July 18: Doctor says Sweida hospital morgue full; UN: Almost 80,000 displaced by violence

IDF says it intercepted Houthi missile; no reports of impacts or injuries

A ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen at Israel a short while ago was intercepted by air defenses, the military says.

There are no immediate reports of impacts or injuries. Sirens had sounded in numerous towns across central Israel and the Jerusalem area.

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 62 ballistic missiles and at least 15 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.

Houthi missile triggers sirens in central Israel and Jerusalem area — IDF

Sirens sound in central Israel and the Jerusalem area following the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen.

The IDF says it is working to shoot down the projectile.

IDF says rocket launched from Yemen, sirens expected to sound in central Israel, Jerusalem area

A ballistic missile has been launched from Yemen at Israel, the military says.

Sirens are expected to sound in central Israel and the Jerusalem area in the coming minutes.

‘Impunity persists, terrorism too’: Hundreds mark 31st anniversary of AMIA bombing

People hold pictures of victims during a ceremony to commemorate the 31st anniversary the AMIA bombing attack which left 85 dead and more than 300 wounded, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 18, 2025. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Hundreds of Argentines gather in Buenos Aires to commemorate the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center that killed dozens, demanding justice for a crime for which there has not yet been a trial.

In the worst such attack in Argentina’s history, a car bomb on July 18, 1994, killed 85 people and injured more than 300 at the seven-story Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires.

Two years earlier, an explosion at the Israeli embassy killed 29 and wounded 200.

“Impunity persists, terrorism too” was the slogan for Friday’s 31st commemoration of the AMIA attack — the second such event attended by Argentinian President Javier Milei, a staunch defender of Israel.

Survivors and victims’ relatives hope there will be movement under Catholic-born Milei, who has already visited Israel twice since taking office in December 2023, and has professed a deep interest in Judaism.

In April 2024, an Argentine court found Iran and Hezbollah were responsible for what it called a crime against humanity.

It ruled that the likely motive for the attacks was the cancellation by the Argentine government under then-president Carlos Menem of three contracts with Iran for the supply of nuclear equipment and technology.

In June, a judge authorized a trial in absentia against ten Iranian and Lebanese defendants — former ministers and diplomats.

No date has been set.

Iran has always denied any involvement and has refused to hand over any suspects.

Fighting renews between Bedouin and Druze at entrance to Sweida

DAMASCUS, Syria — Renewed clashes erupt between Bedouin tribal factions and Druze fighters at the entrance to Syria’s southern city of Sweida, an AFP correspondent and a war monitoring organization say.

About 200 tribal fighters using machine guns and shells clash with armed Druze men from the city, the AFP correspondent says, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reports fighting and “shelling on neighbourhoods in Sweida city.”

Mossad chief reportedly asked Witkoff for US help to move out Gazans, possibly to Ethiopia, Libya, Indonesia

Mossad chief David Barnea in Tel Aviv, on February 25, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

WASHINGTON — Mossad spy agency head David Barnea visited Washington this week as Israel seeks the Trump administration’s help in moving Palestinians out of Gaza, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

The two sources say Barnea told US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff that Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya have shown willingness to take Palestinian refugees from Gaza, and that Washington should offer “incentives” to those countries to agree to the relocation.

However, Witkoff was non-committal on the issue, a source says.

US officials also say that the White House is not keen on transferring Palestinians out of Gaza amid opposition from Arab countries.

The efforts come months after US President Donald Trump proposed that all of Gaza’s residents be moved indefinitely while the Strip is rebuilt. Arab countries and much of the Western world strongly opposed the idea, while Netanyahu and his coalition enthusiastically supported it.

Hamas-run civil defense agency says 10 killed near GHF aid sites

Children transporting wooden pallets ride along the Salah al-Din road near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, used by food-seeking Palestinians to reach an aid distribution point set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), June 25, 2025. (Eyad Baba / AFP)

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says that Israeli fire killed 10 aid seekers today.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal says that Israeli fire killed nine people “near the US aid center in the Al-Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah city in southern Gaza.”

The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations in late May as Israel eased a two-month total aid blockade that had sparked warnings of famine.

After weeks of chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed nearby while waiting to collect rations, GHF acknowledged that 20 people died in a crush at one of its aid points in southern Gaza on Wednesday.

Bassal also reports “one martyr and eight injuries as a result of Israeli gunfire at civilians gathered near an aid distribution point close to the Netzarim corridor, south of Gaza City.”

The Israeli military says it was “not aware” of the incident near Rafah when contacted by AFP.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Almost 80,000 displaced by southern Syria violence, UN says

A fighters from Bedouin tribes walks past a burnt vehicle in al-Mazraa village in Syria's southern Sweida governorate, July 18, 2025. (Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Nearly 80,000 people have been displaced by sectarian violence in southern Syria that began last week, the UN’s migration agency says.

In a statement, the International Organization for Migration says “79,339 people have been displaced since 13 July, including 20,019 on 17 July,” adding that water, electricity, and telecomms services in Sweida had “collapsed” and fuel shortages had crippled transportation and emergency logistics.

Hamas military spokesperson says if current talks fail, terror group won’t offer another partial hostage deal

The spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, Abu Obeida, says in a recorded speech that “we do not promise to reintroduce a draft of a partial deal and an offer to release ten prisoners [hostages] if Israel withdraws from the current negotiations.”

In his first recorded speech in four months, Abu Obeida says that Hamas had repeatedly offered a comprehensive deal to release all the hostages in recent weeks, but Netanyahu refused.

Hamas ‘dragging its feet’ on Doha hostage talks, senior Israeli official says

Demonstrators rally for a deal to release hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, July 13, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Hamas is “dragging its feet” in hostage talks in Doha, a senior Israeli official tells Israeli reporters in a briefing.

“Israel is ready to see negotiations with Hamas through to the end, but the refusal and foot-dragging are raising doubts about Hamas’ seriousness.”

