Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Monday’s events as they happened.
US official confirms that Trump will host Netanyahu at White House on July 7
US President Donald Trump will host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, July 7, an administration official confirms to The Times of Israel.
This will be Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January. No world leader has visited more than once.
IDF says strike targeted Hamas operatives after over 30 reported killed at Gaza City cafe
In response to reports from Gaza claiming over 30 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a cafe in western Gaza City, the IDF says it targeted several Hamas operatives in northern Gaza earlier today.
According to the military, extensive precautions were taken ahead of the strike — including aerial surveillance — to reduce harm to civilians.
The incident is currently under investigation, the IDF says.
G7 FMs call for resumption of talks on Iran nuclear deal
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations say they support the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, and urge for negotiations to resume for a deal to address Iran’s nuclear program, according to a joint statement by the G7 countries.
Syria praises Trump’s lifting of US sanctions
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani says that US President Donald Trump’s termination of the Syria sanctions program would “open door of long-awaited reconstruction and development,” according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X.
He says the move will “lift the obstacle” against economic recovery and open the country to the international community.
PM to reconvene cabinet on Thursday for further deliberations on future of Gaza war
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reconvene his security cabinet on Thursday to decide on the next stage of the war against Hamas in Gaza, the office of one of ministers tells The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu held a discussion with a smaller group of top aides and ministers this evening at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, which did not lead to a decision on the future of Operation Gideon’s Chariots. According to the Maariv daily, the forum wants to allow a few more days for attempts to make progress on a hostage release deal with Hamas to bear fruit.
According to multiple reports, Netanyahu is expected to fly to Washington at the beginning of next week, though that has not been confirmed by his office.
US okays $510M sale to Israel of bomb guidance kits that were expended in Iran war
The United States announces the approval of a $510 million sale to Israel of bomb guidance kits and related support, after Israel expended significant munitions in its recent conflict with Iran.
“The proposed sale will enhance Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to defend Israel’s borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) says in a statement.
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” it adds.
The State Department approved the possible sale and the DSCA has provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.
Meeting IDF brass, Netanyahu hails ‘perfect execution’ of Iran attack plans
This handout photo shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with the IDF General Staff Forum on June 30, 2025. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
The decision to strike Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program was unanimous both in the government and in the IDF, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during a meeting with the IDF General Staff Forum.
“The question arose about the United States, and I told you that we would do everything to bring them on board, but that is not a condition,” says Netanyahu, according to a statement from his office.
Indicating that Iran could rebuild its nuclear and ballistic missile programs at some point, he compares Israel before the Iran campaign earlier this month to a patient with two cancerous tumors, “one the nuclear threat and the other the missile threat.”
“And if you don’t remove them, you will die. You may remove them and they will come back, like you treat cancer. But if you don’t remove them, we die.”
He thanks Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir “for the perfect execution of the tasks we set.”
Video shows settler barricading himself inside yard of Palestinian family’s home
Footage circulated on social media shows a settler barricading himself inside the home of a family in the village of Umm al-Kheir, located in the South Hebron Hills area of the southern West Bank.
The video from tonight shows him in the yard of a family’s home.
According to a source familiar with the area who spoke to the Times of Israel, the settler left the family’s home and the village after some time. According to the source, the same settler has done this several times in recent evenings.
According to reports on social media, the settler resides in an outpost near the village and was involved in the past in attacks against Palestinians. The police have yet to issue a response.
שמעון עטייה הוא מתנחל ממאחז בדרום הר חברון. אבל הלילה החליט עטייה להתנחל דווקא בחצר של משפחה באום אל-ח'יר.
שימו רמקולים ושמעו את יבבות הפעוטות הפלסטינים המבועתים מפחד.
תסתכלו על הפנים הזחוחות של מי שיודע שאף אחד לא יעצור אותו. pic.twitter.com/Fzuo6IrwHE— שלום עכשיו (@PeaceNowIL) June 30, 2025
Netanyahu to visit Trump at the White House next Monday — Israeli source
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next Monday, an Israeli official tells Hebrew media outlets.
There is no immediate confirmation from the White House about the trip, which would be Netanyahu’s third to Washington since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
UN slams latest Israeli evacuation orders, says safe zones can’t house that many Gazans
The United Nations condemns the latest Israeli evacuation orders covering northern and central Gaza, warning that Palestinians are being squeezed into ever-shrinking areas that are not equipped for such a large population that has already been displaced countless times amid the war.
Roughly 150,000 people are impacted by yesterday’s IDF evacuation order alone, including families staying at dozens of shelters for already displaced civilians, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says during a briefing.
“People are being pushed into overcrowded areas where thousands of others are already staying. These spaces lack shelter, they lack water and they lack sewage systems, not to mention medical facilities,” he says.
The UN spokesperson highlights a recent assessment from the World Food Program, which found that one in five Gazans faces catastrophic levels of hunger and that over 90,000 women and children urgently require treatment for malnutrition.
Dujarric says roughly 143,300 tons of food are waiting at the Gaza border for Israeli approval to be transferred into the enclave. Israel has claimed that some of the aid is not delivered, due to the UN’s lack of capacity.
He highlights the dire need for fuel and shelters, which Israel has not allowed into the Gaza Strip in 17 weeks.
Anti-Israel group that stormed UK air base, vandalized planes to challenge terror listing
Police officers monitor protesters holding a banner during a protest in support of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, in Trafalgar Square, central London, on June 23, 2025. (HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
LONDON — UK campaign group Palestine Action says it will challenge its planned proscription as a terrorist group, as the British government says it could be banned by the end of the week.
The government announces last week plans to designate the pro-Palestinian group as a terrorist organization after its activists broke into a British air force base and vandalized two planes.
The group, which has condemned the move as an attack on free speech, says an urgent hearing to challenge the proscription will be held at the High Court in London on Friday.
The challenge is backed by Amnesty International and other rights groups.
Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, says in a statement the proposed ban would have “far-reaching implications” on “fundamental freedoms of speech, expression and assembly in Britain.”
After announcing the measure last week, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper launched the process to ban the group on Monday in parliament.
The ban is set to be debated in parliament on Wednesday and Thursday, and could take effect from Friday.
Labour holds a massive majority in the House of Commons, meaning the proposal should pass easily.
Palestine Action says it’s seeking an injunction or interim relief from the courts “because of the Home Secretary’s decision to try to steamroll this through Parliament.”
Earlier this month, two of its activists broke into the RAF Brize Norton base in southern England and sprayed two planes with red paint.
The government cites previous damage claimed by the group in actions at a Thales defense factory in Glasgow in 2022 and on Israeli defense tech firm Elbit Systems UK last year in Bristol.
Gantz says Eisenkot leaving National Unity due to ‘significant ideological gaps in our world views’
National Unity leader Benny Gantz says MK Gadi Eisenkot decided to leave the party after realizing “the significant ideological gaps in our world views regarding the correct way to serve the country.”
Gantz also stresses Eisenkot is a “personal friend before anything else,” and says they will remain friendly despite parting ways politically.
ICC reveals it was targeted in ‘sophisticated’ cyberattack, says working to limit damage
A general view of the exterior of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025. (Omar Havana/AP)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court has been targeted by a “sophisticated” cyberattack and is taking measures to limit any damage, the global tribunal announces.
The ICC, which also was hit by a cyberattack in 2023, says the latest incident has been contained but does not elaborate further on the impact or possible motive.
“A court-wide impact analysis is being carried out, and steps are already being taken to mitigate any effects of the incident,” the court says in a statement.
The attack happened last week.
“All necessary measures have been taken to ensure the business continuity,” court spokesman Fadi El Abdallah tells The Associated Press.
The incident happened in the same week that The Hague hosted a summit of 32 NATO leaders at a conference center near the court amid tight security including measures to guard against cyberattacks.
The court declines to say whether any confidential information has been compromised.
The court is still feeling the effects of the last cyberattack, with WiFi still not completely restored to its purpose-built headquarters.
US says Trump to sign executive order terminating American sanctions on Syria
A cropped handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace shows US President Donald Trump (R) shaking hands with Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) in Riyadh on May 14, 2025. (Bandar AL-JALOUD / Saudi Royal Palace / AFP)
US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order terminating US sanctions on Syria, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells reporters.
The move follows through on Trump’s decision in May to unwind the measures to help Syria rebuild after a devastating civil war.
White House: Trump ‘simply emphasizing his empathy’ for Netanyahu by demanding trial end
US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mark Schiefelbein)
US President Donald Trump said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial “interferes” with both Iran and Gaza negotiations because it requires the Israeli premier to appear in court “when he’s in the middle of negotiating a peace deal and bringing hostages out of a war torn region,” explains White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
However, Netanyahu’s court appearances have not been known to interfere with the hostage talks. The premier led a ministerial consult on the matter last night that ended with no decision.
But Trump has twice weighed in on the matter in Truth Social posts over the past week, demanding that Netanyahu’s criminal corruption trial be cancelled.
Asked to elaborate on Trump’s posts, Leavitt says the president “was simply emphasizing his empathy that he has for Bibi Netanyahu, seeing him go through what he’s going through with his own judicial system in the State of Israel.”
“Clearly, the president knows that very well. He too was a victim of a judicial system that was trying to put him in jail, but President Trump prevailed,” she continues, hailing Netanyahu for his cooperation with the US against Iran.
Director of Defense Ministry takes shot at Finance Ministry as they feud over budget
In response to recent Finance Ministry briefings criticizing the defense budget, Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram pushes back, saying, “I hope the Finance Ministry hasn’t forgotten that we are at war.”
Baram stresses that the Defense Ministry will continue to do everything necessary to equip the IDF with the tools it needs to secure victory on all fronts.
The Finance Ministry recently intensified its objections to the Defense Ministry’s requests for additional funds related to operations against Iran and the current Gaza offensive, with the amount in dispute now reaching NIS 30 billion ($8.5 billion).
US confirms Witkoff still in contact with Iranian officials, after Trump said meeting to be held
US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff has continued his direct and indirect communications with Iranian officials, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says when asked for an update on a meeting between the sides that US President Donald Trump said would take place this week.
