Jan. 21: IDF chief tells Haredi troops expanding enlistment ‘an operational necessity’
'There's a feeling that this isn't heading in the right direction,' official tells ToI * 8 Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, announce joint decision to join Board of Peace
The Times of Israel liveblogged Wednesday’s events as they unfolded.
Arab diplomat: Turkey, Qatar filling vacuum in Gaza created by Israeli refusal to involve PA
A senior Arab diplomat says Israel’s refusal to allow the Palestinian Authority to play a role in the postwar management of Gaza is what led to Turkey and Qatar filling the vacuum.
Speaking to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, the Arab diplomat says that Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia had been more open to involvement and investment in Gaza. However, they conditioned their involvement on a more prominent role for the PA, viewing a foothold for Ramallah in Gaza as essential for reconnecting the territory with the West Bank under a single Palestinian governing entity.
Israel has rejected any role for the PA in Gaza, likening the Ramallah-based body to Hamas and insisting that it must undergo significant reforms.
The Arab diplomat says Arab countries also back reforming the PA and are chaperoning Ramallah through that process. However, he claims that the reform demand from Israel is “disingenuous” and a “guise for Jerusalem’s desire to prevent a two-state solution.
There is particular anger in Riyadh over Israel’s withholding of over $4 billion in tax revenues from the PA, as Saudi Arabia has been called on to help compensate for some of those losses, the Arab diplomat says.
Saudi Arabia will have a representative on US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace and the UAE will have a representative on the intermediate Gaza Executive Board, both panels involved in the oversight of the postwar Strip. However, the Arab diplomat says that the appetite in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi along with their allies in the region for more significant involvement and financial investment in Gaza has decreased significantly.
“There’s a feeling that this isn’t heading in the right direction, so the preference for some countries in the Gulf is to mostly remain on the sidelines,” the Arab diplomat says. “Turkey and Qatar have few conditions for their involvement, as they want to maintain influence and demonstrate utility to the US.”
Denmark says Trump sending ‘positive messages’ on Greenland
Denmark’s foreign minister says US President Donald Trump has sent positive signals by saying that he would not use military force to seize Greenland.
“Trump said that he will pause the trade war. He says, ‘I will not attack Greenland.’ These are positive messages,” Lars Lokke Rasmussen tells Danish public television DR. Trump “also had a good conversation with the NATO general secretary,” he says, without going into details.
Trump says agreed ‘framework’ for US deal over Greenland
US President Donald Trump says he has reached a framework for a deal over Greenland following a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte, and that he will therefore waive tariffs scheduled to hit European allies.
“We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump says in a post on Truth Social.
The US president does not provide any details on the framework, but adds that his threatened tariffs against European countries who are resisting his quest to acquire Greenland are now off the table.
“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” Trump writes.
Trump’s quest to take the strategic Arctic island of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark has deeply shaken the global order and markets.
In a speech earlier at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Trump for the first time ruled out using force, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable — but I won’t do that,” Trump said.
Jerusalem light rail line between Binyanei Hauma and Malcha to open in May, mayor says
The first portion of Jerusalem’s second light rail line, running between the International Convention Center (Binyanei Hauma) and the Malcha neighborhood, will become fully operational in four months, Mayor Moshe Lion says.
The full route, known as the Green Line, will eventually stretch from Mount Scopus in the north of the city to the Gilo neighborhood in the south. It is expected to eventually carry 400,000 people a day, easing traffic in the city.
The first phase of the Green Line launch will begin in May, after testing on the line began this week, Lion tells the Jerusalem Future Plans Conference, organized by the Nadlan Center in collaboration with the Jerusalem municipality. That portion will include the Binyanei Hauma area, the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew University, Givat Mordechai, and Pat.
Several months after that, in July or August, the light rail will extend down to Gilo, and a year after that, in the summer of 2027, the entire line will be completed, he says.
Jerusalem’s first light rail line, known as the Red Line, was launched in 2011 and is seen as highly successful, with more than 200,000 daily riders on the route from Ein Kerem to Neve Yaakov.
Construction of the third line, known as the Blue Line, which will connect the Ramot neighborhood to Gilo, began this year, and is expected to be completed in 2030. The 31-kilometer (19-mile) route will include an underground tunnel and access to a new Israel Railways train station with lines to the country’s center.
Jerusalem has high hopes that this network will help it to become the first city to “get out of traffic jams,” as Lion has put it, and provide the transportation infrastructure to support the city’s rapid growth.
“This is a transportation revolution in the city,” Lion says.
PA premier says efforts to reform hampered by Israeli measures against Ramallah
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa urges international intervention to override Israeli restrictions on temporary shelters being allowed into Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are living in tents.
In an onstage interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mustafa says Palestinians are prepared to wait for the full reconstruction of Gaza, where some 85 percent of all infrastructure was destroyed in the war, according to UN estimates.
“But people cannot wait on simple temporary shelter to sit as a family together and start dealing with their lives,” Mustafa says.
Israel has largely limited aid entering Gaza to assistance that is deemed life-saving, while maintaining strict bans on so-called dual-use items, which it says can be used by Hamas to manufacture new weapons. Jerusalem is also refusing to fully reopen the Rafah Crossing until the body of the last hostage is returned and until Hamas gives up its weapons.
“My first plea to everybody is this, focus on what matters. First open the borders and get Israel to bypass this doctrine called dual-use in order to allow as much temporary housing units as possible,” Mustafa says.
The PA premier uses the opportunity to highlight Israel’s continued withholding of over $4 billion in tax revenues that it collects on Ramallah’s behalf and which it has not transferred at all, as required under the Oslo Accords, since May. Jerusalem cites various actions by the PA, including what it says is its continued payment of stipends to families of terrorists — though Ramallah disputes this.
“As a result, our ability to govern, our ability to provide basic services to our people, has been undermined,” Mustafa says.
He proceeds to lament punitive Israeli measures on the Palestinian banking system, which have caused an ongoing liquidity crisis in the West Bank. This is on top of the ban on 200,000 Palestinian workers from continuing their employment in Israel and its settlements since the October 7 attack, which has catapulted West Bank unemployment from 15% before the war to roughly 34%. Israel says it took the step due to security concerns.
Mustafa also points to the spike in IDF checkpoints — now roughly 1,000 throughout the West Bank, according to UN figures — that further complicate the Palestinian economy and livelihood, along with rampant settler violence and settlement growth. Israeli counterterror operations in West Bank refugee camps have also displaced some 40,000 Palestinians,
“It’s very sad to see the West Bank get to the point where people are barely making it,” the PA prime minister continues. “The international effort on Gaza is very important and badly needed, but we also need equal attention to what’s happening in the West Bank.”
Mustafa says Ramallah is still committed to reforms demanded by the international community and is in the midst of implementing many such steps. However, he argues that there is only so much the PA can do, so long as its ability to provide services to Palestinians is so hampered by Israel.
Air Force hits Syria-Lebanon border crossings, says used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons
The Israeli Air Force struck four land crossings on the Lebanese-Syrian border in Lebanon’s northern Hermel region a short while ago, with the IDF saying that the routes were used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons.
In addition to the strikes on the border crossings, the IDF says that a strike it carried out earlier today near Sidon killed a “key” Hezbollah weapons smuggler.
Mohammad Awatsheh was involved in managing weapon transfers to Hezbollah, “including through a front company that transported prohibited goods from various countries, including Iraq, Syria, and Gulf states,” the military says.
Additionally, the military says Awatsheh was the handler for “numerous smugglers responsible for transferring weapons from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon.”