Hamas, says the official, “thinks time is in its favor.” The official stresses ongoing IDF operations in Gaza as evidence that time is in Israel’s favor.

Specifically, Hamas is not moving forward on the ratio of prisoners released for each hostage, says the official. “This is delaying the ceasefire. It insists on not moving to discussions on the issue. This is preventing us from making progress.”

An Arab diplomat and a second source involved in the mediation effort told The Times of Israel on Thursday that Hamas had in fact lifted its veto over discussing the terms of the hostage-prisoner swap after receiving Israel’s updated maps depicting the IDF’s partial withdrawal from Gaza during the two-month truce under discussion.

Meanwhile, Israel’s negotiators remain in Qatar, says the senior Israeli official. There is also an Israeli team in Cairo discussing humanitarian aid in the event of a ceasefire.

“As soon as Hamas clears the way, we will be able to make progress,” says the official.

Jacob Magid contributed to this report.

Netanyahu expresses ‘regret’ over bombing of Gazan church in call with pope, PM’s office says

In a call with Pope Leo XIV, Prime Minister Benjamin expresses “Israel’s regret for the tragic incident in which stray ammunition accidentally struck the Holy Family Church in Gaza,” says the Prime Minister’s Office, adding that he sent his heartfelt condolences to the families of those hurt.

Netanyahu also gives the Pope an update on efforts to release hostages through a deal with Hamas, says the Israeli readout of the call.

IDF says it killed Hamas battalion commander who invaded Israel on Oct. 7

The commander of Hamas’ Daraj-Tuffah Battalion, who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, was killed in a recent strike in the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.

Muhammad Ghaseen was killed in a strike last week in the area of Gaza City’s eastern Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods, according to the military.

Ghaseen invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led onslaught, and during the war, carried out numerous attacks on troops, the IDF says.

The IDF says his killing “constitutes a significant blow to the functioning of the battalion he commanded and will diminish the battalion’s ability to carry out terror operations against IDF troops operating in the area.”

Sweida hospital morgue full, received over 400 bodies since Monday, doctor says

A wounded man receives treatment at a hospital in Syria's southern city of Sweida on July 18, 2025. (Shadi AL-DUBAISI / AFP)

SWEIDA, Syria — The government hospital in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria has received “more than 400 bodies since Monday morning,” including those of women and children, Omar Obeid, a doctor, tells AFP.

“There is no more room in the morgue, the bodies are in the street,” in front of the hospital, adds Obeid, president of the Sweida branch of the Order of Physicians.

Violence erupted Sunday evening with clashes between Druze fighters and local Bedouin tribes, followed by the intervention of Syrian government forces, who are accused of joining in the fighting against the minority group.

IDF footage shows airstrikes hitting Hamas targets in Gaza this week

The IDF releases footage of airstrikes carried out in the Gaza Strip this week.

Hundreds of targets were hit by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, helicopters, and drones during the ongoing operations against Hamas in the past week, the military says.

The targets included cells of operatives, weapons caches, booby traps, and anti-tank and sniper posts, the IDF adds.

מאות מטרות צבאיות הותקפו בשבוע האחרון בסיוע לכוחות המתמרנים: תיעודים מפעילות חיל האוויר ברצועת עזה

חיל האוויר ממשיך לפעול בשיתוף הדוק עם הכוחות המתמרנים ברצועת עזה, על מנת לספק מעטפת הגנה לכוחות, לחסל מחבלים ולהשמיד תשתיות טרור ברצועה.

במהלך השבוע האחרון, מטוסי קרב, מסוקי קרב… pic.twitter.com/2KAPElojG1

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 18, 2025

High Court: If government fires AG, decision will be frozen pending judicial review

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, April 27, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a highly consequential decision, the High Court of Justice rules that if the government decides to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the decision will not take effect immediately in order to allow the court to hear legal challenges to the measure.

The decision comes following petitions filed by several government watchdog groups asking the court to freeze the dismissal process before Baharav-Miara is fired by the government, and to rule on petitions against the government’s new process for firing the attorney general.

The petitions were filed early Friday morning after a ministerial committee recommended to the government on Thursday night that it fire Baharav-Miara due to “substantive and ongoing differences of opinion between the government and the attorney general preventing effective cooperation.”

Judge Noam Sohlberg, a staunch conservative, declines to issue an interim order against the dismissal process itself, saying that judicial review can only be conducted after a decision is made to fire the attorney general.

“Taking into account the difficulties pointed out by the petitioners (particularly regarding the timeline), the apparent prospects of the petition, and the nature of the issue at hand [and] its associated implications… should the government decide to dismiss the attorney general the decision will not take effect immediately, in order to allow sufficient time for judicial review,” writes Sohlberg.

The cabinet agenda published on Thursday for Sunday’s meeting does not include an item for firing the attorney general, although such an agenda item could be added before the cabinet convenes.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, a far-right member of the Likud party, immediately threatens in response that the government will not abide by the court decision.

“Any decision of the High Court of Justice without explicit authority in law — will not enter into force before the authority is anchored in legislation in the Knesset,” says Karhi, implying that the court does not have the power of judicial review over government decisions.

Referring to the attorney general as the “political tyrant to the government,” he calls on Justice Minister Yariv Levin to put a vote on Baharav-Miara’s dismissal on the cabinet’s agenda for this Sunday, and to appoint a new attorney general at the same time.

“The law must be obeyed and not arbitrary decisions. The deep state cannot be allowed to steal power from the people,” warns Karhi.

The Israel Democracy Guard, one of the organizations that petitioned the court against the government’s dismissal process for the attorney general, welcomes the court’s decision, stating that it will “ensure that the government will not be able to dismiss the legal advisor to the government at any moment.”

“The decision shows that even in the court’s opinion, the move to dismiss the attorney general is an illegal move, based on an illegal change in the rules for ending the attorney general’s term. Our legal struggle will continue — this is just the beginning,” the organization says.

