June 20: Heading to Iran talks, Vance says hoping for progress on Lebanon ceasefire and nuclear issue
Trump threatens to charge US tolls in Hormuz if final deal not reached in 60 days, says Iran will charge 'NO TOLLS' * 11 said killed in two separate strikes in Gaza, including Al Jazeera cameraman IDF says was also a Hamas sniper
The Times of Israel liveblogged Saturday’s events as they unfolded.
Third of four IDF fatalities in Hezbollah attack on tank named as Staff Sgt. Liav Kababia
Staff Sgt. Liav Kababia, 20, of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, from Hod Hasharon, is identified by the military as the third of four soldiers killed in a Hezbollah attack on a tank in southern Lebanon early Friday morning.
On Friday, the IDF said Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, the commander of the 52nd Battalion, and three members of his crew were killed after a Hezbollah drone or anti-tank missile struck their tank.
Earlier today, Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, was named as the second soldier killed.
The name of the fourth soldier is expected to be released by the military soon.
IDF says Al Jazeera photographer killed in Gaza strike was Hamas sniper, moonlighted as journalist
The IDF says it killed a Hamas sniper who moonlighted as a photojournalist for Al Jazeera in a strike in the central Gaza Strip this afternoon.
Ahmed Samir Muhammad Washah served in Hamas’s military wing as a sniper operative, according to the IDF. The military says he was killed alongside two other Hamas operatives in the strike in the Bureij area.
“Alongside his work as an Al Jazeera photojournalist in recent years, Washah was an operative in Hamas’s military wing. In recent months, he advanced sniper attack plans and additional terrorist activities against IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF says in a statement.
“Due to his recent military activity and the threat he posed to IDF troops operating in the area, he was eliminated in a precise aerial strike,” the military says.
The IDF says he worked alongside his brother, Mohamed Washah, a “key” Hamas operative who also worked for Al Jazeera. Mohamed Washah was killed in an Israeli strike in April.
Heading to Iran talks, Vance says hoping for progress on Lebanon ceasefire and nuclear issue
US Vice President JD Vance has departed from Washington for Switzerland, ahead of talks with Iran and mediating countries.
“I can only be there for a day or two. I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re to be focused on,” Vance tells reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.
Asked whether the fighting in Lebanon threatening to derail the talks, Vance says, “Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit.”
“[Secretary of State Marco Rubio] and the entire team have been actively managing what’s going on in Lebanon,” he adds”
“Despite the headlines, things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit. It’s going to be something we’re just going to have to continuously manage to ensure that you know Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure”
“That’s fundamentally the goal of this, to make the whole region safe and secure,” he says. “The big problem is that you have somebody will shoot and then somebody will respond, and you kind of have a chicken and egg problem where you’ve just got to stop the shooting for long enough to get the ceasefire to keep hold, that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has departed for Switzerland to attend the U.S.-Qatar-Pakistan-Iran talks. pic.twitter.com/UykxL0iZ5G
— Conflict Radar (@Conflict_Radar1) June 20, 2026
Pakistan says PM, army chief to participate in Switzerland talks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in Sunday’s technical-level talks being held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, the PM’s office says.
Earlier today, the country’s foreign ministry said US and Iranian representatives would participate in the meeting, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.
AG accuses ministry heads of violating court ruling requiring sanctions for Haredi draft evaders – report
The Attorney General’s Office accuses Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud) and Interior Minister director general Israel Uzan, a former adviser to Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri, of violating a court ruling requiring their ministries to impose sanctions on draft evaders, Calcalist reports.
According to the financial news site, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon wrote to Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs arguing that “in order to uphold the court’s decision…action must be taken urgently to transfer the authority to the prime minister or another minister to be determined by the government” in order to cancel draft dodgers’ property tax discounts in the wake of Uzan’s refusal to do so.
Since Shas left the government last summer, the role of interior minister has remained vacant, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was temporarily granted a number of powers usually assigned to the position.
Likewise, Limon wrote to Regev noting that a joint Transportation-Finance Ministry panel had determined that “there is no professional barrier to implementing the court’s instructions” and demanding that she take action on revoking dodgers’ transportation discounts by Wednesday.
In April, the High Court of Justice ordered the government to adopt a raft of measures that would punish ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers by denying them various welfare benefits unless they enlist for military service. The court said it was issuing the orders because the government had failed to implement the court’s ruling from November 2025 that it must adopt enforcement measures against ultra-Orthodox men who have failed to enlist in the IDF after being sent conscription orders.
Since the court ruled in 2024 that yeshiva students were no longer exempt from conscription, the government has decided that evaders are no longer eligible to participate in the housing lottery and can no longer receive daycare subsidies.
Haredi leaders have decried the sanctions as a harsh “blow to the heart of the Jewish identity of the State of Israel.”
After Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara recently announced an end to tax breaks for donors who give money to yeshivas that harbor military draft dodgers, Shas chairman Deri threatened a Haredi tax revolt.
