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The Times of Israel liveblogged Sunday’s events as they unfolded.
Huckabee slams Tucker Carlson as ‘demonic’ for comments on Hamas
Conservative political commentator and podcast host Tucker Carlson speaks at Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference, in remembrance of late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona, December 18, 2025. (Olivier Touron / AFP)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slams popular conservative commentator Tucker Carlson for denying that Hamas is a terrorist group.
Hamas “seems more like a political organization,” Carlson says in a clip from last year reshared by Huckabee on his X account.
“Tucker saying the massacre, mutilation, & rape of women in front of their families is ‘political’ is like saying the ovens of Auschwitz were only used to keep Jews warm,” Huckabee writes on X. “What he says is not just wrong or ignorant. It’s demonic.”
Tucker saying the massacre, mutilation, & rape of women in front of their families is “political” is like saying the ovens of Auschwitz were only used to keep Jews warm. What he says is not just wrong or ignorant. It’s demonic. https://t.co/4LLhUBGFsZ
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 11, 2026
IDF says it killed Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon
Flames rise from an Israeli airstrike that hit a building in the village of Kfar Hatta, south Lebanon, January 11, 2026. (AP/Mohammad Zaatari)
The IDF says the strike that it carried out earlier this evening in the area of southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil killed a Hezbollah operative “involved in efforts to rehabilitate Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.”
According to the military, his activity constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
לאחר תקיפת תשתיות טרור בלבנון: צה"ל חיסל מחבל שעסק בשיקום תשתיות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה
צה"ל תקף וחיסל בשעות הערב מחבל מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב בנת ג'בל שבדרום לבנון.
המחבל עסק בניסיונות שיקום תשתיות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.
פעילותו של המחבל היוותה הפרה של… pic.twitter.com/PZy3OSh4es
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 11, 2026
Britain says it’s developing a new ballistic missile for Ukraine’s defense
The British government says it will develop a new deep-strike ballistic missile for Ukraine to support the country’s war efforts against Russia.
Under the project, named Nightfall, the British government says it has launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles that could carry a 200 kg (440 lb) warhead over a range of more than 500 km (310 miles).
Iran declares 3 days of national mourning for security forces killed in protests
The Iranian government declares three days of national mourning for “martyrs,” including members of the security forces killed in two weeks of protests, state television says.
The government describes the fight against what it has termed “riots” as an “Iranian national resistance battle against America and the Zionist regime.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urges people to take part in a “national resistance march” of nationwide rallies tomorrow to denounce the violence, which the government said was committed by “urban terrorist criminals,” state television reports.
UN chief says he is ‘shocked’ by violence in Iran, urges restraint
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is “shocked” by reports of violence against protesters in Iran and calls on the government to show restraint.
Guterres “is shocked by the reports of violence and excessive use of force by the Iranian authorities against protesters,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says in a statement, adding a call “to exercise maximum restraint and to refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.”
PM’s chief of staff barred from PMO for 15 days following police interrogation
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff Tzachi Braverman at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 13, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90/ File)
The police interrogation of Tzachi Braverman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, has wrapped up after 13 hours, according to Hebrew media reports.
The questioning reportedly included a face-to-face confrontation with Eli Feldstein, a former spokesman to Netanyahu who is a central figure in the ongoing scandals.
Braverman’s lawyer, Jack Chen, tells Hebrew media outlets that his client was released under conditions that include a ban on contacting Netanyahu or working in the office as well as being barred from leaving the country.
“He answered all the investigators’ questions, and denied every invented version of events put forward by the defendant [Feldstein],” says Chen in the statement. “We are confident that at the conclusion of the investigation, the competent authorities will announce that there is no truth to the claim made by” Feldstein.
According to reports, Braverman — who has been tapped as the next ambassador to the UK — has been barred from leaving the country for 30 days, from contacting anyone involved in the investigation for 30 days, and from entering the Prime Minister’s Office for 15 days.
In a TV interview last month, Feldstein alleged that Braverman got wind of the secret investigation into Feldstein’s leak to Bild of classified information months before it was publicized, and had assured Feldstein then that he’d be able to quash the probe.
IDF says it struck Hezbollah weapons depot after Lebanese army failed to dismantle it
Flames rise from an Israeli airstrike that hit a building in the village of Kfar Hatta, south Lebanon, January 11, 2026. (AP/Mohammad Zaatari)
The IDF says it struck an underground site in Lebanon that was being used by Hezbollah to store weapons.
In a statement, the military says that it had struck the same site about a week ago, and warned the Lebanese army about Hezbollah activity at the location.
According to the IDF, Lebanese soldiers visited the site but did not completely dismantle the infrastructure, leading Israel to strike the site again today. The IDF said it issued an advance warning of the strike to reduce any harm to civilians.
Beirut declared last week that it had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, a claim that Israel has poured cold water on.
בתגובה להפרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה: צה"ל תקף אתר תת-קרקעי ששימש לאחסון אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בלבנון
בהמשך לתקיפות צה"ל מוקדם יותר היום, בהן הותקפו פירי אחסון אמצעי לחימה בדרום לבנון, צה"ל השלים תקיפה נוספת במהלך היום, במסגרתה הותקף אתר תת-קרקעי ששימש לאחסון… pic.twitter.com/yPeQ1Azmcv
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 11, 2026
The IDF statement came a short while after the military said separately that it had struck a Hezbollah operative in the area of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon.
The military did not immediately provide further details on the target or the outcome of that strike.
Photos circulating on social media show what appears to be a vehicle that was hit in the attack, with the car seen engulfed in flames.
مراسل "#صوت_كل_لبنان": مسيرة إسرائيلية استهدفت سيارة في مدينة #بنت_جبيلhttps://t.co/i9db4M2Blz #عاجل pic.twitter.com/nXP22CBQ8F
— صوت كل لبنان vdlnews 93.3 (@sawtkellebnen) January 11, 2026
Hamas says it instructed Gaza agencies to prepare to give up power as part of ceasefire plan
A child walks past garbage towards tent shelters housing displaced Palestinian families that are set-up on empty land in Gaza City on January 11, 2026. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Hamas says it has instructed its government agencies to prepare to hand over their powers to the independent committee of Palestinian technocrats that is supposed to administer Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.
The statement comes as Trump is expected to announce this week the makeup of the Board of Peace that is supposed to oversee the Palestinian committee.
“Based on US President Trump’s statement of his intention to form a Board of Peace for the Gaza Strip, the Hamas movement has issued directives to all government entities and agencies to prepare to hand over all authorities to this independent Palestinian technocratic committee,” says Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem in a video statement.
“This decision is clear and final, and there are also instructions to facilitate the success of this Palestinian agency’s work, in line with the higher national interest and in keeping with the plan to end the war on the Gaza Strip,” says Kassem.
