July 10: Perpetrators of West Bank terror attack named as Palestinian Authority cops

Houthi missile fired at Israel falls short, no sirens sound — IDF

A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen a short while ago fell short outside the country’s borders, according to a military official.

The IDF identified the launch, but no sirens sounded in Israel because the missile did not pose a threat.

This morning, a missile fired by the Houthis at Israel was intercepted by air defenses.

Israel said to urge US to resume strikes on Yemen’s Houthis, call for broad military coalition

Following this week’s intensified Houthi attacks on maritime traffic, including the deadly seizure of two vessels, Israel has asked the United States in recent days to renew its military strikes on the Iran-backed group in Yemen, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

Israel told the US that ongoing Houthi assaults on shipping “can no longer remain solely an Israeli problem,” and called for “more intense combined attacks against Houthi regime targets — not just [Israeli] air force fighter jet strikes, but also a renewal of American attacks and the formation of a coalition including additional countries,” the Hebrew-language network reports, citing a source familiar with the matter.

An unnamed security official tells Kan that the move comes in response to expanding Houthi aggression: “A broad coalition is needed to convey to the Houthi regime that it is in danger.”

In May, Washington and the Houthis reached an agreement that ended a US aerial campaign against the terror group, which controls much of Yemen.

The report comes on the final day of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. Kan does not say through which bodies the message was communicated.

Macron urges joint UK-French recognition of Palestinian state

French President Emmanuel Macron urges joint UK-France recognition of a Palestinian state, calling such moves “the only hope for peace” in the conflict-ridden region.

Flanking UK leader Keir Starmer at a news conference as he wraps up a three-day state visit to Britain, Macron says he wants to “initiate this political dynamic” of recognizing Palestinian statehood.

2 perpetrators of West Bank terror attack named as Palestinian Authority police officers

The two perpetrators of the shooting attack in Gush Etzion were Palestinian cops who served in the Palestinian Authority’s police force, The Times of Israel has learned. The two were in their early 20s and had completed their training only a few months ago.

They carried out a combined stabbing and shooting attack that killed an Israeli security guard, and were shot dead at the scene.

They are named by Palestinian media as Mahmoud Abed, 23, from Halhul, and Malik Salem, 23, from Tulkarem.

Neither had any security background nor were previously detained by Israel, a defense official says.

#متابعة| الشهيدان محمود يوسف محمد عابد (٢٣ عاماً) من حلحول ومالك إبراهيم عبد الجبار سالم (٢٣ عاماً) من بلدة بزاريا بنابلس منفذا عملية "غوش عتصيون" التي أدت لمقتل جندي "إسرائيلي" pic.twitter.com/CVkjMpszqB

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) July 10, 2025

Netanyahu stresses Israel will return to fighting if truce’s 60 days don’t yield deal to end Gaza war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video statement from Washington, DC, July 10, 2025.(Screenshot/GPO)

Israel is determined to bring all the hostages home, and is willing to end the war if Hamas agrees to Israel’s terms, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a lengthy video statement from Washington, adding that he told hostage families that last night.

“I told them that we are currently trying to achieve the release of half of the hostages, both alive and dead, in exchange for a temporary ceasefire of 60 days,” he says. “At the beginning of this ceasefire, negotiations will be entered into to end the war permanently. That is, a permanent ceasefire. In order for us to achieve this, this must be done under the minimum conditions that we have set: Hamas lays down its weapons, Gaza is demilitarized, Hamas no longer has any governmental or military capabilities. These are our basic conditions.”

Netanyahu has made those demands throughout the war that began with the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

“If this can be achieved through negotiations — that’s great. If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways; by using force, the force of our heroic army,” he says, after speaking at a memorial service for two embassy employees who were murdered in May.

“We said the same thing about Iran, removing the nuclear threat,” he continues. “If this is achieved in 60 days of negotiations between the United States and Iran, that’s great. But if it is not achieved, it will be achieved in another way.”

Netanyahu says that he hears the questions about why the war in Gaza is taking so long.

“First of all, this is a war zone that no army in the world has faced,” he explains. “And thanks to the heroism of the fighters, thanks to the sacrifice of the fallen, thanks to the creativity, we dismantled most of Hamas’s military capabilities. But not all of them. There are still thousands of fighters there with weapons. And we want to act, again, with a combination of diplomacy and military force, and military force if diplomacy doesn’t work, to complete the mission.”

He also notes that the United States, under Joe Biden’s administration, delayed Israel’s entry into Rafah.

“We overcame that too, and now we want to complete the move,” he continues. “And I remind you — [all this has happened] during the very months, the last few months, in which we were preparing and finally carrying out the military operation that is perhaps the most brilliant in our history, among the most brilliant certainly, which the whole world is in awe of.”

“Meanwhile, we continue to advance in the Gaza Strip and rescue the hostages who have died. In the meantime, we did not let up for a moment, and even now we are not letting up on this for a moment.”

He promises Israel will return to war after a ceasefire if Hamas doesn’t give in, stressing that Israel returned to war after the two previous ceasefires.

If Israel’s goals are achieved diplomatically, that’s good, says Netanyahu. “But one way or another, they will be achieved.”

Regarding the order in which hostages will be released, Netanyahu says he would prefer to get everyone out at once, but “we are dealing with a cruel terrorist organization. Of course, we would like to rescue everyone, and from our point of view, they are all humanitarian. I want to rescue everyone in one fell swoop.”

“Here we are dealing with two stages, but the choice is not always ours. We will do everything to maximize this release in the best possible way. Not everything is in our hands.”

Iran acknowledges arresting Franco-German cyclist, claims he committed a crime

An 18-year-old French-German cyclist who has been missing in Iran since mid-June was arrested in Iran, Iran’s foreign minister tells French newspaper Le Monde.

“He was arrested for committing a crime, and an official notification regarding his situation was sent to the French embassy,” Abbas Araghchi says, without providing further details.

The French foreign ministry says it is in contact with Iranian authorities and will not comment further.

UN says it got first fuel into Gaza in 130 days, calls amount inadequate

A United Nations team got about 75,000 liters of fuel into Gaza yesterday, the first such delivery in 130 days, says UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

“The amount entered yesterday isn’t sufficient to cover even one day of energy requirements. Fuel is still running out and services will shut down if far greater volumes do not enter immediately,” Dujarric tells reporters.

IDF says drone crashed near southern kibbutz, probe underway

An Israeli military drone crashed near Kibbutz Nitzanim in southern Israel earlier today due to a “technical malfunction,” the IDF says.

The IDF says the drone was collected by troops, and there is no fear of information leaking.

The incident is under further investigation, it adds.

Netanyahu to give interview to Newsmax, as he continues to shun Israeli media

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give an interview today to the American Newsmax outlet, The Times of Israel has learned.

He granted an interview to Fox Business this week as well, but did not give any interviews to Israeli media.

Victim of West Bank attack named as Shalev Zvuluny, 22, from Kiryat Arba

Shalev Zvuluny, killed in a terror attack at Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank on July 10, 2025. (Courtesy)

The security guard killed today in the terror attack at a shopping compound at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank is named as Shalev Zvuluny, 22, from Kiryat Arba.

The council of the Hebron-adjacent settlement mourns Zvuluny as “a special person, beloved by those who knew him,” sending condolences and support to the family.

At memorial for slain embassy workers, Netanyahu says he discussed ‘beautiful couple’ with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial service for slain embassy employees Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim at the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, July 10, 2025. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)

Speaking at the memorial service for slain embassy employees Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim at the Israeli embassy in Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says: “The agony of losing a brother is great. The agony of losing a son is greater.”