צה"ל ממשיך לפעול נגד צירי ההברחות של חיזבאללה: הותקפו ארבעה מעברים בגבול סוריה-לבנון ששימשו להעברת אמצעי לחימה וחוסל סוחר ומבריח אמצעי לחימה מרכזי שהיה חלק מניסיונות ההברחה
צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר במרחב אלהרמל, ארבעה מעברים בגבול סוריה-לבנון המשמשים את חיזבאללה להעברת אמצעי לחימה.… pic.twitter.com/FbcfRQMww2
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 21, 2026
UTJ’s Yitzhak Pindrus reenters Knesset under ‘Norwegian law’
Former United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Pindrus reenters the Knesset six months after being pushed out as the result of a coalition crisis that saw his party quit the coalition over its failure to exempt yeshiva students from military conscription.
He replaces fellow UTJ lawmaker Yisrael Eichler, who joined the government as deputy communications minister this week, under the so-called Norwegian law, which allows ministers and deputy ministers from large factions to resign from the Knesset, with their seats then filled by other members of their parties.
Eichler, who represents the party’s Hasidic Agudat Yisrael faction, rejoined the government despite UTJ officially remaining in the opposition. The move, orchestrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, allows Pindrus, a member of the party’s Degel HaTorah wing, to cast an additional vote in favor of the government’s controversial conscription bill, which Agudat Yisrael vocally opposes.
New recordings indicate Haredi leaders see conscription law as merely a way to buy time
In recordings published by Channel 12 news, senior ultra-Orthodox leaders appear to dismiss efforts to legislate and regulate Haredi conscription as a stalling tactic only intended to buy time. They openly state they have no plans to allow Haredi youth to enlist in the IDF.
In the recordings, Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, one of the senior leaders of the stream of ultra-Orthodox Jewry known as “Lithuanian,” says the law is meant to put off any real change, rather than fundamentally change enlistment patterns.
“In the end, the law will fall after a few years, but we’ve gained years,” he is heard saying.
Meanwhile, Degel HaTorah spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando is heard speaking even more bluntly about the legislation.
“We will not go to the army,” Lando says. “No one will go to the army.”
The comments are in stark contrast to the picture painted by coalition architects of the legislation, who insist it will significantly increase Haredi enlistment in the coming years, while opposition lawmakers say it is toothless and guarantees no such results.
The remarks come as the IDF has publicly acknowledged a severe manpower shortage, with the military saying it lacks some 12,000 soldiers amid the ongoing war and heightened security demands.
Earlier this week, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs told ministers that the government’s ultra-Orthodox draft regulation bill could be sent to the Knesset plenum in the next few weeks, paving the way for the final two votes before the controversial legislation becomes law.
Iranian official media says 3,117 people killed during protests
Iranian official media says 3,117 people were killed during protests that first erupted in late December, and which activists say were suppressed with a deadly crackdown.
A statement by Iran’s foundation for veterans and martyrs, cited by state television, says 2,427 people in that toll, including members of the security forces, are considered under Islam to be “martyrs,” calling them “innocent” victims.
Opposition reports have put the toll far higher, at over 12,000 dead.
The clerical authorities have condemned the protest wave as a “terrorist” incident characterized by violent “riots” fueled by the United States. Rights groups, however, say thousands of protesters demanding change were killed by direct fire from security forces.
NYPD denies canceling Israeli comedian’s show
The NYPD denies canceling a show by Israeli comedian Guy Hochman in Manhattan last night.
Hochman was targeted by anti-Zionist activist groups who protested outside the venue and his show was canceled. The groups claimed “victory,” and shared a screenshot from Hochman’s Instagram account that said, “Police decided to not allow the show.”
The statement from Hochman appears to have been taken down from his account.
The NYPD denies police canceled the show. “The NYPD did not shut this event down. The NYPD got a call for a protest outside the venue, and when the NYPD arrived, they separated two groups of protesters and put them in designated areas away from the front door of the venue so patrons could enter,” an NYPD spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.
“Ultimately, the venue decided to cancel the show,” the spokesperson says.
A spokesperson for Hochman does not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hochman writes on social media that he is arranging another show for tonight.
“They won’t take the smile off our faces,” he says. He posts a video showing himself with pro-Israel counter-protesters outside the venue.
Hochman was reportedly held for six hours of questioning on Monday upon arriving in Canada after a complaint was filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation, an anti-Israel legal group.
IDF says airstrikes in south Lebanon targeted Hezbollah infrastructure
The IDF says its wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon this evening targeted Hezbollah infrastructure that was embedded within “the heart of the civilian population.”
Ahead of the strikes, the military issued evacuation warnings for residents of several towns in southern Lebanon.
According to the IDF, the strikes targeted Hezbollah weapon depots, including one located underground.
“The infrastructures that were struck were located in the heart of a civilian population. This is another example of the cynical use by the Hezbollah terror organization of Lebanese civilians as human shields and of the organization’s activity from within civilian assets,” the army says.
The IDF adds that Hezbollah’s activity at the sites constitutes a violation of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and poses a threat to Israel.
בפעם השנייה השבוע: צה"ל תקף תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שמוקמו בלב האוכלוסייה האזרחית בדרום לבנון
צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במספר מרחבים בדרום לבנון.
במסגרת התקיפות, צה"ל תקף מחסני אמצעי לחימה ואתר תת-קרקעי ששימש לאחסון אמצעי לחימה של ארגון… pic.twitter.com/KDolLojkiz
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 21, 2026
Trump: Some countries need parliamentary approval to join Board of Peace
US President Donald Trump acknowledges that some countries cannot join his Board of Peace right away, as they need parliamentary approval to join an international body that Washington appears keen on using to bypass the United Nations.
“Some need parliamentary approval,” Trump says in remarks to reporters at the beginning of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
However, he insists that many countries are interested in joining, including ones that were not invited to do so.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier today that 20 to 25 leaders had already accepted invitations to join the Board of Peace, which is slated to hold a signing ceremony on Thursday in Davos.
Trump and Sissi thank one another for their parts in ending the Gaza war last fall, and the Egyptian president urges his American counterpart to remain engaged on the issue so that the full US 20-point plan for ending the conflict is implemented.
Trump reiterates his belief that there is already “peace in the Middle East,” downplaying challenges posed by Hamas and Hezbollah.
“If they don’t get rid of the guns, they’ll be very unhappy people. [They’re] going to have no choice. They will be eliminated,” Trump says of Hamas.
Syria accuses Kurds of breaking truce in threat to chances of deal
Syria’s government says a drone strike by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces killed seven of its soldiers on Wednesday, though the SDF denies this, in an incident that threatens to derail a ceasefire after days of fighting in the northeast.
The Syrian army calls the attack, which it says took place as soldiers were securing a captured military base containing explosives, a dangerous escalation.
The SDF, previously the main US ally in Syria, says it did not carry out a strike and that the blast occurred when Syrian soldiers were moving explosives. It accuses the Syrian army of violating the truce with attacks in several locations.
After days of rapid gains, the government on Tuesday said it had reached an understanding with the SDF for it to agree a plan over a four-day ceasefire to integrate into the central state, and that otherwise the SDF would face an assault on the two last main cities it holds.
The government advance against the SDF has put into doubt years of Kurdish de facto autonomy in the northeast. It is significant for Syria’s ties with the United States and Turkey, and for the fate of thousands of detained Islamist militants.
Knesset votes down Gantz’s security cabinet regulation bill, as he accuses body of leaks
The Knesset votes down an opposition bill to regulate the security cabinet, as its sponsor, Blue and White chair Benny Gantz, harshly rebukes the existing cabinet which he accuses of being incompetent and prone to leaks.