As opposed to the Board of Peace, the makeup of the Palestinian committee is reportedly still far from clear. A Palestinian Authority source tells the Qatari-owned, UK-based outlet al-Quds al-Arabi that Hamas and Fatah, the faction that dominates the PA, have yet to agree on the members of the committee other than its head, PA Health Minister Maged Abu Ramadan, a former mayor of Gaza City.
Fatah officials, including PA Vice President Muhammad al-Sheikh and intelligence chief Majed Faraj, met with mediators in Egypt last week to discuss the issue. Hamas officials are expected to hold talks on the matter with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo this week.
Haredi protesters clash with police in Jerusalem, near Beit Shemesh
Extremist Haredi activists have blocked Route 38 leading to Beit Shemesh as they protest against enlistment in the IDF.
Also in Jerusalem, protesters clash with police on a main road in the Ramot neighborhood and in the Sanhedriya neighborhood of the capital.
מפגינים חרדים חוסמים את הכניסה לבית שמש בכביש 38 – המשטרה פועלת לפנותם@nakash_noam @daniel_grovais pic.twitter.com/rbm8jrSwCZ
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) January 11, 2026
These are the first major Haredi protests since last Tuesday, when 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal was killed after a bus drove into a group of ultra-Orthodox protesters who had surrounded the vehicle and threatened the driver.
Earlier today, a court ordered that the bus driver’s remand into house arrest be extended, and his driver’s license be revoked for at least 90 days.
Likud slams police for questioning PM’s chief of staff: ‘Campaign of persecution’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, attends a hearing during the premier's graft trial at the Tel Aviv District Court on December 18, 2024. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
The Likud party issues a statement slamming the police for summoning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Tzachi Braverman for an interrogation earlier today in connection with the Bild leak scandal.
“The questioning of Tzachi Braverman is nothing more than a continuation of the campaign of persecution against the prime minister and his staff,” the Likud party says in a statement, accusing the police of trying to “dig up something that could be used as leverage against him.”
The party alleges that former IDF military advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who is being investigated for leaking a video from Sde Teiman and covering up the leak, was treated by the police “with kid gloves.”
“It turns out everything depends on which side of the political map you are on,” the party alleges.
Senior Israeli official says Iranian regime will ‘never go back to what it was’ – report
Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest at Vakilabad highway in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS)
Channel 12 news cites a senior Israeli official saying that the Iranian ruling regime will never return to the hold on power it had before the growing anti-government protests began last month.
“The story of the Iranian regime is over,” the official is quoted as saying on the TV network’s primetime broadcast. “It will take however long it takes, but it will never go back to what it was.”
Separately, Channel 12 reports that Israeli officials don’t anticipate the regime can be brought down in days or even in weeks. It believes that the Iranian government will escalate its crackdown on protests, and that it believes at least 2,000 protesters have already been killed.
Human rights groups said earlier today that at least 500 had been killed. Internet and phone access have been largely shut down, leaving reports difficult to verify.
The TV network also reports that the Prime Minister’s Office has reprimanded ministers who have been speaking publicly about toppling the Iranian regime, telling them that only Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will express the government’s position.
Netanyahu said earlier today that Israel “supports their struggle for freedom and firmly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians.”
“We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be liberated from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations,” Netanyahu added.
Netanyahu signs joint declaration with German minister on combating terrorism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and visiting German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt sign a joint declaration in Jerusalem, January 11, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt sign a joint declaration pledging to cooperate in the realms of security, cyber and the fight against terrorism.
“Iran and its proxies — Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis — pose a threat not only to Israel but to regional stability and international security,” says Netanyahu at the signing. He says that the document “translates security commitment into joint action. Israel’s enemies must know: our eyes are on them at all times and in every place.”
Netanyahu says that the declaration “anchors Germany’s deep commitment to the security of the State of Israel and elevates the security-technological cooperation between the two countries to a new strategic level” and that it reflects Germany’s historical responsibility in the wake of the Holocaust.
IDF kills suspect who crossed Yellow Line in southern Gaza
The IDF says the air force struck and killed a suspect in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today after he crossed the Yellow Line and approached Israeli troops in a manner that posed an “immediate threat.”
According to the military, the suspect was identified by troops from the 188th Armored Brigade combat team, who directed the strike.
Israel hits seven Hezbollah sites in two waves of strikes across southern Lebanon
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck the hillsides near the southern Lebanese village of Al-Katrani on January 11, 2026. (Rabih DAHER / AFP)
Israeli strikes across Lebanon today have so far hit seven Hezbollah sites in multiple parts of the country’s south, with more than 30 munitions used in two waves of attacks, The Times of Israel has learned.
In the second round of strikes, carried out a short while ago, an underground weapons storage facility was targeted in the Kfar Beit area, near Kfar Hatta in southern Lebanon — shortly after the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the town.
Since the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the IDF has killed around 400 operatives and struck hundreds of additional Hezbollah-linked targets. The IDF has repeatedly asserted that the activity at the targeted sites constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
The Lebanese government claimed last week to have disarmed Hezbollah south of the country’s Litani River, but Israel has cast doubt on such an assertion.
IDF carries out airstrike in northern Gaza after suspects cross Yellow Line
The IDF says the air force struck two suspects in the area of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza earlier today after they crossed the Yellow Line and moved toward Israeli forces in a manner that “posed an immediate threat.”
According to the military, the suspects were identified by troops from the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade, prompting the airstrike to “remove the threat.”
The incident follows reports in Arab media that Israeli forces were destroying residential buildings in Jabalia.
Medics cited by Palestinian media report one wounded person was rescued in Jabalia and two in Beit Lahiya, also in the Strip’s north.
Over 500 killed, more than 10,000 detained in crackdown on Iran protests, say activists
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media shows protesters dancing and cheering around a bonfire as they take to the streets in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
The death toll in the crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has spiked to at least 538 people, activists say.
More than 10,600 people have been detained, says the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Of those killed, 490 are protesters and 48 are members of the security forces, it says, warning that the toll is likely to rise.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The activist group, which relies on activists in Iran crosschecking information, has offered accurate tolls in previous rounds of unrest in the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian government has not offered any overall casualty figures for the demonstrations. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll, given that internet and international phone calls are now being blocked in Iran.
Report: Trump to hold briefing Tuesday to discuss Iran options
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to be briefed by senior officials in his administration on Tuesday on specific options to respond to the protests in Iran, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials.