He recognizes Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who lost his son in the ongoing war.

Netanyahu says he learned from losing his brother Yoni that “life is a raging river” and that it will carry you to new places if you allow it.

Netanyahu tells the relatives of Lischinsky and Milgrim — who were about to get engaged when a gunman shot them dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum in May — that he spoke about the victims with US President Donald Trump. He says Trump said, “What a beautiful couple.”

Having a Jewish state “comes with a heavy cost,” says Netanyahu.

He says Israel will fight antisemitism, which is an organized campaign.

“When we began the great return to our land,” the first thing Israel did was create an army, he says.

“God helps those who help themselves.”

“To see the Jew as victor and not victim is a historical adjustment that will take time,” he says.

Israel has become one of the great powers on earth, he asserts: “We do not bow down. We do not surrender. We win.”

Netanyahu to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s historic home, in ‘special gesture’ from Trump

Monticello exterior (Courtesy of PerlePress Productions)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Monticello, the historic home of the third US president, Thomas Jefferson, before flying back to Israel, his office says.

The visit is a “special gesture” from US President Donald Trump, says the Prime Minister’s Office, without elaborating on what the gesture is.

The site is a 2.5-hour drive from Washington, DC. Netanyahu will fly there.

IDF says Hezbollah artillery commander killed after ‘blatant violation’ of ceasefire

The commander of Hezbollah’s artillery forces in the coastal sector of southern Lebanon was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier today, the IDF announces.

Muhammad Jamal Murad, the Hezbollah commander, was killed in the Mansouri area, south of Tyre.

During the war, the IDF says Murad was responsible for numerous rocket attacks on Israel, and in recent months was involved in efforts to restore Hezbollah’s artillery capabilities in the coastal sector.

“Murad’s activity posed a threat to the State of Israel and constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF adds.

צה"ל חיסל את מפקד הארטילריה בגזרת חוף של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה

מוקדם יותר היום, צה"ל תקף וחיסל את המחבל מחמד ג׳מאל מראד ששימש כמפקד הארטילריה בגזרת חוף של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה, במרחב אל-מנצורי שבדרום לבנון.

מראד היה אחראי על שיגורים רבים לעבר מדינת ישראל במהלך המלחמה, ובחודשים… pic.twitter.com/NL8D1L3oeh

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 10, 2025

Netanyahu attends DC memorial for slain Israeli embassy workers, affixes new mezuzah

A memorial plaque for Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, two employees of the Israeli Embassy in the US who were killed in a terror attack, at an event attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, July 10, 2025. (Prime Minister’s Office)

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Israeli embassy in the US for a memorial service for Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, two employees who were murdered in a terror attack in May.

With Milgrim’s parents and Lischinsky’s siblings present, Netanyahu signs a memorial book and speaks with the relatives.

Lischinsky’s parents watch the proceedings on Zoom.

Netanyahu unveils a memorial plaque with a photograph of the two victims, then affixes a new mezuzah.

Hamas says updated map of IDF withdrawal unacceptable, but source still thinks deal possible within days

Hamas is not satisfied with the new set of maps that Israel submitted earlier this week demarcating the exact parameters of the IDF’s partial withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day truce under discussion, a Palestinian official tells The Times of Israel.

Israel submitted a new set of maps after coming under US pressure to reduce the IDF’s presence in Gaza, particularly in the Morag Corridor adjacent to where Jerusalem is planning to establish a controversial “humanitarian city.”

While mediators felt the new maps allowed for a breakthrough on what has become the main sticking point in negotiations, Hamas negotiators have poured cold water on the optimism, saying they won’t accept the wide buffer zone Israel is still trying to maintain in Gaza, the Palestinian official says.

The updated maps submitted by Israel still envision the IDF maintaining control of roughly one-third of the Strip during the ceasefire.

Nonetheless, a source involved in the negotiations says the gaps are bridgeable and that a deal is still possible within days — not a week or two as suggested by a senior Israeli official who briefed reporters in Washington yesterday.

Israel will resume strikes on Iran ‘with even greater force’ if needed, Katz says

Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at an Israeli Air Force pilots course graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim airbase, July 10, 2025. (Screenshot: IDF)

Speaking at an Israeli Air Force pilots course graduation ceremony, Defense Minister Israel Katz threatens Iran.

“The graduation ceremony is a direct message to the dictator [Ali] Khamenei and the gang of Ayatollahs in Iran: Israel’s long arm will reach you in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and anywhere from which you try to threaten and harm Israel,” Katz says.

“There is no place where you can hide. If we need to return, we will return with even greater force,” he says.

Also at the ceremony, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the recent war in Iran was “a moment in which we proved, to ourselves and to the world, that when the people of Israel are threatened, we know how to unite, to act, and to strike with precision, power and responsibility.”

Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, in his speech, says: “We bridged a challenge of 1,800 kilometers and turned Iran from a ‘third-circle’ country into a ‘first-circle’ country. The campaign is not over. We are prepared to act as needed.”

Ministers to discuss bill that would let new governments sack IDF chief, AG, other top officials

MK Tzvika Fogel of the Otzma Yehudit party speaks in the Knesset plenum, April 1, 2024. (Noam Moskowitz/Danny Shem Tov/Knesset Spokesperson's Office)

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will decide on Sunday whether the coalition will support a bill allowing the government to terminate the tenure of almost all senior security officials and public office holders in the country within its first 100 days in office.

The bill has been submitted to the Knesset by MK Zvika Fogel of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, but it is unclear whether the committee will support it.

Under the terms of the bill, a government in its first 100 days since taking office could terminate the tenure of the attorney general; the IDF chief of staff; the head of the Shin Bet; the head of the Mossad; the police commissioner; the head of the Israel Prison Service; the Civil Service commissioner; and the head of the budget department in the Finance Ministry.

Any of those officeholders could be dismissed from office without cause if they had served more than two-thirds of their legally mandated time in office.

But the bill would also allow the government to dismiss such officials before they reach that period under “special circumstances,” including “substantive differences of opinion between the office holder and the government.”

Currently, special procedures are in place, requiring the government to show proper cause for firing all of those officials, and they are subject to judicial review by the High Court of Justice to ensure that such senior officer holders are not fired for arbitrary, political or otherwise ulterior motives.

Haredi party fumes at Netanyahu over removal of military enlistment bill from Knesset panel agenda

Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf arrives at a United Torah Judaism party meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on May 19, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

The United Torah Judaism party expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “immediately” pass a bill regulating the status of yeshiva students liable for conscription, a spokesman for party chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf tells The Times of Israel after it emerged that the controversial legislation was removed from next week’s Knesset agenda.

“The attorney general continues to persecute Torah students, but the blame lies solely with the government, which should have passed the conscription law as it pledged in the coalition agreements and would have brought an end to the persecution,” the spokesman declares.

“We expect the prime minister to honor the agreements and immediately complete the settlement of the status of Torah students in the Land of Israel.”

Yesterday, the Attorney General’s Office released a letter detailing the military’s new plan to increase enforcement against draft evaders, eliciting harsh condemnations from representatives of Haredi coalition parties, who indicated they were running out of patience with the government over the delays to the legislation exempting yeshiva students from mandatory army service.

According to a coalition source, a vote on the coalition’s ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill was removed from the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s agenda for next week, delaying the advancement of the controversial legislation with just weeks to go before the end of the Knesset summer session.

The bill was originally slated to appear on the agenda next Tuesday afternoon, but “at the last minute, there were disagreements, so a different bill was placed on the agenda instead,” a source familiar with the matter has told The Times of Israel. The vote would have allowed the bill to be referred to the plenum for the final two readings necessary for it to become law.