Asked about the status of the Gaza hostage talks, after Trump declared a deal would be reached this week, Leavitt does not provide any specifics, asserting that ending the war and releasing the hostages remains a top priority for the administration.
She also confirms that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is in Washington for meetings with top White House officials this week.
TV: Ex-chief justice Barak to tell Herzog that Netanyahu must resign as PM in case of pardon or plea deal
Former Supreme Court chief justice Aharon Barak will meet with President Isaac Herzog tomorrow evening and discuss ways in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial might be brought to an end, Channel 12 news reports.
Barak has expressed support on several occasions for bringing the trial — now in its sixth year — to a close, but only if Netanyahu leaves office.
According to the TV report, Barak intends to tell Herzog that he is opposed to a pardon for Netanyahu, which the president can technically grant. Were Herzog to issue such a pardon, however, Barak would reportedly tell the president he must condition it on Netanyahu leaving public office.
The former Supreme Court president will also reportedly tell Herzog that any plea bargain with Netanyahu that ends the trial without him having to resign from public office would be unacceptable.
Last week, it was revealed that Barak met with Netanyahu’s lawyer in January in a bid to reach a plea bargain, but the effort faltered due to the prime minister’s refusal to step down.
A similar attempt to reach a plea bargain, also mediated by Barak, back in 2022, foundered for the same reason.
US President Donald Trump has brought the issue back to the headlines in recent days, after he twice called for the trial to be cancelled.
Netanyahu’s ongoing testimony in the trial halted completely during the recent 12-day war with Iran, during which all non-urgent court proceedings were halted. The hearings scheduled for this week were also cancelled when Netanyahu brought intelligence chiefs to argue that urgent national security and diplomacy matters required the prime minister’s full attention, after the court twice rejected the premier’s requests for a delay.
The Jerusalem District Court has repeatedly cancelled hearings since Netanyahu’s testimony began, due to what he has said are his duties as prime minister, scheduling issues, foreign trips, and medical problems, though the premier has claimed he could run the country and stand trial simultaneously.
National Unity says Eisenkot told Gantz he’ll quit the party and resign from Knesset
Then-war cabinet ministers Gadi Eisenkot (right) and Benny Gantz hold a press conference at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, February 26, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
National Unity says that MK Gadi Eisenkot informed party leader Benny Gantz that he intends to leave the party.
A statement from National Unity says Eisenkot told Gantz he will “return his mandate to the party” by resigning from the Knesset.
“The two emphasized the years-long friendship and tremendous respect between them, and that they will continue to cooperate for the shared goals and the people of Israel in the future,” the statement says.
There is no immediate confirmation from Eisenkot.
82-year-old woman dies of wounds from firebomb attack on pro-hostage rally in Boulder, CO
Bouquets of flowers stand along a makeshift tribute for victims of an attack outside of the Boulder County, Colorado, courthouse in Boulder, Colorado, June 3, 2025. (David Zalubowski/ AP)
DENVER, Colorado — An 82-year-old Colorado woman who was injured in a Molotov cocktail attack on demonstrators in support of Israeli hostages this month has died, according to court documents.
Karen Diamond died as a result of “the severe injuries that she suffered in the attack,” Boulder County District Attorney’s Office says in a statement.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman was indicted last week on 12 hate crime counts in the June 1 attack in downtown Boulder. He is accused of trying to kill the eight people who were hurt when he threw Molotov cocktails — bottles filled with flammable liquid that are ignited — as well as other people nearby.
IDF says troops in West Bank foiled planned attacks, uncovered bomb lab in Ramallah
During operations in the central West Bank over the past day, the IDF’s 7114th Battalion of the Binyamin Brigade together with the Shin Bet has foiled a terrorist cell planning attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, the military says.
According to the IDF, troops uncovered an explosives lab in Ramallah containing materials used to manufacture bombs and arrested several suspects.
Additionally, the IDF and Civil Administration, the Defense Ministry body in charge of Israeli and Palestinian civil affairs in the West Bank, carried out enforcement actions against illegal construction in the village of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah. Assailants reportedly used these illegal structures as cover to throw stones at Israeli vehicles traveling on Route 60.
Following these incidents, the chief of the IDF Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth ordered swift enforcement actions to maintain security.
Gadi Eisenkot expected to soon quit Gantz’s National Unity party
Gadi Eisenkot (left) and Benny Gantz at the launch of the new National Unity party, August 14, 2022, in Kfar Maccabiah. (Tomer Neuberg/ Flash90/ Filee)
MK Gadi Eisenkot is expected to soon quit the National Unity party led by former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, according widespread Hebrew media reports.
Sources close to Eisenkot are quoted in the reports as saying that the primaries proposed by Gantz are not sufficient to keep him in the fold, and that though he has good personal ties with the National Unity leader, remaining in the party “would not allow him to realize his ideas and ideology.”
Israeli-Arab group says some Gazans displaying photos of Israeli kids killed on Oct. 7 in message of peace
The Israeli-Arab peace movement Standing Together (Omdim Beyachad) announces that “in recent days, silent vigils have been held by Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip, including bereaved parents, displaying photos of Israeli children killed on October 7. The vigils were inspired by similar demonstrations we have held in Israel against the war of destruction in Gaza, featuring images of Palestinian children who died in the war.”
Footage released by the organization shows Gazans holding up photos of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, the children from Kibbutz Nir Oz who were kidnapped to Gaza during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and murdered there along, with their mother.
According to the group, participants in Gaza are members of the local Youth Committee, which launched the campaign “Living Together, Dying Together,” calling for an end to the war, the release of all hostages and the cessation of civilian killings on both sides.
The group quotes the protest organizer, who lost his three children and several cousins in the war, as saying: ‘We mourn with every Jewish, Christian, or Muslim family that lost a child in this war. Our pain does not blind us to the suffering of others — we are against the killing of children, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli.”
בימים האחרונים מתקיימות עמידות שקטות של תושבים פלסטינים ברצועת עזה, בהם הורים שכולים, עם תמונות של ילדים ישראלים שנהרגו בשבעה באוקטובר. העמידות מתקיימות בעקבות עמידות דומות שלנו בתוך ישראל נגד מלחמת ההשמדה בעזה, עם תמונות של ילדים פלסטינים שמתו במלחמה. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/cR5ul4DoXv
— עומדים ביחד نقف معًا Standing Together???? (@omdimbeyachad) June 30, 2025
Zamir says IDF won’t accept ‘the unacceptable behavior of extremist and violent groups’
During a visit to the IDF’s West Bank division, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the military’s mission in the West Bank is clear: to maintain security, protect civilians and strengthen the defenses around Israeli settlements, while firmly rejecting violence by extremist groups.
In a meeting with commanders and reserve battalions serving in the region, Zamir praises their commitment and stressed their vital role, calling them “the central backbone” of the nation, according to a military statement.
“The mission is clear — to maintain security, protect civilians, and strengthen settlement defense, while not accepting the unacceptable behavior of extremist and violent groups,” he is quoted as saying in reference to the growing phenomenon of settler violence in the region.
“We must not allow the development of phenomena that could spiral into anarchy and the breakdown of governance,” Zamir adds. “Disaster is at our doorstep — and alongside the security agencies, a swift, systemic response is urgently needed.”
Zamir also emphasizes the need for continued offensive operations against terror groups, adding that the IDF has achieved significant results in dismantling cells and neutralizing high-level operatives.
Israeli official says Netanyahu could visit White House as early as next week
US President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
There are “advanced discussions” with the White House over a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an Israeli diplomat tells The Times of Israel.
“It’s still not finalized,” says the diplomat.
The trip could be as early as next week, says a second Israeli official, adding that the date will likely be finalized by Wednesday.
“Let’s wait for [Strategic Affairs Minister Ron] Dermer to come back and see what he says,” adds a Prime Minister’s Office official. Dermer flew to Washington today for talks on Gaza, Iran, and the expansion of the Abraham Accords..
Yair Netanyahu summoned by cops to testify in diplomatic passports probe
Yair Netanyahu attends an event after the release of first voting results in the Israeli general elections, at the Likud party headquarters in Tel Aviv, on September 18, 2019. (Gili Yaari/Flash90/File)
Yair Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been summoned to give testimony to police investigators in the diplomatic passports affair that has been under investigation for a year.
The investigation being led by the police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit is looking into the allegedly unlawful issuance of diplomatic passports by the Foreign Ministry to several prominent members of the ruling Likud party who did not meet the criteria to receive them, as well as Yair Netanyahu.
The prime minister’s Florida-based son is not a suspect in the affair, but he will provide testimony in the coming days, as he is currently in the country, Kan news reported.
The investigation began in mid-2024, and led 433 investigators to raid Foreign Ministry offices and confiscate materials last August.
The foreign minister at the time, current Energy Minister Eli Cohen, said then that only three heads of local authorities were eligible for the diplomatic passports because they needed them for international relations work as part of their jobs. He said that Yair Netanyahu was given a diplomatic passport for security reasons.
IDF maintains restrictions on Gaza border towns despite telling residents it’s safe to return
After the government authorized residents of seven of the 13 communities hardest hit by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack to begin returning home, the IDF announces that Home Front Command guidelines for the Gaza envelope will remain unchanged.
Under the current policy, schools and workplaces will continue to operate, while public gatherings are limited to 2,000 people.
The security guidelines for these seven communities — and others in the area — remain subject to updates based on assessments by the IDF Southern Command.
PM’s pick to head Shin Bet reportedly called judiciary ‘a dictatorship that rules Israel’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and IDF Maj. Gen. David Zini at the Tzeelim training base in southern Israel, May 8, 2025. (GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nominee to be the next head of the Shin Bet recently claimed “the judicial system is a dictatorship that rules the State of Israel,” according to the Haaretz daily.
The report says that Maj. Gen. David Zini, who was dismissed from the army after going behind IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir’s back to discuss the Shin Bet appointment with Netanyahu, also lashed out over the past few weeks at the security agency he has been tapped to lead, saying its leaders “were confused.”