Trump’s planned meeting with these officials will be a discussion about possible next steps, including military strikes, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on Iran’s government and boosting anti-government sources online, the Journal reports.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Son of ousted shah says he’s ‘prepared to return to Iran’ at first opportunity
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, speaks during a news conference, June 23, 2025 in Paris. (AP/Thomas Padilla, File)
The US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah says he is prepared to return to the country and lead a transition to a democratic government.
“I’m prepared to return to Iran at the first possible opportunity. I’m already planning on that,” Reza Pahlavi says on the Fox News show “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo.
He adds: “My job is to lead this transition to make sure that no stone is left unturned, that in full transparency, people have an opportunity to elect their leaders freely and to decide their own future.”
Ministers advance bill to make IDF’s top lawyer directly subordinate to chief of staff
Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi attends a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, August 11, 2024. (Noam Moskowitz, Office of the Knesset Spokesperson)
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation votes to advance a bill to the Knesset that would make the IDF military advocate general subordinate solely to the IDF chief of staff.
Under current law, the military advocate general is subordinate to the chief of staff in the chain of command but is professionally bound by the law and by High Court of Justice rulings. Critics warn that placing the role solely under military authority could undermine the office’s independence.
The bill comes amid the ongoing Sde Teiman video leak investigation, in which former MAG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi is a central suspect, accused of both authorizing the leak and attempting to cover it up. She is suspected of fraud and breach of trust, abuse of her office, obstruction of justice and unlawful disclosure of material over her role in the leak.
The bill is another attempt by the government to curb the power of the judiciary. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has been attacked by coalition lawmakers due to her office’s oversight of the failed internal probe.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin has been locked in a legal battle with her over his attempts to sideline Baharav-Miara from the investigation, and has accused her without evidence of taking part in the cover-up of the leak in the initial investigation.
IDF launches 2nd wave of strikes on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon after evacuation warning
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck the hillsides near the southern Lebanese village of Al-Katrani on January 11, 2026. (Rabih DAHER / AFP)
The IDF says it is carrying out a round of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in multiple areas across Lebanon for the second time today, following an evacuation warning for residents of Kfar Hatta in the south of the country.
Earlier today, the military said it struck weapons-storage shafts used by Hezbollah at several sites in southern Lebanon after detecting activity at the locations over recent months.
Netanyahu pledges ‘massive national project’ to regulate Negev
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tours the Negev with ministers and top security officials, January 7, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Israel will bring the Bedouins in the Negev desert into a regulated, formal framework, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.
“We must stop the criminal violence there,” he says after visiting the area with top security and law enforcement officials last week. “We want to settle the Negev. We want to change the distribution of citizens in the country in terms of settlement in the Negev, which constitutes 70% of the country.”
Israel, he promises, is going to carry out “a massive national project that involves all government ministries and, of course, the citizens of the country, to fundamentally change this situation. This begins with enforcing law and order, and it will certainly include the formalization of the Bedouin residents, the Bedouin citizens of the Negev.”
Tens of thousands of Bedouins in southern Israel live in unrecognized townships, without access to basic government services. Most have resisted years of government efforts to move them into recognized towns and cities.
IDF issues evacuation warning ahead of planned strike on Hezbollah in south Lebanon
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee issues an urgent evacuation warning to residents of south Lebanon’s Kfar Hatta, saying Israeli forces will soon strike Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area.
In a post on X, Adraee says the planned strike is aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding sites used for “terror needs,” and urges civilians in buildings marked on an accompanying map – and those nearby – to leave immediately and move at least 300 meters away.
The warning comes amid near-daily operations against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, as the IDF seeks to prevent the group from reestablishing military positions near the border, despite Beirut’s claim that it disarmed the terror group south of the Litani River.
عاجل ‼️ إنذار عاجل إلى سكان كفر حتا بجنوب لبنان
🔸سيهاجم جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب ومن جديد بنية تحتية عسكرية تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي في القرية وذلك للتعامل مع المحاولات المحظورة التي يقوم بها لإعادة إعمار أنشطته فيها🔸نحث سكان المجمع المحدد بالأحمر في الخريطة… pic.twitter.com/95eqxuR2ly
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 11, 2026
Huckabee: Overturning Iran’s regime would be ‘end of Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis’
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem, August 20, 2025. (AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says that the ousting of the Iranian regime would also mean the end of the Iran-backed terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
“Should the Iranian people choose to end over 46 yrs of hateful & incompetent rule, it could restore the Persian culture of education, art, music, and strength and the end of Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis,” Huckabee writes on his X account.
Mass protests against the Iranian government are rocking the country, with US President Donald Trump threatening to intervene if the regime cracks down harshly on protesters.
After last year’s canceled due to Iran war, Tel Aviv plans pride parade for June
Thousands participate in the annual Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv, on June 8, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
The 28th Tel Aviv–Jaffa Pride Parade will take place on Friday, June 12, at Charles Clore Park along the Tel Aviv boardwalk, after being canceled at the last minute in June 2025 due to the 12-day war with Iran.
The 2024 parade was held in a more muted fashion, less than a year after the October 7 Hamas attack and amid the war in Gaza.
“The Pride Parade sets out at a moment when Israeli society needs, more than ever, a clear reminder: Equality, freedom, and free choice are not a favor or a privilege — they are fundamental conditions for the existence of a democratic society,” says Tel Aviv-Jaffa Deputy Mayor Meital Lahav, who holds the LGBTQ+ community portfolio.
Lahav says the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality will continue to lead the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, with a march for “a free, equal, and safe future for everyone.”
Netanyahu summons top advisers for security consultation today
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on January 4, 2026. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling top advisers and ministers together for a security consultation at 5 p.m., the offices of two of the attendees tell The Times of Israel.
The full security cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
The meetings come as domestic unrest expands in Iran, and after a top Iranian official threatened to attack Israel if the US strikes the Islamic Republic.
IDF strikes Hezbollah weapons depots in south Lebanon, citing ceasefire violations
The IDF says the strikes it carried out a short while ago targeted weapons-storage shafts used by Hezbollah at several sites in southern Lebanon, after it detected activity at the locations in recent months.
According to the military, the targeted facilities were being used to store weapons and their continued operation constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
The IDF says it will continue to act to remove “any threat to the State of Israel.”
Beirut proclaimed last week that it had disarmed Hezbollah in the area of Lebanon south of the Litani River, but Israel cast doubt on the announcement.
צה"ל תקף פירי אחסון אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון
צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר פירים ששימשו לאחסון אמצעי לחימה במספר אתרים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון.
במהלך החודשים האחרונים, זוהתה פעילות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה באתרים אלו.
הפעילות באתרים שהותקפו… pic.twitter.com/hteUP7exgt
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 11, 2026
Trump muses about Rubio running Cuba, tells Havana to ‘make a deal’ before it’s too late
US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, December 2, 2025, in Washington, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth look on. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
US President Donald Trump reposts a social media message suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, born to Cuban immigrant parents, should become the next leader of Cuba.
