames Ohana for any opposition boycott, stating that he is not enforcing Knesset regulations.

“The one who started all the boycotts is the Knesset speaker,” says Liberman. “I really hope he changes his mind.”

A spokesperson for the Judicial Authority told The Times of Israel that as of this afternoon, Amit has yet to receive an invitation.

2:34 pm

US embassy in Beirut evacuates non-emergency staff as ‘prudent, temporary measure’

By Noam Lehmann

Lebanese broadcaster LBCI says the US embassy in Beirut has evacuated dozens of staffers via the city’s Rafik Hariri International Airport “as a precautionary measure amid anticipated regional developments.”

The evacuation is confirmed by the US State Department.

“The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members from U.S. Embassy Beirut,” the State Department says.

“We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. The Embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist U.S. citizens,” the statement continues.

The move comes amid growing speculation that Hezbollah will attack Israel in case of a war sparked by a US strike on the Lebanese group’s benefactor, Iran.

1:54 pm

Human rights are under assault globally, UN Secretary General says

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech at the opening of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council at the United Nations office in Geneva on February 23, 2026 (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Human rights are under assault worldwide, the United Nations chief warns, citing widespread abuses of international law and devastating civilian suffering in conflicts in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine.

“The rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force,” says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the opening of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“Around the world, human rights are being pushed back deliberately, strategically, and sometimes proudly,” Guterres says.

The UN human rights chief has said his office is in “survival mode” due to funding cuts that have come alongside pressure on UN experts and US disengagement.

“Humanitarian needs are exploding while funding collapses,” Guterres says.

The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, tells the Council that the world faces the most intense competition for power and resources since World War II, amid widespread rights violations. He joins Guterres in urging an end to abuses in conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine.

The UN says funding shortages have prevented two investigations launched in 2025 — an inquiry into potential war crimes in Democratic Republic of Congo and a investigation into abuses in Afghanistan — from becoming operational.

1:36 pm

Shas MK resumes chairmanship of Knesset health committee

By Ariela Karmel

The Knesset Health Committee votes to approve the appointment of Shas MK Yoni Meshriki as chair, replacing Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har Melech, signalling a thawing of tensions since the ultra-Orthodox party withdrew from the government in July over increased enforcement of sanctions against draft dodgers as well as the lack of a draft law.

A spokesperson for Son Har Melech tells The Times of Israel that this move was “expected” and that it was always understood that she was a “placeholder until a deal with Shas was achieved.”

A statement from Shas last night announcing that Meshriki would be resuming his role emphasized that the party is “entitled to chair a Knesset committee even when it is not part of the coalition, as is customary for an opposition faction of Shas’s size.”

In October, Shas officially withdrew from all coalition roles it held in the Knesset, including chairing the health committee, then led by Meshriki, over the coalition’s failure to pass legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students. The post was left vacant for two months until Son Har Melech took over in December.

Despite this, and despite the party’s statement, Shas is, in fact, still a member of the coalition, but not the government, unlike fellow ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism, which exited both the government and coalition last summer.

Amid the government’s push to pass a draft bill whose success is tied to the crucial passing of the state budget, efforts have been made to improve ties with the party in order to secure their votes.

Meshriki’s return to leading the health committee signals a warming of ties between the ultra-Orthodox party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. A draft exemption law has yet to be passed, but its current draft is supported by Shas, as well as by UTJ’s Degel Hatorah faction.

1:28 pm

Supreme Court chief still not invited to Indian president’s Knesset address

By Sam Sokol and Jeremy Sharon

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, December 1, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

A spokesperson for the Judicial Authority tells The Times of Israel that, as of today, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit has yet to receive an invitation to Indian President Narendra Modi’s address to the Knesset on Wednesday.

The lack of an invitation is confirmed by a spokesman for Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who replies that “there is nothing new” when asked if an invitation had been extended in line with established protocol.

The spokesman refers The Times of Israel to Ohana’s tweet from last Wednesday, in which the Likud politician condemned Opposition Leader Yair Lapid for threatening to boycott Modi’s visit to the Knesset unless Amit is invited to the special session. Lapid’s threat came after several recent high-profile snubs of the country’s top judge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

Responding to Ohana’s spokesman, an opposition source accuses the Knesset speaker of “causing this whole embarrassment as part of his primary campaign in Likud.”

“He’s putting his personal political interest above the national interest and above Israel’s international standing. No-one really understands why the Knesset speaker is forcing the Knesset into this situation. He is in power, he knows the protocol, he can solve it,” the source states.