“They say they are first of all bound by the law, but that isn’t true. They need to act in accordance with the law, but they are first and foremost bound to the prime minister,” Zini is quoted as saying during private discussions with former senior security officials.
He also reportedly said “the situation in which the prime minister gives orders to the Shin Bet and it doesn’t fulfill them cannot continue to exist,” with the newspaper noting that it is not clear what he was referring to, and that Netanyahu promised to fight for his appointment “until the end.”
UK police launch criminal investigations into Kneecap, Bob Vylan over Glastonbury performances
Naoise O Caireallain, left, and Liam Og of the hip hop trio Kneecap perform during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, June 28, 2025. (Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
British police have launched a criminal investigation into Irish rap band Kneecap and musician Bob Vylan’s performances at Glastonbury music festival over the weekend.
The police are investigating both groups over public order incidents, the police statement says.
IDF video shows demolition of major Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza
Newly released footage by the IDF shows the demolition of a major Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza, uncovered and dismantled by the 188th Armored Brigade and the Yahalom combat engineering unit.
According to the IDF, the underground passage, located in the Khan Younis area, stretched two kilometers and reached a depth of 20 meters. It was allegedly used by Hamas for military activity and as a hideout, with troops discovering sleeping quarters inside. Part of the tunnel ran beneath the former Ma’an School building.
The military says the operation was part of a broader campaign in recent weeks in which the 188th Brigade, together with the Israeli Air Force, destroyed hundreds of Hamas military infrastructure sites, killed dozens of operatives and located weapons in the area.
Lapid calls for return of hostages, end of war: ‘What are troops dying daily in Gaza for?’
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads a Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid asks why Israel is still in Gaza, arguing that it is time to end the war and bring home the hostages.
“The time has come to make a hostage deal and end the war. There is no longer any benefit to be gained from continuing the war. Only harm: security damage, political damage, economic damage,” Lapid tells reporters ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.
“Hamas will not be eliminated as long as there is no alternative government in Gaza,” Lapid declares, calling for the redeployment of the IDF along the perimeter of the Gaza Strip and the formulation of “a long-term plan to eliminate Hamas” and “encourage voluntary migration.”
“Reality is not changed by fantasies but by the right combination of military and political effort,” he asserts. “Every day, our soldiers are killed,” he notes. “For what?”
“I am in favor of eliminating Hamas, but Hamas will not be eliminated as long as an alternative government does not enter Gaza. We should have started a process a year ago to bring Egypt to manage Gaza, along with other Arab countries,” he continues.
“I understand that the far-right ministers want us to occupy Gaza and rule it forever. Soldiers will continue to die, the Israeli taxpayer, the battered and bruised Israeli middle class, will pay [the financial cost]… The absolute majority of Israeli citizens know and understand that this is a dangerous idea and disconnected from reality. In the real world, we need to make a hostage deal, end the war.”
US revokes visas for UK music group that led ‘Death to the IDF’ chants at Glastonbury
The Bob Vylan duo performs on the West Holts Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. England, June 28, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
The United States says it’s revoking visas for the British punk-rap group Bob Vylan, which led chants at the Glastonbury festival calling for “Death, death to the IDF.”
“Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posts on X.
Sa’ar to depart this evening on diplomatic tour of Baltic states
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar holds a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, May 22, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will depart this evening on a diplomatic visit to the Baltic states, his office announces.
Between Tuesday and Thursday, Sa’ar will visit Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to meet with his Baltic counterparts and other senior government officials, including the Estonian prime minister and defense minister, and the president of Latvia, according to the foreign ministry.
The visit to the Israel-friendly European Union member states marks Sa’ar’s first foreign trip following the Israel-Iran war.
In Lithuania, Sa’ar will partake in a Holocaust memorial ceremony at the Ponary massacre site, where some 70,000 Jews and 20,000 Polish civilians were murdered by the Nazis during World War II.
The foreign minister will also meet with the Jewish communities in each of the countries, the Foreign Ministry adds.
Birthright restarts summer programs following Iran war
Birthright Israel is restarting its summer tours and internship programs in Israel next month, after pausing them for Israel’s Operation Rising Lion in Iran.
The first Israel flight with US participants is scheduled to depart on July 7, the organization says.
The announcement comes just 10 days after Birthright helped evacuate 2,800 participants stranded in Israel during the war, including 1,500 who traveled on a luxury cruise ship to Cyprus before flying to the US.
Now in its 25th year, Birthright has brought more than 900,000 young Jewish adults to Israel through its programs.
Gaza media outlets report some 20 killed in IDF strike on cafe in western Gaza City
Media outlets in Gaza reports that around 20 people were killed and others injured in an Israeli strike in western Gaza City, near the coast. According to the reports, the targeted structure was being used as a cafe.
Footage from the scene shows a destroyed pavilion and casualties being pulled from the site.
The IDF has yet to issue a response.
US task force finds Harvard was ‘willful participant in antisemitic harassment’ at times
Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2023, a week after Hamas terrorists launched a massacre in southern Israel. (Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
WASHINGTON — Harvard University failed to protect Jewish students from harassment, the Trump administration concludes after an investigation, threatening to cut all federal funding from the Ivy League school if it fails to take action.
A federal task force sends a letter to Harvard finding the university violated civil rights laws requiring colleges to protect students from discrimination based on race or national origin. It says investigators found Harvard was at times a “willful participant in antisemitic harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff” and that campus leaders allowed antisemitism to fester on the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” officials say in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press and first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Harvard doesn’t immediately comment.
It’s the latest intensification in the White House’s battle with Harvard, which lost more than $2.6 billion in federal funding after rejecting a list of federal demands calling for sweeping changes to campus governance, hiring and admissions.
Israel may soon let more aid into Gaza ‘as part of broader and larger plan’ — official
Israel might expand the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza “in the near future as part of a broader and larger plan,” an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“Then we would be reducing the tension between the population and the soldiers, as well as other advantages which I will not go into right now.”
“It’s a bigger plan, but it’s still under debate and not decided.”
The plan will be discussed tonight in the cabinet meeting on Gaza, says the official.
PM to convene cabinet for further talks on Gaza, with ministers divided on way forward
IDF troops operate in the Jabalia area of north Gaza, in a handout photo published June 29, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his cabinet this evening for a second meeting after the ministers could not agree on a way forward in Gaza last night.
“We are in discussions,” says an official in The Prime Minister’s Office about contacts with mediating countries. “Talks continue about a [ceasefire and hostage release] deal.”
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is flying to Washington to “try to press the Americans to press the Qataris to press Hamas,” continues the official.
“Qatar is the key,” the official continues, “and the contacts continue, and we are hoping that there will be a breakthrough very soon. It depends on Hamas.”
In the meantime, “we are continuing to progress and deepen the ground maneuver, to pressure Hamas until it agrees to a deal or until we defeat it. It’s very simple.”
There is currently no date set for Netanyahu’s next visit to Washington, says the official. “Let’s wait for Dermer to come back and see what he will say.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand Wimbledon drop Barclays as sponsor over Israel ties
Anti-Israel protesters of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrate against the tournament's sponsor Barclays gather outside the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
LONDON — Pro-Palestinian protesters urge Wimbledon to drop Barclays as a sponsor because of the British bank’s business dealings with Israel.
About two dozen protesters from Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrate by the main entrance of the All England Club as thousands of fans arrive for Day 1 of the tournament.
“They’re the bank for the arms companies that are obviously supplying weapons to Israel,” protester Khalid Zalmay tells The Associated Press. “We should not be arming Israel, we should not be allowing anybody to facilitate arming them, and I think ties should be cut with Israel, the same way that ties were cut with Russia.”
One protester holds a sign that says Barclays is a “sponsor of Wimbledon and genocide.”
Wimbledon doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Barclays says it is “proud of our partnership with Wimbledon” and defends its business practices.
“We provide a range of financial services and products to companies supplying defense products to the UK, NATO and its allies,” the company statement says. “As NATO, the EU and UK seek to increase their defense capabilities in response to increasing geopolitical threats, the provision of financial products and services to the defense sector is becoming increasingly important.”
Hezbollah must be disarmed before Israel-Lebanon normalization can advance, says Israeli official
After confirming that talks between Israel and Syria are advanced, an Israeli official says that contacts with the US-led deconfliction mechanism in Lebanon continue “all the time.”
Earlier today, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Lebanon and Syria are both prospective candidates to join the Abraham Accords.
Before normalization with Lebanon can move ahead, says the official, “we need to finish the issue of disarming Hezbollah. It will be very hard. I don’t know if they will succeed.”
Still, the official indicates that the Lebanese Armed Forces have demonstrated they are serious about disarming Hezbollah. “They definitely have limitations that are both subjective and objective, but we are under the impression that they are trying. At least most of the army is trying. We are more-or-less effective enforcement, but you see that we are striking almost every day.”
“That should say a lot.”
IDF admits killing several Gazan civilians near aid hubs, says Hamas tolls exaggerated
The IDF acknowledges that Palestinian civilians were killed and injured by its fire near aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip, including by artillery fire, but says the tolls provided by Hamas authorities are exaggerated.
The military also announces it “reorganized the access routes” to the humanitarian hubs, adding new fencing and signage along with additional paths to the aid sites.
According to the military, troops on the ground have only used live gunfire when a threat was posed to them, including when dozens of suspects approached forces outside of the designated routes to the aid sites operated by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or outside the operating hours.
In those cases, the IDF says a small number of people were hit by its fire, and not dozens as Hamas has claimed.
However, the military says that at least in three “tragic” cases, artillery shelling was carried out toward areas near the aid sites, in an attempt to prevent Palestinians from approaching specific zones outside of the distribution centers.
The artillery fire in those cases was “inaccurate,” according to the IDF’s investigations, and resulted in 30-40 Palestinian casualties, among them several dead.
The military says those civilian casualties “did not need to happen” and it was the result of the inaccurate artillery, and not intended to directly target civilians at the aid sites.
The IDF says it stopped carrying out shelling near the aid sites following the incidents.