Trump republishes a message on his Truth Social platform from user Cliff Smith, posted on January 8, that read “Marco Rubio will be president of Cuba,” accompanied by a crying-laughing emoji.
Trump’s comment on the repost is “Sounds good to me!”
The largely unknown user, whose bio refers to him as a “conservative Californian” has fewer than 500 followers.
Trump’s repost comes a week after US forces seized Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro in a nighttime operation in Caracas that killed dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security forces.
He also urges Cuba on Sunday to “make a deal” or face unspecified consequences, warning that the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to Havana would now stop.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump posts on Truth Social. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Rubio is also the US national security adviser and chief archivist.
Yair Netanyahu, PM’s firebrand son, said to be made member of powerful Likud Central Committee
Yair Netanyahu (left) and Sara Netanyahu listen to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliver a speech at the 80th session of The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 26, 2025, in New York City. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images/AFP)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair Netanyahu has been made a member of the powerful Central Committee of his father’s ruling Likud party in an unelected role, according to Hebrew media reports.
Netanyahu’s name was listed among the members of the party’s regional branch of Ma’ale Yosef near the northern Lebanese border. Central Committee elections were held in November, but Netanyahu did not run and appears to have been appointed as part of internal party agreements.
The Central Committee serves as the party’s main representative body, responsible for approving major policy decisions and internal rules. The body will directly influence the party’s Knesset slate ahead of the upcoming elections, set to be held by October.
The appointment appears to be the latest attempt to bring the younger Netanyahu into Israeli politics in an unelected capacity, following Likud’s attempt in November to grant him a cushy job at the World Zionist Organization as part of negotiations over leadership of the WZO and Jewish National Fund-KKL, which controls billions of dollars in funding for Jewish causes.
That appointment drew widespread objections, leading to a firestorm that caused the original agreement on WZO appointments to be abandoned.
Netanyahu, who has spent much of the past two years living in Miami, Florida, is known for his firebrand social media presence and association with far-right European and American politicians and figures. In recent months, he has denounced the current IDF chief of staff, called Qatar’s leader a modern-day Hitler, blamed the Israeli left for major forest fires, and castigated the president of France.
IDF said ready to react to any attack as chief of staff holds meetings on Iran protests
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks at a senior command conference discussing investigations into the failures surrounding Hamas's October 7, 2023, onslaught and the subsequent war, December 29, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held situational assessments this weekend in light of the protests in Iran, The Times of Israel has learned.
The IDF is said to be treating the escalating anti-regime protests as an internal Iranian matter.
But, following Iranian threats today to attack US and Israeli targets, the military is said to be staying operationally prepared and ready to respond if necessary
Israel, Germany expand Arrow 3 deal in $3.1 billion contract
Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system is handed over to the German Air Force at the Holzdorf Air Base, eastern Germany, on December 3, 2025. (Defense Ministry)
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announces it has signed a NIS 9.8 billion ($3.1 billion) contract with the Defense Ministry to expand Germany’s procurement of the Arrow 3 missile defense system, after the Israeli and German governments approved the deal last month.
The agreement is part of a larger package that, together with earlier agreements, is expected to exceed NIS 20 billion ($6.3 billion), making it the largest defense export deal in Israel’s history.
The Arrow 3 system was handed over to Germany last month in a ceremony at an airbase south of Berlin.
Pope Leo prays for peace in Iran, Syria and Ukraine
Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during his Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican on January 11, 2026. (Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
Pope Leo XIV offers prayers for those killed in protests in Iran, and in the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, during his weekly Angelus prayer, calling for dialogue and peace.
“My thoughts turn to what is happening these days in the Middle East, particularly in Iran and Syria, where persistent tensions are causing the deaths of many people,” the pontiff says at the Vatican.
“I hope and pray for the patient cultivation of dialogue and peace, for the common good of society as a whole.”
Leo also offers his prayers for the people of Ukraine following “particularly serious” Russian strikes focused on energy infrastructure.
The attacks were “hitting the civilian population hard, just as the cold weather is getting worse,” the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics says
“I pray for those who are suffering and renew my appeal for an end to violence and for efforts to achieve peace to be intensified.”
Rights group warns of ‘massacre’ in Iran as death toll said to rise to at least 192
Protesters gather with placards outside the gates of Downing Street to attend a London Rally in Solidarity with Iran's Uprising, organized by The Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK and The National Council of Resistance of Iran, in central London on January 11, 2026. (CARLOS JASSO / AFP)
At least 192 protesters have been killed in Iran’s anti-regime protests, a rights group says, as warnings grow that authorities are committing a “massacre” to quell the demonstrations.
“Since the start of the protests, Iran Human Rights has confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters,” the Norway-based organization says, warning that the deaths “may be even more extensive than we currently imagine.”
The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran says it has received “eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed across Iran during the current internet shutdown.”
“A massacre is unfolding in Iran. The world must act now to prevent further loss of life,” it says.
It says hospitals are “overwhelmed,” blood supplies are running low and that many protesters had been shot in the eyes in a deliberate tactic.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said earlier that it had confirmed the deaths of 116 people in connection with the protests, including 37 members of the security forces or other officials.
IDF says it is carrying out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in south Lebanon
The IDF says it is carrying out strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
The military does not immediately provide further details on the targets or the scope of the attack.
IDF says drone crashed in southern Lebanon due to technical malfunction
An IDF drone crashed yesterday in the Labbouneh area of southern Lebanon due to a technical malfunction, the military says.
According to the IDF, there is no concern of an intelligence leak, and the incident is under investigation.
Labbouneh lies near one of the five strategic hilltop positions still held by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon after the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.
Israeli fire kills three people in Gaza, say Palestinian reports
Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians in two separate incidents across Gaza, Hamas-linked health authorities say.
Medics say one Palestinian was killed in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, in an area under Hamas control, while two others were killed in the town of Bani Suhaila east of Khan Younis, in an area on the Israel-controlled side of the Yellow Line that demarcates the IDF’s withdrawal.
There is no comment from the Israeli military on the two incidents.
A Hamas official tells Reuters that the group has urged mediators to intervene to stop “daily Israeli killings that aim to derail the ceasefire deal.” Israel has accused Hamas of regularly violating the ceasefire.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Iranian president says ‘rioters and terrorists’ must not disrupt society, blames Israel and US
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian takes questions from the media at a press briefing in New York, September 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
“Rioters and terrorists” should not be allowed to disrupt Iranian society, the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, says in his first remarks after three nights of intensified protests against the authorities.