Speaking before the plenum, Gantz says that when he served as IDF chief of staff, he was “instructed not to share information with cabinet members because we knew it would be leaked.”
He also claims that when he served in the security cabinet following the October 7 Hamas attack, he witnessed another member leaking information in the middle of a cabinet meeting.
“I saw and heard one of the senior ministers speaking loudly on the phone, describing what was going on in the closed room while the discussion was still taking place — leaking in real time what was happening in the room,” Gantz alleges, without naming the minister.
Gantz says that “cabinet membership has become a perk,” adding that he remembers cabinet discussions that included more than 50 participants. “The discussions drag on, the ability to prevent leaks is nonexistent, and the ability to hear the professionals and make substantive decisions is eroded,” he continues.
“Israeli governments are harming the country’s security for the sake of jobs and honors. That is the situation,” he says, adding that “the security cabinet is unfit to manage Israel’s security.”
Under the law, only six members of the Ministerial Committee for National Security Affairs, more commonly known as the security cabinet, are legally required to serve on it. However, it currently has 11 formal members in addition to several other ministers and guests who regularly attend.
Gantz’s bill aimed to shrink the size of the body and bar those who didn’t serve in the military or national service, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, from eligibility.
8 Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, announce joint decision to join Board of Peace
Eight prominent Muslim countries jointly announce their decisions to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will each appoint a representative to sit on the panel of world leaders, their foreign ministers announce in a joint statement.
While Egypt, Pakistan and the UAE had already announced plans to join the Board of Peace, the other five countries had still been mulling the decision. Trump had badly wanted Saudi Arabia to join, publicly urging its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman to do so; but Riyadh had been mum until now.
The Board of Peace was given a UN Security Council mandate to oversee the postwar management of Gaza until the end of 2027, though the US is aiming to utilize the panel for conflict resolution around the globe.
It is only expected to meet a handful of times each year, and the panel more involved in decision-making regarding Gaza will be the Gaza Executive Board unveiled on Friday. That body also includes representatives from Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and the US.
In the Muslim countries’ statement announcing their decision to join the Board of Peace, they reiterate their support for “advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.”
Lapid accuses PM of lying to Knesset about security heads’ testimony to comptroller
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of lying about the failure of former heads of security services to appear before the state comptroller.
Speaking in the Knesset, Lapid says that when Netanyahu appeared before the body on Monday, he claimed that former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi, and former IDF Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva had not appeared before the state comptroller to testify on the October 7, 2023, attacks.
All three were heads of their respective organizations on October 7, subsequently resigned, and took responsibility for the security failure.
Lapid quotes Netanyahu as saying before the Knesset on Monday: “I appeared before the state comptroller, and who did not appear before the state comptroller? The former head of the Shin Bet, the former chief of staff, the former head of Military Intelligence.”
Netanyahu also claimed to have answered questions for “long hours” from the state comptroller about the October 7 attack. The prime minister’s rivals have cast doubt on the comptroller’s probe, in part because he was appointed by a Netanyahu-led government.
Lapid says the prime minister’s comments about Bar, Halevi and Haliva are lies, and says Bar appeared twice before the comptroller, Halevi appeared at least 10 times, and Haliva testified multiple times.
“There is no chance in the world that [Netanyahu] did not know they had testified. And yet he came up to this podium and lied to the Knesset,” he says. “The prime minister must apologize and correct his words. He blackened and slandered the senior leadership of the security establishment before the nation/”
Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected bearing significant responsibility for the failures that enabled Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught and has mostly blamed the security establishment for failing to prevent the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
Trump invites pope to join Board of Peace
Pope Leo XIV was invited by US President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace, says the Vatican’s top diplomat.
“The pope has received an invitation and we are considering what to do,” says Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “I believe it will be something that requires a bit of time for consideration before giving a response.”
Red swastikas painted in playground in New York Jewish neighborhood
Blood-red swastikas have been sprayed in a playground in a Jewish area of Brooklyn.
Photos posted by the local community board show a string of swastikas on a children’s slide and on the playground’s pavement in Gravesend Park.
The park is adjacent to Boro Park, a neighborhood with a large Orthodox population.
The community board says the park’s walkways and equipment were “littered with swastikas” and that the NYPD’s hate crimes unit is investigating.
We're yet again at Gravesend Park with @NYPD66Pct and @BPShomrim where the walkways and play equipment were littered with swastikas. These sick individuals need to find out that actions have consequences. @NYPDHateCrimes is investigating. Hopefully justice will be served swiftly. pic.twitter.com/UriRDE9lUe
— Community Board 12 (@BrooklynCB12) January 20, 2026
The Anti-Defamation League’s New York and New Jersey branch says, “Parents should never have to fear that their children will encounter vile hatred at the playground.”
In November, vandals scrawled swastikas on a nearby yeshiva.
Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined in New York City.
IDF chief tells Haredi troops expanding enlistment ‘an operational necessity’
As the government works to advance legislation giving ultra-Orthodox men renewed exemptions from military service, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir tells Haredi troops that expanding their enlistment is “an essential operational necessity to ensure our readiness for the challenges of the future.”
“The scope of the missions and challenges before us is broad and demanding. Accordingly, the IDF is required to expand its ranks,” Zamir tells soldiers of the Nevatim Airbase’s ground defense unit, which is composed of ultra-Orthodox men.
He says that legislation that will extend mandatory military service for men back to 36 months is “only one component” that will reduce “some of the burden on reserve servicemembers.”
“At the same time, the enlistment of the Haredi public is an operational necessity and a moral obligation for us commanders toward all those who serve, in order to distribute the burden equally among all segments of the population,” Zamir says.
“You are proof that it is possible to fully preserve a Haredi way of life while performing meaningful military service,” he tells the troops.
Zamir says the IDF is preparing to approve and issue a General Staff order formalizing arrangements facilitating service conditions for ultra-Orthodox troops, “which will enable the entire Haredi population to join service frameworks and designated units to maintain a Haredi way of life without harming the character of service of other IDF servicemembers.”
“I call on the Haredi public to choose, as you have, meaningful service and contribution to the security of the state,” he adds.
IDF issues new evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon ahead of more strikes
The IDF issues new evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon ahead of strikes on Hezbollah targets.
Residents of the towns of Kharayeb and Ansar are instructed to evacuate at least 300 meters away from several buildings that are marked on a map published by Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman.
The warnings come as the IDF carries out a wave of strikes against Hezbollah sites, following evacuation instructions in three other Lebanese towns.
#عاجل ‼️ إنذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان وتحديدًا في القريتيْن التاليتيْن:
⭕️الخرايب
⭕️أنصار
????سيهاجم جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب بنى تحتية عسكرية تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي للتعامل مع محاولاته المحظورة لإعادة إعمار أنشطته في المنطقة
????نحث سكان المباني المحددة بالأحمر في… pic.twitter.com/yKSBDdV58Z— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 21, 2026
Man injured in hit-and-run during Jerusalem protest for soldiers with PTSD
A protester has been injured in a hit-and-run during a Jerusalem demonstration demanding better treatment for IDF soldiers suffering from PTSD.
Police say the man was taken to the hospital with mild injuries. Officers are searching for the motorist, who quickly fled the scene of the demonstration near the Chords Bridge.
The hit-and-run occurred as protesters moved to block a road leading into the capital.
מפגין נדרס במחאת הלומי הקרב ליד גשר המיתרים בירושלים, מצבו קל@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/cp7yJrZqQm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 21, 2026
Netanyahu examining potential February meeting with Trump in Washington
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking into flying to Washington, DC, in February in order to meet US President Donald Trump and to participate in an AIPAC event, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu’s office does not respond to requests for comment.