Each case of reported civilian casualties near the GHF sites has been investigated, the military says, adding that it is working to improve infrastructure, access routes, signage, and announcements for the aid sites.
Currently, there is no screening process for Palestinians who seek to collect aid, meaning that Hamas members are likely also arriving and picking up food packages. In the coming weeks, the IDF hopes that a screening process may begin, along with the opening of additional aid sites.
Citing “the lessons that were learned,” the IDF also says the Tel Sultan aid site will temporarily be closed while a new distribution hub is built there “in order to reduce the friction with the population and maintain the security of the forces on the ground.”
Israel and Syria holding ‘advanced talks’ on bilateral security deal — senior official
Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa receives Saudi Arabia's foreign minister in Damascus, Syria, on May 31, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
Israel and Syria are holding “advanced talks” on a bilateral agreement, a senior Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The contacts are focused on coordination around security matters, says the official, who would not speculate on when a full normalization deal between the two enemy states could turn into reality.
“Could it develop into something beyond [security arrangements]?” the official asks. “We will wait and see. For now there isn’t anything concrete.”
“There is absolutely an aspiration to expand the Abraham Accords, and it’s no secret that we want to see Syria in this,” the official continues. “And there may be an opportunity.”
However, says the official, even if Syria and Israel reach a deal, “we will not withdraw from the Syrian Hermon, nor from the Golan Heights.”
The officials say that interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa “seems that he is on the right path to try to establish some kind of government that benefits from the economy and investments, but you never know. We are very careful, very careful.”
Ben Gvir: Hostages ‘must be released by force,’ Israel currently ‘floundering’ in Gaza
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir speaks during a rally outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, June 5, 2025. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
Israel must not agree to allow Hamas to retain control of Gaza in exchange for expanding the Abraham Accords, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declares in a message to the prime minister while speaking to the press ahead of his Otzma Yehudit party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.
“I want to address what is happening in Gaza, the negotiations that are currently underway, and present my position,” Ben Gvir states.
“I firmly oppose another partial deal… that would grant Hamas a ceasefire, that would give them unlimited supplies, international legitimacy — and most importantly: time to recover, arm themselves to harm IDF soldiers — and continue to hold some of the hostages in order to blackmail us further in the future,” he says.
“We must release the hostages, but not by neglecting the security of Israeli citizens,” he continues, arguing that they “must be released by force.”
“But under no circumstances must we allow any goal, no matter how important, to replace the ultimate goal of the war: the complete defeat of Hamas, so that no one can ever again massacre our citizens and kidnap hundreds of them,” he says. “Imagine if we had stopped the War of Independence because of prisoners, or the Six Day War.”
Directly addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben Gvir states that Israel is “floundering in Gaza.”
“There is no policy and guidelines for a complete victory. There is no clear order for the fighters to win. I really want peace, with every country, in the region and outside the region. But I am not prepared in any way to pay for an economic peace agreement with any country by leaving Hamas in control of Gaza,” he continues. “The Abraham Accords are important, but they did not prevent the October massacre — and it is our duty to prevent the October massacre from happening again at all costs.”
Aside from Hamas, Ben Gvir claims Israel also has the challenge of maintaining a democratic system of government “in the face of a hostile attorney general and a legal system that is trying to seize power from elected officials.”
He endorses US President Donald Trump’s call to halt Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial.
“I am of course in favor of this, this call is justified, but a pardon is not the way, but [rather a] cancellation of the indictment. A pardon means that the accused did something and is forgiven.”
Trump administration finds Harvard violated civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students — WSJ
Rowers paddle down the Charles River near the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
US President Donald Trump’s administration informed Harvard University that its investigation found that the university violated federal civil-rights law over its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students, the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” the report quotes a letter sent to Harvard President Alan Garber and viewed by the Journal.
Gantz says his party still deciding whether to vote in plenum for Odeh’s ouster
MK Ayman Odeh attends a meeting at the Knesset on January 21, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
National Unity has not yet determined whether its lawmakers will vote to eexpel Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh from the Knesset when the matter is brought to the plenum, chairman Benny Gantz tells reporters.
Asked about his party’s position, Gantz expresses discomfort with the idea of Knesset members voting to expel a colleague but criticizes Odeh for his recent statement that “Gaza will win.”
“We will hold a members’ debate beforehand and decide what we are doing,” he declares.
Earlier today, lawmakers in the Knesset House Committee voted overwhelmingly to impeach Odeh over comments he made welcoming the release of Palestinian security prisoners as part of a hostage release deal with Hamas earlier this year.
Lawmakers, including representatives from the opposition Yesh Atid and National Unity parties, voted 14-2 in favor of impeachment. The matter will now be referred to the Knesset plenum, where 90 MKs will have to vote in favor to impeach Odeh.
“One of the grounds for dismissing an MK is incitement to racism, and I tell you, antisemitism is racism and anyone who shouts ‘Gaza will win’ during a war does not deserve to sit in the Israeli Knesset,” National Unity MK Pnina Tamano-Shata told the committee before voting in favor of impeachment.
Odeh should “decide whether he is a Gazan or an Israeli,” Tamano-Shata declared.
Gantz calls for deal to free all the hostages ‘even if the price is a long ceasefire’
National Unity Party Leader MK Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on May 26, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
National Unity chairman Benny Gantz demands that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu come to an agreement to free all of the hostages “even if the price is a long ceasefire.”
“There is no war in Gaza — there is fighting. Right from the beginning, we determined that the intense campaign would last three months, followed by continued fighting for a year or perhaps more, in order to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. That’s long overdue,” Gantz, who served in Netanyahu’s now-defunct war cabinet, tells reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting at the Knesset.
“I said from the beginning that the process of reshaping Gaza would take about a decade. It’s time to explain this to the public and start working to shape this reality, instead of letting others decide over our heads,” he says.
“Our interest is to return all the hostages, as quickly as possible — and not to spread it around in another phased deal that will leave some of the hostages as bargaining chips for Hamas,” Gantz continues.
“Even if the price is a long ceasefire, it is clear to the world and clear to us that we cannot live with a terrorist organization that is arming itself on our border. In my opinion, Hamas will not become a peace movement. We must take advantage of the deal to change the regime in Gaza and demilitarize it. We must not give in to Hamas’s plan to stall for time.”
Turning to the wider region, Gantz says that he supports “normalization with Syria” but that any agreement with Damascus must be carefully considered.
“Let it be clear — Syria is not the UAE, Morocco nor Bahrain. It shares a border with us and is a country that initiated a war against us in the past. The regime suffers from instability and still has a lot to prove. Any future agreement must be first anchored by security arrangements. We must not withdraw from the strategic positions safeguarding our ability to protect the people of the Golan Heights. We must also safeguard the interests of our Druze brothers and sisters. Any arrangement with Syria must start with the preservation of Israel’s security superiority in the area,” he says.
Asked about US President Donald Trump’s demand to end the prime minister’s ongoing criminal trial, Gantz replies that “this is an internal matter of the State of Israel… and there is no room for external intervention or influence in this matter.”
Manchester Jewish community urges cancellation of Bob Vylan show after ‘Death to the IDF’ chants
After rap duo Bob Vylan led crowds in anti-Israel chants at the Glastonbury music festival on Saturday, the representative body for the Jewish community in Manchester is calling for his performances in the English city next weekend to be canceled.
Singe Bobby Vylan led crowds in chants of “Death, death to the IDF,” the acronym for the Israeli army, during his set on Saturday. He also ranted about Israel and “Zionists” in the music industry in an expletive-filled tirade.
“The fallout from his appalling, hate-filled concert at Glastonbury has shocked the Jewish community,” the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region (JRC) says in a statement. “Whilst appreciating the importance of artistic freedom, this individual now has a history of openly inciting violence against Jewish and Israeli people.”
The JRC calls on the city’s Victoria Warehouse to cancel Bob Vylan’s performances, scheduled for July 5 and 6.
Qatar foreign ministry: No truce talks being held, only efforts to resume negotiations
File: Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, speaking to Reuters after Qatar helped mediate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, in Doha, Qatar, January 20, 2025. (Reuters/Imad Creidi)
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari states at a press conference in Doha that “there are no ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but rather contacts aimed at drafting a framework that would allow negotiations to resume.”
He adds that there is “positive language” coming from the Americans regarding reaching a ceasefire. Al-Ansari also says that Qatar continues to push for a separation between the issues of the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a ceasefire.
Likud minister shares AI video showing PM and wife, son of last shah strolling ‘in free Tehran’
A minister from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party posts an AI video of the premier and his wife Sara strolling down the street “next year in free Tehran.”
After showing Netanyahu and his wife, the clip moves to Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel and her husband similarly walking arm-in-arm, before likewise showing the crown prince of the late shah Reza Pahlavi and his wife.
The brief video ends with an Israeli flag displayed alongside the Iranian flag from the shah’s reign.
Besides Gamliel, Sara Netanyahu and Yasmine Gamliel, all the women in the video appear to be wearing head coverings, which the Islamic Republic of Iran made mandatory after the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah.
בחזרה לעתיד …
بازگشت به آینده … pic.twitter.com/6tGB7z939U— גילה גמליאל – Gila Gamliel (@GilaGamliel) June 30, 2025
Smotrich claims ‘no greater danger’ to Israel than a truce deal to free the hostages
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism party at the Knesset on June 30, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich dismisses calls to end the war in Gaza, declaring that to do so by way of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement would show Israel’s enemies that “the way to bring Israel to its knees is not missiles, it is not nuclear weapons… [but rather] to kidnap Jews.”
Over the past year Israel “eliminated the Iranian nuclear program,” defeated Hezbollah and “destroyed the Syrian army,” leading to envoys from Damascus “to talk about normalization and peace agreements.”
“But precisely now, at the moment when our enemies have been defeated, at the moment when the entire region is undergoing a strategic shake-up in our favor, precisely now voices of weaknessare being heard. Voices calling for surrender — precisely in the face of our weakest enemy,” Smotrich tells reporters ahead of his Religious Zionism party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.