“The people [of Iran] should not allow rioters to disrupt society. The people should believe that we [the government] want to establish justice,” he tells state broadcaster IRIB.
He says that the US and Israel want to “sow chaos and disorder” in Iran by ordering “riots.”
Former UK envoy to US apologizes to ‘evil monster’ Epstein’s victims, but not for his own ties
Britain's then-Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, speaks during a reception at the ambassador's residence on February 26, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Britain’s former ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed over his links to Jeffrey Epstein last year, apologizes to the victims of the late convicted sex offender, but not for his own actions.
Mandelson was fired in September over emails that came to light revealing a much closer relationship than previously acknowledged. The veteran British politician called Epstein “my best pal” and had advised him on seeking early jail release.
“I want to apologize to those women for a system that refused to hear their voices and did not give them the protection they were entitled to expect,” Mandelson tells the BBC broadcaster when asked if he wanted to say sorry for his links.
Mandelson says he would have apologized for his own ties only if he had known about Epstein’s actions or been complicit.
“I was not culpable, I was not knowledgeable of what he was doing,” he says.
“I believed his story and that of his lawyer, who spent a lot of time trying to persuade me of this… that he had been falsely criminalized in his contact with these young women. Now I wish I had not believed that story.”
Britain’s government said at the time of Mandelson’s dismissal that the depth of his ties to Epstein appeared “materially different” from what was known at the time of his appointment.
It has since named Christian Turner as its next ambassador to the US in a pivotal moment for transatlantic ties.
“Do you really think that if I knew what was going on and what he was doing with and to these vulnerable young women that I’d have just sat back, ignored it and moved on?” Mandelson adds in the interview, describing Epstein as an “evil monster.”
Maharan Frozenfar approved as chief of Treasury’s budget department
Brig. Gen. (res.) Maharan Frozenfar (Courtesy Finance Ministry)
The government approves the appointment of Brig. Gen. (res.) Maharan Frozenfar as the new chief of the Treasury’s budget department.
Frozenfar, 59, who previously served as head of the budget division at the Defense Ministry and as financial adviser to the army’s chief of staff, will replace outgoing Finance Ministry budget commissioner Yogev Gradus, the ministry announces.
Following his discharge from the IDF in 2013, Frozenfar founded and managed strategic and financial consulting firm M-Faculty, and served as chairman of the advisory committee to the Finance Ministry.
In addition, the government approves the appointment of Michal Abadi-Boiangiu as the Finance Ministry’s accountant general, to replace Yali Rothenberg after his term ends in January. Abadi-Boiangiu serves as chairwoman of the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company (EAPC) and previously served as accountant general between 2011 and 2017.
Both appointments were made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“The Israeli economy has demonstrated exceptional performance throughout the war, and at this time it is important to entrust it to responsible and experienced hands who will steer it in the coming years,” says Smotrich. “Both have strong management and teamwork skills, courage, creative thinking, and a willingness to give up a great deal in the private sector to return to the public sector and manage the most important departments in the Finance Ministry out of a huge commitment to the Israeli economy, which constitutes a significant pillar of the strength and security of Israel.”
Israeli police raid home in Ramallah, arrest Palestinian suspected in massive fraud scheme
Police officers in the Yamam counter-terror unit raid the home of a man suspected in a massive fraud scheme in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 7, 2026. (Screenshot/Israel Police)
A Palestinian man suspected of perpetrating a massive fraud scheme was nabbed by Israeli police in the heart of Ramallah last week, police announce today.
The suspect, a man in his 50s, is suspected of scamming around 100 Israelis out of over NIS 3 million total (close to $1 million) on the Yad2 online marketplace.
He would reach out to a vendor requesting to buy an item, then send a forged receipt of a bank transfer as a supposed proof of his purchase. A cab driver would come and collect the item from the vendor’s home, then transfer it to another taxi which would then enter the West Bank and drop it off near the Beit Aryeh settlement for the man to collect, police say.
Officers in the Yamam counter-terror unit raided the man’s Ramallah home at around 3 a.m. Wednesday and took him into custody. He will remain in custody until January 14.
Netanyahu: Once regime in Tehran falls, Israel and Iran will become partners again
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a debate in the Knesset on January 5, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel and Iran will become partners again after the regime in Tehran falls.
“We are sending strength to the heroic and courageous citizens of Iran — and once the regime falls, we will do good things together for the benefit of both peoples,” he says, according to his office.
“We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny,” Netanyahu continues as anti-regime protests in Iran continue to spread, along with a mounting death toll. “And when that day arrives, Israel and Iran will once again become faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace.”
Earlier today, the Iranian parliament’s speaker threatened that Iran would strike Israel and US targets if the US attacks the country. Israel is on high alert for the possibility of any US intervention in Iran, Reuters reported.
Sa’ar says Israel ‘committed’ to Trump’s Gaza plan but Hamas must disarm
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (third from right) meets with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi (second from left) in Jerusalem on January 11, 2026. (Oz Schechter/GPO)
Israel is “committed to the Trump plan” and to regional stability, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tells his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi in Jerusalem, referring to the US president’s 20-point plan for Gaza.
“In order to proceed with its implementation,” Sa’ar continues, “Hamas must disarm and Gaza must be demilitarized.” Both of those are conditions of the plan.
He also says that the Palestinian Authority “must end its policy of ‘pay for slay,'” referring to stipends given to terrorists and their families. “It must stop its incitement and its diplomatic war against Israel in international forums and international courts.”
The PA has said that it has reformed the payment system.
‘Arab blood isn’t cheap’: Hundreds rally at PM’s office against police handling of crime wave
A young protester holds up a sign that reads: 'Police force of criminals' during a demonstration against how police have handled crime in Arab society, outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, January 11, 2026. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)
Hundreds of protesters gather outside the Prime Minister’s Office to protest how the police have handled crime in the Arab community under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Protesters chant in Arabic: “Hey police, hey police, Arab blood isn’t cheap,” and call to “free Tarabin [al-Sana],” a town that was subject to a 12-day police raid up until this morning, in which one resident, Muhammad Hussein Tarabin, was shot dead by an officer at his front door.
Israel closed out last year with a record number of 252 Arab citizens killed in violent crime-related incidents, marking its deadliest year in that community to date.
Less than two weeks into the new year, killings are continuing at a high rate, with 16 Arab homicide victims in less than two weeks.
Tensions between demonstrators and the Border Police securing the scene at the PMO are high, as officers form a human barrier between the protest and reporters.
Police horses and a water cannon are stationed close to the demonstration.
While some attendees come from Arab locales in northern and central Israel, the vast majority are from the Negev, as police continue a controversial crime crackdown in Bedouin towns.