Trump: Hamas will be ‘blown away very quickly’ if it doesn’t disarm very soon
“We have peace in the Middle East,” US President Donald Trump says at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“There are some little situations like Hamas, and Hamas has agreed to give up their weapons,” he asserts, though the terror group has publicly said it will not disarm.
“They were born with a weapon in their hand, so it’s not easy to do,” he says.
“That’s what they’ve agreed to, they’re going to do it,” Trump promises. “And we’re going to know over the next two-three days, certainly the next three weeks, whether or not they’re going to do it.”
“If they don’t do it, they’ll be blown away very quickly,” he warns.
Trump claims that many of the “59 countries” interested in participating in the peacekeeping force in Gaza “want to come in and take out Hamas. They want to do whatever they can.”
.@POTUS: "I think we have peace in the Middle East. There are some little situations like Hamas… we're going to know over the next 2 or 3 days, certainly over the next 3 weeks, whether or not they're going to [disarm]. If they don't do it, they'll be blown away very quickly." pic.twitter.com/W8Ofwwj018
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 21, 2026
IDF says it struck Hezbollah sites in Lebanon after warnings
After issuing evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon, the IDF says it has launched a wave of strikes on Hezbollah sites.
Warnings were issued for several buildings in the towns of Qennarit, Kfour, and Jarjouaa.
فيديو يوثق لحظة الغارة اسرائيلية على المنزل المهدد في قناريت pic.twitter.com/FmaB6U95Rf
— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) January 21, 2026
Israel says Hezbollah man who disrupted Lebanese army dismantlement efforts killed in strike
A Hezbollah operative who, according to the IDF, was responsible for preventing the Lebanese army from dismantling a weapons cache in southern Lebanon last month, was killed in an Israeli airstrike today, the military says.
Abu Ali Salameh, who the IDF says served as a Hezbollah “liaison officer” in the village of Yanouh, in the Tyre area, was targeted while driving on a road near the coastal Lebanese city.
“As part of his role, the terrorist managed Hezbollah’s activities in the village of Yanouh, to enable Hezbollah to operate within the civilian area and in private properties in the village, and to embed terror infrastructure in the heart of the population through the deliberate and cynical exploitation of residents to advance Hezbollah’s terror objectives,” the military says.
According to the IDF, on December 13, Israel sent a request to the Lebanese army, via the US-led ceasefire oversight mechanism, to take action against a Hezbollah weapons depot in Yanouh.
“Salameh received the report from the Lebanese Armed Forces and passed it on to other Hezbollah elements. Upon the arrival of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Hezbollah terrorists prevented them from dismantling the infrastructure by creating a gathering that enabled Hezbollah to move the weapons out of the property,” the military claims.
At the time, the IDF had published an evacuation warning ahead of a planned strike on the site, before postponing it after the Lebanese army arrived in an attempt to dismantle it.
The IDF says that Salameh coordinated with the Lebanese army to document the site without weapons, “thereby claiming that the site was empty.”
“During the Lebanese Armed Forces’ operation, several suspicious boxes were removed from the compound through the rear door of the property,” the IDF says.
The army says Salameh’s actions constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
צה"ל חיסל מחבל שהיה אחראי על שיבוש אכיפת מחסן אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה
מוקדם יותר היום, צה״ל תקף וחיסל את המחבל אבו עלי סלאמה, ששימש כקצין קישור של חיזבאללה בכפר יאנוח שבדרום לבנון.
במסגרת תפקידו, ניהל המחבל את הפעילות של חיזבאללה בכפר יאנוח, במטרה לאפשר לחיזבאללה… pic.twitter.com/GoDZhoy9wU
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 21, 2026
Trump says he told Netanyahu to ‘stop taking credit’ for Iron Dome, as ‘it’s our technology’
At Davos, US President Trump says he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “stop taking credit” for the Iron Dome rocket defense system, as “it’s our technology.”
This is highly inaccurate. Iron Dome, which is used primarily for defense against short-range rockets and missiles, was initially solely developed by Israeli defense companies. Significant US funding and some collaboration with US defense companies came later.
“What we did for Israel was amazing,” Trump says. “But that’s nothing compared to what we have planned for the United States, Canada and the rest of the world. We are gonna build a dome like no other. We did it for Israel, and by the way I told Bibi, ‘Bibi stop taking credit for the dome, that’s our technology.'”
Trump on the Iron Dome:
“What we did for Israel was amazing…We did it for Israel. And by the way, I told Bibi, ‘Bibi, stop taking credit for the dome. That's our technology, that's our stuff.’ But they had a lot of courage, and they were good fighters, and they did a good job.” pic.twitter.com/tm9G9uHdK5
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) January 21, 2026
Trump has been championing his own defensive shield for the US, which he has dubbed Golden Dome. The $175 billion project, aimed at blocking threats from China and Russia, is meant to create a network of satellites to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles.
11 killed, 6 wounded by IDF in Gaza since dawn, Hamas-run health ministry says
Gaza hospitals have received six people wounded and the bodies of 11 people killed by the IDF since dawn, the Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry says in a brief statement.
The statement does not identify the people, say where they were killed or wounded, or specify the severity of the wounds.
According to Palestinian media, the dead include a woman and child who were killed near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip; three members of a single family, including a child, who were killed in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah; three brothers killed in central Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp; and three journalists working for an Egyptian governmental aid agency who were killed near central Gaza’s al-Zahra area.
Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital reportedly received the bodies of Hanan Hamdan, 32, who was killed on the Hamas-controlled side of the Gaza ceasefire line, and Moatasem al-Sharafi, 13, who was killed on the Israeli-controlled side of the ceasefire line.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital, in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, reportedly received the bodies of Sirhan, Muhammad and Mussa al-Rajoudi, ages 10, 37 and 22, respectively. The three were said to have been killed on the Hamas-controlled side of the ceasefire line near Deir al-Balah.
The hospital also reportedly received the bodies of brothers Muhammad, Faisal and Walid Abu Sleisel, whose ages were not reported. They are said to have been killed in a strike on Bureij, which the ceasefire line runs through.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF on those reports. The army regularly says it fires on gunmen who cross the ceasefire line and who pose a threat to troops.
Journalists Abed Shaat, Anas Ghoneim and Muhammad Qashta, whose respective ages were not reported, were killed while filming an encampment established in central Gaza’s al-Zahra area by the Egyptian Relief Committee in the Gaza Strip, according to the committee. Al-Aqsa Hospital reportedly received one of the journalists’ bodies while Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital received the other two.
The IDF said the three were piloting a drone that was “affiliated with the Hamas terror group” and posed a threat to Israeli soldiers stationed in the area. Footage published by Arabic media indicated that at least one of the three, Ghoneim, was a drone photographer.
مشاهد للشهيد الصحفي أنس غنيم الذي ارتقى برفقة زميله عبدالرؤوف شعث ومحمد قشطة في قصف الاحتلال لمركبة تابعة للجنة المصرية أثناء مهمة تصوير للمخيمات وسط قطاع غزة. pic.twitter.com/Zf3WUu9IBF
— بوابة اللاجئين الفلسطينيين (@refugeesps) January 21, 2026
Trump says won’t use force to take Greenland
US President Donald Trump says he wil not use force to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Washington’s ally Denmark, but insists the United States must still have “ownership” of it.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable, but I won’t do that. Okay. Now everyone’s saying, Oh, good. That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force,” he tells world leaders at a summit in Davos.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”
Trump says only ‘great power’ US can defend Greenland
US President Donald Trump tells global elites at Davos that only his country can “secure Greenland,” doubling down on his vow to seize control of the Danish autonomous territory.