Despite constituting 14 percent of the working-age population, the ultra-Orthodox community generated only four percent of Israeli tax revenues in 2023, costing the government billions and adding thousands of shekels to the average non-Haredi worker’s annual tax burden, according to a 2025 study by the Israel Democracy Institute.
Trump threatens to charge US tolls in Hormuz if final deal not reached in 60 days, says Iran will charge ‘NO TOLLS’
US President Donald Trump threatens to impose US tolls in the Strait of Hormuz if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days.
Trump, spending the weekend at Camp David, underscores that the initial agreement to end the war with Iran calls for toll-free travel through the vital waterway for 60 days.
He adds: “there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed.”
Trump says the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs.”
The US president has faced a lot of blowback domestically for how the memorandum of understanding with Iran addresses the issue of tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. The deal only secures toll-free passage for 60 days and doesn’t preclude future fees.
Islamic State claims responsibility for Aleppo province attack that killed two Syrian soldiers
Islamic State claims responsibility for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria’s northeastern Aleppo province that the Syrian Defense Ministry said killed two soldiers.
The militant group makes the claim in a statement on its Telegram channel. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
Earlier on Saturday, the Defense Ministry said two soldiers had been killed by unidentified assailants near Manbij but provided no further details.
The attack came amid a series of assaults claimed by Islamic State since February, when the jihadist group announced what it described as a new phase of operations against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The Syrian government has expanded its control in parts of northern and eastern Syria, and US forces have begun withdrawing from some positions in the country’s northeast, according to Syrian military and security sources.
Knesset Constitution Committee set to discuss several election-related issues during Monday meeting
The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee is set on Monday to deliberate on a series of special provisions for the upcoming election recommended by the Central Elections Committee in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the electoral system given the current security situation.
The Twenty-Sixth Knesset Elections (Special Provisions) Bill, as recommended by the Central Elections Committee, would permit those who were evacuated as a result of the past several years of military conflict to register new “election addresses,” allow the CEC to meet virtually, give election authorities more flexibility in choosing contractors, and give the chairman of the CEC additional powers to establish special provisions in light of the security situation.
The committee is also recommending several permanent changes to the law, including placing polling stations in any nursing home or assisted living facility with at least 75 residents, moving up the deadline for submitting candidate lists, and requiring the disclosure of the use of generative artificial intelligence in the creation of election material.
Writing to Constitution Committee chairman Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism), deputy Supreme Court President and CEC chairman Noam Sohlberg argues that he believes “that the enactment of this bill is essential for promoting a proper election process under the current circumstances,” adding that he “would be grateful for your efforts in advancing this bill and bringing it to legislation so that the Knesset elections can be properly conducted.”
Ynet reported last week that representatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on the committee opposed the move to mandate the operation of polling stations at old age homes throughout the country.
The site quoted a Likud source as claiming that the proposal “will help [Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor] Liberman electorally.” Liberman’s party is part of the opposition.
Polls consistently show that younger voters are to the right, and more supportive of Netanyahu’s political allies, than their elders.
UN Security Council warns of ‘imminent risk of mass atrocities’ in Sudan as RSF advances on city
The United Nations Security Council says it is concerned over the “imminent risk of mass atrocities” in Sudan as it calls on paramilitary Rapid Support Forces encircling the city of El-Obeid to back down.
“The members of the Security Council expressed concern at the imminent risk of mass atrocities and demanded the RSF immediately halt its assault on El Obeid,” the Security Council says in a statement.
“Council members called on the parties to the conflict to immediately halt the fighting.”
Hundreds in Tel Aviv rail against Netanyahu over Iran deal, Oct. 7 probe
Some 500 people rally at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speakers rail against the premier’s failure to secure Israel’s stated goals in the war with Iran, and his rejection of a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023.
Addressing Netanyahu, tech entrepreneur and retired Air Force officer Kobi Richter says, “We, the pilots… won a sweeping and total victory in Iran. You, the supposed strong global leader, failed.”
Also speaking at the rally is Carmit Palti-Katzir, who is the sister of slain Hamas hostage Elad and the daughter of October 7 victim Rami and late-released hostage Hanna Katzir.
Palti-Katzir says affected families are now engaged in a “struggle for the truth” about that day, while Netanyahu, in his rejection of an independent probe of the security debacle, “seeks to move on” from the massacre and “avert his gaze from the thousands of graves.”
She also slams Netanyahu for again touting in a press conference this week his success in returning Israel’s hostages from Gaza, dead or alive.
“Don’t be proud that you brought them back,” she says. “Be ashamed that they were abducted.”
Elad Katzir survived in captivity for 99 days, and there were multiple opportunities to get him out alive in a deal, Palti-Katzir says.
“How cheap was his life in the eyes of this leadership?” she asks, as the crowd erupts in jeers.
Reports: 3 killed in two separate strikes in the Gaza Strip, including Al Jazeera cameraman; IDF confirms strike, says was ‘Hamas terrorist’
Media outlets affiliated with Hamas in the Gaza Strip report that three people were killed in two separate strikes in the enclave in recent hours.