Russian courts hand harsh prison sentences to 135 people linked to antisemitic Dagestan airport riot

People in the crowd walk shouting antisemitic slogans at an airfield of the airport in Makhachkala, Russia, October 30, 2023. (AP Photo)

MOSCOW, Russia — Russian courts sentenced 135 people to lengthy prison sentences in connection with a mass antisemitic riot in October 2023 at an airport in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region, the country’s Investigative Committee says.

Hundreds of rioters stormed an airport in the city of Makhachkala, where a plane from Tel Aviv had just arrived, amid unrest in the North Caucasus over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which had begun a few weeks earlier when the terror group launched the October 7 massacre.

Investigators say they completed probes into the participation of 139 in the events.

Three additional people — whom they say had organised the riots via posts on a Telegram channel — have been put on Russia’s wanted list.

The 135 convicted people are given prison terms ranging from six and a half to 15 years for participating in mass riots and other crimes. Investigators do not name the people, nor say how they pleaded.

Video footage at the time showed the protesters, mostly young men, waving Palestinian flags, breaking down glass doors and running through the airport shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).

More than 20 people were injured before security forces could contain the unrest. No passengers on the plane were hurt.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the West and Ukraine for the unrest, without providing evidence. Kyiv denied any role, and the United States strongly condemned the violence.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Palestinian Bedouins accuse settlers of killing 117 sheep in Jordan Valley

Palestinian media outlets report that settlers arrived last night at the village of Al-Malih, a Bedouin community in the northern Jordan Valley, and killed 117 heads of livestock belonging to the residents.

Al-Araby TV also reports that an additional 400 heads of livestock were stolen.

The police have yet to issue a response.

The army did not respond to a request for comment.

Veterinarians were called in to treat a handful of sheep that had survived the knife and gun attack, some of the animals shaking uncontrollably and in apparent shock.

Germany’s Merz cautions Israel on Gaza aid, settlements in call with Netanyahu

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz leaves after a press conference on home and foreign policy in Berlin, Germany, on July 18, 2025. (John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

BERLIN, Germany — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expresses hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza while calling for safe access to humanitarian aid there, a German government spokesperson says.

“The chancellor emphasised that the urgently needed humanitarian aid must now reach the people in the Gaza Strip in a safe and humane manner,” the spokesperson says in a statement.

“The chancellor emphasised that there must be no steps towards annexation of the West Bank.”

UK police won’t take further action against Kneecap after probe into Glastonbury performance

Naoise O Caireallain, left, and Liam Og of the hip hop trio Kneecap perform during the Glastonbury Festival, June 28, 2025. (Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

British police say they will take no further action against Irish rap group Kneecap after an investigation into comments made by its members at the Glastonbury music festival last month.

“Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence,” Avon and Somerset Police say in a statement.

Kneecap led a huge crowd in chants of “Free Palestine” at the festival.

They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had said he did not think it was “appropriate” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury, after one of its members was charged under the Terrorism Act.

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with supporting a proscribed terror organization for waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year.

Israel says ‘key’ Islamic Jihad money handler killed in Gaza Strip this week

This picture taken from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing over destroyed buildings during an Israeli strike on July 17, 2025. (Jack Guez/AFP)

A prominent Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip earlier this week, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.

The strike on Sunday killed Raed Khaled Hassan Jabin, who the military says was a “key” Islamic Jihad operative involved in transferring funds to advance terror attacks from the West Bank.

He was jailed in Israel between 2006 and 2015 for his involvement in Islamic Jihad terror activity, the IDF says.

“In recent years and throughout the war, Jabin operated in several ways to transfer terror funds of the Islamic Jihad terror organization, aimed at advancing and executing terrorist attacks” in the West Bank, the statement says.

Egypt fed up with Hamas refusal to take Gaza deal, pushing terror group to accept, Arab diplomat tells ToI

Egypt is fed up with Hamas, and its delegation in Qatar threatened the terror group’s delegation over its refusal to accept a ceasefire deal in Gaza, an Arab diplomat tells The Times of Israel.

Egypt is “pressuring Hamas to accept,” says the diplomat.

The diplomat confirms an i24 report that the Egyptians threatened Hamas delegation head Khalil al-Hayya with deportation and insulted him over his refusal to accept a deal.

A second source involved in the mediation efforts says the Egyptian anger at Hamas is due to what Cairo feels is the terror group’s foot-dragging in the negotiations.

Mediators are still waiting for Hamas to respond to the new set of maps submitted this week by Israel that lay out a softened proposal of its partial withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day truce under discussion, the source says.

Despite the frustration with Hamas, the source says the issue is surmountable and a deal is still possible within days.

Netanyahu’s US high school mulls pulling him from hall of fame — report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv District Court, July 14, 2025. (Reuven Kastro/POOL)

The alumni association of the US high school attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to discuss a petition by its students to remove his picture from their hall of fame, The New York Times reports.

Netanyahu graduated from Cheltenham High School, near Philadelphia, in 1967, while living there as his father taught at a nearby college.

The petition to boot Netanyahu has acquired more than 200 signatures, nearly 14 percent of the students, the report says.

An email written by two students to the alumni association cites Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial and the International Criminal Court arrest warrant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza as reasons for the request.

“As such, we feel it is not right for him to continue to be recognized in our school,” the petition, cited by the report, says.

Israeli tourist dies in Greece after falling from fifth floor of hotel

An 83-year-old Israeli tourist fell to her death from the fifth floor of a hotel in Greece last night, local media reports.

The Israeli woman was vacationing with her husband at the seaside resort town of Loutraki.

The circumstances of the fall are unclear.

The Foreign Ministry says in a statement that they are dealing with the matter.

Huckabee’s threatening letter: We will warn Christians to reconsider visits, their goodwill is being ‘met with hostility’ by Israel

L: Interior Minister Moshe Arbel speaks at a memorial ceremony for late president Shimon Peres, at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, on September 4, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90); R: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visits Magen David Adom headquarters in Ramle, on June 29, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/FLASH90)

In the letter he sent this week to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee lays out in detail new policies from the Visa Department toward Evangelical Christian organizations.