“The fact is, no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States. We’re a great power, much greater than people even understand. I think they found that out two weeks ago in Venezuela,” he says, referring to a US military operation to depose that country’s leader.
He slams NATO ally Denmark as “ungrateful” for US help with securing Greenland after World War II.
IDF says deadly central Gaza strike targeted suspects piloting Hamas drone
The IDF says an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier today targeted several suspects who were piloting a drone that was “affiliated with the Hamas terror group.”
The military says the drone posed a threat to Israeli soldiers stationed in the area, and as a result, an airstrike was conducted against the suspects.
According to Palestinian media, the strike killed three photojournalists working for an Egyptian governmental humanitarian agency.
The IDF says the strike was carried out “in accordance with the required chain of command approvals,” but further details are under review.
IDF warn southern Lebanon towns ahead of strikes on Hezbollah targets
The IDF issues a warning to residents of several southern Lebanon towns ahead of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure.
“The IDF will attack military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization to address its prohibited attempts to rebuild its activities in the area,” warns Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman.
With the announcement, the IDF publishes maps showing the locations of sites that are to be targeted, in the towns of Qennarit, Kfour, and Jarjouaa.
“You are located near buildings used by Hezbollah, and for your own safety, you must evacuate them immediately and move at least 300 meters away,” Adraee says.
#عاجل ‼️ إنذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان وتحديدًا في القرى التالية:
⭕️ قناريت
⭕️ الكفور (النبطية)
⭕️جرجوع
????سيهاجم جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب بنى تحتية عسكرية تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي وذلك للتعامل مع محاولاته المحظورة لإعادة إعمار أنشطته في المنطقة
???? نحث سكان المباني… pic.twitter.com/FSTcSPTmGE— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 21, 2026
Three journalists working for Egyptian government aid committee said killed in central Gaza strike
The three people reportedly killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the central Gaza Strip a short while ago are identified in Arabic media as photojournalists Abed Shaat and Anas Ghoneim and correspondent Muhammad Qashta, who had been moonlighting for an Egyptian governmental humanitarian agency.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
According to Arabic media, the three had been filming an encampment established in central Gaza’s al-Zahra area by the Egyptian Relief Committee in the Gaza Strip.
A source in the Egyptian committee is cited by Qatari-owned UK newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed as confirming the reports and calling the strike a “dangerous precedent.”
The three were reportedly traveling in a jeep that belonged to the committee. Footage published by one Palestinian journalist indicated the jeep bore the committee’s insignia.
Qashta, who has been featured on Al Jazeera and other outlets during the war in Gaza, appears to have more recently created social media content for the Egyptian committee, including a video he published two days ago about the Zahra encampment.
#عاجل: اللجنة المصرية لإغاثة أهالي قطاع غزة:
الجيش الإسرائيلي يغتال ثلاثة صحفيين يعملون في اللجنة أثناء مهمة تصوير لمخيمات اللجنة بمنطقة نيتساريم وسط قطاع غزة بقصف سيارتهم .
وهم:محمد صلاح قشطة
وعبد الرؤوف سمير شعت
وأنس غنيم. pic.twitter.com/5t2D8IKTx0— برق نيوز (@barqnewskw) January 21, 2026
UK lowers travel advisory warning to Israel after raising it due to Iran tensions
The United Kingdom dials down its travel warning to Israel after advising last week that British citizens avoid “all but essential travel” to the region amid tensions with Iran.
Now, the UK’s Foreign Office lifts the warning for most of the country, with the exception of high-risk areas.
It continues to advise against all travel within 500 meters of the Gaza border, within 500 meters of the buffer zone separating Israel and Syria, and within 500 meters of the Lebanon border.
In the Palestinian territories, it recommends against all travel to Gaza as well as several areas in the West Bank, including Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas.
Finally, it “advises against all but essential travel” to the rest of the West Bank, excluding Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jericho.
Palestinian emergency services say settlers set fire to vehicles, assaulted people in village near Nablus
Palestinian emergency services report two people wounded and 10 vehicles burned in a settler attack this morning on the Palestinian village of Urif, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.
The two wounded people were taken to a hospital, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says. At least three bulldozers, two trucks and five cars were burned before firefighters put out the flames, according to the Palestinian Authority’s civil defense agency.
Palestinian media publishes sped-up security camera footage from about 8 a.m. showing over a dozen individuals storming an area close to a large shed, throwing stones and setting fire to vehicles.
#شاهد لحظة هجوم المستوطنين على كسارة ببلدة عوريف جنوب نابلس صباح اليوم. pic.twitter.com/LODhV2jMBD
— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) January 21, 2026
Other footage captured on a handheld camera shows a car and bulldozer in flames next to a quarry, with a burnt-out bulldozer in the background. A man can be heard saying that settlers were responsible.
???? _ مستوطنون يحرقون مركباتٍ وآلياتٍ في كسارةٍ ببلدة عوريف، جنوب نابلس pic.twitter.com/7687Mum0EC
— عربي بوست (@arabic_post) January 21, 2026
The IDF does not immediately respond to a request for comment, including on whether it was investigating the arson or had apprehended any suspects.
Herzog meets with former British PM Blair, NATO chief in Davos
President Isaac Herzog meets with former UK prime minister Tony Blair, a member of the Gaza Executive Board, in Davos, his office tells The Times of Israel.
Herzog also meets NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum gathering.
Palestinians report three dead, several hurt in strike on vehicle in central Gaza; no comment from IDF
Palestinian media reports three dead and several wounded in an Israeli airstrike targeting a vehicle in the al-Zahra area of the central Gaza Strip.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
Knesset advances bill to allow Uber and Lyft in preliminary reading
The Knesset votes 37-2 in favor of a bill that would advance regulation to allow rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft to operate in Israel in its preliminary reading.
In a rare example of bipartisanship, the bill was co-sponsored by opposition party Blue and White’s Eitan Ginzburg and ruling party Likud’s Moshe Passal, and received nearly unanimous support across both sides of the aisle.
The so-called “Uber bill” would pave the regulatory path to permit shared ride-hailing service companies such as Uber and Lyft to offer services in Israel via phone applications that connect private drivers with passengers.
“This law is nothing less than a consumer revolution. Israeli citizens have been paying exorbitant prices for years and suffering from a severe shortage of taxis. This law says it’s time to align with the West and bring technology and competition to Israel’s transportation market,” says Ginzburg in a statement.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who has supported the legislation, says, “Uber is an inevitable step in Israel. Some said nothing would be done, and we are proving that we are acting and will continue to act.”
The legislation will now advance to the Knesset House Committee to determine which committee will be assigned the responsibility of advancing the bill, which will need to pass additional readings before becoming law.
The ministry has vowed that the move will significantly increase transportation across the country, improve service availability, and reduce fares, though it would severely disrupt the taxi sector, which has for years successfully lobbied to keep Uber and other ride-hailing services out of Israel.
IDF chief says military ready to act ‘against any enemy’ that poses threat
Amid the ongoing tensions with Iran, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir tells Israeli Air Force pilots and air personnel that the military “will know how to strike powerfully in any arena against any enemy that threatens the security of the State of Israel.”
The IDF says Zamir visited the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, home to the IAF’s F-35I stealth fighters. This week, three new F-35s joined the IAF’s arsenal, bringing its total to 48.
“The air force constitutes the IDF’s strategic arm. You are at the forefront of the offensive and defensive effort in both near and distant arenas over the past two years of fighting,” Zamir says, according to remarks provided by the military.