“We are in the midst of a campaign against a crushed terrorist organization that seeks to recover and continue in its plans to destroy Israel. Hamas has lost control, power. But it has one card in its hands — our kidnapped brothers. And in front of this card there are calls for concession. Calls for an agreement. Calls for a ceasefire,” he says.
He argues that there would be “be no greater danger than this for the future of the State of Israel” than to acquiesce to such calls.
“Because if Israel gives in under pressure from kidnappings, every Jew, everywhere in the world, will be in danger. There will no longer be clear borders. There will be no red lines. Every Jewish child will become a target,” Smotrich insists.
“I call on the prime minister: No more dialogue with murderers, no more negotiations with Nazis. No more deals with the devil, no more freeing murderous terrorists, no stopping and waffling. It is time to continue the momentum of victory over the Iranians for a powerful, sharp and swift war that will destroy the enemy in Gaza and remove the threat it poses to Israel for many years to come.”
Liberman slams government for continuing aid to Gaza; calls for hostage deal even if it ends the war
Yisrael Beytenu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on June 9, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Yisrael Betyenu chairman Avigdor Liberman slams the government for continuing to transfer humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“Hamas lives, breathes and kicks today only because of the humanitarian aid that the October 7 government is pouring into Gaza,” the hawkish opposition politician tells reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.
“I receive calls every day from soldiers who are in Gaza and are securing the trucks. This is chaos, anarchy and a great mess. And worse, the open-fire orders only allow them to fire at close range and they feel their lives are in danger,” Liberman says, arguing that “there has never been a country that during a war has transferred medicine, fuel and food to the enemy.”
“In addition, the government is sending reserve soldiers to take down buildings and structures by hand, there are no excavators and bulldozers, and they are told that there is no budget for advanced armored personnel carriers but there are hundreds of millions of shekels for humanitarian aid at the expense of Israeli taxpayers,” he adds.
“Can anyone imagine that the Allies in World War II would have supplied the Nazis with medicine, water, fuel, and food?” he asks.
He calls on the government to “reach an agreement to return all the hostages, even at the cost of stopping the war and withdrawing from the Gaza Strip” before pursuing “a policy identical to that in Lebanon.”
“Since the ceasefire, the army has eliminated 200 Hezbollah operatives. We will pursue every terrorist who participated in the October 7 massacre, until his last day,” Liberman says.
Asked about his Sunday meeting with ex-justice minister Ayelet Shaked, a longtime political ally of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, Liberman replies that he has been meeting with her on a regular basis “for many years” and that his food was “delicious.”
As for whether the meeting portents a wider alliance on the anti-Netanyahu right, Liberman jokes that “anyone who wants to join Yisrael Beytenu” is welcome, telling journalists that they are also welcome to join the party.
Palestine Action to challenge UK government ban
Police officers monitor protesters holding a banner during a protest in support of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, in Trafalgar Square, central London, on June 23, 2025. (HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel campaign organization Palestine Action says it has initiated legal proceedings to challenge the British government’s intention to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws.
The proscription – expected to be laid before parliament today – would make it a criminal offense to belong to the group, and was announced days after its activists damaged two British military planes in protest at London’s support for Israel.
Palestine Action previously condemned the government’s move, calling it “an unhinged reaction,” and said that London’s High Court had granted the group an urgent hearing on Friday to consider permission for a legal challenge to the proscription.
The group is seeking a court order to prevent the government from proscribing the group pending its case being heard, Palestine Action says.
Under British law, the Home Secretary can proscribe a group if it is believed it commits, encourages or “is otherwise concerned in terrorism.” The ban would put Palestine Action on a par with Hamas, al-Qaeda or ISIS under British law.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper previously said the group had a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage” and that the government would not tolerate those who put national security at risk.
Man indicted on suspicion he killed his mother
Sarah Richardson. (Courtesy)
State prosecutors filed an indictment against Joel Richardson, a 37-year-old from the West Bank settlement of Maale Levona, who is accused of murdering his mother and attempting to hide the evidence.
Sarah Richardson, the daughter of the enigmatic Noahide archaeologist Vendyl Jones, was found dead in her West Bank home last month.
Police called to the scene on the morning of her death found her son digging a hole in the nearby garden. He tried to prevent officers from entering the house, where he lived with his mother, leading law enforcement to suspect he played a role in the murder.
According to the indictment, Richardson regularly abused his mother, who was dependent on him for assistance ever since she took a fall that impaired her ability to walk.
“Their relationship was marked by frequent arguments and repeated violence by the defendant towards his mother from 2019 up until her death,” the indictment reads.
Prosecutors charge Richardson with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and assault of an elderly person, and request that the Jerusalem District Court extend his remand until the end of legal proceedings against him.
Iran says 935 people killed in Israeli strikes during 12-day conflict
Mourners attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders and scientists killed during Israeli strikes at Enghelab (Revolution) Square in the capital Tehran on June 28, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Some 935 people were killed in Iran during the 12-day air war with Israel, based on the latest forensics data, Iran’s judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir says according to state media, adding that the number includes 38 children and 132 women.
Israel says it targeted military leaders, bases, nuclear scientists and nuclear sites during the strikes.
Palestinians in north Gaza report heaviest night of Israeli strikes in recent weeks, at least 25 killed
A Palestinian man sits near the rubble of a building that was hit in overnight Israeli strikes in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on June 30, 2025,(Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP)
Palestinians in northern Gaza report one of the worst nights of Israeli strikes in weeks after the military issued mass evacuation orders.
“Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes,” says Salah, 60, a father of five children, from Gaza City. “In the news we hear a ceasefire is near, on the ground we see death and we hear explosions.”
Israeli tanks pushed into the eastern areas of Zeitoun suburb in Gaza City and shelled several areas in the north, while aircraft hit at least four schools after ordering hundreds of families sheltering inside to leave, residents say.
At least 25 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday, Hamas-run health authorities say, including 10 people killed in Zeitoun. The figures cannot be verified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The IDF says it struck terror targets in northern Gaza, including command and control centers, after taking steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.
Knesset committee votes to advance impeachment of Arab MK Ayman Odeh
Hadash-Ta'al leader Ayman Odeh attends a protest in his support, outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, June 30, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Lawmakers in the Knesset House Committee vote overwhelmingly to advance the impeachment of MK Ayman Odeh, the chairman of the Arab majority Hadash-Ta’al party, over comments he made welcoming the release of Palestinian security prisoners as part of a hostage release deal with Hamas earlier this year.
Lawmakers, including representatives of the opposition Yesh Atid and National Unity parties, vote 14-2 in favor of impeachment. The matter will now be referred to the Knesset plenum, where 90 MKs will have to vote in favor in order to impeach Odeh.
“The opposition crossed a red line today. Instead of fighting the Kahanist government – it collaborated with them in crushing the democratic space,” Odeh says in a statement following the vote. “Some of them hate us more than they love democracy. This is not an opposition – it is a coalition in disguise. And this is the final signature on the Nation-State Law” that officially defines Israel as the Jewish nation-state.
“They want to subdue the judicial system, silence critical voices, and turn Israel into a messianic dictatorship. Today it’s me – tomorrow it’s you. Anyone who dares to oppose will be next in line,” Odeh adds, calling on the leaders of the Knesset opposition to “wake up.”
Ahead of the vote, committee chairman Ofir Katz tells opposition lawmakers that it is not enough to vote in favor in the House Committee but their entire parties will have to support impeachment in the plenum as well.
BBC says it should have pulled livestream of Glastonbury over ‘antisemitic’ chants
The Bob Vylan duo performs on the West Holts Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. England, June 28, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
The BBC says it should have pulled livestream of rap group Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury over “antisemitic” chants.
In a statement, the BBC says: “The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
Bob Vylan had led crowds attending the festival in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF.”
“The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence,” the statement says. “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.”
“In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air,” the statement continues.
The statement came after Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom said it had asked for clarification from the BBC over why the comments were broadcast.
“We are very concerned about the live stream of this performance, and the BBC clearly has questions to answer,” an Ofcom spokesperson says.
Netanyahu, Sa’ar condemn settler violence against IDF, urge crackdown on ‘fanatic few’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemn the attacks by Jewish extremists against IDF soldiers and security forces in the West Bank.
“No civilized country can tolerate violent and anarchic acts such as the burning of a military installation, damage to IDF property, and assaults on security personnel by citizens of the state,” writes Netanyahu in a statement, calling on law enforcement to investigate the incident and prosecute the “rioters.”
Netanyahu defends the wider settler population, depicting those who partook in the attacks as a fringe minority: “The settler community is a model and an example of developing the land, meaningful service in the IDF, and contributing to the cultivation of Torah scholars. We will not allow a violent and fanatic few to tarnish an entire community.”
In a separate post on X, Sa’ar says he “strongly condemn[s] the violence against the IDF and security forces. Such incidents are unacceptable and the perpetrators must be punished severely.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier today that he will hold an “urgent meeting” to discuss the attacks, of which there have been several in recent days. Overnight, settler extremists rioted outside an army base and set fire to a nearby security installation. The uptick in violence follows a settler rampage in a Palestinian village last week.
UK High Court rules export of F-35 parts to Israel was lawful
Israeli F-35 fighter jets return to the Nevatim Airbase after carrying out an airstrike in Yemen, July 20, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Britain’s decision to allow the export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel, despite accepting they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law in Gaza, was lawful, London’s High Court rules.
Al-Haq, a group based in the West Bank, had taken legal action against Britain’s Department for Business and Trade over its decision to exempt F-35 parts when it suspended some arms export licenses last year.
The United Kingdom had assessed that Israel was not committed to complying with international humanitarian law, in relation to humanitarian access and the treatment of detainees, as the basis for its decision.
But Britain decided to “carve out” F-35 licenses, with the government saying suspending those licenses would disrupt a global program that supplies parts for the aircraft, with a knock-on impact on international security.
Any such disruption would “undermine US confidence in the UK and NATO,” the Ministry of Defense said.
Al-Haq argued at a hearing last month that the decision was unlawful as it was in breach of Britain’s obligations under international law, including the Geneva Convention.