The letter, the existence of which emerged yesterday, has been obtained by The Times of Israel.

“As of the beginning of 2025, the Visa Department arbitrarily ceased honoring the recommendations of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and has initiated an independent investigation into each of the Evangelical organizations to ascertain whether or not they should be recognized as Religious Institutions and continue receiving visas,” writes Huckabee.

“This includes many historic organizations such as the Baptist Convention of Israel, Christian Missionary Alliance, Assemblies of God, etc., some of whom have been active here since before 1948. The vast majority of them have headquarters in the United States. They have all been required to fill out extensive questionnaires regarding their religious beliefs, their activities, their assets in Israel, etc. And to the best of my knowledge, none of them have received new A3 Clergy Visas since the beginning of the year, as they are all ‘under investigation.'”

Huckabee lists the Anglican School, IBEX from Masters University, University of the Holyland, and the Jerusalem University College as institutions that had received A3 Clergy visas for senior faculty since Israel’s early years, but have been told this year that they are no longer recognized as religious institutions for the purpose of obtaining visas.

“No specific explanation was given for this decision, and it has caused some major difficulties,” writes Huckabee.

“If they cannot receive A3 Clergy Visas, their only option is to apply for B1 Foreign Expert Visas – which is a visa category made for significant for-profit business enterprises. It has both a relatively high fee per visa each year – approx. USD $2,500- and a minimal salary requirement for each employee of twice the median salary in Israel – approx. NIS 22,000/month today – twice the standard salary of Israeli citizen teachers.”

He says that the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem is also having visas held up.

The ICEJ, which organizes the annual Jerusalem March, has changed countries’ stances on Israel, has been behind the moving of some embassies to Jerusalem, and has funded Jewish immigration and humanitarian projects within Israel.

“The Evangelical Christian community is perhaps the strongest and most faithful and fervent supporter of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. When antisemitism is growing around the world, the evangelical Christian community has remained steadfast and has become even more outspoken in support,” writes Huckabee. “It is also responsible for contributing millions of dollars to combat antisemitism and tangible support for Israeli causes through dozens of organizations such as International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Samaritans Purse, Christians United For Israel, and numerous others.”

Huckabee also issues direct threats if the policy doesn’t change: “It would be very unfortunate that our Embassy would have to publicly announce throughout the United States that the State of Israel is no longer welcoming Christian organizations and their representatives and is instead engaging in harassment and negative treatment toward organizations with long-standing relationships and positive involvement toward Zionism and friendship to the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

“We would further be obligated to warn Christians in America that their generous contributions to organizations to promote goodwill in Israel are being met with hostility and that tourists should reconsider travel until this situation is resolved with clarity,” he writes, adding that he would “have no other choice than to instruct our Consular Section to review options for reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens seeking visas to the United States.”

“Surely this is NOT the relationship the State of Israel wishes to have with its best partner and friend on the planet.”

IDF says one rocket launched from northern Gaza, intercepted by air defenses

The IDF says one rocket launched from the northern Gaza Strip at southern Israel was intercepted by air defenses.

There are no reports of injuries or damage.

Rocket sirens sound in Netiv Haasara, close to Gaza border; IDF checking cause

Rocket sirens are sounding in the Gaza border community of Netiv Haasara.

The IDF says it is investigating.

Netanyahu, Pope Leo XIV speak for over an hour after Gaza church strike; pope urges end to war

Pope Leo XIV (left) speaks at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 13, 2025. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool via AFP); Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at a court hearing in Tel Aviv, July 14, 2025.(Reuven Kastro/Pool via Flash90)

A day after three civilians were killed in Gaza’s only Catholic church by an IDF tank shell, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks by phone with Pope Leo XIV.

The call lasted for more than an hour, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office tells The Times of Israel, and was “good-natured and friendly.”

“During the conversation, the Holy Father repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war,” says the Vatican readout of the call. “He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonizing price.”

Leo also stresses the “urgent need” to protect places of worship and all people in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The pontiff also called Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa as he entered the Gaza Strip to visit the church.

Latin, Greek patriarchs warmly welcomed by Gaza’s Christians following deadly church strike

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III in Gaza City's Holy Family Church, July 18, 2025, a day after the church was damaged by a shell fired from a nearby Israeli tank (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III are welcomed in the Gaza Strip by the enclave’s Christian population, the day after three civilians were killed on the grounds of the territory’s only Catholic church.

In a video published by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the two Patriarchs can be seen giving blessings to children who approach them as they make their way to the church to survey the extent of the damage.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III meet with Christians in the Gaza Strip, on July 18, 2025. (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

Four anti-Israel activists face 2027 trial over UK military base break-in

Four pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists will stand trial in 2027, charged with breaking into a British military air base and damaging two planes in protest against Britain’s support for Israel.

The four are accused of breaking into a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire in central England on June 20 and spraying red paint over two Voyager aircraft used for refuelling and transport. Protest group Palestine Action said it was behind the incident.

Lewie Chiaramello, 22, Jony Cink, 24, Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, and Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, appeared for a hearing at London’s Old Bailey court this morning ahead of a trial due to start in January 2027.

They are charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the interests or safety of the United Kingdom and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. None of the defendants was asked to enter a plea at Friday’s brief hearing.

Police previously said the action had caused 7 million pounds ($9.4 million) worth of damage to two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.

British lawmakers voted to proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation earlier this month. The group has condemned the decision as “authoritarian” and a challenge to the ban will be heard at London’s High Court on Monday.

Three Hamas terrorists set to be charged for involvement in murder of Tzeela Gez

IDF troops at the scene of a terror shooting attack on Route 446 between the Bruchin and Pedu'el settlements on May 14, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Three Hamas terrorists are set to be charged for their involvement in a deadly shooting attack in May, during which a pregnant woman was killed, forcing doctors to perform an emergency C-section to deliver her son, who died two weeks later.