1:15 pm

Judge says Ben Gvir must immediately okay promotion of policewoman he has been blocking

Police Supt. Rinat Saban arrives at the Jerusalem District Court for a hearing on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's refusal to sign off on her promotion on January 25, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A judge rejects National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s request to further delay the promotion of Supt. Rinat Saban, a police detective whose advancement he has been stymieing over her involvement in the prime minister’s corruption trial.

Ben Gvir has for months been flouting the counsel of senior police brass by preventing the advancement of Saban, who helped investigate and later testified in Netanyahu’s corruption trial. Ben Gvir did not initially admit that his reason for blocking Saban’s promotion was political, but came clean about his underlying motivation earlier this month in a statement decrying Netanyahu’s trial as “illegal.”

The ruling means that Ben Gvir must immediately promote the officer to the rank of chief superintendent, after refusing to do so for more than nine months.

Earlier this month, the Jerusalem District Court ordered Ben Gvir to approve the promotion of the officer, citing concern that his ongoing refusal is “flawed by extreme irrationality” and likely motivated by “improper considerations” surrounding Saban’s role in probing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The affair is one of many instances of friction between Ben Gvir and police’s investigations and intelligence division, sparking concern among legal experts that the far-right minister’s oversight has eroded the police’s ability to function free from political pressures.

In his original ruling, Jerusalem District Court judge David Gidoni warned that “any additional delay [in Saban’s promotion] may intensify the concern of harm to police independence.”

Nevertheless, Ben Gvir requested a stay of execution on the decision, which was rejected today.

“The minister must implement the ruling immediately and promote Supt. Saban as is he is required to,” Gidoni writes. “Any additional delay is continued persecution and continued harm to the rule of law.”

1:05 pm

Merz denounces ‘utter barbarity’ of Putin’s Russia

By AFP

German Chancellor and Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) Friedrich Merz, attends the CDU party Congress at the fair grounds in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on February 20, 2026. (THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denounces the “utter barbarity” of Russia under President Vladimir Putin in a speech a day ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“This country, under this leadership, is currently at the lowest point of utter barbarity, and no one should have any doubt about what kind of regime and barbarity we are dealing with out of Russia these days,” Merz says in Berlin.

February 24 will mark four years since Russia’s assault in 2022, sparking a conflict that has shattered towns, uprooted millions and caused hundreds of thousands of casualties.

Moscow occupies close to a fifth of Ukrainian territory and continues to grind forward, especially in the eastern Donbas region, despite heavy losses and repeated Ukrainian strikes on logistics.

Accusing Russia of “psychological warfare,” Merz calls on European countries to support Ukraine and resist the impression that Russia is winning.

“It is important to emphasize that Russia is not about to win this war,” he says. “Russia wants us to believe this, but the facts are different.”

“I urge our European partners: do not waver in your support, in our shared support for Ukraine. We stand at a crossroads that could decide the fate of our entire continent.”

12:56 pm

Knesset moves to advance bill to bar High Court from intervening in ministerial appointments

The Knesset House Committee votes 10-6 to approve the reestablishment of a special committee to deliberate on a coalition bill to bar the High Court of Justice from intervening in the appointment and dismissal of government ministers.

The Special Committee for Amendments to the Basic Law: The Government will include 9 coalition and 7 opposition lawmakers and will be chaired by coalition whip Ofir Katz, ensuring the advancement of the controversial legislation.

The bill was last advanced by the government in 2023, after the High Court barred Shas leader Aryeh Deri from serving as a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government due to prior criminal convictions, but the process was halted before it could proceed to the second and third readings required to become law.

As the law has passed its initial reading, the government will be able to push it through its second and third readings quickly, completing the process within a matter of days, Kan news reported on Sunday.

Addressing the House Committee, Knesset Legal Advisor Sagit Afik tells lawmakers that since the legal circumstances surrounding parts of the bill have changed since it was shelved, it should not be advanced directly to its final two votes without further deliberations in committee. Afik rebuffs opposition requests to transfer the bill to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

Unlike last time, when it was intended to protect Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, the legislative process will be restarted this time to protect National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, according to multiple reports, as the High Court is examining petitions demanding his dismissal.

Multiple coalition lawmakers and ministers are currently under criminal investigation, including Social Equality Minister May Golan and Knesset Finance Committee Chair Hanoch Milwidsky.

12:49 pm

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

The military says a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip’s south yesterday was killed by troops.

According to the IDF, the terror operative crossed the Yellow Line and approached soldiers of the 188th Armored Brigade “in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

The troops then “eliminated the terrorist in order to remove the threat,” the army says.