But the High Court dismissed the group’s challenge in a written ruling.
Odeh says effort to impeach him part of attempt to silence Arab Israelis
MK Ayman Odeh stands with protesters opposing his impeachment outside the Knesset building in Jerusalem on June 30, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)
Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh arrives to speak to dozens of demonstrators protesting his impeachment hearing in the Knesset House Committee, saying that its part of a wide effort to silence Arab Israelis.
Protesters hold giant red flags with the hammer and sickle logo alongside signs in Hebrew and Arabic declaring their support for the left-wing Arab lawmaker.
They are demonstrating as the committee debates whether to hold a plenum vote to impeach Odeh over a January statement he made celebrating the release of both hostages and Palestinian security prisoners during the Israel-Hamas truce last winter.
“We stand firm, why do I say this? Because if — God forbid, I go back on [on my words], it will be a severe hit to Arab citizens and the democratic arena… What will soon happen to Aida Touma-Suleiman, what will soon happen to Ahmed Tibi?” he asks, referring to his fellow Arab legislators.
He asks what “the real difference” is between the steps to impeach him and efforts to penalize Arab Israeli university students over their social media posts, a frequent occurrence in the first few months of the Gaza war following October 7 as many were accused of supporting the massacre.
“There is only one difference: I am a public representative,” he says. “If I go back [on my words], I will be hurting my constituency, I will be helping them bring back the mentality of the Military Government.” He is referring to the system of martial law imposed on Israel’s Arab citizens from 1948 to 1966.
“Under the cover of this war, they want to bring us backwards, to hurt freedom of expression that we over the course of many years struggled to expand,” he charges.
Report: Al-Sharaa’s circle resistant to peace agreement with Israel, wants more limited deal
Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa receives Saudi Arabia's foreign minister in Damascus, Syria, on May 31, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
Amid reports suggesting Syrian openness to normalizing relations with Israel, there is no firm consensus within the Syrian regime regarding recently intensified US-mediated peace talks between the two countries, unnamed Syrian sources tell the Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar.
According to the sources, contrary to claims by international envoys that President Ahmed Al-Sharaa has “welcomed” the idea of ties with Israel, the ongoing discussions “indicate that such a step does not enjoy genuine consensus, even within the team loyal to Al-Sharaa.”
Rather than pursue formal diplomatic relations, figures close to Al-Sharaa are urging American mediators to consider a more limited agreement — one that would declare an end to hostilities with Israel without progressing toward full normalization.
The resistance to a peace deal stems primarily from two factors, the sources say. First, the regime would face difficulty justifying such an agreement while the war in Gaza continues and amid widespread Arab condemnation of Israeli military actions. Second, pro-Turkish elements within Al-Sharaa’s inner circle fear that normalization would place Syria under significant Israeli and Saudi influence, marginalizing Ankara’s role in the region.
In a separate report suggesting greater openness in the ongoing talks, the Lebanese news channel LBCI said that Syria was not demanding the return of the Golan Heights in any potential peace agreement. Damascus is instead seeking Israeli recognition of the new regime, a withdrawal from areas held in southern Syria since January, defined security arrangements in the south, and US support, the precise nature of which remains unclear.
Following last Sunday’s ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the campaign against Iran had opened “broad regional possibilities.” Local media widely interpreted the statement as a reference to intensified US-backed efforts to end the war in Gaza and pursue normalization agreements between Israel and its neighbors, particularly Syria and Saudi Arabia.
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi confirmed last week that Israel and the Syrian regime are in daily direct contact and are discussing the possibility of normalization.
Israel expected to earn up to $74 billion in taxes from natural gas over next decade
Israel's offshore Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (AP/Ariel Schalit)
Israel expects to reap as much as $74 billion from levies collected from profits on natural gas and excess profits on other natural resources over the next decade, according to a new forecast by the Israel Tax Authority.
The Israel Tax Authority forecasts between $57 billion to $74 billion will be collected in the coming decade from levies from gas and oil profits over the coming decade. The forecast is up from a previous estimate of $55 billion to $72 billion.
Natural gas fields off Israel’s Mediterranean coast discovered more than a decade ago have put the country on a path to energy independence in a region with few natural resources. Since then, the country has also emerged as a gas exporter.
Leviathan, one of the world’s largest deep-water gas discoveries, started pumping in December 2019. The nearby Tamar site, which holds some 10 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, started in 2013.
Police arrest three more people suspected of spying for Iran
Police and Shin Bet agents have arrested three Israeli citizens in two separate cases on suspicion they carried out tasks for Iranian agents, the agencies say in a statement.
In one investigation, 33-year-old Mark Morgein, who lives in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, was arrested on suspicion of moving a grenade from a hidden location to another at the request of his handler, who he maintained contact with over the course of June.
Police say he carried out this task with the knowledge that this explosive would be used to harm Israeli citizens.
He also was enlisted to film a video of a missile interception during open war between Israel and Iran and send it to his handler.
Security forces also arrested two Tiberias residents, Yoni Segal, 18, and Nehorai Omri Mizrahi, 20, whom an Iranian agent allegedly tried to recruit into murdering an unnamed Israeli citizen in exchange for hundreds of thousands of shekels.
The agent offered to fly the pair out to another country, train them, and then give them the identity of their target. The plan never came to fruition.
The two are also suspected of filming shopping malls and hospitals across the country and sending their handler information on each mall’s layout, number of security guards and number of stores. They allegedly sent information on malls in Haifa, Tiberias and Tel Aviv, as well as Tel Aviv’s Ichilov hospital.
Today, Lahav 433 police investigators submitted a prosecutor’s declaration ahead of anticipated indictments against the suspects. The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court has extended the remand of all three by four days, until Thursday.
MK Cassif ejected from Knesset committee for second time today
Hadash-Ta'al MK Ofer Cassif is removed from the Knesset House Committee on June 30, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif is removed from the Knesset House Committee for the second time today after verbally sparring with bereaved father Itzik Bonzel, who lost his son Amit during the fighting in Gaza.
Casif had been removed earlier in the hearing following a prior confrontation with Bonzel.
As Cassif is dragged out of the room, far-right activist Baruch Marzel — a founder of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, who was disqualified from running for the Knesset in 2015 — calls out that Arabs should be expelled from Israel and is told to be quiet by committee chairman Ofir Katz.
Cassif is the sole Jewish lawmaker representing the otherwise Arab Hadash-Ta’al party.
United Arab List (Ra’am) MK Waleed Taha is also removed from the committee for interrupting the proceedings during a hearing on the possible impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh.
Before he is removed, Taha quips that Likud MK Tally Gotliv enjoys “such privilege,” as she has not been ejected despite repeatedly interrupting other MKs and being told on multiple occasions to be silent.
At least 10 said killed in new shooting near Gaza aid site
Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center operated by the US-backed organization in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Media outlets in Gaza report that at least 10 people were killed and 50 wounded by Israeli army fire in the area of a humanitarian aid distribution center in western Rafah, where distribution hubs of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are located.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis announced that 13 people arrived at the hospital and were pronounced dead.
No footage of the incident itself has yet been published, though videos showing the wounded receiving treatment at Nasser Hospital have been released.
The IDF has not yet issued a response.
GHF told the Time of Israel they were unaware of any shooting incidents near their sites.
There have been repeated instances of Palestinians being shot near aid distribution sites. The IDF says it is investigating but has denied that troops are ordered to open fire on civilians.
Sa’ar vows Golan Heights not up for discussion in any talks with Syria
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (R) speaks at a press conference with Austian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger in Jerusalem on June 30, 2025 (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)
In any potential peace agreement with Syria, “the Golan Heights will remain part of the State of Israel,” says Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, speaking alongside his Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
Sa’ar underscores the fact that Israel annexed the Golan Heights more than four decades ago.
He does not speculate on how imminent peace might be, or whether Syria is a more likely candidate for a peace deal than Saudi Arabia, but says that Israel “will welcome Syria to the peace and normalization circle in the Middle East.”
Sa’ar says that Israel “is interested in expanding the Abraham Accords circle of peace and normalization,” naming Lebanon and Syria.
The foreign minister says that Israel is “serious in its will to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza.” He calls on Europe to back US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire, in order to “shatter Hamas illusions.”
However, there are “significant gaps between the two sides’ conditions,” says Sa’ar.
Sa’ar stresses that Israel is “committed to achieving our objectives” in Gaza, adding that Israel is “committed to continuing to facilitate the humanitarian effort.”
The foreign minister emphasizes that “Hamas takes over the aid” which “causes the war to continue endlessly.” He lauds the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for helping Gaza’s civilians directly.
A Palestinian state “would threaten the security of the state of Israel,” he says in response to a question from The Times of Israel about whether he would support a two-state solution if Saudi normalization was conditioned on such a move.
He also argues that Israel’s success against Iran’s ballistic missiles, drones, and nuclear program also protected Europe’s security.
Iran says Trump’s shifting stance on sanctions amounts to ‘psychological and media games’
Iran criticizes US President Donald Trump’s shifting stance on whether to lift economic sanctions against Tehran as “games” that were not aimed at solving the problems between the two countries.
“These [statements by Trump] should be viewed more in the context of psychological and media games than as a serious expression in favor of dialogue or problem-solving,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei tells a press conference.
Knesset legal adviser says doubtful remarks made by MK Odeh amount to support for terror
MK Ayman Odeh reacts during a committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on June 24, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik tells lawmakers in the Knesset House Committee that there is real doubt whether a statement made by Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh rises to the level of support for terror.
The committee is debating whether to refer Odeh to the Knesset for a vote on expulsion over a statement he made in January celebrating the release of both hostages and Palestinian security prisoners.
While none of the Palestinian security prisoners released had been charged with murder, several were behind failed terror attacks.
According to Basic Law: The Knesset, 90 Knesset members may vote to expel a colleague who expressed support “for an armed struggle” against the State of Israel. Once 70 signatures are collected, the matter is referred to the House Committee and, if approved there, goes to the plenum for a vote.