In the attack on May 14, near Bruqin and the settlement of Bruchin, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire from the side of a road on Israeli motorists, killing Tzeela Gez, 30, and wounding her husband.

Gez had been heading to a hospital to give birth. Her baby, named Ravid Haim, was delivered by emergency C-section at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, but died 15 days later.

Days after the attack, the IDF shot dead the Palestinian terrorist who had opened fire in the attack. He was identified as Naael Samarah, a member of Hamas.

The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police announce that three more Hamas terrorists, members of the same cell that Samarah was part of, are set to be charged for the attack.

“The Shin Bet and police investigation revealed that the suspects were involved together in four attacks over the past six months, some of which involved causing injuries or property damage,” a joint statement says.

Military prosecutors are set to file an indictment against the trio, charging them with severe crimes, in the coming days.

Police chief orders probe into undercover border police who attended bar mitzvah of well-known businessman’s son in uniform

Police chief Danny Levy has ordered a probe into a video that circulated yesterday of undercover Border Police fighters attending the bar mitzvah of a prominent businessman, police say. He has instructed that the probe’s findings be presented to him in the coming days.

The masked fighters were filmed with their weapons drawn as they escorted the son of the businessman Alon Elgali to the front of the crowd, gathered in an outdoor venue in the central moshav of Ahisamakh.

Emceeing the event, singer Lior Narkis, welcomed the bar mitzvah boy and fighters, lauding their presence at the celebration.

The officers are part of the elite Yamas counter-terrorism unit, which operates undercover in the West Bank with fighters often disguising themselves as Arabs in order to reach their targets. Public appearances while in uniform could thus put their operations at risk.

The Border Police comes out with a softer statement than Levy, saying that the fighters “responded to a request from a civilian who asked them to partake in a ceremony for his son, a boy who has shown deep connection to and appreciation for the work of security forces.”

“The officers, with the good intention of bringing joy to the family and community, took part in the event in a limited and good-faith manner,” the statement continued, according to Ynet.

ליאור נרקיס שר תוך כדי שילד הבר מצווה בנו של איש העסקים אלון אלגלי נכנס קבלת פנים ומלווה בלוחמי מג״ב מג״בניקים במדי צה״ל ועם נשקים שלופים pic.twitter.com/TszEHXMnjG

— סרטוני תגובה בעברית (@hebreacvids) July 17, 2025

Nevertheless, the Border Police vowed to enforce the unit’s guidelines regarding participation in public events “to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, 45-year-old Elgali has been known to extensively donate to IDF soldiers and Border Police officers, as well as host them in his home, according to Hebrew media.

Elgali owns the excavation company Meshek Afar Limited, which the IDF has contracted over the course of the Gaza war to dig up Hamas tunnels.

While on reserve duty last year in Gaza, the businessman came under fire from international pro-Palestine activists for appearing in a video filmed against the backdrop of rubble in Rafah, in which a fellow soldier claimed his company would tear down a mosque in the area the next day.

Three Hamas officials killed in Gaza strike earlier this week, IDF and Shin Bet say

Three Hamas officials were killed in a strike in the Gaza Strip this week, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.

The strike killed Barhoum Shaheen, the head of the general security apparatus in western Gaza; Hashem Sarsour, head of Hamas’ emergency committee in eastern Gaza; and Faraj al-Aoul, the head of Hamas’ legal bureau and a member of the group’s legislative council.

The military says that Shaheen and Sarsour “were involved in Hamas’ security and governance activities in Gaza against the Gazan population, and assisted terrorists of Hamas’s military wing, while employing methods of repression and violence against the civilians of the Gaza Strip.”

The security apparatus, according to the military, is a clandestine Hamas body responsible for uncovering “collaborators” with Israel; security for top Hamas officials and assets in Gaza and outside of the Strip; and oppression of opponents to Hamas’s rule.

The emergency committee is a Hamas body tasked with maintaining public order and civil control in the Strip’s municipalities.

UN rights chief decries ‘bloodshed’ in southern Syria, demands prompt investigation

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk addresses media personnel in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

The United Nations human rights chief demands that Syria’s interim authorities ensure accountability after days of deadly clashes in the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida that reportedly left hundreds dead.

“This bloodshed and the violence must stop and the protection of all people must be the utmost priority,” Volker Turk says in a statement.

He demands “independent, prompt and transparent investigations into all violations” and adds: “Those responsible must be held to account.”

“It is crucial that immediate steps are taken to prevent recurrence of such violence,” he says.

“Revenge and vengeance are not the answer.”

His comments come after Syrian troops pulled out of the Druze heartland yesterday on the orders of the Islamist-led government, following days of clashes that reportedly killed nearly 600 people.

The southern province has been gripped by deadly sectarian bloodshed since Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed in clashes pitting Druze fighters against Sunni Bedouin tribes and the army and its allies.

Turk’s statement cites credible reports indicating “widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property and looting of homes.”

“Among the reported perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim authorities, as well as other armed elements from the area, including Druze and Bedouins,” the statement says.

This had sparked “mass displacement,” it says.

It highlights one incident on July 15, when the UN rights office documented the “unlawful killing of at least 13 people when armed individuals affiliated with the interim authorities deliberately opened fire at a family gathering.”

On the same day, such individuals also reportedly summarily executed six men near their homes in two separate incidents, it says.

“The deployment of state security forces should bring safety and protection, not add to the fear and violence,” Turk says.

“With the fall of the former government, Syrians have witnessed a moment of hope for a better future based on human rights,” he says.

“It is the responsibility of the interim authorities to demonstrate that this chapter will be defined by rights, justice, and equal protection for all.”

Israel will give Syrian ‘internal security forces’ 48 hours to operate in Sweida, Israeli official says

Israel is allowing Syrian “internal security forces” to enter the Sweida Governate for 48 hours, an Israeli official says, citing ongoing unrest in southern Syria.

Israel has said it would not allow regime military forces south of Damascus, which could be the reason it is calling them “internal security forces” in its statement.