The protest is organized by the Higher Follow-Up Committee, the leading Arab-Israeli umbrella organization. Most of the Knesset’s Arab lawmakers are present at the demonstration, including Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas, Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh and Ta’al chairman Ahmad Tibi.
Sa’ar hits back at Lapid, says police questioning shouldn’t keep Braverman from UK envoy post
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, December 2, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejects the call from Opposition Leader Yair Lapid to suspend the appointment of Tzachi Braverman as Israel’s ambassador to the UK after Braverman was detained and questioned by police today.
Braverman, says Sa’ar in a statement, “was lawfully appointed to the position of Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. His appointment passed all the required stages.”
He stresses that “harming an individual — whether in their employment or in their official role — at the preliminary stage of an investigation is inconsistent with the fundamental values of human and civil rights and with the right to due process.”
“I do not believe that the mere existence of an investigation justifies undermining Mr. Braverman’s appointment or suspending him from his position,” argues Sa’ar.
Braverman was taken in for questioning by police, and his home was searched, over allegations that he attempted to obstruct a probe into the leak of classified intelligence to Bild, a German tabloid.
BBC soccer pundit apologizes after describing coach’s tenure as ‘an absolute holocaust’
BBC television pundit Shay Given apologizes after describing former Celtic soccer team coach Wilfried Nancy’s short-lived reign as “an absolute holocaust” on live television, with the former goalkeeper saying he used a word he did not fully understand.
Nancy was sacked after just eight games in charge, prompting the Scottish club to bring back former boss Martin O’Neill until the end of the season.
Given, who made more than 600 senior appearances as a goalkeeper at several clubs, said yesterday that O’Neill should have been given some more time before they brought Nancy on board ahead of a crucial week.
“Nancy took over that week and had an absolute holocaust in that week and it was just a nightmare from then on,” Given said on the broadcast.
•— Shay Given’s metaphorical reference to the ‘Holocaust’ on live TV — just gotten the Newcastle Great apologizing!pic.twitter.com/UXDIlBfUvK pic.twitter.com/jlu6ZPAfcN
— Stephen ‡ Magyezi (@gyezi_) January 10, 2026
BBC presenter Jason Mohammad apologized for the remark later on in the broadcast. Given later apologized with a statement on social media.
“On live television this afternoon, I used a word that I didn’t fully understand the meaning of, and certainly won’t ever use again,” Given wrote.
“We all have areas of ignorance in our knowledge, and I hope to use this as an opportunity to become better educated going forward. I am genuinely mortified and apologise unreservedly to everyone offended, and will be donating my fee from today’s show to the Holocaust Education Trust,” he added.
Syria government forces said to detain 300 Kurds, evacuate 400 fighters from Aleppo
Syrian government security forces sit in the back of a pick-up truck deployed outside a church following a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo, Syria, early on January 11, 2026. (Bakr Alkasem / AFP)
Syrian government forces evacuated more than 400 Kurdish fighters from the last district in Aleppo to fall to the army, and detained 300 Kurds, an interior ministry official tells AFP.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says “360 fighters and more than 59 wounded” were evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood to the Kurds’ de facto autonomous zone in the northeast, and 300 other Kurds, including members of the security forces, were detained.
An AFP correspondent reports buses filled with men leaving Sheikh Maqsud under escort by government forces during the night.
Immigration Ministry and IDF launch fast-track reserve program for new immigrants
A solider examines gear during a massive IDF reservist callup on September 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF Personnel Directorate and the Immigration and Absorption Ministry announce a new national initiative aimed at fast-tracking skilled new immigrants into Israel’s military reserve forces.
Under the program, immigrants aged 26 and older will undergo a condensed two-week basic training course, after which they will be assigned to IDF units as reservists, based on their professional and academic backgrounds. The track is designed to allow older immigrants – who are often excluded from standard enlistment routes – to contribute to Israel’s security while integrating into society.
According to the Personnel Directorate, the program will place participants in roles across medical services, technology and maintenance, the Home Front Command, and logistics and transport, and will offer positions for doctors, engineers, technicians, drivers and crane operators.
Reserve service days will be fully compensated through the National Insurance Institute, and participants will commit to roughly five years of active reserve duty, subject to unit needs. Registration for the program is now open, with the first draft planned for next month.
The launch of the program comes as the IDF has said it faces an acute manpower shortage.
Yair Golan says PM’s inner circle is a ‘crime family that has taken over Israel’
The Democrats party leader Yair Golan leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 22, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Democrats chairman Yair Golan accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner circle of operating like a crime family, following the detainment of the premier’s chief of staff Tzachi Braverman by police today over allegations that he attempted to obstruct a probe into the leak of classified intelligence to Bild, a German tabloid.
“If it looks like a crime family, acts like a crime family, and protects each other like a crime family, don’t get confused: this is a crime family that has taken over Israel,” says the left-wing party leader in a post on X.
Police from the Lahav 433 major crimes unit searched Braverman’s home this morning and have taken him in for questioning at their Lod headquarters on suspicion of obstructing justice, following claims by Netanyahu’s indicted former spokesman Eli Feldstein that Braverman knew of, and sought to quash, a covert investigation into the leak.
Feldstein and other Netanyahu associates are also suspects in the Qatargate scandal, in which they are accused of working as paid lobbyists for Qatar while employed in the Prime Minister’s Office despite the Gulf state’s strong ties to Hamas.
Police cap off raid in Negev Bedouin town, remove ad hoc checkpoints, amid High Court case
Officers in the Border Police's National Guard force approach a man on the street in Tarabin al-Sana on December 31, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)
Police have cleared out most of their forces from the southern Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana and removed concrete roadblocks from its entrances after over a week of raids there.
Law enforcement, led by the Border Police’s National Guard force, staged a forceful and controversial raid on the village lasting 12 days, after the police said masked men thought to be from the town were set fire to cars in nearby Jewish towns.
The operation took a lethal turn a week ago, when an officer fatally shot a man on his doorstep. Police said the man posed a threat to officers, but his family denies the claim. The officer is under investigation.
After deploying hundreds of officers in the town, police say they arrested over 30 people, some of whom are suspected of weapons offenses. Officers also seized four rifles, two handguns, hand grenades and stun grenades.
Last week, local leaders petitioned the High Court of Justice, demanding an end to the enforcement operations and claiming that the concrete blocks placed at the town’s entrances amounted to collective punishment for the actions of a handful of criminals.
Speaking to The Times of Israel, village council head Abdelbassat Tarabin claims that police cut their operation short for fear that judges would strike down the new, controversial practice of sealing off Arab Israeli towns.
While common in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the practice was seldom used against Israeli citizens until mid-November, when National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared a sweeping anti-crime operation in Negev Bedouin locales.