Judges to decide whether UK can supply parts for Israeli warplanes
Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jets depart for strikes in Iran, June 13, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
British judges will rule today on a legal challenge brought by a pro-Palestinian organization seeking to block the UK from supplying components for Israeli F-35 fighter jets.
The UK government suspended some export licenses for military equipment after concluding there was a risk Israel could be breaching international humanitarian law in Gaza, but made an exemption for some parts for Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth jets.
In its claim to the High Court, rights group Al-Haq says the “carve out” was unlawful, alleging the government had misunderstood the applicable rules of international law — a claim denied by ministers.
The UK contributes components to an international defense program that produces and maintains the F-35s.
Defense Secretary John Healey said a suspension would impact the “whole F-35 program” and have a “profound impact on international peace and security.”
Brother of slain hostage Itzik Elgarat reveals he died during Hamas interrogation
Danny Elgarat, the brother of slain hostage Itzik Elgarat, speaks during a National Security Committee meeting at the Knesset on March 10, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Danny Elgarat, the brother of slain hostage Itzik Elgarat, reveals that he was informed on Sunday that his brother had died of a heart attack while being interrogated by Hamas, which believed he was a pilot.
Elgarat was speaking to the Knesset House Committee. He was later forcibly ejected by Knesset guards after shouting about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu funding Hamas.
Prior to October 7, Israel had allowed suitcases with millions in Qatari cash to enter Gaza through its crossings since 2018, to maintain its fragile ceasefire with the Hamas rulers of the Strip.
Lawmakers yell that Elgarat is engaged in a provocation as he is removed from the chamber. His removal comes immediately after the committee reconvenes following the removal of Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif.
Knesset guards forcibly remove Danny Elgarat, the brother of slain hostage Itzik Elgarat, from the Knesset House Committee, after he yells about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu funding Hamas. pic.twitter.com/OlJ1frbiTm
— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) June 30, 2025
Father of soldier killed yesterday in Gaza: He knew he was fighting for his family, his people
Sgt. Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, 20, of the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion. (Israel Defense Forces)
The father of a soldier killed in Gaza yesterday says he is very proud of his son, who found purpose in his military service and understood its importance.
Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, known as Natan, was killed by an explosive device during operations in the Kafr Jabalia area.
The British-born soldier moved from London to Ra’anana as a child with his family 11 years ago.
“He told us a long time ago ‘I want to be a combat soldier in the army. To do something for our country,'” Avi Rosenfeld tells the Ynet news site.
“When he was assigned to combat engineering, he was so happy. He was in a place that was right for him. He didn’t really like school and we were worried, but in the army he just blossomed,” the bereaved father says.
“His commanders were really special. They were like family to him. Every time he came home, he had a smile. Not because of the role itself but because he knew why he was doing it. He knew he was doing it for his parents, his family, his people. I feel he has a place in history. We are very proud of him,” Rosenfeld says.
The 20th soldier to be killed in fighting since the start of the month, Rosenfeld is survived by his parents and three siblings; his sister’s boyfriend was killed fighting terrorists near Kibbutz Sufa on October 7, 2023.
Rosenfeld will be buried at the Ra’anana military cemetery at 4 p.m. today.
Minister says he’ll summon AG for a dismissal hearing after she completes mourning period for husband
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, April 27, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amihai Chikli announces that he will issue a new summons to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for a hearing pending dismissal on Wednesday, immediately following the end of the shiva mourning period she is observing for he husband who passed away last week.
Chikli is head of a five-member ministerial committee established by the government earlier this month as part of a new system to fire the attorney general, after the original dismissal process proved too difficult for the government to complete.
Chikli will issue the summons on Wednesday, although it is as yet unclear on what date the hearing will take place.
If Baharav-Miara attends the hearing, the ministerial committee will hear her arguments for why she should not be fired, and then will make a recommendation to the cabinet.
The cabinet will then vote on the committee’s recommendation.
The government and the attorney general have clashed repeatedly, with the former claiming Baharav-Miara has repeatedly and unjustifiably thwarted its policies and legislation, while the attorney general has argued she has restrained the government from acting illegally.
A petition against the government’s new process of firing the attorney general has been filed to the High Court of Justice and will likely be given a hearing in the coming days or weeks.
Iran says it cannot guarentee safety of UN nuclear inspectors
An unidentified International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspector disconnects the connections between the twin cascades for 20 percent uranium production at the nuclear research center of Natanz, some 300 kilometers south of Tehran, Iran, on January 20, 2014. (KAZEM GHANE/IRNA/AFP)
Iran cannot be expected to ensure usual cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency when the security of agency inspectors cannot be guaranteed days after nuclear sites being hit by Israeli and US strikes, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says.
MK Cassif forcibly removed from Knesset debate after confrontation with bereaved father
Hadash-Ta’al MK MK Ofer Cassif is forcibly removed from the Knesset House Committee following a verbal confrontation with a bereaved father who engaged in a lengthy condemnation of the Knesset’s Arab lawmakers during a hearing on the possible impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al chief Ayman Odeh.
As Cassif is being removed, Knesset ushers have to physically block an angry Likud MK Nissum Vaturi from approaching Cassif.
Following Cassif’s removal, committee chairman Ofir Katz calls a short recess.
Hadash-Ta'al MK Ofer Cassif is forcibly removed from the Knesset House Committee following a verbal confrontation with a bereaved father who slams the parliament's Arab parties during today's hearing on the impeachment of Hadash-Ta'al chief Ayman Odeh. The chair calls a recess pic.twitter.com/mdiS4TM5Ux
— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) June 30, 2025
Katz to hold emergency meeting on settler attacks on IDF
Defense Minister Israel Katz (left) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in an assessment, June 20, 2025. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Israel Katz says he will hold an “urgent meeting” today with security officials to discuss the attacks by Jewish extremists against soldiers and security forces in the West Bank.
“This phenomenon must be put to an immediate end. We will take all necessary measures and completely uproot this violence. No one will dare raise a hand against IDF soldiers and members of the security forces,” Katz says in a statement.
In recent days, there have been several attacks by Israeli settlers against troops and other security forces in the West Bank, following a settler rampage in a Palestinian village last week. Overnight, settler extremists rioted outside an army base and set fire to a nearby security installation.
Deputy minister Tessler resigns from Knesset to allow fellow party member to take seat
Deputy Culture Minister Yaakov Tessler (United Torah Judaism) submits his letter of resignation from the Knesset to Speaker Amir Ohana on June 30, 2025 (Knesset Spokesperson)
Deputy Culture Minister Yaakov Tessler (United Torah Judaism) submits his letter of resignation from the Knesset to Speaker Amir Ohana, paving the way for the return of fellow UTJ MK Eliyahu Baruchi under the so-called Norwegian Law.
The Norwegian Law allows ministers and deputy ministers from large factions to resign from the Knesset, with their seats then filled by other members of their parties.
Baruchi, a member of the party’s Degel Hatorah faction, was forced out of the Knesset earlier this month as a result of the resignation of party leader and then-Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf. Goldknopf represents the party’s Hasidic Agudat Yisrael faction, meaning that by pushing Baruchi out of the Knesset, he minimized Degel Hatorah’s parliamentary representation, necessitating another resignation in order to restore balance between the two factions.
Goldknopf resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet on June 12, after failing to pass a bill to dissolve the Knesset in an overnight vote as part of an ongoing political fight over the conscription of yeshiva students.
Yesterday, Deputy Minister for Artificial Intelligence Almog Cohen (Otzma Yehudit) announced his resignation from the cabinet in order to retake his Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law, a move that will push out Religious Zionism’s MK Zvi Sukkot.
Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit ran on a unified list in the last election.
France condemns Iranian ‘threats’ made against head of IAEA watchdog
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi attends an extraordinary Board of Governors meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on June 23, 2025. (Joe Klamar / AFP)
The French government condemns what it describes as “threats” made against the head of the IAEA nuclear energy watchdog, and reiterated its call on Iran to guarantee the safety of IAEA staff on its territory.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi was quoted on Sunday as saying Iran could be producing enriched uranium within a few months, raising doubts about how effective US strikes to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program have been.
Trump: I am not talking to Iran, not offering them anything
US President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
US President Donald Trump says he is not talking to Iran and not offering them anything.
In a middle-of-the-night post on Truth Social, Trump says, “I am not offering Iran ANYTHING, unlike Obama, who paid them $Billions under the stupid ‘road to a nuclear weapon JCPOA (which would now be expired!), nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.”
TRUMP: I AM NOT OFFERING IRAN ANYTHING… NOR AM I EVEN TALKING TO THEM pic.twitter.com/bsGaJPTrmB
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) June 30, 2025
Trump on Friday dismissed media reports that said his administration had discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program.
Smotrich condemns ‘criminal’ settlers who attacked IDF base, torched security installation
Minister of Finance and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, June 9, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issues a rare condemnation of settler violence after youths rioted at an IDF base and torched a security installation in the West Bank.
“Criminals are criminals are criminals in every place in the country,” Smotrich posts on X.
“Violence against beloved IDF soldiers and Israel Police and the destruction of property are forbidden and cross a red line,” he says, calling on the police to investigate the incidents and bring those responsible to justice.
Smotrich says the extremists do not represent the majority of the settlers living in the West Bank.
IDF confirms settlers torched West Bank security installation: Damage poses ‘a danger to the security of the residents’
A West Bank security installation that was torched overnight by settlers on June 30, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli settlers torched a multi-million-shekel security installation used to “thwart terror attacks and maintain security” in the Ramallah area of the West Bank overnight, according to the IDF.
The military says damage to the site “poses a danger to the security of the residents.”
The incident came after a riot by settlers outside a nearby military base in the West Bank.
“The IDF condemns any act of violence against security forces and expects security forces to bring to justice Israeli civilians who harm security personnel who are carrying out their duty to protect Israeli citizens,” the military says in a statement, adding that it “will continue to focus on protecting civilians, while also enforcing the law and preventing any illegal activity, wherever it may occur.”