Government forces withdrew from Sweida on Wednesday night, saying they had reached a ceasefire with local Druze forces.

But fighting in Sweida appears to have continued, with a Bedouin military commander telling Reuters that Bedouin fighters had launched a new offensive against Druze fighters.

Latin, Orthodox patriarchs visit Gaza after deadly strike on enclave’s only Catholic church

A view of the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, after an Israeli tank shell the previous day hit the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 18, 2025. (X, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III enter the Gaza Strip a day after three civilians were killed on the grounds of the territory’s only Catholic church.

Footage from the visit shows the Church leaders inspecting the damage to the roof from the outside, and walking through the Holy Family Church with local parishioners. Contrary to a New York Times report that said that the church was destroyed, the footage shows the interior of the building intact. Evidence of a strike is seen on the facade of the building, with burn marks radiating from a blown-out section near the roof.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III in Gaza City’s Holy Family Church, July 18, 2025, a day after the church was damaged by a shell fired from a nearby Israeli tank (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

The Israeli military said that shrapnel from a tank shell fired during operations in Gaza City hit the church.

According to the Latin Patriarchate, the delegation is meeting with local Christians to assess their needs and to offer condolences and solidarity.

Additional humanitarian assistance, which includes hundreds of tons of food and medical equipment, is also being sent to the Christian community in Gaza and other civilians.

Those injured in the attack are being evacuated out of the Gaza Strip.

Six people said killed, others wounded in shootings near Gaza aid sites

Media outlets in Gaza report that six people were killed by gunfire near a humanitarian aid distribution center operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in northwestern Rafah, in the south of the Strip.

Separately, Al-Awda Hospital says that it had received four people who were wounded by gunfire at another distribution center along the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.

In response to an inquiry from The Times of Israel, the IDF says it is unaware of any such incidents having occurred on Friday morning.

Man, 21, succumbs to wounds day after cops shot him during police chase in northern Israel

A 21-year-old who was shot by police during a chase in the lower Galilee yesterday has died of his wounds.

Police began pursuing Iyad Lawabneh at 4 a.m. yesterday after he allegedly shot at a house in Mashhad, an Arab town north of Nazareth, while riding his motorcycle.

Lawabneh fled down to Nazareth, where he dismounted and began to flee the police on foot. Police then opened fire on the young man, injuring him, a law enforcement spokesman said yesterday.

His death was announced by Haifa’s Rambam Hospital this morning, according to local Arab outlets.

AG, state attorney order probe into Likud minister May Golan over allegations of illegal fundraising, other crimes

Minister for Social Equality and Minister for Women's Empowerment May Golan attends a Status of Women and Gender Equality Committee meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem on May 26, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman have instructed police to open an investigation into Social Equality Minister May Golan on suspicion of having carried out acts of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel says.

The order to probe the right-wing firebrand comes on the back of an investigative report aired by Channel 12 earlier this year, which claimed that she had carried out dubious fundraising for a nonprofit organization she set up in the past and engaged in widespread nepotism in her office.

According to the report, Golan hired a string of people in her office who were relatives of associates or influential colleagues, some of whom did no actual work.

Those included the wife of a long-time legal adviser, who runs a dog grooming business but was also listed as a salaried employee of Golan’s office. The attorney himself had been paid thousands of shekels to prepare legal documents that were never filed.

The report also uncovered irregularities in  Golan’s anti-migrant nonprofit organization, the Hebrew City.

Golan has been prohibited from being involved in the charity since she became a Likud lawmaker in 2019. Channel 12 found, however, that she continued to arrange tours of South Tel Aviv, including a tour two years ago for representatives of the Taiwanese embassy.

Golan is head of the Israel-Taiwan lobby in the Knesset.

Later, the Hebrew City asked the embassy for a donation of $78,000 and then another of $20,000, the report stated. The money was transferred, but it was unclear what it was used for, as the nonprofit has not submitted financial reports for three years.

Tomer Naor, the chief legal officer at the Movement for Quality Government, says that the decision to open an investigation into the allegations “is an important and appropriate step,” and calls for Golan to step down from her post for the duration of the investigation.

Haifa man arrested on suspicion of stabbing woman he invited to his apartment

Police arrested a man in Kiryat Yam, a Haifa suburb, earlier today on suspicion that he stabbed a 43-year-old woman he had invited to his apartment.

The victim was moderately injured in the stabbing and has been taken to the hospital, police say. The circumstances of the incident are unclear. The suspect is currently being interrogated at the Zevulun police station.

Israel to send humanitarian aid packages to Syrian Druze in Sweida, Foreign Ministry says

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has ordered NIS 2 million of humanitarian aid to be sent to Druze in Sweida, Syria, says the Foreign Ministry.

The assistance, funded by the Foreign Ministry, will include food packages, medical equipment, first aid kits and medicine.

The ministry does not say how aid will reach Sweida, the site of deadly violence this week, only that it will be delivered “in a targeted manner.”

The Foreign Ministry sent aid to Syrian Druze in March as well.

Cops issue correction, say police dog wasn’t killed in blast that wounded officers

In an update correcting an earlier statement, police say that a police dog was not, in fact, killed in an explosion that went off this morning in Jaljulia. They say it is “unharmed and has been taken for a medical examination.”

The explosion went off in a home in the Arab town, injuring two officers, where police and National Guard officers had been searching for illegal weapons. Hebrew media reports that the two cops were moderately wounded in the blast.

Both injured officers were shuttled to a nearby hospital in the wake of the incident, a spokesman says.

Contradicting the police report, however, the Magen David Adom emergency service says three officers, all lightly wounded and fully conscious with surface-level injuries from shrapnel, were taken to Meir Medical Center for treatment.

Bomb disposal experts from the Central District police are working to clear the house of any other explosives and secure the area.

Police launched an investigation into the blast and have already arrested five people in connection to the incident.

Two police officers wounded in blast during weapons search in central Israel

Two police officers were wounded and a police dog was killed this morning in an explosion in Jaljulia, central Israel, during a search for weapons in the town, law enforcement says in a statement.