In a strike on a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, two people were killed, including Ahmed Washah, a cameraman for the Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera.
اللحظات الأولى لاستشهاد مصور قناة الجزيرة مباشر أحمد وشاح بقصف إسرائيلي لمنزل بالبريج وسط قطاع غزة#فيديو pic.twitter.com/WPOg8NSoHh
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) June 20, 2026
In addition, a third person was killed in a strike in Khan Younis, according to the reports.
“The IDF confirms it carried out a strike on Ahmed Wishah, who was a Hamas terrorist,” a military spokesman tells AFP.
The spokesman does not immediately provide evidence to support the claim about Wishah, but says “there will be a statement issued with further details.”
Gantz denies supporting Netanyahu, rejects ‘narrow’ coalition of opposition parties
Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz denies supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even as he rejects the establishment of a “narrow” opposition-led coalition.
“Folks, it’s very simple: either there will be a broad, Zionist government here, or there will be a narrow, extremist government. I am no longer willing to accept that,” the former defense minister tells Channel 12’s “Meet the Press” program.
“Where do you hear that I support Netanyahu? Where did you get that from?” he challenges his interviewers, noting that he helped establish the so-called government of change, which he asserts led to the current “extremist government.”
“And what you are suggesting I do is let another one like that rise. Have we lost our minds?” Gantz asks. “You are stuck in ‘Yes Bibi, No Bibi.’ Bibi needs to go home…He is responsible for what happened here, he needs to go home, but that alone is not enough.”
Gantz argues that “we must establish a Zionist unity government” with both “right and left.” And while a Bennett-Lapid government like the government of change “is preferable to the current government,” he argues “it is not a sufficient solution.”
Asked about his former number two Gadi Eisenkot, whose Yashar party is running neck and neck with Netanyahu’s Likud, Gantz replies that “he wants one side to prevail” and is willing to “go with the Arabs” to make it happen while “I want to bring the two sides together.”
Settlers filmed grazing livestock through Palestinian village in central West Bank, damaging crops
Israeli settlers are filmed grazing their livestock through the Palestinian village of Sinjil in the central West Bank.
The livestock are seen damaging the crop of a Palestinian farmer in the village as the settlers look on.
The tactic is one of many adopted by settlers to harass Palestinians, with the aim being to drive them off of their lands.
Several thousand Palestinians, mainly Bedouin, have fled their homes over the last three years after being unable to withstand the near-daily harassment and attacks by settlers, which go almost entirely unchecked by Israeli authorities.
Dozens of left-wing Israeli activists have begun conducting what is called “protective presence” in some of the most targeted Palestinian villages.
The banality of evil: Settlers graze their sheep inside a Palestinian faqous (a type of cucumber) plot. Sinjil, not far from the Shilo settlement. pic.twitter.com/ACa5vVem9j
— Peace Now (@peacenowisrael) June 20, 2026
Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, named as one of four killed in Hezbollah attack on IDF tank early Friday
Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, from Herzliya, is identified by the military as one of the four soldiers killed in a Hezbollah attack on a tank in southern Lebanon early Friday morning.
On Friday, the IDF said Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, the commander of the 52nd Battalion, and three members of his crew were killed after a Hezbollah drone or anti-tank missile struck their tank.
The names of the other two soldiers killed in the attack have not yet been published, but are expected to be released by the military soon.
A military probe has determined that, contrary to several media reports, the tank was hit by Hezbollah fire, and the blast was not the cause of a malfunction.
The tank had been operating in Kfar Tebnit, close to the Ali Taher ridge, as part of IDF operations in the area to capture a major underground Hezbollah facility built beneath the hill.
IDF soldier killed, 13 injured in overnight Hezbollah attack on troops in south Lebanon, army says
An IDF soldier was killed, and 13 others were injured in an overnight Hezbollah attack on troops in southern Lebanon, the military announces.
The slain soldier is named as Sgt. First Class Nir Ben Ari, 21, of the Commando Brigade’s Maglan unit, from Kerem Maharal.
According to a military probe, at around 1:30 a.m., a barrage of rockets and an explosive drone struck a military position in the Nabatieh-area village of Kfar Tebnit.
The projectiles killed Ben Ari and wounded 13 other troops, including two in serious condition, one moderately, and 10 lightly hurt.
The troops were taken to a hospital and their families were notified, the army adds.
Following the deadly attack, the IDF carried out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Nabatieh area.
In talks tomorrow, US will reportedly push Iran to let UN inspectors return to its nuclear sites; will unfreeze billions in return
The initial US goal in the talks that are set to open with Iran in Switzerland tomorrow is to secure an agreement from Iran for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites for the first time since the 12-day war in June 2025, Channel 12 reports.
In return for Iran’s consent to allow the inspectors to return to the sites — presumably including Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, which were bombed by the US last year — the US is willing to unfreeze several billion dollars in Iranian assets held in Qatar, the report says, with those funds to be used by the regime to purchase food, medicines and other humanitarian needs.
