Army detains settler activists who tried to breach border with Syria
Former hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen are married * IDF chief Zamir tours Beaufort Castle and nearby Hezbollah tunnel, says IDF ready for offensive if truce violated
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they unfold.
Michigan Democrat suspends Senate run, with Israel critic El-Sayed still in race
Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow suspends her campaign for the US Senate, abruptly reshaping the party primary just a month before the election and leaving a two-person contest between moderate Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed.
McMorrow’s exit comes after many Democrats increasingly viewed her as a long shot for the nomination. It also creates a fresh dynamic in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races, forcing Democratic voters into a direct choice between Stevens, a mainstream congresswoman backed by much of the party establishment, and El-Sayed, supported by many progressive movement leaders.
The binary choice will be on full display Tuesday, when Stevens and El-Sayed are set to face off in a televised debate. During a May debate, El-Sayed repeatedly went on the offensive against Stevens, who mostly declined to engage directly with him.
While McMorrow did not elaborate on her decision to exit the race, a person with direct knowledge said the biggest factor was the recent influx of outside spending boosting Stevens. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has poured millions into ads supporting Stevens, leaving both McMorrow and El-Sayed struggling to keep pace. The person, who would only speak on condition of anonymity, said McMorrow has no plans to endorse either remaining candidate at this point.
Venezuela quake death toll rises to 3,342, according to official figures
The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes has risen to 3,342 with more than 16,700 injured in the disaster, according to updated official figures released today.
The June 24 disaster toppled scores of buildings in the La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas, and thousands are still reported missing.
Report: Hamas plans to dissolve its Gaza government to allow in technocratic panel
Hamas is moving toward dissolving its Gaza governing body, Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing two sources in the terror group.
The sources say this move would be meant to usher in the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a body of technocrats overseen by the US Board of Peace that is meant to administer Gaza in a period of transition from Hamas rule. The committee has not yet entered the Strip amid Hamas’s refusal to disarm.
One of the sources claims the dissolution will be announced tomorrow.
Yesterday, Kan news reported that Hamas has decided to stall for time in negotiations for its disarmament and for the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan for postwar Gaza, recognizing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing the same due to the upcoming Knesset election.
The outlet cited an internal document discussed in the past few days by the group. It said Hamas believes Netanyahu views any concession on Gaza as political suicide, and that he is intentionally stalling in the indirect negotiations, which haven’t made meaningful progress in months. The group has therefore decided to do the same, it said, and see what the next government brings.
Palestinian ministry says Israeli forces kill teen in West Bank
The Palestinian health ministry says Israeli forces fatally shot a 16-year-old boy in the West Bank, the second reported killing of a Palestinian teenager within a week.
Two other boys, both aged 14, were injured in the incident at the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah, the ministry says.
“Sixteen-year-old Waleed Nidal Waleed Abu Sneineh was pronounced dead after being shot by Israeli forces,” the ministry said.
“Two other children sustained gunshot wounds to… lower limbs in the same incident.”
The Israeli military does not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Army detains settler activists who tried to breach border with Syria
Dozens of Israeli settler activists attempted to breach the border into Syria earlier today before being detained by the army, the military says.
The activists, who call themselves the Bashan Pioneers, have attempted to enter Syria multiple times in the past year, seeking to establish settlements in the area. They have received support from some lawmakers.
The IDF says the activists were detained and handed over to the police for further questioning.
“The IDF strongly condemns the attempted border crossing and emphasizes that this is a serious incident and a criminal offense that endangers both IDF soldiers and civilians,” the army adds.
טרללת בגבול סוריה, פרק נוסף: כ- 70 פעילי תנועת "חלוצי הבשן" ניסו לחדור אחר הצהריים לסוריה מאזור החרמון. בעקבות מידע מקדים, באוגדה 210 השתלטו על העבריינים סמוך לגבול, והנסיון הפעם כשל.
בכירים בצה"ל מפנים הערב אצבע מאשימה לעבר גורמי האכיפה: משטרה, פרקליטות, ובתי המשפט, שלא ממצים… pic.twitter.com/CaPJ0tyxaG
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) July 5, 2026
An ’emotional moment’: Former hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen are married
Former hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen were married this evening, some 17 months following Troufanov’s release from captivity in Gaza.
Both were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, terror attack, while visiting family there. The two had only recently moved in together in Ramat Gan. Troufanov said that after breaking into their home, terrorists punched him and stabbed his shoulder, and that despite having wrapped herself in a blanket and hiding under the bed, they found Cohen.