As part of the operation, dubbed New Order, police say they are shifting their focus to other Bedouin towns, namely Lakiya, Tel Sheva and Arara Banegev, where a 20-year-old medical student was gunned down last week.
Before the raid on Tarabin, police placed roadblocks in Lakiya and Tel Sheva, which have since been removed.
“Forces are prepared to provide the ‘Tarabin package’ for any conflict that arises, and with even greater strength,” says Southern District commander Haim Boublil in a statement, adding that police consider the raid a success and plan to replicate it in other Bedouin towns.
Police say there has been a 50 percent decrease in shooting incidents in the nearby areas of Carmit, Meitar and Tel Sheva since the launch of the New Order operation.
Lapid: PM must suspend appointment of Braverman as UK envoy after questioning in Bild probe
MK Yair Lapid arrives for a court hearing at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem for a hearing on petitions against the transfer of funds to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, January 8, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should hold off on appointing his chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, as Israel’s ambassador to the UK after Braverman was detained by police today, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says.
Braverman was taken in for questioning by police, and his home was searched, over allegations that he attempted to obstruct a probe into the leak of classified intelligence to Bild, a German tabloid.
“In light of the recent developments, the appointment of Tzachi Braverman as ambassador to the UK must be immediately suspended,” says Lapid, the chair of the Yesh Atid party, in a post on X.
“It is unacceptable for someone suspected of involvement in obstructing a serious security investigation to serve as Israel’s representative in one of Europe’s most important countries,” he insists.
Braverman was interrogated by police this morning after Netanyahu’s indicted former spokesman Eli Feldstein claimed last month that Braverman knew of a covert investigation into the leak months before it was publicized and had assured the ex-aide that he’d be able to quash the probe.
The senior Netanyahu aide was tapped to be the next ambassador in London in September.
Egypt signs renewable energy deals worth $1.8 billion
This picture taken on February 6, 2023 shows a view of Tibbin dual fuel (natural gas and fuel oil) powerplant and Helwan Steelworks, in the Helwan suburb south of Egypt's capital. (Amir MAKAR / AFP)
Egypt signs a number of renewable energy deals worth $1.8 billion, state TV reports.
Some of the deals were signed with Norwegian renewable energy developer Scatec, it said.
Last month, Israel approved a $34.7 billion natural gas deal with Egypt.
Iranian authorities make ‘significant’ arrests over protests, police chief says
Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the anti-regime protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the country’s national police chief says.
“Last night, significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures,” Ahmad-Reza Radan tells state TV, without giving details on the number or identities of those arrested.
More than 115 people have reportedly been killed in the protests.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Iran would target ‘occupied territory’ and US military if attacked, parliament speaker says
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (center), flanked by Lebanese officials at the funeral of slain Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine in February 2025. (AFP)
Iran would strike US military and shipping targets in the event of a new attack by the United States during an ongoing wave of anti-regime protests, the country’s parliament speaker says, appearing to also threaten Israel.
“In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf tells parliament in comments broadcast by state TV.
The “occupied territory” comments appear to refer to Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognize, has vowed to destroy, and considers occupied Palestinian territory.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Man who accelerated car toward soldiers in Hebron was killed, body detained by IDF, PA says
Israeli security forces near the site of a suspected car ramming attack in the West Bank city of Hebron, January 10, 2026. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)
The man whom the IDF said it “neutralized” in Hebron last night after he drove at soldiers was shot dead, according to the Palestinian Authority.
He is identified as Shaker al-Jaabri, 58. His body was detained by the IDF, the PA says.
Last night, the IDF reported that forces shot and “neutralized” an assailant who had accelerated his car toward soldiers in the al-Sheikh neighborhood of Hebron in the southern West Bank. No soldiers were hurt, according to the military.
Later, the military said an initial probe did not yield clear evidence of a deliberate attempted ramming attack.
Neither IDF statement had said the assailant was killed or that his body was being held.
Foreign Ministry confirms that Samoa will open embassy in Jerusalem this year
The Foreign Ministry says Samoa will become the third Pacific island nation to open an embassy in Jerusalem, confirming a report last week in Samoan media.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke with Samoan Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt and invited him to Israel, according to the Israeli readout. Samoa will open the embassy this year.
Last week, the Samoa Observer, a local newspaper, reported that Schmidt announced that the country intended to open the embassy.
“I [have] instruct[ed] our foreign affairs to start preparation to open an office of Samoa in Jerusalem this year,” he was quoted as saying in an address at a Christian pro-Israel prayer service.
Seven countries — the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay — currently have full embassies in Jerusalem, while more nations have branches in Israel’s capital.
The Prime Minister, La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare for the establishment of Samoa's Embassy in Jerusalem. https://t.co/xQBjbC8ZwI
— Samoa Observer (@samoaobserver) January 7, 2026
PM’s chief of staff said detained, home searched over suspected obstruction in Bild leak probe
Tzachi Braverman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, at the Tel Aviv District Court ahead of the premier's testimony on December 18, 2024 (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Police have reportedly detained Tzachi Braverman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, for interrogation over his alleged attempt to obstruct a probe into the leak of classified intelligence to Bild, a German tabloid.
Police acknowledge detaining an aide to the premier. Hebrew media outlets report that the suspect is Braverman.
“This morning, a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office has been detained by Lahav 433 officers on suspicion of obstructing investigative procedures,” police say in a statement.
Investigators in the police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit searched Braverman’s home this morning and are now questioning him in the unit’s Lod headquarters on suspicion of obstructing justice.
The interrogation this morning comes after Netanyahu’s indicted former spokesman Eli Feldstein claimed Braverman knew of a covert investigation into the leak months before it was publicized and had assured the ex-aide that he’d be able to quash the probe.
In an interview with Channel 12 last month, Feldstein said Braverman asked to meet him late at night in an underground parking lot in the Kirya military headquarters, where he informed the former spokesman that the IDF had launched an investigation into the leak.
A source in Lahav 433 tells Channel 12 that Feldstein is expected to give testimony in their offices today.
Braverman is slated to take over as Israel’s next ambassador to the United Kingdom in the coming months.
Iran internet blackout passes 60-hour mark, posing ‘threat to safety,’ monitor says
The nationwide shutdown of the internet in Iran during anti-regime protests remains in place and has now lasted more than 60 hours, the internet monitor Netblocks says.
“The censorship measure presents a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of Iranians at a key moment for the country’s future,” it says on X, adding that the blackout is “now past the 60 hour mark.”
Jordan says its forces took part in strikes against ISIS in Syria
Jordan’s air force carried out strikes against Islamic State jihadist group targets in Syria as part of a US operation this weekend, the country’s military says.