Most of Iran’s 440-kilogram stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent — a short step from weapons-grade — is believed by the IAEA to be stored at Isfahan, with lesser quantities at Natanz and Fordo.
A source familiar with the matter has told The Times of Israel that the IAEA’s director general, Rafael Grossi, is slated to participate in the technical talks tomorrow.
The talks in Switzerland were scheduled to begin on Friday, after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday. But they were delayed amid friction over ongoing fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, with Iran earlier today claiming it had re-closed the Strait of Hormuz.
That crisis has been resolved, at least for now, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructing the IDF to “hold its fire” in Lebanon, the report says.
Channel 12 quotes a senior US official saying that the US demanded that Israel cease fire in Lebanon, except in self-defense.
US Vice President JD Vance will head the US delegation in Switzerland, which will include Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The Iranian team will be led by parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
X flags Ben Gvir’s post calling for Lebanon to burn, says it ‘violated’ platform’s rules, but is kept up for ‘public’s interest’
The X social media platform has flagged National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s post from yesterday in which he called for all of Lebanon to “burn” in response to Hezbollah’s killing of four soldiers in southern Lebanon
“This post violated the X Rules. However, X has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Post to remain accessible,” reads the message that is now attached to the top of Ben Gvir’s post, which sparked international outcry.
על כל דמעה של אמא ישראלית, אלף אמהות לבנוניות צריכות לבכות. לבנון כולה צריכה לבעור!
עם כל הכבוד לאמריקאים, ישראל חייבת להבהיר לעולם כולו שדם בנינו וביטחון אזרחנו איננו הפקר. לבנון כולה צריכה לבעור. חובתנו העליונה היא להגן על אזרחי ישראל ועל חיילי צה״ל, והמחויבות הזו קודמת לכל…
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) June 19, 2026
Reports: US VP Vance flying to Switzerland today ahead of Iran talks; Witkoff, Kushner, Qatari PM already there
US Vice President JD Vance is expected to fly to Switzerland later Saturday to participate in tomorrow’s negotiations with Iran at the Burgenstock alpine resort, Axios reports.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have already arrived at the resort, according to reporter Barak Ravid, as have top officials from mediating countries, including Qatar’s prime minister.
Iranian state media reports that Tehran’s negotiating team includes parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank and oil officials, among others, some of whom have also already arrived at the resort ahead of the talks, which mediator Pakistan described as “technical.”
US CENTCOM: ‘Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,’ waterway remains open
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins tells Reuters, denying Iran’s claims that it had closed the key waterway due to Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, which it said was a violation of its deal with the US.
“Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” he says, adding that strait remains open and US forces were monitoring the situation to ensure that continued.
IDF says it continues operations against Hezbollah within south Lebanon ‘security zone,’ including at strategic tunnel system
The Israeli military says it continues its operations in its declared “security zone” in southern Lebanon, including at a major Hezbollah tunnel system where dozens of operatives are holed up, but has “halted its fire” elsewhere in the country.
The IDF says it received instructions from the political leadership to cease fire following waves of airstrikes on Hezbollah overnight and this morning, in response to attacks on troops.
However, the IDF says it will still work to demolish Hezbollah infrastructure within its security zone — including at the Ali Taher ridge — as well as strike “immediate threats” beyond it.
The IDF assesses that Hezbollah has a major “strategic” underground facility beneath the Ali Taher ridge near Nabatieh. According to the military, the underground site is the “nerve center” of Hezbollah’s Badr regional division.
According to the military, dozens of Hezbollah operatives remained holed up underground in the area, and fighting has taken place above and below ground in recent days.
The Ali Taher ridge was originally not included in the military’s security zone in southern Lebanon. On Thursday, the IDF published an updated map of the “forward defense area,” which now includes Ali Taher, along with the Majdal Zoun area.
Israeli fire kills six people in Gaza, including child, medics say
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least six people, including a child, in the Gaza Strip today, health officials in the Palestinian enclave say.
One airstrike killed four Palestinians, including two women and a child, in an apartment building in Gaza City, health officials say. The attack on the building in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City destroyed the apartment and wounded several other people, medics add.
In another incident, Israeli forces shot and killed a woman in Beit Lahiya town further north, according to medics.
Later, an Israeli airstrike killed at least one person and wounded eight others in Khan Younis, south of the enclave, taking the day’s death toll to at least six.
The IDF does not immediately comment on the incidents.
Netanyahu vows IDF to remain in south Lebanon ‘for as long as necessary,’ says ‘senior official’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stresses that Israel will remain in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary to defend its northern border,” a “senior official” says in a statement sent to reporters by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The “official” says that Netanyahu “instructed the IDF to respond forcefully to any Hezbollah attack and to act to remove threats against our forces.”
“In response to Hezbollah’s attacks over the past two days, the IDF struck 300 terror targets and eliminated approximately 100 terrorists,” the statement says.
The “official” warns that “if Hezbollah attacks us again, we will strike it forcefully once more.”