Yad Vashem slams Polish plaques that whitewash Poles’ involvement in WWII massacre of Jews

The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial condemns as a “desecration of historical truth” new plaques near a Polish monument to the World War II Jedwabne massacre of Jews by their Polish neighbors.

The plaques question the official findings and claim that “the crime was committed by a German pacification unit” instead of local Poles.

The new installation consists of seven boulders with signs in English and Polish and is located on private property next to the memorial, according to Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

Polish journalist Wojciech Sumlinski says on X that he is behind the installation, which was crowd-funded.

Jedwabne, teraz. pic.twitter.com/A2GxdGrkkd

— Leszek Żebrowski_NSZ #BabiesLivesMatter (@Zebrowski_NSZ) July 10, 2025

“Yad Vashem is profoundly shocked and deeply concerned by the desecration of historical truth and memory at the Jedwabne memorial site in Poland, where new plaques were recently installed in an apparent attempt to distort the story of the massacre of Jews,” says the memorial.

“Yad Vashem calls on the relevant Polish authorities to remove this offensive installation and to ensure that the historical meaning of the site is preserved and respected,” it adds.

Yad Vashem is profoundly shocked and deeply concerned by the desecration of historical truth and memory at the Jedwabne memorial site in Poland, where new plaques were recently installed in an apparent attempt to distort the story of the massacre of Jews.

On 10 July 1941, amid…

— Yad Vashem (@yadvashem) July 10, 2025

Today marks the 84th anniversary of the massacre, which saw Polish peasants in the northeastern village of Jedwabne lock hundreds of their Jewish neighbors in a barn and burn them alive.

The victims included women and children.

Netanyahu to hostage families: Hamas will pick who goes free; Israel will negotiate for permanent truce

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, center, meet with families of hostages held in Gaza, in Washington, DC, July 9, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families last night that Hamas will determine which hostages will be released during the 60-day truce, a source present at the Washington meeting tells The Times of Israel.

The source says Netanyahu told the families that as far as Israel is concerned, all of the hostages are considered “humanitarian” — meaning there is not a prioritization of some hostages over the others, as the well-being of each of them is equally dire.

However, two sources tell Haaretz that intelligence on the conditions of the hostages is being given to Netanyahu’s office, and that the political leadership will decide on the order of release.

Netanyahu told the hostage families that once the 60-day truce under discussion enters into effect, Israel will immediately hold negotiations on the terms for a permanent ceasefire — something he refused to do during the previous hostage deal, which led to its collapse in March.

“From the time the first eight living hostages are released until the last two living hostages are released… we will work to bring the entire war to an end,” Channel 12 quotes Netanyahu as having said.

However, the source present at the meeting tells The Times of Israel that Netanyahu insisted that he would not budge from his demands for Hamas to surrender, give up its arms and agree for its leaders to go into exile — conditions that the Palestinian terror group has long rejected.

While the hostage families expressed their opposition to the partial deal being negotiated — which will only see the release of roughly half of the hostages — Netanyahu asserted that a comprehensive deal is not possible, according to the source.

When families expressed concern that this could well lead to 22 hostages remaining in Gaza, Netanyahu asserted that he would keep fighting for their release, the source present at the half-hour-plus meeting recalls.

“There are things I cannot talk to you about. There are things being done quietly, and I will not share them with you because they must remain secret,” Channel 12 quotes Netanyahu as having said. “We are on the right path. Things are moving forward. It will take a little more time, but be patient.”

Netanyahu sends condolences over West Bank attack, says terror ‘won’t be allowed to raise its head’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal from Washington, DC, after the deadly terror attack in the West Bank.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu expressed “his support for the council head and the residents, and conveyed his and his wife’s condolences to the family of the victim who was murdered in the brutal shooting attack, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded.”

He also praises the reaction of civilians and security officials who killed the terrorists.

“Terror in Judea and Samaria will not be allowed to raise its head,” Netanyahu promises Rosenthal, using the biblical name for the territory.

Suspending cooperation pact with Israel among 10 options mulled by EU, but unclear if enough states will back move

The European Union’s foreign policy arm presents 10 options for diplomatic action against Israel after it found “indications” last month that Israel breached human rights obligations in a pact governing its ties with the bloc.

In a document prepared for EU member countries and seen by Reuters, the options include major steps such as suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement and more minor actions such as suspending EU-Israel technical projects.

Most of the measures would require the approval of all or most EU member countries. Diplomats say it is not clear whether there is a willingness among a sufficient number of member states to pursue any of them.

Sa’ar: Plan to move Gazans into ‘humanitarian’ zone aims to protect civilians, not force emigration

(R-L) Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Vienna, Austria, July 10, 2025. (Shalev Man)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar addresses the humanitarian situation in Gaza and urges European action against Iran’s nuclear program at a joint press conference in Vienna alongside Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

Responding to a question on Defense Minister Israel Katz’s call earlier this week for the IDF to prepare to relocate Gaza’s population of over two million into a “humanitarian city” in the south of the Strip, Sa’ar emphasizes that Israel remains committed to minimizing civilian casualties during its war against Hamas, and that any evacuations are temporary and part of that goal.

Throughout the war, Sa’ar says, Israel evacuated the population “from several battlefields for its own safety.” These were not permanent, he adds, noting that during the January ceasefire, “people returned to their places.” Many of those areas, however, had been severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes.

“Everything, even this idea, is in the context of international law and the evacuation of population for its own safety from places which are actually battlefields,” Sa’ar says.

The foreign minister rejects claims of Israeli plans to expel Gaza’s residents: “Every emigration from the Gaza Strip, like from any other part of the world, including conflict areas, must be based on two conditions: first, the free choice of the emigrant, and on the other side a country which is willing to accept. Under any other conditions, it is not relevant.”

Under Katz’s proposal, Gaza’s civilians would be vetted and concentrated in the southern zone while the IDF secures the perimeter and international organizations manage the area, which the Gazans wouldn’t be allowed to leave. Four new humanitarian aid distribution sites would also be established in the zone. The plan drew concerns from critics fearing that Israel would settle evacuated areas in Gaza, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that this is part of the plan.

Speaking about Israel’s military campaign against Iran’s nuclear program last month, Sa’ar condemns Tehran’s announcement last week that it would cease cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, stating: “The IAEA oversight must be restored.”

He repeats his call for Europe to reimplement sanctions against Tehran, saying: “It’s time for the E3 countries — Germany, France, and the United Kingdom — to activate the snapback against the Iranian regime.”

Houthi leader says policy of targeting ships deemed Israel-linked is still in place

Yemeni Houthi militia leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi claims no company can be permitted to transport goods related to Israel through designated areas at sea.

He reiterates that a Houthi decision to attack ships the Iran-backed group sees as associated with Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea remains in place.

The Iran-aligned Houthis sank two ships in the Red Sea this week after months of calm.

Vote next week on controversial Haredi draft bill removed from Knesset panel’s agenda — source

MK Yuli Edelstein, chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, in the Knesset, Jerusalem, on June 4, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A vote on the coalition’s ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill has been removed from the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s agenda for next week, delaying the advancement of the controversial legislation with just weeks to go before the end of the Knesset summer session.

The bill was originally slated to appear on the agenda next Tuesday afternoon, but “at the last minute, there were disagreements, so a different bill was placed on the agenda instead,” a source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel. The vote would have allowed the bill to be referred to the plenum for the final two readings necessary for it to become law.