The Jordanian army says yesterday’s strikes “were coordinated with partners within the framework of the international coalition… to neutralize the capabilities of terrorist groups and prevent them from reorganizing.”
Iran warns Trump it could attack Israel and US bases in response to any strike
Illustration: A meeting of Iran's parliament on March 2, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Iran warns US President Donald Trump that any US attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional US military bases as “legitimate targets,” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf tells parliament.
Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a US intervention to support a nationwide anti-regime protest movement in Iran, sources say.
IDF soldier moderately wounded in Nablus shooting, manhunt underway
An IDF soldier is moderately wounded after coming under fire in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, the military says.
According to the IDF, the shooting occurred while forces were operating in the city. The wounded soldier was evacuated to a hospital for treatment, and his family has been notified. Israeli forces have launched a manhunt for the attacker.
Arabic media reports say Israeli forces were ambushed by Palestinian gunmen while operating in the area in the early morning.
Videos circulating online appear to show IDF troops and armored vehicles moving through the streets of Nablus as gunfire can be heard. Other footage shows what appears to be an IDF helicopter evacuating the wounded soldier.
דיווחים פלסטיניים: חילופי אש בקסבה של שכם בין כוחותינו לבין מחבלים פלסטינים@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/yWgA7pjePg
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) January 11, 2026
MK Chili Tropper reportedly considering leaving struggling Blue and White party
MK Chlli Tropper reads a letter from Yarden Bibas to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Netanyahu and other MKs listen, during a debate on calls for a state inquiry into the failures surrounding October 7, 2023's Hamas invasion and slaughter, on March 3, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg / Flash90)
Chili Tropper, a lawmaker with the opposition Blue and White, is reportedly considering leaving the party as it struggles for viability ahead of elections later this year.
If he exits, Tropper would be the fourth lawmaker to defect from Blue and White, led by MK Benny Gantz, since the middle of last year. Tropper has been an ally of Gantz since 2019.
Tropper has asked Gantz to assess whether the party stands a chance of gaining enough votes to remain in the Knesset, Hebrew outlets report. Polls have shown Blue and White hovering around the electoral threshold, which requires parties to garner at least 3.25% of votes to enter the Knesset.
Otherwise, Tropper is exploring the possibility of Blue and White merging with another party, such as the new factions led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett or former minister Yoaz Hendel.
Israel on high alert for possibility of US intervention in Iran — report
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran, protesters once again take to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, January 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Israel is on high alert for the possibility of any US intervention in Iran as authorities there confront the biggest anti-government protests in years, three Israeli sources with knowledge of the matter tell Reuters.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in recent days and warned Iran’s rulers against using force against demonstrators. Yesterday, Trump said the US stands “ready to help.”
The death toll in the protests has exceeded 100, activists have said.
The sources, who were present for Israeli security consultations over the weekend, did not elaborate on what Israel’s high-alert footing meant in practice. Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war in June, and the US struck Iran’s nuclear facilities in the war’s final days.
In a phone call yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of US intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source who was present for the conversation. A US official confirmed the two men spoke but did not say what topics they discussed.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Tens of thousands protest in Minneapolis over fatal ICE shooting
Protesters gather during a rally for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier in the week, January 10, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP/John Locher)
Tens of thousands of people march through Minneapolis to decry the fatal shooting of a woman by a US immigration agent, part of more than 1,000 rallies planned nationwide this weekend against the US government’s deportation drive.
The massive turnout in Minneapolis despite a whipping, cold wind underscores how the fatal shooting of 37‑year‑old Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday has struck a chord, fueling protests in major cities and some towns. Minnesota’s Democratic leaders and the administration of US President Donald Trump, a Republican, have offered starkly different accounts of the incident.
Led by a team of Indigenous Mexican dancers, demonstrators in Minneapolis, which has a metropolitan population of 3.8 million, march towards the residential street where Good was shot in her car.
The boisterous crowd, which the Minneapolis Police Department estimates in the tens of thousands, chants Good’s name and slogans such as “Abolish ICE” and “No justice, no peace — get ICE off our streets.”
Death toll in violence surrounding protests challenging Iran’s theocracy reaches 116, activists say
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran, protesters once again take to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, January 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy reach the two-week mark, as the death toll in violence surrounding the demonstrations reaches at least 116 people killed, activists say.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 116 and over 2,600 others detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The agency has been accurate in multiple rounds of previous unrest in Iran.
Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation, without discussing dead demonstrators, whom it increasingly refers to as “terrorists.” However, it also acknowledges protests are on into this morning, with demonstrations in Tehran and in the holy city of Mashhad to the northeast.
Netanyahu said to talk to Rubio about Iran protests, Syria, Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone Saturday morning with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, The New York Times reports, citing three unnamed sources.
They are said to have discussed the major anti-regime protests in Iran, the situation in Syria, and efforts for a peace deal in Gaza.
The report also says US President Donald Trump is “seriously considering” authorizing a strike on Iran amid an internet blackout imposed by the Islamic Republic and reports of a brutal, deadly crackdown on demonstrators.
No final decision has been made, the report stresses, adding that a range of options has been presented to Trump, including strikes on non-military targets in Tehran.
Bangladesh seeks to join International Stabilization Force for Gaza
Bangladesh says it has told the United States that it wants to join the International Stabilization Force (ISF) set to be deployed in Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Strip.
Bangladesh says its national security adviser, Khalilur Rahman, met US diplomats Allison Hooker and Paul Kapur in Washington.
Rahman “expressed Bangladesh’s interest in principle to be part of the international stabilization force that would be deployed in Gaza,” a Bangladeshi government statement adds. It does not mention the extent or nature of its proposed involvement. The State Department has no immediate comment.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized a so-called Board of Peace and countries working with it to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza where a ceasefire began in October.
Only a few countries have since voiced public interest in joining the ISF.
A US official, speaking to The Times of Israel, has downplayed the apparent ISF recruitment woes, insisting that countries would agree to contribute troops once they realize that they will not be expected to send their soldiers into battle against Hamas, as the mandate will be more modest than Washington and Jerusalem initially envisioned.
Jacob Magid contributed to this report.
IDF says initial probe yielded no clear proof that alleged Hebron ramming attempt was deliberate
The IDF says an initial probe of an incident Saturday night in which troops shot a suspected assailant who accelerated his car toward them in the West Bank’s Hebron hasn’t yielded clear evidence that it was a deliberate attempted ramming attack.
The military said earlier that forces had shot and ‘neutralized’ an assailant who attempted to ram soldiers in the Haret al-Sheikh neighborhood of Hebron.
Now, the army says the initial probe has found the soldiers opened fire because they felt an immediate threat.
No soldiers were wounded in the incident.
Arab outlets have reported that the assailant was injured.
Stav Levaton contributed to this report.
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