Zamir tells the pilots that during the 12-day war with Iran in June, “you accumulated operational experience unparalleled anywhere in the world, and we will know how to draw lessons from it and use it to ensure the security of the State of Israel at all times.”
“We are prepared for various scenarios and continuously improve our capabilities in order to achieve victory in the overall campaign against our enemies. This is our responsibility and our mission,” he says.
IDF dismisses, censures several Duvdevan commanders over friendly fire incident
Several commanders in the IDF’s Duvdevan commando unit have been dismissed or censured over an incident this month in which troops mistakenly opened fire on their comrades during a raid in the West Bank.
According to the IDF, on January 11, Duvdevan commandos operated in Nablus to detain Palestinians suspected of terror activity. During the raid, the military says one group of soldiers mistakenly identified another team from the same unit on the roof of a building as an armed enemy force and opened fire on the structure.
The army says that there were no injuries in the incident.
The friendly fire was reported immediately, and an investigation was launched, the results of which were recently presented to Central Command chief, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the IDF says.
“From the investigation it emerged that due to a navigation error, a force of troops that mistakenly positioned itself in a building located in the sector of a neighboring squadron operating in the operation was identified as the enemy,” the military says, adding that the probe showed that the troops were not in the line of fire of the other soldiers, and aside from gunfire toward the building, no other means were used.
The IDF says that a series of lessons were implemented in the unit, alongside “a tightening of operational instructions and procedures.”
The army says that several Duvdevan commanders “who had a direct connection” to the incident would be reprimanded or removed from their roles, “in light of the deviations from the expected standard of performance that led to the incident.”
Among those dismissed from their roles are a team commander and a team sergeant, the latter of whom opened fire against regulations.
The deputy commander of Duvdevan, a squadron commander, a deputy squadron commander, another team commander, and one additional soldier were all formally censured by their superiors.
Herzog meets with Azerbaijani, Swiss presidents on sidelines of World Economic Forum
President Isaac Herzog holds meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Swiss President Guy Parmelin during his attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to a statement from his office.
During their meeting, Herzog and Aliyev discussed ways “to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties,” while Herzog and Parmelin spoke about “deepening cooperation” in the fields of “trade, innovation, science, and technology,” according to the brief readouts.
Herzog also spoke with the CEO of US chip giant Nvidia, Jensen Huang, at the forum, and discussed the release of former hostage Avinatan Or, an Nvidia employee, from Hamas captivity last year, as well as plans for Nvidia to build a new campus in northern Israel and for Huang to soon visit.
“What a miracle,” Huang says about Or’s return in a video from the president’s office, telling the president that Or “was so amazed when he came out [of captivity] that he was still employed,” and joking that “he has so much work” to catch up on.
Turkey to be represented by foreign minister at Board of Peace ceremony — Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, will represent him at the Board of Peace ceremony in Davos tomorrow.
Erdogan has not yet said he has agreed to serve on the US-backed panel, but the statement to reporters seems to confirm his participation.
Erdogan has not returned to Davos since 2009, when he shared a stage with then-president Shimon Peres. There, Erdogan accused Israel of killing civilians before saying he would not come back to the World Economic Forum and storming off the stage.
Palestinian bomb manufacturer arrested in West Bank, IDF says
Border Police officers nabbed a Palestinian explosive device manufacturer near the West Bank city of Tulkarem this week, Israeli security forces say.
According to the police, Shin Bet, and IDF, the wanted man, Fadi Bahti, was a “central explosives manufacturer” in a terror network based in the Tulkarem area.
The Border Police officers raided Bahti’s home in the town of Shuweika and detained him. He was then handed over to the Shin Bet for further interrogation.
Border Police officers arrest a Palestinian accused of manufacturing explosives during a raid in the West Bank town of Shuweika, near Tulkarem, in a video issued on January 21, 2026. (Israel Police)
For first time, police allow Jewish worshipers to bring printed prayer to Temple Mount
Police are now allowing Jewish worshipers to ascend the Temple Mount with printed prayers, another blow to the long-held regulations barring non-Muslim prayer at the flashpoint site.
This morning, Jewish visitors were handed liturgical material printed on flyers while waiting to go up to the site. The sheets include religious guidelines for visiting the Temple Mount, a prayer to recite before ascending and the Amidah (standing) prayer, said thrice-daily in Jewish tradition.
Non-Muslim prayer is nominally forbidden at the Temple Mount site — known by Muslims as the Al-Aqsa Compound — due to a string of unwritten agreements between Israel and Jordan, which administers the site through the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.
The hotly disputed site, holy in both Judaism and Islam, was the location of both Jewish temples and since the 7th century has housed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine.
While in the past, police would eject or detain Jewish visitors caught praying on the Temple Mount, this policy has largely fallen to the wayside over the past three years under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has repeatedly called on law enforcement to allow Jewish prayer there.
In recent years, Jewish visitors have been permitted to pray and prostrate themselves in the eastern part of the complex, but were still barred from bringing prayer items, such as tefillin, prayer shawls and printed liturgy to the site.
“It’s official right now. From what I understand they [police] have permitted the flyers,” says a spokesman for Beyadenu, which represents Temple Mount activists.
Speaking to The Times of Israel, he stresses the significance of the change, saying such printed material is “something that they [Israeli security] used to check for, to make sure you weren’t bringing” to the site.
The shift comes two weeks after Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled, an associate of Ben Gvir, was appointed to the sensitive position of Jerusalem District commander, replacing Deputy Commissioner Amir Arzani, who went on leave. Peled formerly served as deputy police chief.
Haaretz reports that Arzani departed under duress after he pushed back against the far-right Ben Gvir’s attempts to further relax restrictions on the Temple Mount.
Police said they accepted a request from the Temple Mount Yeshiva — which encourages Jews to ascend and pray at the site — urging law enforcement to allow visitors to carry up “guidance sheets” to the complex.
“In order to maintain the existing order, it was determined that the use of these sheets would be limited solely to specific areas defined by the police,” law enforcement added.
רגע מרגש בתולדות המאבק היהודי להשבת הר הבית לתפארתו. כעת המשטרה מתירה ליהודים להתפלל מתוך דף תפילה (ביום כיפור האחרון יהודים נעצרו והורחקו בגלל דפים כאלה). שימו לב במיוחד לנוסח ה"לשם ייחוד".
אשרינו שזכינו. תודה לשר בן גביר שמחולל בהר שינוי היסטורי בלתי נתפס.
צילום: אלקנה וולפסון pic.twitter.com/ACS4K85Ycb— ארנון סגל (@arnonsegal1) January 21, 2026
The statement appeared to confirm the police’s official sanction of non-Muslim prayer, stressing that officers work to “enable freedom of worship and visitation at the Temple Mount for all religions and communities.”
Egypt accepts offer to join Trump’s Board of Peace
Egypt’s foreign ministry says that President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi has accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his Board of Peace.
Egypt “announces its acceptance of the invitation and its commitment to fulfilling the relevant legal and constitutional procedures,” the statement says, praising Trump for his Middle East policies.
“Egypt expresses its support for the Board of Peace’s mission for the second phase of the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza,” it adds.
Putin to meet with PA’s Abbas in Moscow Thursday
The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow tomorrow.
Abbas is due to arrive in Moscow today, the Kremlin says.
IDF says terror operative killed overnight after crossing Gaza ceasefire line
A Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip’s south overnight was killed by troops, the military says.
According to the IDF, the operative crossed the Yellow Line and approached soldiers of the 188th Armored Brigade “in a way that posed an immediate threat.”
The soldiers opened fire and “eliminated the terrorist to remove the threat,” the army adds.