Haredi lawmakers hope to pass the bill into law before the Knesset goes on recess at the end of the month.

Members of the committee have yet to be presented with a draft of the revised legislation, whose sanctions on draft dodgers were reportedly watered down by committee chairman Yuli Edelstein last month as part of a last-ditch effort to prevent the Haredim from voting in favor of dissolving the Knesset.

After reaching an agreement in principle on Edelstein’s compromise terms to head off that crisis, the ultra-Orthodox parties announced that “understandings have been reached regarding the principles for the law preserving the status of yeshiva students,” adding that “another few days” were needed to “complete the final version” of the legislation.

The following day, however, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear program, setting off a 12-day war and delaying any discussion of the legislation in the Knesset.

Edelstein met with former Shas MK Ariel Atias on Sunday to present the bill, but what he presented failed to satisfy the Haredi factions. Asked about the meeting, a senior UTJ source told The Times of Israel on Monday that Edelstein had presented Atias with “nonsense” and that they were still waiting to see something serious.

Another UTJ source asserted that Edelstein has presented general principles, but has not yet shown them a detailed text of the bill. The Haredi parties are currently boycotting voting on coalition legislation until presented with the new version of the legislation.

A spokesman for Edelstein declined to comment.

Hamas says it opposes IDF troops staying in buffer zones, confining Gazans to ‘isolated enclaves’

Hamas says it opposes any ceasefire deal that includes a large Israeli military presence in Gaza, describing disagreements over the withdrawal and free flow of aid into Gaza as sticking points, as well as its demands for “real guarantees” for a lasting truce.

Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim tells AFP: “We cannot accept the perpetuation of the occupation of our land and the surrender of our people to isolated enclaves under the control of the occupation army. This is what the negotiating delegation is presenting to the occupation so far in the current round of negotiations in Doha.”

Hamas is particularly opposed to Israeli control over the southern city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, and the so-called Morag Corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis, he adds.

Israel announced earlier this year that the army was seizing large areas in Gaza and incorporating them into buffer zones cleared of their inhabitants, as a way of pressuring Hamas to release the hostages it is holding.

Naim also says the Palestinian terror group wants an end to the current delivery of aid by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a system that has allegedly seen scores killed while seeking handouts.

Netanyahu meets hostage families, tells them he and Trump making ‘utmost efforts’ to free every one

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, center, meet with families of hostages held in Gaza, in Washington, DC, July 9, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara met last night in Washington, DC, with families of hostages held in Gaza, including relatives of Itay Chen, Matan Angrest, Segev Kalfon and Elkana Bohbot.

According to Netanyahu’s office, he told the families that the hostage issue was discussed at length in his meetings with US President Donald Trump, and that “the utmost efforts are being exerted at all times to free all the hostages, both living and dead.”

Germany urges Iran to pressure Houthis to end maritime attacks

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says he expects Iran to exert its influence over the Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.

“We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and expect Iran to exert its influence on the Houthis to put an end to it,” says Wadephul at a press conference in Vienna with his Israeli and Austrian counterparts.

“This shows that we need an understanding with Iran as a whole, not only regarding the development, the possible development of nuclear weapons, but also regarding Iran’s regional behavior.”

Israel confirms deal with EU to boost Gaza aid: ‘More trucks, more crossings, and more routes’

(R-L) Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Vienna, Austria, July 10, 2025. (Shalev Man)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar addresses the recently announced agreement between Israel and the European Union to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, confirming the EU’s earlier statement that the Israeli government has passed resolutions on the initiative.

“Following our dialogue with the EU, our security cabinet made further decisions on Sunday to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” says Sa’ar, speaking at a joint press conference with his Austrian and German counterparts in Vienna.

The resolutions “include more trucks, more crossings, and more routes for the humanitarian efforts,” Sa’ar continues.

He thanks Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul “for the fruitful dialogue that we are conducting — with you and the EU — on the humanitarian issue.”

The discussions are “based on an understanding of human needs and of the threat that Hamas and the Gaza Strip have posed to Israel over the past 20 years,” adds Sa’ar, saying, “this dialogue is important and it will continue.”

Sa’ar has made several remarks in recent weeks that Israel is working with European Union counterparts to improve the system for distributing aid.

Since late May, Israel has handed authority over aid distribution in Gaza to the Israel- and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in a stated effort to prevent aid supplies from reaching Hamas. The GHF’s operations have been strongly criticized by the international community for failing to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza. It is unclear under which bodies the expanded aid measures will be operated.

Satellite images appear to show damage at Houthi ports in Yemen after Israeli strikes

Destruction at the port in Yemen's city of Hodeida after Israeli warplanes struck Houthi rebel-held positions, on May 6, 2025. (AFP)

Publicly available images taken by the European Union’s Sentinel-2 satellite appear to show damage to a Houthi-controlled port in the Yemeni city of Hodeida and another port nearby following Israeli strikes there this week.

The photos show extensive damage to the Hodeida port and at least three ships there, as compared to satellite photos taken before the strikes, with one vessel largely submerged and two others unmoored from the dock. Nearby buildings appear to be flattened, and parts of the concrete dock are no longer visible.

Satellite imagery captured on July 8 showing damage to the port of al-Hodeida in Yemen. (ESA/Copernicus)

The images also appear to show damage to a building identified online as a fish market in a part of the city south of the port.

Extensive damage can also be seen at the nearby port of as-Salif.

On Tuesday, British security firm Ambrey said it had observed imagery showing damage to the concrete docks at the Hodeida port as well as to two Barbados-flagged bulk carriers.

Israel said Monday it had carried out extensive airstrikes on Houthi targets including the ports of Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif, and the Ras Khatib power station.

Rubio says ‘hopeful’ that hostage-ceasefire deal can be reached soon

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he’s “hopeful” a hostage deal can be reached soon.

Rubio says he spoke last night to US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff who told him that proximity talks will begin fairly soon.

Proximity talks began on Sunday, though, so it’s unclear what Rubio meant.

“We’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while,” Rubio says, adding that “one of the fundamental challenges is Hamas’s unwillingness to disarm, which would end this conflict immediately.”

But this is not one of the issues currently being discussed, as it has to do with the terms for a permanent ceasefire, which won’t be discussed until the sides reach an agreement on the 60-day truce still being negotiated.

On Tuesday, The Times of Israel revealed that Witkoff had delayed his planned departure for Doha that day in what was seen as a signal that the talks were not yet ripe for finalization.

IDF says troops blocking roads, surrounding town near site of West Bank terror attack

Israeli troops are surrounding the West Bank town of Halhul and blocking roads in the area, following the deadly terror attack at the nearby Gush Etzion junction, the military says.

According to the IDF, the two terrorists who carried out the attack were shot dead by troops and other security forces in the area.

The assailants had stabbed a security guard outside a supermarket and snatched his handgun.

EU in touch with social media platform X after Elon Musk’s chatbot praises Hitler

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena in Washington, on January 20, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP)

The EU says it is taking antisemitic comments, including praise for Adolf Hitler, by Elon Musk’s AI chatbot on the X platform “extremely seriously” and is “in touch” with the company.

Screenshots on X showed several posts made by the bot known as Grok in which it praised the Nazi leader — who orchestrated the murder of six million Jews — and claimed Jewish people promoted “anti-white hate.”

There were also derogatory comments on Islam and insults directed at Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which led a court there to ban the posts.

The EU’s digital affairs spokesman, Thomas Regnier, confirms Poland sent a letter urging an investigation into Grok.

The EU will carefully look at it and “respond in due course,” he says. “We take this extremely seriously.”