Both officers were moderately injured, according to Hebrew media reports. The circumstances of the explosion are unclear.

Syria says security forces preparing to redeploy to Sweida, after presidency claimed Druze violated truce

A Syrian security force member fires a shoulder-launched weapon amid clashes in the southern Sweida city on July 16, 2025 (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP)

Syrian security forces are preparing to redeploy to the Druze-majority Sweida city to quell fighting by the Druze and Bedouin tribes, the Syrian interior ministry spokesperson says, just a little over a day after they withdrew from the area.

The announcement comes after the Syrian presidency accused Druze fighters of violating the ceasefire that had led to the withdrawal of government forces.

The Syrian army had entered Sweida earlier this week amid sectarian fighting between Druze and Bedouins, which reportedly began after Bedouin gunmen assaulted a Druze vegetable vendor on Sunday.

However, witnesses reported that the government forces joined with the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage through the city, which was said to have left more than 300 dead.

Government forces withdrew from the city on Wednesday night, saying they had reached a ceasefire with local Druze forces.

But fighting in Sweida appears to have continued, with a Bedouin military commander telling Reuters that Bedouin fighters had launched a new offensive against Druze fighters.

The commander said the truce only applied to government forces and not to them, and said the Bedouin fighters were seeking to free Bedouins detained by Druze armed groups in recent days.

Israel has warned the Syrian government that it will not allow its forces to venture further south than Damascus.

US intelligence sources say Pezeshkian was injured in Israeli strike last month

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Two US intelligence sources tell CBS News that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was injured in an Israeli airstrike last month, corroborating an Iranian report on the matter.

The officials, who are not identified by name, tell CBS that the strike was carried out while Pezeshkian was attending a meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Earlier this month, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that the June 16 strike had targeted the lower floors of the building in western Tehran where the council was meeting.

It said that Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, and other senior officials were at the meeting with Pezeshkian.

Six bombs or missiles hit the access and entry points of the building, apparently in an attempt to prevent those inside from leaving, and to prevent air from getting inside, the report said.

Though power to the building was cut off, the officials managed to escape via an emergency hatch, according to the report, which claimed that Pezeshkian and some others suffered injuries to their legs as they were escaping.

CBS News says that it is unclear whether Pezeshkian was the intended target of the strikes, the report adds.

US Congress approves $9 billion in Trump cuts to foreign aid, public broadcasting

US Republicans approve President Donald Trump’s plan to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, vowing it is just the start of broader efforts by Congress to slash the federal budget.

The cuts achieve only a tiny fraction of the $1 trillion in annual savings that tech billionaire and estranged Trump donor Elon Musk vowed to find before his acrimonious exit in May from a role spearheading federal cost-cutting.

But Republicans — who recently passed a domestic policy bill expected to add more than $3 trillion to US debt — say the vote honors Trump’s election campaign pledge to rein in runaway spending.

“President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency,” House Speaker Mike Johnson says in a statement just after the vote.

“Today, we’re once again delivering on that promise.”

Both chambers of Congress are Republican-controlled, meaning a party-line House of Representatives vote of 216 to 213, moments after midnight, is sufficient to rubber-stamp the Senate-passed measure.

Most of the cuts target programs for countries hit by disease, war and natural disasters, but the move also scraps $1.1 billion that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years.

Conservatives say the funding, which goes mostly to more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations, as well as to public broadcasters NPR and PBS, is unnecessary and has funded biased coverage.

Ben Gvir demands that Netanyahu ‘come to his senses’ after Israel said to soften demands for Gaza withdrawal

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir leads an Otzma Yehudit faction meeting at the Knesset on July 7, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demands that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “come to his senses” and abandon the ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations, after Israel was said to have backed down from demands regarding the scope of its withdrawal from Gaza.

In particular, the ultranationalist minister takes issue with the matter of the so-called Morag Corridor, which separates the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, as sources have said that Israel has agreed to remove its forces from that 12-kilometer-long strip.

In a scathing statement, Ben Gvir says that withdrawing from the Morag Corridor would be “another setback” in Israel’s war against Hamas, which is now in its 21st month.

“The Morag Corridor is a strategic axis conquered with the blood of our soldiers, and withdrawing from it would be spitting in their faces,” he fumes.

Addressing Netanyahu, he says it is not too late for the premier to “come to his senses.”

“Stop the negotiations with the terrorists,” he demands, “and give the necessary instructions to achieve the goals of the war: complete occupation, voluntary migration, and [Israeli] settlement.”

Trump threatens to sue WSJ over story on alleged 2003 letter to Epstein

US President Donald Trump has threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal after it published a story about an alleged off-color letter written by him to the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that featured a drawing of a naked woman.

The Journal story, which quickly reverberated around the US capital, says the note to Epstein bearing Trump’s signature was part of a collection of notes for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. The newspaper says it reviewed the letter but did not print an image.

Syrian presidency accuses Druze fighters of violating ceasefire

The Syrian presidency accuses Druze fighters in Sweida of violating the ceasefire that led to the withdrawal of government forces from the southern province on Thursday.

In a statement, the presidency accuses “outlaw forces” — the term the government uses to refer to Druze factions in Sweida — of violating the agreement by engaging in “horrific violence” against civilians including “crimes that completely contravene the obligations of mediation, directly threaten civil peace, and push towards chaos and security collapse.”

The presidency also warned against “continued blatant Israeli interference in Syria’s internal affairs, which only leads to further chaos and destruction and further complicates the regional situation.”

Europeans warn Iran of UN sanctions unless concrete progress on nuclear talks

France, Britain and Germany tell Iran that they want it to resume diplomacy immediately over its nuclear program, warning that if no concrete steps are taken by the end of the summer they will restore UN sanctions.

The foreign ministers of the so-called E3, along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, held their first call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi since Israel and the United States carried out air strikes in mid-June on Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking after the call, a French diplomatic source says the ministers had called on Iran to resume diplomatic efforts immediately to reach a “verifiable and lasting” nuclear deal.