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.
Knesset to vote on Blue and White bill that would shrink security cabinet, bar draft evaders
The Knesset will vote today on an opposition bill to regulate the security cabinet, including sharply reducing its size and barring those who did not complete military or national service from serving in it.
The bill, proposed by Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz, is “aimed at regulating the cabinet’s conduct,” according to a statement from the party.
According to the proposal, the number of cabinet members would be limited to eight, members would receive “professional training and guidance,” and anyone who did not complete either military or national service would be ineligible to serve in the cabinet, amid the ongoing debate over regulating the draft for yeshiva students.
The bill would render several members of the current cabinet ineligible, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was not drafted into the military due to extremist activities as a youth, including joining the outlawed Meir Kahane’s banned Kach party, which the state considers to be a terrorist organization.
Ben Gvir himself was later convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attended yeshiva and only served for 14 months as an enlisted man after being conscripted at the age of 28.
The Ministerial Committee for National Security Affairs, more commonly known as the security cabinet, currently has 11 official members but in practice, several other ministers regularly attend, in addition to numerous other regular guests.
Under the law, only six members are legally required to serve in the cabinet: the prime minister and the defense, justice, foreign affairs, finance, and national security ministers.
However, Energy Minister Eli Cohen, Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel, Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and Zeev Elkin, a minister in the Finance Ministry, are also members.
In addition, Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock and Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem regularly attend, as did Shas party leader Aryeh Deri prior to his party leaving the government last summer over the failure to pass a draft exemption law for yeshiva students.
Gantz proposes that the security cabinet be “modeled” after the war cabinet he formed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the days following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, when his National Unity party joined Netanyahu’s ruling Likud to form an emergency government.
The war cabinet included only six members: Netanyahu and Gantz, then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, then-strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, and Deri.
Brother of Avera Mengistu found alive after going missing three days ago
Ashgara Mengistu, the brother of former Hamas captive Avera Mengistu, has been found alive after going missing three days ago, the Israel Police says.
Police said yesterday that Ashgara, 33, left his mother’s home in Ma’ale Adumim, outside Jerusalem, on Sunday and had not been heard from since.
Kosovo, a close US ally, accepts offer to join Trump’s Board of Peace
Kosovo says it has accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his Board of Peace.
“I am deeply honored by the President’s personal invitation to represent the Republic of Kosovo as a founding member of the Board of Peace, standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the pursuit of a safer world,” Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani writes on X.
“America helped bring peace to Kosovo. Today, Kosovo stands firmly as America’s ally, ready to help carry that peace forward,” Osmani says.
Kosovo, a Balkan country of 1.6 million people, has been a close ally of the United States, which supported its independence from Serbia in 2008.
Under 200,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors remain alive today, data shows
There are fewer than 200,000 living Jewish Holocaust survivors remaining in the world today, with about half living in Israel, according to new data published by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day next week.
An estimated 196,600 Jewish Holocaust survivors currently live across more than 90 countries, the Claims Conference says. That’s down from roughly 220,000 a year ago.
Half of all survivors reside in Israel, while 18% live in North America and 17% in Western Europe. The United States is home to about 31,000 survivors, or 16% of the global total. France, Russia, Germany and Ukraine also have significant survivor populations.
The median age of survivors is 87, with ages ranging from 79 to over 100. Around 30% are aged 90 or older, and just over 1% have reached 100.
Nearly all survivors (97%) are considered child survivors, born in 1928 or later. Women make up the majority of the population at 62%.
The report notes that about 34% of survivors receive monthly pensions negotiated by the Claims Conference, while 71% have received social welfare services in the past year through more than 300 partner agencies. Tens of thousands also rely on assistance for food security and basic needs, it says.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held yearly on January 27, the day Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.
Sweden joins Norway, France in turning down offer to join Trump’s Board of Peace
Sweden will not participate in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative with the text presented so far, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tells reporters in Davos.
The board will be chaired for life by Trump and would initially address the Gaza conflict, with plans to expand its scope to deal with other conflicts, according to a copy of a letter and draft charter seen by Reuters.
Both Norway and France have also said they will not join the board in its current format, while the United Kingdom has expressed concern over its makeup, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, have been offered positions on the board.
IDF says it targeted Hezbollah operative near Tyre, southern Lebanon, in second strike today
In a second airstrike in southern Lebanon today, the IDF says it targeted a Hezbollah operative in Burj al-Shemali, near the coastal city of Tyre, a short while ago.
There is no immediate information on casualties in the strike.
#عاجل – غا.رة من مسيرة تستهد.ف "رابيد" على طريق #برج_الشمالي قرب محطة شعيتلي pic.twitter.com/ixLMnGKWxv
— موقع النبطية (@Nabatiehorg) January 21, 2026
Earlier, the IDF said it targeted a Hezbollah operative near Sidon.
IDF thwarts attempt to smuggle machine gun into Israel from Egypt via drone
An attempt to smuggle a machine gun into Israel from Egypt using a drone was foiled yesterday, the IDF says.
The drone had been identified crossing the border by the Israeli Air Force’s air traffic control array.
The IDF says that after the drone was spotted, troops of the Paran Regional Brigade downed the device. It was found to be ferrying an FN MAG.
כוחות צה"ל סיכלו ניסיון הברחה של אמצעי לחימה בגבול המערבי
מערך הבקרה האווירית זיהה אתמול, רחפן שחצה ממערב לשטח מדינת ישראל בניסיון להבריח אמצעי לחימה.
לאחר הזיהוי, כוחות צה"ל מחטיבת פארן סיכלו את הרחפן שנשא כלי נשק מסוג 'מאג'.
כלי הנשק שאותר הועבר להמשך טיפול כוחות הביטחון.… pic.twitter.com/ubYR4um6hJ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 21, 2026
UTJ’s Goldknopf claims bus driver who hit and killed Haredi teen yesterday did so ‘maliciously’
United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf states that there is no doubt yesterday’s incident, in which a Haredi teen was hit by a bus and killed near the Hasidic moshav of Komemiyut in south-central Israel was carried out “maliciously” and calls for the driver to be brought to justice.
“The new footage, which shows the bus driver accelerating toward the group of protesters, and the passengers stating that he was going wild, leaves no room for doubt that the action was done maliciously,” says Goldknopf.
Police stressed last night that, contrary to reports circulating online, there was no connection between the fatal accident and a Haredi protest that ended earlier near Komemiyut.
Goldknopf says that he spoke to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir about the incident, who “made it clear” to him that “he views the matter very seriously and that the Israel Police will do its job faithfully and investigate the incident to the fullest.”
“Minister Ben-Gvir emphasized in the conversation that ‘the blood of our Haredi brothers is not cheap,” Goldknopf says, demanding that “the driver of the hit-and-run be brought to justice.”
According to the MDA, medics and paramedics responding to the incident on Route 3533 at the Aluma Junction found 17-year-old pedestrian Naftali Zvi Kramer lying on the road with a severe head injury and no vital signs.
Police said they have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the fatal crash. Officers from the Kiryat Gat police station and traffic accident investigators are examining the scene, and the bus driver has been detained for questioning.
Last night’s incident is the second time this month that a Haredi teen has been struck by a bus and killed. Two weeks ago, Yosef Eisenthal, 14, was killed when a bus drove into Haredi protesters as tens of thousands attended an anti-conscription demonstration in Jerusalem.
IDF: Hezbollah operative targeted in strike near Sidon, southern Lebanon
A Hezbollah operative was targeted in an Israeli airstrike near the coastal southern Lebanese city of Sidon a short while ago, the military says.