Since the start of the ceasefire in October, the IDF has said it has killed dozens of terror operatives and other “suspects” who have crossed the Yellow Line — demarcating the military’s withdrawal in the Strip — and approached troops. Such incidents have taken place on a near-daily basis.

12:49 pm

US military begins withdrawing from main base in northeast Syria, Syrian sources say

US forces have begun pulling out of their largest base in northeastern Syria, two Syrian military and security sources say, part of a wider departure as the US-allied government in Damascus consolidates control.

Dozens of trucks, some carrying armored vehicles, departed the base at Qasrak in Hasakah province in the morning, witnesses say. Footage shows trucks moving along a highway on the outskirts of the city of Qamishli.

The US military’s Central Command (Centcom) does not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More than 100 trucks loaded with equipment used by U.S. forces withdrew this morning from Qasrak base to the Kurdistan region.
U.S. have begun evacuating the base and withdrawing from northeastern Syria. According to my sources, the process is expected to take about a month. pic.twitter.com/jt6lk8Cs3L

— Hoshang Hasan (@HoshangHesen) February 23, 2026

A full withdrawal from Qasrak would still leave the US-led coalition with a base in Rmelan, also known as Kharab al-Jir, near the Iraqi border.

Qasrak has been a main hub for the US-led global coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria, where US troops deployed over a decade ago.

12:41 pm

Security cabinet told that Trump is pushing for Iran deal in stages — report

Last night’s security cabinet meeting in Jerusalem dealt at length with the direction of ongoing talks between Iran and the US, according to the Maariv daily.

Ministers were told that Trump is pursuing a deal based on stages, as he has done in Gaza and elsewhere, with the most pressing issue — Iran’s nuclear program — being handled in the first stage. The issues of Iran’s ballistic missiles and support for armed terror groups will be handled in subsequent stages according to the Trump vision, reports Maariv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convening another security discussion with close aides and top ministers today in Jerusalem, according to the offices of one of the attendees.

12:04 pm

Bennett: Netanyahu government encouraging harassment of critics, in attack on democracy

Right-wing agitator Mordechai David arrives for questioning at a police station in Tel Aviv on February 1, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Right-wing provocateur Mordechai David’s harassment of Arab Israeli news anchor Lucy Aharish on Sunday was an attack on Israeli democracy and is the fault of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, former prime minister Naftali Bennett declares.

“Sending paid thugs to Lucy Aharish’s private home to intimidate her and her family is a dangerous crossing of a red line. When this is done with the encouragement or the turning of a blind eye by government ministers, it is much more serious,” Bennett says in a statement.

“On the day when, God forbid, journalists walk around in fear of criticizing the government, we will cease to be a democratic state. We will also cease to be a Jewish state, because the foundation of Jewish heritage is liberty, free criticism, and checks on absolute power,” he continues, asserting that while harsh media criticism is unpleasant, “it is the lifeblood of democracy.”

“We will not allow violence to silence the media,” Bennett adds.

David and Likud activist Rami Ben-Yehuda were detained for trespassing and disturbing the peace after entering Aharish’s Tel Aviv apartment complex with a megaphone.

David was also seen on Saturday night trying to block the paths of two other journalists, Shai Goldin and Raviv Druker, a noted critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to Channel 12, David claimed he was protesting Aharish due to recent statements she made on air for Channel 13, in which she pointed to the “righteous anger” of Arab Israelis due to the perceived government inaction over the crime wave that has ripped through the community in recent years.

David, who was convicted of attempted arson in 2021, is known for his political stunts, regularly blocking the cars of politicians, journalists and other figures he disagrees with, and harassing them.

He has received support from members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition. He has been hosted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has authority over the police, and praised by other coalition politicians.

12:00 pm

Gantz calls to raise minimum electoral threshold for entry into Knesset

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz calls to raise the minimum electoral threshold for entry into the Knesset, even if it will hurt his own party politically.

Addressing a gathering in the Knesset aimed at furthering electoral reform, Gantz states that “the electoral threshold should be raised to 3.5 percent and not lowered,” even though, given his current standing in the polls, it would harm his chances.

At present, a party that wishes to enter the 120-seat Knesset must receive at least 3.25% of the nationwide vote. This has been the case since 2014, when the minimum threshold was raised from 2%. Lowering the threshold would make it harder for smaller parties across the political spectrum to enter the Knesset. Recent polls show Blue and White at or below the threshold. An increase, which seems unlikely at this time, would also prevent Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism party from reentering the Knesset.

Gantz recently sought legislation to impose term limits on the prime minister but failed to enlist enough support for it to pass a preliminary reading in the Knesset.