Netanyahu’s office sometimes releases statements from the premier under the name of an anonymous “senior official.”
Hezbollah fired 176 projectiles at IDF troops in southern Lebanon over past day, Israeli envoy to US says
In the past day, Hezbollah fired 176 projectiles at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter says on X.
Leiter lists a dozen villages in southern Lebanon from which he says Hezbollah fired the rockets at Israeli forces overnight.
“Kfar Sir, Al-Zaharani, Khirbat a-Dwir, Tufakhta, Mazraat a-Daudia, Tul, Kharouf, Jouaiyya, Kfar Riman, Kfar Fila, Joubaa, Mazraat a-Kamata, Kharet a-Nabbaa. These are all villages in southern Lebanon,” Leiter writes.
“Hezbollah fired 50 rockets at Israeli troops overnight – all from these villages,” he says.
According to Leiter, Hezbollah fired 147 rockets, 20 drones, and 9 anti-tank missiles at Israeli troops “in 24 hours.”
“Hezbollah are terrorists. Hezbollah lies. Hezbollah is Iran’s long arm and they don’t want a cease fire,” he adds.
Kfar Sir, Al-Zaharani, Khirbat a-Dwir, Tufakhta, Mazraat a-Daudia, Tul, Kharouf, Jouaiyya, Kfar Riman, Kfar Fila, Joubaa, Mazraat a-Kamata, Kharet a-Nabbaa.
These are all villages in southern Lebanon. Most of them within the yellow line.
Hezbollah fired 50 rockets at Israeli…
— Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter (@yechielleiter) June 20, 2026
Leiter has recently been publishing detailed reports on Hezbollah attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, along with Israeli military activity — oftentimes before the IDF spokesperson.
IDF reportedly instructed by leaders to ‘hold its fire’ in southern Lebanon; military says it will continue to ‘remove any threat’
The Israeli military has been instructed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to “hold its fire” in Lebanon, Channel 12 news reports.
The instruction comes following “coordination between the political echelon and the United States,” the network says, adding that the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Earlier, after launching strikes on Hezbollah in response to attacks on troops, the IDF said it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and IDF troops.”
Lebanese media have reported several Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon since the IDF’s announcement.
US military says it remains ‘vigilant’ after Iran announces Hormuz closure
The US military says it remains “present and vigilant” in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after Iran announced it was closing the critical shipping lane.
“US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” US Central Command says in a statement.
Pakistan says ‘technical-level talks’ between US and Iran to be held tomorrow in Switzerland
Pakistan says technical talks to implement the US-Iran deal to end the Middle East war will be held in Switzerland on Sunday.
“As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June,” the foreign ministry says in a statement, adding that Pakistani and Qatari mediators will participate in the discussions with US and Iranian representatives.
Iran to send delegation to Switzerland for talks with US, state TV says
Iranian state television says the country’s negotiating team is going to Switzerland for talks with the United States over their interim deal on the war.
The broadcaster cites a foreign ministry spokesperson in its report. The trip was originally planned for Friday but was canceled.
The new announcement came shortly after Iran’s joint military command said the Strait of Hormuz had closed again, citing continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagahei tells state TV that “Any memorandum or agreement is ultimately tested when it enters the implementation phase.”
Vance says ‘no evidence’ Hormuz closed after Iran says it blocked strait
After Iran’s military claims it again blocked the Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, US Vice President JD Vance tells Fox News there is “no evidence” that the waterway is closed.
Iran’s military says it closed Strait of Hormuz again over Israel’s strikes in Lebanon
Iran’s central military command announces that it has once again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, describing them as a breach of Tehran’s agreement with the US.
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic; It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations,” says the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in a statement carried by state TV.
Vance says he expects to travel to Switzerland for Iran talks within days; talks could start tomorrow
US Vice President JD Vance tells Fox News that he expects to travel to Switzerland for talks with Iran soon.
“I expect that I will leave sometime in the next couple of days, but you know it’s always a delicate coordination dance and the diplomatic protocols,” Vance says in an interview.
“We’ll plan the talks when the principals from the Iranian government, also the Qatari and the Pakistani governments, arrive. That may happen as soon as tomorrow,” Vance adds.
Trump doubles down, insists Italy’s Meloni asked ‘over and over’ for picture at G7
US President Donald Trump insists that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni requested “over and over” for a photo with him at a G7 meeting earlier this week, further inflaming an extraordinary diplomatic dust up between the two allies.
“Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump writes on his Truth Social platform.
“She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy.”
Nine people remain in critical condition following deadly UK train crash; police say over 80 injured
Nine people remain in a critical condition following a train crash yesterday near Bedford, about 60 miles (100 km) north of London, in which the driver of one of the services was killed.
Two passenger trains bound for London collided at around 5.15 p.m. local time (1615 GMT) on Friday. The driver of one of the trains died at the scene.
Providing an update on those injured in the crash, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi says more than 80 people had received hospital treatment.
“As of this morning, 28 remain in hospital, and nine are in a critical condition,” she says.