The three countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 deal with Iran that lifted sanctions on the country in return for restrictions on its nuclear program.

A UN Security Council resolution which enshrines the deal expires on October 18 and under its terms U.N. sanctions can be re-imposed beforehand. The process would take about 30 days.

The Europeans have repeatedly warned that unless there is a new nuclear accord they will launch the “snapback mechanism”, which would restore all previous U.N. sanctions on Iran if it is found to be in violation of the agreement’s terms.

“The ministers also reiterated their determination to use the so-called ‘snapback’ mechanism in the absence of concrete progress toward such an agreement by the end of the summer,” the diplomatic source says.

The source does not elaborate what concrete progress would entail.

Since the air strikes, inspectors from the UN atomic watchdog have left Iran. While Iran has suggested it is open to diplomacy, there are no indications a sixth round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran will resume imminently.

Diplomats say that even if they were to resume talks, reaching a comprehensive accord before the end of August – the final deadline the Europeans have given – seems unrealistic, especially without inspectors on the ground to assess Iran’s remaining nuclear programme.

Two European diplomats said they hoped to coordinate strategy with the United States in the coming days with a view to possibly holding talks with Iran soon.

In sign of shift, far-right US news network airs segment on unchecked Israeli settler violence

Matt Gaetz during a One America News broadcast on July 16, 2025. (Screen capture/X)

The far-right One America News Network airs a segment on last week’s killing of Palestinian-American Saif Musallet by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

The network’s decision to focus on the phenomenon that was once largely ignored in more conservative circles highlights the shift among a camp of MAGA Republicans that has gradually become more critical of Israel.

The anchor for the segment is former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who was US President Donald Trump’s original pick for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew his nomination amid mounting scandals against him.

HOW MANY AMERICANS DO ISRAELI SETTLERS HAVE TO KILL BEFORE WE CARE? pic.twitter.com/4Sa6JGGf0Z

— One America News (@OANN) July 17, 2025

He notably refers to the West Bank by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria while excoriating the conduct of Israeli settlers who live there.

“The truth is, this isn’t an isolated tragedy. It’s part of a pattern of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian communities that include the torching of homes, farms and lives, all while protected by Israeli forces who are funded by US tax dollars,” Gaetz says. “That’s not even the most troubling part. Israel rarely holds these killers accountable. There have been eight unsolved killings of American citizens just since 2022.”

Earlier this week, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a devout evangelical Christian, characterized Musallet’s killing as an act of terrorism and demanded an Israeli investigation. It appeared to be the first time Huckabee had weighed in on the phenomenon of settler violence.

Police reopen case into settler attack after report raises questions about decision to close probe

Masked Israeli settlers hurl rocks at Palestinians from hilltop in the village of Sinjil, in the West Bank on July 4, 2025. (JOHN WESSELS / AFP)

Police have reopened an investigation into a recent settler attack on an Israeli peace activist in the West Bank after a report in the Haaretz daily revealed that the probe had been closed due to what officers claimed was their inability to identify suspects, even though the victim provided significant evidence to law enforcement, including the name of one of the assailants.

The case appears to highlight the apparent lack of willpower among law enforcement to probe incidents of settler violence, which go almost entirely unchecked. Ninety-four percent of all probes into settler violence between 2005 and 2024 ended without an indictment even being filed, according to the Yesh Din rights group.

The head of the police’s West Bank division is currently under investigation for intentionally not prosecuting cases of settler violence in order to curry favor in the eyes of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir whose office oversees the police. While the commander was initially removed from his post, the police commissioner last month ordered that he be allowed to return to work.

In the latest incident that took place in May, settlers allegedly attacked a group of Palestinians from Mughayyir al-Deir along with a group of Israeli peace activists who were accompanying them. During the attack, the settlers opened fire on the Palestinians and stole cameras, a cellphone a wallet and other items from activist Avishay Mohar.

Mohar told Haaretz that he filed a police complaint at the Binyamin police station two days after the attack. The complaint included medical documents, a picture of several of the attackers and the name of one of the assailants.

The computer’s GPS tracker was active in the weeks since the attack, and the victim’s lawyer updated police regarding its location, which moved among a pair of illegal outposts.

Mohar also offered police his car to scan it for fingerprints, as the attackers had been inside.

Despite all of this evidence, police decided to close the investigation on the grounds that they had been unable to identify the perpetrators.

Following Haaretz’s report on the closed investigation, police informed the publication that they had decided to reopen the case in order to locate the suspects and bring them to justice.

Syrian state media reports more Israeli strikes near southern Druze-majority city

Syrian state media reports Israeli strikes near the Syrian Druze-majority city of Sweida, the first to target the area after Syrian government forces withdrew, following clashes with local fighters.

Syria’s state-run SANA says “Israeli occupation aircraft carried out a raid on the outskirts of Sweida city.”

Syrian forces withdrew from Sweida earlier today after deadly clashes with Druze fighters accompanied by Israeli strikes and diplomatic pressure to retreat from the area.

US did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria, State Department says

The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria, the State Department says, adding that Washington made clear its displeasure after tensions escalated and worked quickly to stop it.

Yesterday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding that they withdraw and saying that Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze — part of a small but influential minority that also has a presence in Lebanon and in Israel.

“Regarding Israel’s intervention and activity… the United States did not support recent Israeli strikes,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce tells reporters at a regular news briefing.

“We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states.”

Bruce declines to say whether Washington supports Israel carrying out such military operations when it deems necessary.

“I won’t speak to future conversations or past ones. What we’re dealing with now is this particular episode, what was required, and I think we’ve been very clear about our displeasure, certainly that the president has, and we’ve worked very quickly to have it stopped,” she says.

She adds that the United States condemns violence in Syria and says Washington is actively engaging all constituencies in Syria to navigate toward calm and continued discussions on integration, calling on the Syrian government to lead the path forward.