11:38 am

Iran says any US attack including limited strikes would be ‘act of aggression’

By AFP

Iran says any US attack, including limited strikes, would be an “act of aggression” that would precipitate a response, after President Donald Trump said he was considering a limited strike on Iran.

“With respect to your first question concerning the limited strike, I think there is no limited strike,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says at a briefing in Tehran.

“An act of aggression would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period. And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously, so that’s what we would do.”

Trump said Friday he was considering a limited strike if Tehran did not reach a deal with the United States.

“I guess I can say I am considering that,” he replied following a question from reporters.

The two countries concluded a second round of indirect talks in Switzerland on Tuesday under Omani mediation, against the backdrop of a major US military build-up in the region.

11:34 am

Smotrich: Hamas will soon be given ultimatum to disarm, or IDF will go in

IDF reservists operate in the northern Gaza Strip, in a handout photo issued by the military on January 17, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells Kan news that “It is estimated that in the coming days, Hamas will be given an ultimatum to disarm and fully demilitarize Gaza.”

Smotrich indicates this ultimatum will be made by Washington. “We have not given up on destroying Hamas. We are giving President [Trump] a chance to do it in his own way.”

He adds that “if [Hamas] does not comply, the IDF will receive international legitimacy and American backing to do it itself. The IDF is already preparing for this and making plans. On the political level, we have held several discussions to fine-tune these plans.”

“There are currently two or three alternatives we are examining to determine which is the most appropriate. One thing is certain: The IDF will enter and conquer Gaza if Hamas does not disarm.”

11:09 am

Agriculture Ministry announces season’s 2nd bird flu outbreak, in Nahalal

By Sue Surkes

The Agriculture Ministry announces the season’s second outbreak of bird flu in commercial coops, this time in a flock of 8,000 turkeys in Moshav Nahalal in northern Israel.

The first outbreak was in early January at a duck breeding facility at Sadeh Yaakov, located just five kilometers (three miles) from Nahalal.

Last year, there were four such outbreaks in Nahalal, out of a total of 16 across the country. There were three in Kibbutz Tzora near Jerusalem, and two each at Kibbutz Ma’ayan Zvi and Kfar Vitkin in central Israel

As is usual, the ministry has established a 10-kilometer (six-mile) quarantine zone around the infected area at Nahalal and calls on owners of ornamental birds, backyard poultry, and free-range coops to protect their birds by keeping them inside.

For consumers, it emphasizes the importance of buying poultry, meat, and eggs only from regulated retail and marketing points, and thoroughly cooking eggs and poultry.

11:07 am

4 Israelis suspected of planning shooting attack on soldiers in north

Police officers and Shin Bet agents arrested four Israeli citizens in recent weeks on suspicion of planning a shooting attack on soldiers in Karmiel, a city in the Galilee.

The four defendants, all residents of northern Israel, include 19-year-old Ahmad Sarhan, 18-year-old Muhammad Khalil and two minors. They are set to be charged today in court.

According to police, the suspects trained and received training as preparation to carry out the attack (though they do not say who by), and one of the minors expressed support for ISIS.

In blurred footage shared by police, officers in the National Guard force are seen raiding the home of at least one of the suspects.

10:31 am

EU foreign policy chief calls for ‘diplomatic solution’ on Iran

By AFP

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urges a “diplomatic solution” on Iran ahead of expected talks between Tehran and Washington, as US President Donald Trump threatens strikes on the country.

“We don’t need another war in this region. We already have a lot,” Kallas says ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“It is true that Iran is at its weakest point that they have been. We should be really using this time to find a diplomatic solution.”

10:08 am

Australian police suspect antisemitism after Jewish teen assaulted at camp

By Zev Stub

Police in Australia are investigating a suspected antisemitic assault after an 18-year-old Jewish man was punched at a Scouts camp near Melbourne over the weekend.

Around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Joshua Levy was walking in the park in Lardner, southeast of Melbourne, when an unknown male, believed to be 16 or 17, approached him and verbally abused him for wearing a yarmulke and carrying an Israeli flag, according to Victoria Police and the Anti-Defamation Commission.

Later that night, the same individual allegedly approached Levy again at a crowded camp event attended by approximately 300 people and struck him three times in the face, reports say. He was checked by a doctor on site and restricted from leaving afterwards due to fear of further assault from the perpetrator’s friends.

The incident left Levy “scared and sad that I’m not free to express my culture and religion freely,” the Anti-Defamation Commission quoted him as saying. “I always heard about antisemitic attacks, but never thought it would happen to me.”