According to Lebanese media, the strike targeted a vehicle.
There is no immediate information on casualties in the strike.
"الوكالة الوطنية": طائرة مسيّرة اسرائيلية استهدفت سيارة على طريق الزهراني – المصيلح وتوجهت فرق من الاسعاف الى مكان الاستهداف pic.twitter.com/xPhguXLk8A
— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) January 21, 2026
France requests NATO exercise in Greenland as Macron says Europe won’t give in to US bullying
France has asked for a NATO exercise in Greenland and is ready to contribute to it, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office says on Wednesday.
News of the request comes as US President Donald Trump barrels into Davos, Switzerland, where he is likely to use the World Economic Forum to escalate his push for acquiring Greenland despite European protests in the biggest fraying of transatlantic ties in decades.
Speaking in Davos yesterday, Macron said Europe would not give in to bullies or be intimidated, in a scathing criticism of Trump’s threat to impose steep tariffs if Europe does not let him take over Greenland.
NATO leaders have warned that Trump’s Greenland strategy could upend the alliance. Trump has linked Greenland to his anger at not receiving a Nobel Peace Prize.
Netanyahu accepts Trump’s invitation to join Board of Peace
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, his office announces.
The board is an initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, starting with the Gaza Strip, and will be chaired for life by Trump.
Diplomats have warned that the board could harm the work of the United Nations.
Israel joins Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam in accepting Trump’s invitation.
Azerbaijan accepts Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace — local media
Azerbaijan has agreed to take part in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, Azerbaijani media reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.
In addition to Azerbaijan, Trump’s offer to join the Board of Peace has so far been accepted by Argentina, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
Iranian FM: Tehran will fight back ‘with everything we have’ if Iran comes under US attack
Iran’s foreign minister has issued the most direct threat yet against the United States after Tehran’s bloody crackdown on protesters, warning the Islamic Republic will be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”
The comments by Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, comes as an American aircraft carrier group moves westward toward the Middle East from Asia. Meanwhile, American fighter jets and other equipment appear to be moving in the Mideast after a major US military deployment in the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
Araghchi makes the threat in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal. In it, the foreign minister contends “the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours” and seeks again to blame armed demonstrators for the violence.
Videos that have slipped out of Iran despite an internet shutdown appear to show security forces repeatedly using live fire to target apparently unarmed protesters, something unaddressed by Araghchi.
An Iranian official in the region said this week that the authorities had verified at least 5,000 people had been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel.
“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Araghchi writes, referring to the 12-day war launched by Israel on Iran in June. “This isn’t a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war.”
He adds: “An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”
Trump departs for Davos forum again after switching to new plane
US President Donald Trump has resumed his trip to the Davos forum, an AFP journalist saw, after a minor electrical issue forced his presidential plane to return to its air base.
Trump and his entourage changed planes at Joint Base Andrews and took off again shortly after 5 a.m. GMT (7 a.m. Israel time), about two and a half hours after his initial departure.
White House says Trump returning to airport, switching planes after ‘minor electrical issue’ on Air Force 1
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump is returning to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to change aircraft after crew on his Air Force One identified “a minor electrical issue” on the aircraft shortly after taking off to fly to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the White House says.
The trip will continue on a new aircraft, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says.
Trump warns US will ‘wipe Iran off the face of this earth’ if it assassinates him
US President Donald Trump says the United States will ‘wipe’ out Iran if the country assassinates him.
“The whole country is going to get blown up,” Trump says in an interview on NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight.”
“I have very firm instructions — anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” he adds.
Iran on Tuesday warned Trump not to take any action against the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, days after the US president called for an end to Khamenei’s nearly 40-year reign.
“Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand but also we will set fire to their world,” said Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces.
Trump has previously said he’s given his advisers instructions to obliterate Iran if the country is behind an assassination of him.
President Trump warned Tuesday that the U.S. would respond forcefully if Iran acts on alleged assassination threats against him. Speaking exclusively with NewsNation’s @KatiePavlich, Trump said, “Anything ever happens, the whole country is going to get blown up." @KatiePavlichNN… pic.twitter.com/JA5YeHc2RE
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) January 21, 2026
Trump still pushing aides to draw up ‘decisive’ military options against Iran — WSJ
US President Donald Trump is continuing to push his aides to devise what he calls “decisive” military options against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports, days after he called off strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Citing US officials, the report says Trump has repeatedly employed the word “decisive” when discussing what outcome he would want from an American attack on Iran, leading aides at the White House and Pentagon to draw up an array of options for him — among them actions that would be aimed at toppling the regime.
Other options that are more limited in aim reportedly include strikes on facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Officials quoted by the US newspaper say Trump still hasn’t ruled out strikes, though it’s unclear what he may ultimately decide, with the deliberations coming as an American aircraft carrier and fighter jets are headed to the Middle East.
Likud candidate wins special race for Netanya mayoralty after longtime mayor’s death
Avi Slama has been elected as the new mayor of Netanya, winning the special race to fill the post after the coastal city’s longtime mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar died in November.
Acting Mayor Tali Mulner finishes second in voting but well behind Salma, who received over two thirds of the ballots cast.
Slama, a member of the ruling Likud party, was endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Noam Bettan selected to represent Israel at Eurovision after winning ‘Rising Star’
Noam Bettan, 27, a singer born in Israel to French immigrant parents, is selected as Israel’s entrant in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Bettan, who hails from Ra’anana, will represent Israel at the competition in Vienna in May after winning this season of “Hakochav Haba” (Rising Star) during tonight’s grand finale.
When this season of Rising Star premiered in November, Israel’s inclusion in this year’s contest was up in the air, as a growing chorus of artists and fans were calling for it to be barred from the competition over the war against Hamas in Gaza.
But last month members of the European Broadcasting Union voted overwhelmingly not to kick Israel out of the competition, a move which prompted Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia to boycott this year’s competition in protest.
Bettan is aware that he will not be welcomed to the contest in Austria with open arms, but he said he won’t let it faze him.
“It’s entering the lion’s den,” he said during an interview this morning with the Kan Gimmel radio station. “But I can say that seeing those few Israeli flags in the audience — look at that, and know that there’s a whole nation behind you, and you’re their voice. It’s truly a privilege.”
The song Bettan will sing at the contest is slated to be unveiled in March after being selected by a committee convened by the Kan public broadcaster, which organizes Israel’s participation in the contest.
Standoff with Iran over inspections cannot go on forever, IAEA chief says
The standoff with Iran over accounting for its stock of highly enriched uranium and inspecting nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel cannot go on forever, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has inspected all 13 declared nuclear facilities in Iran that were not bombed, but has been unable to inspect any of the three key sites that were bombed in June — Natanz, Fordow or Isfahan — Grossi tells Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Iran must first file a report to the IAEA on what happened to those sites and material, including an estimated 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level. That is enough material, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear bombs, according to an IAEA yardstick.
Iran has not submitted that special report to the IAEA.
“This cannot go on forever because at some point, I will have to say, ‘Well, I don’t have any idea where this material is,'” which would mean there is no guarantee the material has not been diverted or hidden, Grossi says.
“I do not have that conviction or conclusion at the moment, but what we are saying to Iran is that they need to engage.”
Trump backs Syrian leader, says ‘a choir boy’ could not handle situation
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday expresses support for his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa, who launched an offensive against Washington’s erstwhile Kurdish allies, saying a “choir boy” could not handle the situation.
“He’s working very hard, the president of Syria. He’s working very, very hard. Strong guy, tough guy,” Trump tells journalists at the White House.
“Pretty rough resume. But you’re not gonna put a choir boy in there and get the job done,” he adds.