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The Times of Israel liveblogged Wednesday’s events as they unfolded.
US conducting strikes against Iranian military targets in Strait of Hormuz
The US military announces that it is conducting strikes against Iranian military targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM tweets.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” it adds.
Clashes reported between Haredi rioters and IDF soldiers outside military prison
Clashes are reported between Haredi rioters and Israeli soldiers outside the military’s Neve Tzedek prison this evening.
Footage shows soldiers tussling with ultra-Orthodox men, who arrived there to protest over the detention of a Haredi draft evader.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF or police on the incident.
עימותים אלימים הלילה בין חרדים לבין חיילים בכלא 10 סמוך לבית ליד pic.twitter.com/tbewioVbZL
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) July 8, 2026
Iran says FM called Qatari PM after military flare-up with US
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made a call on Wednesday to the prime minister of mediator Qatar, during which they called for avoiding escalation following a flare-up with the United States.
“The two parties underscored the importance of using diplomatic means to resolve regional issues and emphasized the need to maintain contact and coordination to avoid an escalation of tensions in the region,” an Iranian foreign ministry statement says of Araghchi’s call with Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
US reportedly returning refueling planes to Mideast amid Iran escalation
The US has begun returning military refueling planes to the Middle East amid the mounting escalation with Iran, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The refueling planes had been evacuated from the region to Europe in recent weeks when tensions between the sides had seemed to diminish upon the signing of a memorandum of understanding to permanently end the US-Israel war against Iran.
Israeli basketball greats play against former hostages in Maccabiah exhibition
Former hostages David and Ariel Cunio, Bar Kupershtein, Elkana Bohbot, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy and Eitan Horn join diaspora representatives for an exhibition game of basketball at the Maccabiah Games, July 8, 2026 (Maccabiah/Gilad Kavalerchik)
As part of the Maccabiah Games in Israel, a special basketball game put former Hamas hostages, Israeli basketball stars, and representatives of world Jewry on the court together for a friendly exhibition.
The game, put on by the Jewish Agency and the Lehosheet Yad organization, was organized “to express gratitude to Diaspora Jewry for the support they provided to the captive survivors and their families, as well as to convey the message that the long journey of rehabilitation is only just beginning,” the organizations said.
Some 5,000 Jewish athletes from 30 countries around the world are currently in Israel for the 22nd Maccabiah Games, also known as the “Jewish Olympics.” The competition continues through July 13.
Erdogan says Trump upbeat on potential F-35 jets sale to Turkey
President Tayyip Erdogan says that US President Donald Trump has a positive view on selling F-35 jets to Turkey and Erdogan hoped that the world would see the United States keep its promise.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of a NATO summit in Ankara, Erdogan said he held very fruitful talks with Trump and he left their meeting happy. Erdogan also dismissed Israeli and Greek opposition to Turkey acquiring F-35 jets and said Greece was making a mistake by opposing it.
IDF: Body of soldier from Independence War uncovered in mass grave near Jerusalem
Pvt. Yaakov Zarihan, who was killed in Israel’s War of Independence. (Israel Defense Forces)
The military announces that it recently determined that a soldier killed in Israel’s War of Independence, who until now had been considered missing, was in fact buried in a mass grave in a kibbutz near Jerusalem.
Pvt. Yaakov Zarihan was killed in action on April 20, 1948, while participating in a convoy heading to Jerusalem as part of Operation Harel.
The convoy of some 300 vehicles and armored vehicles was bringing both supplies to the besieged city and troops to the area.
Zarihan was killed in battle near Shaar Hagai, along with 13 other members of the convoy. Following the battle, Zarihan was listed as a fallen soldier whose burial site was unknown.
“After years of intensive efforts during which information was collected to determine Yaakov’s fate, a special investigation team was established in 2024, carrying out numerous and varied investigative actions to locate the burial place of the late Yaakov Zarihan,” the IDF says.
The IDF said its investigation included “document analysis, witness interrogation, soil analysis and archaeological surveys.”
The investigation led to the conclusion that Zarihan was buried on April 22, 1948, in a mass grave at the Harel Brigade cemetery in Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, along with seven other fallen soldiers.
Last night, Zarihan’s family, including his sisters, were updated on the military’s findings by Adjutant Corps Chief Brig. Gen. Edna Ilia.
The IDF said that in the near future, an official ceremony will be held to add a headstone with Zarihan’s name to the cemetery at Kiryat Anavim.
White House informs Congress it intends to rescind Syria’s designation as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’
The White House has informed Congress that it intends to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says in a statement.
A 45-day notification day period is required before the decision can be made final.
“Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people. A stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world,” Rubio says.
“The rescission follows President Trump’s June 30, 2025, executive order directing sanctions relief for Syria, the positive changes and counterterrorism actions taken by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and formal assurances provided by President al-Sharaa that Syria will not support acts of international terrorism in the future,” Rubio adds.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the revived US-Syria bilateral relationship and in Syria’s history as a nation. We commend the government of Syria for charting a new course and look forward to enhancing our partnership with Syria and its people,” he says.
Recordings show repeated requests by police for Netanyahu testimony on Bild leak affair being rebuffed
Bild's September 6, 2024,' story citing a document ostensibly found by the IDF on slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's computer.
Recordings aired by Channel 12 appear to show police repeatedly attempting to coordinate a brief testimony from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding investigations involving his aides, only to be repeatedly rebuffed by staff in his office.
According to Channel 12, investigators sought to ask Netanyahu whether he informed senior media adviser Jonatan Urich that former media adviser Eli Feldstein had been arrested in the Bild leaked document affair. Police are said to have believed that Netanyahu’s answer could help determine whether Urich knowingly destroyed evidence by replacing and wiping his phone after Feldstein’s arrest.
Investigators also wanted to question Netanyahu about a late-night meeting between his former chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and Feldstein before the latter’s arrest, the network adds. Feldstein has alleged that Braverman warned him about the investigation into the leak of a classified military document to Germany’s Bild newspaper and suggested he could stop the probe, an allegation Braverman denies.
In the recordings, police investigators repeatedly stress that they need only a short statement from the prime minister, while Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Ido Norden, can be heard responding that Netanyahu is too busy and postpones scheduling his testimony.
“I don’t even have a second to discuss this. We don’t have time. It’s irrelevant. Let’s get organized, and maybe we’ll figure it out,” Norden can be heard saying, to the investigator’s frustration.
Investigators also spoke to Netanyahu’s adviser, Nevo Katz, and were met with similar responses.
Iran said to threaten to close Hormuz if US follows through on pledge to strike tonight
Iran has issued a warning that it will not back down from its insistence that it manage the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian security fource tells state media in the country.
“The memorandum of understanding signed on this matter clearly states that Iran will reopen the strait in accordance with its own arrangements. Therefore, Iran will not permit the establishment of any new route outside the framework of its own arrangements,” the source tells Iran’s Press TV.
The source says Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz in response to any renewed attacks against the country.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responds to US President Donald Trump’s comments previewing additional US strikes against Iran.
“Addressing the civilized and courageous nation of Iran with derogatory language does not diminish its greatness,” Araghchi tweets. “Iranians are known for their civility, culture, and strong moral values. We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valor.”
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