Cohen was released two months later, during the November 2023 ceasefire, but Troufanov’s release would not come until February 2025, after more than 400 days in captivity. He had to undergo extensive medical treatments upon his return, due to untreated injuries to his legs, where he was shot by the terrorists.
Troufanov’s mother Yelena and grandmother Irena Tati were also kidnapped and released. His father Vitaly was murdered during the onslaught.
Troufanov proposed a few months after his release.
In a press conference shortly after Troufanov was freed, Cohen said he told her he had prayed in captivity that she would find another man to love, as he believed he would never be coming home.
“Last night, Sasha told me that during all this time [since he was taken hostage and held in Gaza], he prayed for me to find a man to love, prayed that I wouldn’t wait for him,” she said, her voice shaking. “He didn’t want me waiting for a man he thought would never return home. He didn’t believe he would survive.”
Today he tells assembled guests, which include several other former hostages: “I want to thank you for coming today to share this joy with us, this evening, this emotional moment. You’ve been with us every step of the way. Thank you so much. I love you.”
Mazal tov!!!
Former hostages Sasha Tropanov and Sapir Cohen are getting married right now pic.twitter.com/BbnKQ2ydRv
— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) July 5, 2026
Attorney general says cabinet decision against High Court ‘undermines rule of law’
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara says the cabinet’s declaration today that it will go against a High Court ruling “is another grave attempt to thwart judicial decisions issued by the High Court… and to intimidate anyone who seeks to implement those decisions or rely on them.”
In its earlier statement, the cabinet said it “will not recognize any decision, approval, appointment, or action taken by the Council of the Second Authority as long as the council does not meet the explicit minimum requirements established by law.”
It did so after the court ruled that the commercial broadcasting regulatory body can continue operating despite lacking a two-thirds quorum of members.
Baharav-Miara says this position “undermines the fundamental principles of the rule of law.”
Bereaved relative: Shin Bet chief defended removing Oct. 7 memorial by saying ‘enough time has passed’
Shin Bet chief David Zini defended his decision to dismantle a memorial at the entrance to the agency’s Tel Aviv headquarters commemorating employees killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught by saying that “enough time has passed” since the attack, according to a bereaved relative who participated in a phone call between Zini and victims’ families on Thursday, Channel 12 reports.
Zoli Mor — whose sister-in-law Smadar Mor Idan, a Shin Bet employee, and her husband, Roee Idan, were both killed during the massacre — tells the Hebrew network that he was stunned by Zini’s remarks.
“Only someone who is inside this story, inside this movie, can understand what it means to say ‘time has passed.’ There is no such thing as ‘time has passed.’ Three innocent children grew up here who saw their parents murdered before their eyes. One girl was kidnapped to Gaza for 51 days. How does a sentence like that come out of your mouth?” Mor says.
Roee and Smadar’s daughter Avigail, who was three years old during the October 7 attack, was abducted to Gaza and released nearly two months later during a temporary truce. Her two siblings survived the attack after hiding in a closet, and the three children were later taken in by Mor and his wife Liron.
According to Haaretz, which first reported Zini’s decision to remove the memorial, the Shin Bet chief also apologized to the families during Thursday’s call for the fact that they learned about the move from media reports rather than directly from the agency.
Kan survey has Eisenkot neck and neck with Likud at 23 seats
A Kan news poll has Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party equaling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, a first for the network (though not for polls in general).
The survey has both Likud and Yashar at 23 seats; Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s Together at 16; The Democrats, Otzma Yehudit and Yisrael Beytenu at 9 each; Shas and United Torah Judaism at 8 each; Hadash-Ta’al at 6; Religious Zionism at 5; and Ra’am at 4.
Zionist opposition parties stand at 57 seats, while the current coalition is at 53. The Arab parties have 10 seats.
Cabinet secretary denies ministers declared their intent to disobey High Court: ‘It was sharp criticism’
Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs denies that the cabinet today declared its intention to disobey the High Court of Justice.
“Contrary to reports, the statement does not contain a single word calling for noncompliance with the High Court of Justice’s ruling,” Fuchs says on X. “Rather, it expresses sharp criticism of a ruling that contradicts the explicit wording of the law.”
He adds that “the cabinet stated that it will use all legal means at its disposal to overturn the decision in the future.”
In its earlier statement, the cabinet said, “Today, the government unanimously approved a proposal… declaring that it will not recognize any decision, approval, appointment, or action taken by the Council of the Second Authority as long as the council does not meet the explicit minimum requirements established by law.”
It did so after the court ruled that the commercial broadcasting regulatory body can continue operating despite lacking a two-thirds quorum of members.
“A ruling that directly contradicts the clear language of the law cannot confer authority that does not exist under the law,” the cabinet statement said.