Investigators were working to establish what caused the accident, D’Orsi adds.
Trump shares article saying he ‘holds the cards in Netanyahu’s shaky reelection chances’
US President Donald Trump shares an article on his Truth Social account headlined, “Trump holds the cards in Netanyahu’s shaky reelection chances.”
Trump doesn’t provide any additional commentary but appears to enjoy the article’s conclusion that he is the one who controls Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fate.
Elite Iranian university expels 6 students over alleged involvement in January protests
Iran’s top engineering university has expelled six students over their alleged involvement in anti-government protests earlier this year, local media reports.
What began in December as cost-of-living protests escalated into anti-establishment demonstrations across the country that peaked in January, though smaller rallies continued on campuses in the weeks that followed.
“The Disciplinary Committee of Sharif University of Technology, in separate preliminary rulings, expelled six students for their alleged roles in the unrest of February,” Fars news agency reports.
According to Fars, the students are accused of leading illegal gatherings, using insulting language, engaging in activities against the Islamic republic and committing other disciplinary violations.
It is not clear whether the students also face charges before Iran’s criminal or revolutionary courts.
The agency say they had been accused of displaying and promoting the Lion and Sun emblem, which appeared on Iran’s flag before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled US-backed leader Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
The symbol is widely used by opponents of the Islamic Republic, including supporters of exiled prince Reza Pahlavi.
The anti-government protests in January were met with a bloody crackdown that killed thousands.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
4 killed in Israeli airstrike in Beqaa Valley, Lebanese media reports
Lebanese media reports four dead in an Israeli airstrike in the Beqaa Valley.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the strike in the town of Sohmor hit a home, killing four and injuring one.
“A child is still under the rubble and rescue teams are working to extract him,” NNA reports.
Switzerland says US-Iran talks continue at Burgenstock, declines to identify participants
Switzerland continues to provide a “discreet and reliable setting” at Burgenstock to facilitate discussions on implementing a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry says.
It adds in a statement that no further details will be disclosed about participants and the content of the talks, citing confidentiality.
IDF confirms south Lebanon strikes, says Hezbollah fired some 50 projectiles at troops overnight
The IDF says it is “committed to the ceasefire agreement” in Lebanon after launching waves of strikes against Hezbollah, which it says came in response to “repeated violations” of the truce by the terror group.
In several incidents overnight, Hezbollah launched some 50 projectiles at Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon, the military says in a statement.
“These constitute repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Hezbollah terror organization. The IDF will not accept harm to Israeli civilians and its forces, and will respond forcefully to any use of force against them,” the statement says.
The military does not provide information on any casualties in Hezbollah’s attacks, nor does it comment on the terror group’s claims that it attempted to advance toward the Ali Taher ridge near Nabatieh overnight.
The IDF says that in response to the “blatant violations” and to “remove threats,” the IDF struck dozens of Hezbollah sites and operatives across southern Lebanon.
The targets included rocket launchers, weapon depots, and command centers, according to the military.
Lebanese media reported some two dozen killed in the Israeli strikes overnight and this morning.
“The IDF is committed to the ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and IDF troops,” the military says.
Hezbollah says it attacked IDF troops attempting to advance in southern Lebanon overnight
The Hezbollah terror group in a statement says it has “adhered to the ceasefire” since Friday afternoon, but attacked Israeli forces attempting to advance in southern Lebanon overnight.
Hezbollah says Israeli troops again attempted to capture the Ali Taher ridge, near Nabatieh, during an overnight raid. According to the IDF, Hezbollah has a major tunnel system beneath the hill.
As Israeli troops advanced, Hezbollah fighters ambushed the forces, the terror group claims.
Hezbollah says that “alongside its commitment to the ceasefire, it will not tolerate any attempt by the enemy to seize land and expand its occupation.”
Paris police arrest 20 as demonstrators gather for Iran opposition rally despite ban
French police arrest around 20 people in Paris as demonstrators gathered for a protest against repression and executions in Iran, defying an official ban.
Several buses arrived at Place Vauban in central Paris despite police having banned the rally over what they said was concerns about potential clashes “in the current particularly tense national and international context.”
Hundreds of protesters gathered at the location.
Police issued orders for the crowd to disperse and a score of people were arrested, a police source says.
“They arrested about 20 people for no reason,” Afchine Alavi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), says.
“On the protesters’ side, there is no violence. Police dispersed many people and are preventing others from joining,” Alavi adds.
The NCRI is the political arm of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI, also known by its Persian acronym MEK), which is designated a “terrorist” group by Iran.
The group has organized numerous protests in Paris without incident, including in recent months during nationwide anti-government demonstrations in Iran and the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic.
Some protesters carried signs reading “Neither shah nor mullahs.”
Alavi said police used pepper spray and that several protesters were injured.
Organizers filed an emergency motion to overturn the ban but a Paris court upheld it on Saturday morning.
The demonstration — expected by organizers to draw up to 100,000 people — aimed to raise awareness about a wave of executions in Iran during the Middle East conflict.