The European Commission is in touch with national authorities and X, Regnier adds.

X has been under investigation since December 2023 under the European Union’s landmark content law regarding how it tackles the spread of illegal content and information manipulation.

Regnier says the commission had sought to understand how X and Grok work together and concluded the chatbot was “definitely integrated” into the social media platform.

Israeli man dies of wounds sustained in terror attack at Gush Etzion Junction

A Magen David Adom ambulance seen at the site of a terror attack at a shopping complex at the Gush Etzion Junction, in the West Bank, on July 10, 2025. (Magen David Adom)

The Israeli man who was attacked by two Palestinian terrorists at a shopping complex at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank has succumbed to his wounds, Magen David Adom says.

Both assailants were shot dead, according to first responders.

The circumstances of the attack are under investigation.

According to preliminary findings, the two terrorists, who were armed with knives, stabbed the man, who was a security guard at the shopping area.

Other armed Israelis opened fire on the pair, killing them. Authorities are investigating whether the slain security guard was also hit by gunfire.

EU foreign policy chief confirms deal with Israel to increase aid to Gaza in coming days

Israel and the European Union have agreed upon “significant steps” to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip “in the coming days,” announces EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, confirming an earlier report from Bloomberg.

“Following the Israeli Cabinet’s resolutions and the constructive dialogue between the EU and Israel, significant steps have been agreed by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” Kallas says in a statement.

“These measures are or will be implemented in the coming days, with the common understanding that aid at scale must be delivered directly to the population and that measures will continue to be taken to ensure that there is no aid diversion to Hamas,” Kallas continues.

According to the top European diplomat, the agreement will see a “substantial increase” in the daily entry of trucks supplying food and non-food items; the opening of several crossing points in northern and southern Gaza; the reopening of humanitarian routes through Egypt and Jordan; resumed operations of bakeries and public kitchens in Gaza; resumed fuel deliveries to humanitarian facilities “up to an operational level”; security for aid workers; and reparations on works for “vital infrastructure like the resumption of the power supply to the water desalination facility.”

“The EU stands ready to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, United Nations agencies and NGOs on the ground, to ensure swift implementation of those urgent steps,” adds Kallas, adding that the EU “calls again for an immediate ceasefire” and release of all hostages.

The statement follows several remarks by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in recent weeks that Israel is working with European Union counterparts to improve the system for distributing aid.

Since late May, Israel has handed authority over aid distribution in Gaza to the Israel- and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in a stated effort to prevent aid supplies from reaching Hamas. The GHF’s operations have been strongly criticized by the international community for failing to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza. It is unclear under which bodies the expanded aid measures will be operated.

Israel has not yet commented on the new initiative.

Man in his 20s critically wounded in Gush Etzion Junction attack, first responders say

A man in his 20s is critically wounded in the terror attack at a shopping complex at the Gush Etzion Junction, Magen David Adom says.

At least two assailants were “neutralized,” according to first responders.

The IDF says it has dispatched troops to the scene.

Medics responding to reports of stabbing, shooting attack at Gush Etzion Junction, in the West Bank

General view of the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank, July 9, 2020. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

Medics are responding to reports of a suspected stabbing and shooting attack at a supermarket at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank.

According to preliminary reports, at least one person is injured and two assailants were “neutralized.”

The IDF says it is responding to a “security incident” at the Gush Etzion Junction, and further details are under investigation.

Agriculture Ministry says over 50% of crops tested last year had no pesticide residues

The Agriculture Ministry reports that just over half (55%) of all locally produced fruits, vegetables, and herbs tested last year had zero pesticide residues.

Another 37.3% had residues within the permitted range.

The ministry says that of the abnormalities found in 7.7% of samples, 0.9% of cases were minor, and were apparently explained by factors such as airborne pesticides from nearby fields, high sensitivity of the analytical equipment, or a very low deviation from the maximum permissible residue.

In around half the cases with abnormalities, they were caused by the use of products approved in Israel, but not for the specific crop sampled.

Sampled crops included mint, cherry, lettuce, coriander, parsley, basil, and celery.

The ministry’s Plant Protection and Inspection Service took 1,003 samples from 76 crops.

Zero abnormalities were found in crops such as avocado, watermelon, pear, persimmon, sweet potato, banana, onion, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, loquat, almond, corn, date, potato, and apple.

Also coming up clean were grapes, tomatoes, peaches, melons, pomegranates, and garlic. During the 2023 tests, five to six percent of samples from these crops were found to have pesticide abnormalities. In the case of garlic, this reached 8.3%.

Of the 1,003 samples in the survey, about 41.5% were from vegetables and field crops, 43% from fruits (including citrus), and a further 15.5% from herbs such as basil, thyme, mint, coriander, rocket, parsley, and rosemary.

Israel, EU strike deal to significantly expand humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza — report

As efforts intensify to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza this week, Israel and the European Union have reached an agreement to significantly expand the flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn Strip, with an increase in daily supplies expected in the coming days, Bloomberg reports.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas brokered the deal, which will also enable the reopening of several aid corridors, including humanitarian routes through Egypt and Jordan, and several other crossing points in northern and southern Gaza, the report says, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

Bakeries and public kitchens in Gaza will also resume operations, while fuel deliveries for humanitarian facilities are expected to restart, the report adds.

Spokespeople for the Israeli government and the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Bloomberg.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has made multiple comments in recent weeks that Israel is working with European Union counterparts to improve the system for distributing aid. The current mechanism is run by the Israel- and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose operations have been strongly criticized by the international community.

The Bloomberg report does not clarify under which bodies the expanded aid efforts would be operated.

IDF says central Gaza airstrike, said to have killed 13 people, targeted Hamas terrorist who took part in Oct. 7 assault

An Israeli airstrike in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah earlier today targeted a Hamas terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, the military says.

Earlier, Palestinian media reported that 13 people were killed, including 8 women and children, in the strike.

The IDF says it is “aware of the claim about casualties in the area,” adding that the incident is being investigated.

“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved [civilians] and acts as much as possible to minimize harm to them,” the military says in response to a query.

British lawmakers say Iran threat to UK is significant, rising

Iran poses a significant and wide-ranging threat to Britain and, while not in the same league as Russia or China, it is one that is rising and for which the UK government is not fully prepared, British lawmakers say in a newly released report.

The British Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee says the Iranian threat varies from physical attacks on and potential assassinations of dissidents and Jewish targets, to espionage, offensive cyber capabilities and its attempt to develop nuclear weapons.

“Iran is there across the full spectrum of all the kinds of threats we have to be concerned with,” the committee chair, Kevan Jones, says in a statement.

“We remain concerned that the government’s policy on Iran has been focused on crisis management and has been primarily driven by concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, to the exclusion of other issues.”

Iran’s embassy in London does not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The committee says the British government should fully examine whether it would be practicable to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an action that some lawmakers have long called for.

Although the evidence given to the committee concluded in August 2023, the lawmakers say their recommendations about action the government should take remains relevant.

Last year, the head of Britain’s domestic spy agency MI5 said that since January 2022, his service and British police had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots to kidnap or kill British nationals or individuals based in Britain who were regarded by Tehran as a threat.

Iran reacted to that speech by rejecting what it said were repetitive accusations by British security officials.

British security services say Tehran uses criminal proxies to carry out its work in Britain.

In December, two Romanians were charged after a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization in London was stabbed in the leg, while last month three Iranian men appeared in court charged with assisting Iran’s foreign intelligence service and plotting violence against journalists.