Levy and his father reported the incident at Caulfield Police Station on Sunday. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made, Police say.

Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, condemned the assault, calling on police to pursue the case with the full weight of the law.

“This is not 1930s Germany. This is Australia in 2026,” Abramovich said in a statement. “Bondi was supposed to be a wake-up call. We have reached a point where too many people in this county believe that anyone who is associated with Israel, who wears a yarmulke, who stands openly as a Jew, is fair game for violence or worse.”

An 18-year-old has been bashed in an antisemitic attack while at a camp east of Melbourne. Police have laid charges, but the victim says he is willing to sit down with his attacker to explain why crimes like this need to stop. @KristyMayr7 pic.twitter.com/tdObRaMPui

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) February 23, 2026

10:04 am

NY Times: Trump weighing initial limited Iran strike, but going for regime change if no results

US President Donald Trump departs after speaking during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 20, 2026. (Mandel NGAN / AFP)

US President Donald Trump is considering launching a limited strike on Iran in the immediate future to pressure Tehran to agree to his nuclear demands, The New York Times reports. If the Islamic Republic continues to hold out, this could be followed by a far larger campaign later this year targeting regime change, it says.

The report comes as the sides are expected to meet again in Geneva on Thursday, and as the US continues to amass forces in the Middle East for a possible strike.

The newspaper cites sources familiar with Trump administration discussions. It says the initial strike could target command centers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ballistic missile sites, or nuclear infrastructure.

And it says that if these strikes do not yield results, a much larger offensive could come later this year with the goal of ending the rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

9:52 am

Settlers said to set fire to Nablus-area mosque, leave threatening messages

By Noam Lehmann

Settlers are accused of setting fire early this morning to a mosque in the village of Tell, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.

Military and police forces are on their way to investigate the incident, the Kan public broadcaster says.

Footage published by Palestinian media shows the charred entrance to the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq mosque, and the Hebrew phrases “revenge” and “price tag” spray-painted in black on the outer wall.

عاجل| مليشيات المستوطنين يحرقون مسجد "أبو بكر الصديق" في قرية تل جنوب غرب نابلس ويخطون شعارات معادية فجر اليوم. pic.twitter.com/AARbLwJ6Ix

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) February 23, 2026

Settler extremists often refer to violence against Palestinians as a “price tag” for Palestinian attacks and the dismantling of settler outposts by Israeli forces.

Palestinian news outlet Ma’an says the fire was set at the entrance to the mosque and damaged its gate and exterior before locals put out the flames.

“The attempt to burn down the mosque clearly shows the barbarity that the racist Israeli incitement machine has stooped to,” says the Palestinian Authority’s Religious Endowments Ministry.

According to the ministry, settlers attacked 45 mosques last year.

9:03 am

Army says it demolished kilometer-long Hamas tunnel in Gaza’s Rafah

A kilometer-long Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah was recently demolished by combat engineers, the military says.

According to the IDF, the tunnel featured several rooms where Hamas operatives would hide out. Inside, the army says troops found several weapons.

The tunnel was found on the Israeli side of the Gaza ceasefire line, in an area of Rafah where dozens of Hamas operatives were holed up underground, during mop-up operations of the 7th Armored Brigade. It was then razed by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.

In addition, the military says the forces demolished one of the tunnel shafts used by Hamas operatives in a deadly attack on troops on October 28, 2025, during which Master Sgt. (res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum was killed.

The 7th Brigade has now been withdrawn from the Rafah area after three months of operations, and it has been replaced by other forces.

A Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah is demolished in a video published by the military on February 23, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

8:06 am

EU diplomats to meet Board of Peace’s Mladenov over Gaza’s future

By AP

Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov speaks at the Munich Security Forum on February 13, 2026. (Screen capture/YouTube)

The European Union’s top diplomats are set to meet today with the Board of Peace’s High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov in Brussels, after a shaky and controversial embrace of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and UN diplomat chosen by Trump to manage the Board of Peace, will meet the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the 27-nation bloc. The EU diplomats are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and fresh sanctions on Russia.

The question of whether to work with the Trump-led board has split national capitals from Nicosia to Copenhagen. The EU is supportive of the United Nations’ mandate in Gaza.

EU members Hungary and Bulgaria are full members of the board, as are EU candidate countries Turkey, Kosovo and Albania.

Twelve other EU nations sent observers to the inaugural meeting in Washington on Thursday: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The EU flag was displayed at the event alongside EU observer and member nations.

6:23 am

North Korea’s ruling party re-elects Kim Jong Un as general secretary