The protest was organized by Iranian diaspora groups, as well as French and international NGOs.
7 killed, 13 wounded in Israeli airstrike in Qennarit, near Sidon
Lebanese media reports seven killed and 13 wounded in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Qennarit, near Sidon.
Earlier it was reported that 16 people had been killed in IDF strikes targeting Hezbollah in south Lebanon.
Earthquake of magnitude 5.8 rattles Greece southwest of Crete; no reports of damage
An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 strikes Greece, but there are no immediate reports of damage.
The quake occurred at a depth of 13 km (8 miles) and was located 69 km south-southwest of the city of Rethymno on the island of Crete, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre says.
IDF says striking Hezbollah targets after over 50 projectiles fired at troops in south Lebanon overnight
The Israeli military says it is striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to overnight projectile launches at troops in south Lebanon by the Iran-backed terror group, despite a ceasefire announced a day earlier.
“Overnight, the Hezbollah terrorist organization launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Following the attacks, the IDF has been striking Hezbollah terrorist targets in southern Lebanon,” an Israeli military official says.
Death toll rises to 16 from IDF strikes in south Lebanon, civil defense agency says
Lebanon’s civil defense agency says ongoing Israeli strikes on the Nabatieh district in the country’s south have killed 16 people, a day after the latest Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire announcement.
Civil defense personnel have transported “16 dead and 12 wounded” to hospital, a statement says, adding that the personnel were working “since the early morning hours” in the Nabatieh district in response to “ongoing attacks targeting the area.”
2 Syrian soldiers killed in northeast Aleppo attack by unknown assailants, state media says
Two Syrian soldiers were killed in an attack by unidentified assailants near the city of Manbij in northeastern Aleppo, Syria’s Defense Ministry says, without providing further details.
Health Ministry: Final test results of suspected Ebola case not expected for 48 hours
The Health Ministry says a man suspected to have Ebola following a recent trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undergoing tests, with final results only expected in 48 hours.
A statement from the ministry says the patient is being treated in isolation and tracing is underway to alert anyone who may have been in contact with the individual.
The ministry stresses it hasn’t been confirmed the man contracted the disease.
There is no airborne transmission of Ebola, and infection occurs through direct contact with a sick person with symptoms or with blood, body fluids or secretions, the ministry says.
The Kan public broadcaster publishes footage of medical workers from the Magen David Adom emergency service being disinfected after contact with the suspected patient.
תיעוד: פעולות החיטוי של צוותי מד"א שפינו את החשוד הראשון באבולה בישראל@Nov_reuveny pic.twitter.com/ANIHIDbXix
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 20, 2026
Hezbollah MP says terror group has ‘right to confront’ Israel
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah says the terror group has the right to respond to Israeli attacks, as Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon despite a new ceasefire announced a day earlier.
“There is talk of a ceasefire. For us, what concerns us is that the enemy fully and comprehensively respects the ceasefire, and doesn’t attempt to attack our country and villages or seek to occupy any new position,” Fadlallah says in a statement, adding that “the resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, as it is the aggressor and the occupier.”
Lebanese army says soldier killed in IDF strike, charges Israel obstructing efforts to restore stability
The Lebanese army says an Israeli strike killed one of its soldiers in the country’s south, despite a new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah reached yesterday.
“An Israeli enemy strike targeted an army soldier on the Kfar Rumman-Nabatieh road, leading to his martyrdom,” an army statement says, charging that “the continuation of brutal Israeli attacks aims to obstruct any solution that would allow for restoring stability in Lebanon.”
There is no comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
Pakistan’s interior minister to meet Iran’s foreign minister in Tehran today
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is due to hold talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Tehran today, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says, according to ISNA news agency.
Baghaei says Naqvi’s visit is part of Islamabad’s ongoing efforts related to negotiations between Iran and the United States.
Jewish LGBTQ group to participate in Rome Pride after initial ban for not joining Gaza ‘genocide’ declaration
Hours ahead of Rome Pride, Italy’s only Jewish LGBTQ group says it has reached a compromise with organizers who had said the organization was barred from participating due to a failure to “distance itself” from what organizers called an “ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
In a statement, Keshet Italia says it will be participating in the event and has joined the coordination committee for next year’s Rome Pride.
The compromise apparently came after a number of officials, including Rome’s mayor, intervened in the matter.
According to the Kan public broadcast, the Jewish group will march with police security after members were attacked last year.
The announcement comes after groups that wanted to be formally recognized in the parade with a float had to sign onto Rome Pride’s political platform, which includes a condemnation of the “genocide in Gaza.”
In an apparent attempt to reconcile with the policy, Keshet Italia issued a statement last month that lamented the suffering of Palestinians, while insisting that it did not feel comfortable characterizing Israel’s war as a genocide.
Last week, a group of Israelis were pushed and verbally accosted by attendees at the LGBTQ Pride Parade in Bologna, Italy, witnesses told Channel 12.
The group was waving a pride flag with the Star of David in the center, which other parade attendees took issue with, prompting the altercation. According to the report, a pregnant woman among the group of Israelis was violently pushed.