Herzog meets with ex-hostage Eli Sharabi as memoir heads toward international release

President Isaac Herzog (right) meets with former hostage Eli Sharabi at the President's Residence, July 10, 2025. (Haim Zach/GPO)

President Isaac Herzog meets with former hostage Eli Sharabi ahead of the international release of Sharabi’s memoir telling of his 491 days in Hamas captivity.

During their meeting at the President’s Residence, Herzog and Sharabi call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States President Donald Trump to realize the full potential for a hostage deal during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington this week.

“I ask both the president of the United States and the prime minister of Israel to make the final effort and bring this to an end,” says Sharabi. “This is the moment. We are waiting and hoping.”

Herzog responds: “Eli’s plea is the plea of all of us, it is my plea: to do everything in our power to complete this mission and bring everyone home without delay. I sincerely hope that the efforts in Washington… will finally bear fruit.”

Sharabi, who was abducted by Hamas from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the October 7, 2023, massacre, tells Herzog that an English translation of his memoir will be published in the United States on the second anniversary of the attack later this year.

Sharabi adds that the decision to translate the book, which Herzog calls “shattering, emotional, and heartbreaking,” was made to preserve it “for years to come, for future generations.”

“I hope the book, which will be published in additional languages, will contribute to the public diplomacy effort that Israel so badly needs. In that arena, we too often lose ground,” Sharabi says.

Far-left Haredi reporter to be classified as security prisoner, after arrest for celebrating deaths of IDF soldiers — report

Israel Prison Service chief Kobi Yaakobi has ordered that detained reporter Israel Frey be classified as a security prisoner and transferred to a security detention facility, Ynet reports.

The far-left Haredi journalist was arrested yesterday on suspicion of incitement after he wrote on social media that the “world is a better place” following the deaths of five IDF soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda battalion in Gaza earlier this week.

Unlike criminal detainees, security prisoners are held for committing a broad range of what Israel classifies as nationalistically motivated crimes, which range from gruesome terror attacks to publishing incendiary content. The vast majority of them are Palestinian.

Frey will “receive detention conditions like any other security prisoner,” Yaakobi says, as quoted by Ynet.

Police launch new West Bank unit of settler volunteers with focus on ‘combat mindset’

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and senior police officers inaugurate a new volunteer police unit for Jewish settlements in the West Bank at a ceremony held in the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron on July 9, 2025. (Israel Police)

Police are launching a new West Bank unit composed of Jewish volunteers from the settlements in the territory, law enforcement announces.

The civilian force’s main goal is to provide an “immediate response to terror attacks” until the police and IDF troops arrive, says law enforcement in a statement.

The unit was inaugurated in a Wednesday night ceremony at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, during which National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addressed new recruits.

He says that 105 volunteers have so far been recruited into the West Bank unit, which so far has squads in the settlements of Efrat, Gush Etzion, Kiryat Arba and Hebron.

“These squads represent a departure from the ‘defensive mindset’ and towards a combative, militant and offensive mindset,” says the far-right minister, who himself resides in Kiryat Arba.

Ben Gvir attended the event alongside police brass including Deputy Police Commissioner Avshalom Peled and West Bank District commander Moshe Pinchi.

Police chief Danny Levy was not present at the event.

Law enforcement says the volunteers were certified with “special policing authorities” after being trained in recent weeks in counterterrorism drills. They were given advanced combat equipment including weapons, tactical uniforms, and protective gear.

The unit’s first branch was established in the Maale Adumim settlement just east of Jerusalem, the city’s mayor Guy Yifrach said in late May.

Ben Gvir, who oversees the police, frequently touts his efforts to recruit civilians into law enforcement through volunteer security squads. He has undertaken similar initiatives within the Green Line, but these quasi-police forces have come under scrutiny for operating without proper oversight and detaining people without due cause.

Last month, the journalists’ union appealed to Tel Aviv police after a civilian squad led by far-right rapper Yoav Eliasi detained several reporters at the site of an Iranian ballistic missile impact without clear reason.

Responding to the appeal, Tel Aviv District Police decided its security squads would not interact with reporters, the union said at the time.

Sa’ar urges PM to ignore ‘political pressures’ that could harm hostage deal

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expresses his support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts in Washington this week to secure a ceasefire and a hostage release deal in Gaza, urging the premier to resist “political pressures” that could harm the process.

“I stand behind the prime minister, who is on an important diplomatic mission in Washington. The prime minister must ignore political pressures and threats in the effort to reach a framework for the release of the hostages,” writes Sa’ar in a Hebrew-language post on X.

Sa’ar reiterates his assertion earlier this month that reaching a deal “reflects the will of the majority in the government and among the people, and aligns with the national interest.”

The statement follows a series of public statements by Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben Gvir criticizing Netanyahu and opposing a deal with Hamas. Earlier this week, Ben Gvir said that he had prevented previous deals and called on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in preventing the current one.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon overnight

The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon’s Yohmor last night.

“The headquarters operated under the guise of a civilian structure, with the Hezbollah terror organization exploiting the civilian population to advance terror activities against the State of Israel,” the military says in a statement, adding that this “constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

The IDF says it took measures to mitigate civilian harm in the strike.

Over 180 targets struck by Israeli Air Force in Gaza over past day, IDF says

This picture taken from western Jabalia shows smoke plumes rising from Israeli bombardment in the northern Gaza Strip, July 9, 2025. (Bashar Taleb/AFP)

Over 180 targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the Gaza Strip over the past day, including operatives, booby-trapped buildings, weapon depots, anti-tank launch posts, tunnels, and other infrastructure, the military says in a daily update.

The strikes come as five IDF divisions, made up of tens of thousands of troops, continue to operate across Gaza.

In northern Gaza, the IDF says troops of the 401st Armored Brigade located several weapons and tunnel shafts used by Hamas. The troops also located a cell of Hamas operatives in a building and directed a drone strike against them, according to the IDF.

Similarly, the military says troops of the elite Multi-Domain Unit spotted a cell of Islamic Jihad operatives in a building and called in a drone strike.

Ben Gvir accuses AG of trying to ‘intimidate’ Tally Gotliv with criminal probe

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accuses Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of crossing a red line after it is announced that she is considering filing an indictment against Likud MK Tally Gotliv for violating the Shin Bet law by allegedly disclosing the identity of an agent of the security service.

“I express full support for MK Tally Gotliv, who is fearlessly fighting for freedom of expression and revealing the truth to the public. An attempt to intimidate her through a criminal investigation is a matter of grave concern,” Ben Gvir says.

“Turning a public and moral struggle into a criminal offense is crossing a red line. MK Gotliv acted out of a sense of mission and not with the intention of harming the security of the state, and any attempt to deter her will not succeed,” adds the Otzma Yehudit leader.

In January 2024, Gotliv posted that the partner of Shikma Bressler, a key leader of the protest movement against the government’s judicial overhaul agenda, was a Shin Bet agent, which would violate the 2002 Law for the Shin Bet.

Gotliv has claimed that her actions are protected by her parliamentary immunity as an MK.

She was twice summoned for questioning by the police over the affair but has refused to show up.

Future Iranian cooperation with IAEA depends on agency fixing ‘double standards,’ Pezeshkian says

Continued Iranian cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency depends on the IAEA “correcting its double standards regarding Iran’s nuclear file,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian tells the European Council’s president, according to state media.

He further claims that the nuclear watchdog’s credibility has been harmed by its “failure to respect impartiality.”

The Iranian parliament passed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA in the wake of its war with Israel, accusing the agency of paving the way for Israel’s operation by issuing a damning report on May 31 that led to a resolution by the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.

Pezeshkian also says that Iran’s response to any further “aggression” will be “more decisive and regrettable.”

AG considering indicting Likud MK Tally Gotliv for revealing identity of Shin Bet agent

Likud MK Tally Gotliv pictured as the High Court of Justice hears petitions against the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in Jerusalem, April 8, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is considering filing an indictment, subject to a hearing, against Likud MK Tally Gotliv for violating the Shin Bet law by allegedly disclosing the identity of an agent of the security service, the State Attorney’s Office announces.

Gotliv was twice summoned for questioning by the police over the affair but refused to show up.

In January 2024, the firebrand MK posted that the partner of Shikma Bressler, a key leader of the protest movement against the government’s judicial overhaul agenda, was a Shin Bet agent, in violation of the 2002 Law for the Shin Bet.

Gotliv claims that her actions are protected by her parliamentary immunity as an MK.

“My disclosure that the partner of Shikma Bresler, the inciter, rebel and leader of the civil rebellion which she led against me was done within the framework of fulfilling my duty and precisely for which parliamentary immunity was designed,” says Gotliv in response to the State Attorney Office’s announcement.

She declares that she will not turn up to the hearing pending an indictment just as she did not appear for questioning.

There are two types of parliamentary immunity for MKs: substantive immunity, which applies to actions directly related to an MK’s official duties and mostly applies to their freedom of speech; and procedural immunity, which protects MKs from standing trial while in office but which must be actively granted by the Knesset.

Rescuers recover four more survivors of Houthi attack on Greek ship

Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources say, a day after Houthi rebels sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.

This brings the total number of those rescued so far to 10, including eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard. The people found today spent more than 48 hours in the water. Another 11 people are still missing.

“This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct,” says Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous.

Australia antisemitism report proposes university funding cuts, deportations

An Australian report on combating antisemitism has recommended cutting funding for universities that fail to protect Jewish students and screening visa applicants and non-citizens for extremist views.

The plan, led by Australia’s special envoy on antisemitism Jillian Segal, responds to a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across Australia since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault and the start of the war in Gaza.

The report proposes a sweeping set of reforms across education, public institutions, online spaces, media and immigration to “push (antisemitism) to the margins of society.”

“The plan is an overarching one covering many areas where urgent action is needed,” Segal says in a news conference.

“We have seen cars being torched, synagogues being torched, individual Jews harassed and attacked. That is completely unacceptable.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government welcomed the plan and will consider Segal’s recommendations.

“There’s a number of things that can be implemented quickly,” he says. “There are a number of things that will require work over a period of time.”

“This is something that government needs to work with civil society on at all levels.”

Segal was appointed as Australia’s special envoy in July 2024 to develop strategies to combat antisemitism, and her report comes days after an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue.

The report singles out universities as a central focus of reform, warning antisemitism had become “ingrained and normalized” in the sector.

It recommends universities face a “report card” system that assesses whether their campuses are safe for Jewish students and staff.

It says universities that fail to act on antisemitism should have funding withheld, and grants to researchers or academics should also be terminated if they engage in antisemitic conduct or hate speech.

Universities Australia, which represents the country’s 39 universities, says it will work with its members to consider the recommendations.

“Academic freedom and freedom of expression are core to the university mission, but they must be exercised with responsibility and never as a cover for hate or harassment,” says CEO Luke Sheehy.

The report also says funding for cultural bodies and festivals should be cut if they promote or fail to address antisemitism.

It also calls for visa applicants to be screened for antisemitic affiliations. “Non-citizens involved in antisemitism should face visa cancellation and removal from Australia,” it says.

In closed meeting, Smotrich said to accuse Netanyahu of betraying fallen troops with new plans for IDF withdrawal during Gaza truce

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism party at the Knesset on June 30, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is said to be furious that Israeli negotiators submitted new maps yesterday depicting the partial withdrawal of troops during a 60-day ceasefire, after both Hamas and the US rejected Israel’s initial vision for troop deployment during the truce.

Sources directly familiar with the matter said yesterday that upon receiving Israel’s initial troop-deployment map, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer that it was unacceptable and would doom the negotiations.

Witkoff further warned that any map “resembling the [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich plan” — leaving extensive, continuous Israeli control of Gaza — was a “no go” for the Trump administration.

According to a transcript circulated by Hebrew media, Smotrich slammed Israel’s apparent new willingness to be flexible on the terms of the IDF’s withdrawal during a closed meeting this morning, and lambasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for turning his back on the families of fallen soldiers.

“If the reports about the prime minister’s willingness to withdraw from areas that were occupied by our fighters are great cost as part of a hostage deal are true, it would be a serious betrayal of the soldiers and families who sacrificed what was dearest to them, and a violation of the commitment that was made to them,” he said.

Any plan that involves Israel pulling troops from areas they currently control would be “an illogical and immoral slap to the face,” he added.

The far-right Religious Zionism leader has reportedly canceled most of his meetings today and will instead hold consultations on the matter.

IDF says troops in Khan Younis destroyed 500-meter-long Hamas tunnel

Troops of the IDF's Golani Brigade operate in the Gaza Strip in an image published on July 10, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Dozens of enemy operatives were killed and over 130 “terror infrastructures,” both above and below ground, were demolished by troops of the Golani Brigade during operations in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis in the past week, the military says.

Among the sites was a 500-meter-long, 13-meter-deep Hamas tunnel, the military says. It was destroyed by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.

Other sites included caches of weapons, booby-trapped buildings, observation posts, and mortar launching positions, the military says.

A tunnel in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis is demolished, in a video issued on July 10, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Be’er Yaakov man indicted for alleged acts of espionage on behalf of Iran

The desk of an Israeli arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, pictured during a police raid on his home on June 22, 2025. (Screenshot/Israel Police)

State prosecutors file an indictment today against a 27-year-old man from Be’er Yaakov, charging him with espionage on behalf of Iran after he was arrested by police last month.

According to the indictment, Or Beilin was in contact over Telegram for four months with his Iranian handler, who went by the alias “Yoni” and tasked him with missions harming state security.

He received around $9,000 in cryptocurrency for spraying political graffiti, buying and burning IDF uniforms, inquiring about buying a drone and leaving sums of cash in various public places throughout the country, according to prosecutors.

Beilin is charged with maintaining contact with a foreign agent, and prosecutors have requested he remain in custody for the remainder of the legal proceedings against him.

Beilin’s public defender formerly requested he be released on bail, Channel 12 reported last month, claiming that he had severed contact with the agent once he realized he was an Iranian operative.

Palestinian media reports 13 killed, mostly women and children, in strike in central Gaza Strip

Media outlets in Gaza report that 13 people were killed, including 8 women and children, in an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.

According to the Al-Rad channel, some of the casualties had been on their way to receive treatment at a nearby medical center when the strike was launched.

Footage published by Gaza media shows the apparent moment of the strike, as several people walking past a shed are suddenly obscured in a thick cloud of smoke.

The footage could not be independently verified.

مشاهد توثق لحظة استهداف طيران الاحتلال تجمعات للأهالي معظمهم أطفال خلال محاولتهم الحصول على مكملات غذائية في دير البلح pic.twitter.com/nMPSKQDGnM

— القسطل الإخباري (@AlQastalps) July 10, 2025

Senior Israeli official: Our intel shows Iran had not removed enriched uranium from sites targeted by US and Israel

This handout satellite picture, provided by Maxar Technologies and taken on June 22, 2025, shows damage after US strikes on the Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran. (Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)

A senior Israeli official says Israeli intelligence shows that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was not removed from the three nuclear sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan before they were struck by the US last month amid Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, and has not been moved since.