4 killed in Israeli strike targeting Gaza City apartment — Palestinian reports
Four people were killed and a number of others injured in a strike targeting an apartment in Gaza City, Palestinian media reports say.
There is no comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
Pakistan’s interior minister headed to Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian officials
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi departed for Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian officials, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reports.
IRNA says Naqvi will discuss the progress of negotiations between Iran and the United States during his visit, without providing further details.
Report: US, Qatar working on plan to release billions of frozen funds to Iran for humanitarian needs
The US and Qatar are developing a plan to release billions of dollars in frozen funds to Iran for humanitarian projects, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Under the plan, Tehran would initially be able to access $6 billion held in Qatar.
People familiar with the details of the plan tell the Journal that Iran’s central bank would be able to order food, medicine and other humanitarian goods using the previously frozen cash that was mainly sanctioned revenue from oil sales.
The report says that the funds would be transferred under international supervision, emphasizing that the plan is in its early stages and has not been agreed to by Tehran.
IDF strikes reported in south Lebanon despite renewed ceasefire; at least 5 said killed
At least five people were killed in an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim this morning, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reports, despite a ceasefire agreed yesterday between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
NNA says Israeli planes and drones carried out a series of strikes across the Nabatieh area overnight and into the morning, destroying residential buildings and houses, while Israeli artillery shelled Nabatieh and its outskirts before dawn.
There is no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
The strikes come after Israel and Hezbollah apparently agreed to a ceasefire hours after another flare-up in southern Lebanon that saw four Israeli soldiers killed and dozens of Lebanese casualties.
However, the renewed truce appeared as fragile as ever, as it didn’t see Israel pull out of the large buffer zone it established in southern Lebanon — one that Hezbollah has used to justify continued attacks on troops stationed there as well as on northern Israeli towns across the border.
Swastikas, antisemitic and homophobic language printed in 8th grade yearbook of NY’s UN school – report
The United Nations International School in New York cancelled an end of year party for 8th graders after the discovery of swastikas and antisemitic and homophobic comments printed in students’ yearbooks, the Ynet news site reports.
Parents at the school tell the outlet that it is just the latest incident at the private school, which is currently facing a lawsuit from a Jewish teacher who said the institution was hostile to Jews and Israelis.
According to Ynet, the school identified nearly 20 students suspected of being involved in the publication of the hate language and symbols.
The report says the school told parents that “the severity of the situation and the broad impact on our community make the current timing inappropriate for a celebration.”
New poll shows majority of Israelis do not want Netanyahu to seek reelection
Ahead of this year’s election, a new poll shows a majority of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should leave politics and not seek reelection in the new national vote, the second to show such a result this month.
The Channel 12 survey found 59 percent feel Netanyahu should not run for office again, compared with just 33% who think he should, while 8% were unsure.
Asked who should lead Likud after Netanyahu, 18% said it should be Economy Minister Nir Barkat, 9% said Justice Minister Yariv Levin, 7% said Defense Minister Israel Katz and 6% said it should be Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
The network did not provide data on the number of people polled or the margin of error.
Morocco beat Scotland to close on World Cup knockouts
Morocco edge closer to the World Cup knockout phase as Ismael Saibari’s second-minute strike proves enough for a nervy 1-0 win over Scotland at Gillette Stadium.
The 2022 semi-finalists move to the top of Group C on four points, while Scotland misses a chance to book a World Cup knockout berth for the first time.
20-year-old Palestinian killed, Israelis hurt in car crash near Ma’ale Adumim
A Palestinian, aged 20, has been killed in a car crash on the Route 1 highway in the West Bank, near Ma’ale Adumim.
The collision involved three vehicles. The cause is not immediately clear.
Two injured Israelis were taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Mount Scopus hospital in good condition.
Archaeologists discover ‘never before seen’ pre-Hispanic ruins in Mexico
Mexican archaeologists have unearthed ancient ruins with signs of Mayan culture as well as “never before seen” characteristics in the eastern state of Veracruz.
President Claudia Sheinbaum calls the discovery “very relevant,” saying her government will allocate resources for the investigation and restoration of the site.
The site includes a circular stone platform unlike any other unearthed in that part of Mexico.
Researchers also discovered a monolith depicting a figure with potential Mayan features, the National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) says.
“It’s a unique, unprecedented finding,” says Lino Espinoza Garcia, an archaeologist for the INAH and one of the coordinators for the Campo Viejo site near the town of Coatepec.
Dating back to the Early Classic period between 200 and 600 AD, the pre-Hispanic ruins include a flagstone and limestone platform adorned with almost squared lines or figures as well as the circular stones.
These attributes have never been recorded in this region of Mexico, the INAH says.
Trump envoy Witkoff headed to Switzerland for Iran nuclear talks, Axios reports
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is traveling to Switzerland for the first round of talks with Iran on a potential nuclear deal, Axios reports, citing a US official.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is already in Switzerland, it adds.