The stockpile of some 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent stayed there, and was not removed, the unnamed official tells Reuters.

The official suggests, however, that the Iranians might still be able to gain access to the enriched uranium at Isfahan — where the International Atomic Energy Agency said the stockpile was believed to be located before the war — but that it would be very difficult to remove it.

Yesterday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel must build on the achievements of its operation against Iran’s nuclear program to ensure that the Islamic Republic cannot rebuild it.

“We need to formulate an enforcement program to prevent Iran from reviving the capabilities it had before [the war],” he said.

“The Iranians will try in every possible way to learn their lessons and recover,” he said. “The enemy is learning and preparing — and our challenge is to step up our abilities so that we are not taken by surprise.”

IDF soldier stabbed, moderately hurt during operation in West Bank village of Rummanah

An IDF soldier was stabbed by a Palestinian during operations in the West Bank village of Rummanah, near Jenin, the military says.

The military says the assailant was shot dead by the troops following the attack.

The soldier was taken to a hospital in moderate condition.

Another opposition mayor arrested in Turkey as part of Erdogan’s latest crackdown

Turkish financial police detained the mayor of Istanbul’s northern district of Sile, in the northeast of the county, the Demiroren news agency says, expanding a legal crackdown on the main opposition party.

However, from the report, it was not immediately clear on what specific charges the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Mayor Ozgur Kabadayi and other municipal officials were detained.

CHP officials have faced waves of arrests this year that many consider aimed at neutralizing Turkey’s main opposition party.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule, was jailed four months ago over corruption allegations.

The government insists prosecutors and the judiciary act independently but the arrest of Istanbul’s Imamoglu led to the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade.

Report: Qatar will be able to start funding Gaza reconstruction efforts during ceasefire

This aerial view shows a war devastated neighborhood in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on April 2, 2025. (Bashar Taleb/AFP)

The terms of the ceasefire and hostage release deal currently being negotiated in Doha would allow Qatar to start funding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip once a truce comes into effect, according to an unsourced report from the Ynet news outlet.

According to the report, Hamas put forward this demand, and Israel has agreed to it in principle.

Several other countries would also start pouring funds into Gaza for reconstruction efforts under the terms of the deal, the report states, although it does not specify which ones.

Gaza deal possible in a week or two though not within a day, senior Israeli official says

WASHINGTON — Israel and Hamas may be able to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal within one or two weeks but such an agreement is not expected to be secured in a day’s time, a senior Israeli official says.

Speaking to non-Israeli reporters during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, the official says that if the two sides agree to a proposed 60-day ceasefire, Israel will use that time to offer a permanent ceasefire that will require the Palestinian terrorist group to disarm.

If Hamas refuses, “we’ll proceed” with military operations, the official says on condition of anonymity.

Netanyahu tells hostage families that progress has been made toward Gaza truce deal

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a group of hostage families in Washington on Wednesday night that progress has been made toward a Gaza truce agreement, a source present at the meeting tells The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu met the hostage families on the sidelines of a reception he hosted a reception for Jewish and Evangelical community leaders at the Blair House where he has been staying across the street from the White House this week during his meetings in Washington.

IDF says it intercepted missile launched from Yemen

The military announces that air defenses intercepted the missile fired from Yemen.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the debris.

https://twitter.com/ItayBlumental/status/1943139353036718088

Sirens activated as military says missile launched at Israel from Yemen

The IDF says it has identified a missile launch from Yemen, with air defense systems activated “to intercept the threat.”

The attack triggers sirens in parts of central Israel, the Jerusalem area and some West Bank settlements.

Australian Jews feel ‘very unsafe’ amid surging attacks, says country’s antisemitism envoy

Rabbi Dovid Gutnick speaks to the media next to the burnt front entrance of the East Melbourne Synagogue in Melbourne on July 6, 2025. (William WEST / AFP)

SYDNEY — Jewish Australians feel “very unsafe” after a surge in threats, vandalism and violence, Australia’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal says.

Intimidation and violence are “making Jewish Australians feel very unsafe, and this should concern every Australian,” Segal says as she releases a plan to combat antisemitism.

PM’s office says Netanyahu and Hegseth discussed ‘dealing with the Iranian threat’

During their meeting at the Pentagon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth talked about “dealing with the Iranian threat, regional security cooperation, and strengthening strategic relations between Israel and the United States,” according to the Israeli readout.

Netanyahu’s wife Sara was taken on a tour of the Pentagon by Hegseth’s wife Jennifer.

Soldier in 7th Armored Brigade seriously wounded amid fighting in northern Gaza

A soldier with the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion was seriously wounded during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the IDF says.

The soldier was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Soldier killed during attempted abduction by Hamas named as Abraham Azulay

Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israeli soldier killed during an abduction attempt by Hamas in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis on Wednesday is named as Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay, 25, a heavy engineering machinery operator in the Southern Command’s combat engineering unit, from the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar.

Azulay had served in the Paratroopers Brigade’s 202nd Battalion during his mandatory army service. In reserves, he was placed in a light infantry battalion in the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade.

From the start of the war until March 3, 2024, Azulay served for 66 days in reserves, for which he was promoted to sergeant first class.

Azulay was punished for deserting reserve service afterward, being jailed and demoted to the rank of private.

After the punishment, he returned to reserve duty and served another 201 days.

In June, he was drafted to operate an excavator for engineering operations in the Gaza Strip.

Due to the circumstances of his death, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, with the approval of Defense Minister Israel Katz, returned Azulay his rank before demotion and posthumously promoted him as is tradition with fallen soldiers.

The military says he was awarded the rank of master sergeant “in light of the fact that he was killed in the face of an enemy while sacrificing his life.”

Netanyahu to take part in memorial ceremony for murdered Israeli embassy staffers

A mourner lights a candle during a vigil for the victims of the Capital Jewish Museum shooting outside of the White House on May 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Two Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were gunned down after an event at the museum by a man shouting slogans in support for Palestine. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will participate in a memorial ceremony Thursday morning for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, the two Israeli embassy employees who were murdered in May.

The event will take place at the embassy in Washington, DC, at 10:30 a.m. local time.

Netanyahu set to return from US on Thursday evening though schedule could change

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to reporters before a meeting with American lawmakers at the US Capitol in Washington, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently set to take off on his return to Israel from Washington between 7-9 p.m. on Thursday evening, though his schedule is subject to change.

IDF soldier found dead at army base in south, military announces

An IDF combat soldier was found dead earlier today at a base in southern Israel, the military says, in what appears to be an incident of suspected suicide.

An investigation has been opened into the circumstances, the findings of which will be sent to the Military Advocate General for review, the IDF says, without giving further details.

The IDF says the investigation will be presented to the family of the soldier upon completion.

The army comments on claims that the soldier was interrogated by Military Police shortly before his death, saying that the investigation was unrelated to an “operational incident.”

Pro-Israel professor reportedly quits Columbia University

Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai is denied access to the main campus after his security card was deactivated to prevent him from accessing the lawn currently occupied by pro-Palestine student demonstrators in New York, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Shai Davidai, a pro-Israel assistant professor at Columbia Business School, has left the university, according to an email sent by the school’s Dean Costis Maglaras seen by several media outlets.

The reports came as Davidai published a letter he received on X that he had been cleared of wrongdoing by Columbia, after he was temporarily suspended from campus for confronting a university official over an anti-Israel rally marking a year since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre.

Columbia has been the epicenter of a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel student protest movement that has roiled US campuses over the last two years as Israel’s war in Gaza raged.