Report: Syria not demanding Golan Heights as part of deal with Israel
An Israeli flag waves on the top of a hill near the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli side of the Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, December 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
The Lebanese news channel LBCI reports that Syria is not demanding that Israel return parts of the Golan Heights that it captured in 1967 in current talks on a peace agreement.
According to the report, citing unnamed sources, Syria is demanding that Israel recognize the new regime in Syria, headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa, and withdraw from the areas it took control of in southern Syria since January.
Additionally, Syria is calling for clearly defined security arrangements in southern Syria and in the border triangle between Jordan, Syria, and Israel, as well as US support for Syria, though the nature of that support remains unclear.
Israel annexed the Golan heights in a move not recognized by the international community, except for the US.
Syrian demands that Israel completely withdraw from the strategic plateau sank previous efforts on a peace deal between the countries.
Norwegian fund drops US, German companies over sales to Israeli military
The INS Rahav, a Dolphin class made by German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp, sets off from the German port of Kiel toward Haifa, December 17, 2015. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Norway’s biggest pension fund KLP says it had dropped US group Oshkosh Corporation and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp from its investment portfolio for selling weapons and equipment used by Israel’s military in Gaza.
KLP — which is separate from Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest — says Oshkosh Corporation was supplying trucks to the Israeli military, which adapts them into armored troop transport vehicles.
The fund also accused ThyssenKrupp of agreeing to supply Israel’s navy, before the outbreak of the war in Gaza, with corvettes and submarines.
“Companies have an independent duty to exercise due diligence in order to avoid complicity in violations of fundamental human rights and humanitarian law,” Kiran Aziz, head of responsible investments at KLP Asset Management, says in a statement.
KLP, which managed assets worth $114 billion in the first quarter, sold its holdings in Oshkosh Corporation valued at 19 million kroner ($1.9 million).
It also sold its investment in ThyssenKrupp worth 10 million kroner.
The two companies were excluded on the basis of KLP’s criterion relating to the “sale of weapons to states in armed conflicts that use the weapons in ways that represent serious and systematic breaches of international law governing the conflicts”, KLP said.
The fund emphasized that the two companies had long-established cooperation’s with the Israeli army, and their deliveries continued after the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Settlers suspected of torching IDF security installation in West Bank
Settlers are suspected of torching a multi-million-shekel security installation in the West Bank overnight, a military official says.
The incident came after a riot by settlers outside a nearby military base in the West Bank.
The official says the facility that was set on fire contains cameras designed to help foil terror attacks in the area.
פרסום ראשון: מתפרעים יהודים הציתו מתקן ביטחוני שמשמש להגנה על תושבי יהודה ושומרון, בו הושקעו מיליוני שקלים >>> https://t.co/ODwvTCxP0h@ela1949
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 30, 2025
Argentina soccer fans raise Palestinian flags, carry casket with Israeli flag before game against Jewish-backed team
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Fans of Club Atletico All Boys gather ahead of a match against rival soccer club Atlanta, which is widely associated with the local Jewish community, raising Palestinian flags as men in hazmat suits carry a casket covered with the Israeli flag.
The DAIA (Delegacion de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas) denounces the All Boys fans’ conduct, slamming it as antisemitic and demanding that authorities act firmly against the actions near the Malvinas Argentinas stadium.
Some of the flyers found near the stadium say”Free Palestine” and “Israel and Atlanta are the same crap.”
Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich says that if the municipality of Buenos Aires does not take action by Monday, she will.
Sucedió hoy en la previa de All Boys y Atlanta. Antisemitas lisa y llanamente. Que la antidiscriminatoria caiga contra ellos. @caallboys y @afa no pueden hacerse los distraídos, sino serán cómplices. Como dije en @infobae y @fmjai: El antisemitismo vive en Argentina y es esto. pic.twitter.com/mdLeN6THMk
— Claudio Avruj (@clauavruj) June 29, 2025
‘We’re behind you’: Moms and relatives of captives urge Trump to free the hostages
A group of mothers and family members of hostages issue an online plea to US President Donald Trump, asking him in English to do what he can to bring the hostages home from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
Appearing in the video posted to X are Idit Ohel, mother of hostage Alon Ohel; Einat Rosen, Alon Ohel’s aunt; Anat Angrest, mother of hostage soldier Matan Angrest; Romi Cohen, twin sister of hostage soldier Nimrod Cohen; Lee Siegel, brother of freed hostage Keith Siegel; Maccabit Meyer, aunt of hostages Ziv and Gali Berman; Ruti Strum, mother of hostage Eitan Horn and of freed hostage Iair Horn; Dalia Cusnir, the Horn brothers’ sister-in-law; and Shay Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat.
“Your leadership has shown that you can bring them back,” says Dalia Cusnir.
“We are confident, we are behind you,” says Lee Siegel. “You are the man of the hour, you are the man of the minute.”
“We trust you,” says Romi Cohen.
Dear Mr. President,
I am the mother of Matan Angrest, who is being held hostage for 632 days. Matan is badly injured and in danger.
Please save Matan’s life????
don’t miss this opportunity.
You can bring our children home.
Thank you
Anat shift101@realDonaldTrump @MELANIATRUMP pic.twitter.com/KaXzX8gTbK— ענת אנגרסט (@anatangrest) June 29, 2025
Army vows to ‘act firmly against any attempt to harm security forces’ after latest settler riot
The IDF issues a statement confirming the riot by settlers outside a military base in the West Bank, saying some of those present attacked security forces, sprayed mace and vandalized army vehicles.
Troops and police took action to disperse the rioters, the statement adds, without elaborating.
The army also says it is aware of reports that an Israeli citizen was wounded amid the violence and required medical treatment.
“The IDF and Israel Police condemn any display of violence toward the security forces and will act firmly against any attempt to harm members of the security forces, who are fulfilling their duty to protect Israeli citizens,” adds the statement. “The IDF and Israel Police will continue to focus on safeguarding citizens’ security, alongside enforcing the law and preventing illegal acts of any kind.”
‘The battalion commander is a traitor’ sign seen at violent settler protest outside IDF base
A photo from outside the Binyamin Regional Brigade military base in the West Bank, where dozens of Jewish extremists are violently demonstrating, shows members of the crowd holding up a sign declaring “the battalion commander is a traitor,” referring to the head of a reserve unit who was assaulted by settlers on Friday.
A military source cited by Hebrew media outlets says some of the settlers tried to break into the base and threw rocks and sprayed mace toward troops.
נערי גבעות ריססו גז פלפל על שוטרים ויידו אבנים ב״הפגנה״ מול חטמ״ר בנימין. על השלט כתוב ״המג״ד בוגד״ pic.twitter.com/tt8DOdZy4r
— רועי שרון Roy Sharon (@roysharon11) June 29, 2025
Settler protesters clash with police outside West Bank military base
Settler activists protesting the use of live fire by soldiers against rioters in the West Bank on Friday night clash with police officers in front of the Binyamin Regional Brigade military base.
The protesters outside the base demand that the military prosecute a battalion commander who was physically assaulted by the settlers, and did not use live fire contrary to their claims. In a separate incident that night, the commander of an army patrol fired warning shots after being ambushed by settlers hurling stones.
A security source says the protesters vandalized vehicles and used pepper spray outside the base.
Border Police officers use stun grenades to disperse the rioters.
Throngs of rioting settlers had attacked troops overnight Friday-Saturday near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik, after the forces arrived there to prevent them from attacking the village and to clear them from a close military zone.
עשרות מפגינים מול חטמ"ר בנימין. גורם ביטחוני: שוב השחיתו רכבים, ריססו גז פלפל והתפרעו@shapira_nitzan pic.twitter.com/dPnA5ZpaDE
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) June 29, 2025
Security chiefs told judges in PM’s trial of opportunity to ink peace deals, including with Syria — report
There is an opportunity to change the face of the Middle East and for Israel to expand its circle of peace, including with Syria, top security officials told judges presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial in a closed-door meeting today, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The head of IDF Military Intelligence, as well as the head of the Mossad, were present in today’s court hearing, both of whom explained to the judges why it was necessary to postpone the testimony hearings for Netanyahu’s criminal trial.
The hearing lasted 10 minutes, unnamed sources tell Kan.
Judges eventually determined there was enough reason to cancel the hearings for this week.
US planning to lean on Dermer to end Gaza war during DC meetings — sources
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer speaks at the Jewish News Syndicate conference in Jerusalem, on April 28, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will face pressure from the Trump administration during his meetings tomorrow in Washington to end the war in Gaza, a US official and an Arab diplomat familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.
Mediators want Israel to send a delegation to Cairo in order to close remaining gaps on several issues, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refrained from doing so, preferring to dispatch Dermer to Washington, in order to try and get on the same page with the US before another round of indirect, proximity talks is held in Egypt, the two sources say.
The sources say that remaining sticking points include Hamas’s demand for a permanent end to the war — as opposed to Israel’s efforts to secure a temporary ceasefire that leaves open the option for it to resume fighting. Hamas is also demanding — with the backing of the Arab mediators — a return to old mechanisms for distributing humanitarian aid or the establishment of a new system to replace the current one managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israel says GHF is essential in preventing the diversion of aid by Hamas, but the US- and Israeli-backed system has forced Gazans to walk long distances in order to pick up food, while also crossing IDF lines, coming under deadly fire on a near-daily basis.
Arab mediators were hoping that Israel would agree to send a delegation to Cairo during a top-level ministerial meeting that was held late Sunday night, but that session reportedly ended without any decisions.
The Arab diplomat says that mediators had been pushing Israel to send a delegation to Doha earlier this month in order to discuss a bridging proposal that Qatar and Egypt had put together, which aimed to merge US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s latest offer with Hamas’s response.
The mediators had hoped that Israel’s delegation would arrive in Doha on June 13. Instead, Israel launched its opening salvo in the war against Iran early that morning. Jerusalem subsequently informed mediators that hostage talks would be on hold for the time being as Israel’s focus shifted completely to neutralizing the Iranian nuclear and missile threats, the diplomat says.
After a ceasefire was reached on June 22, US President Donald Trump made clear to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wanted to see the war wrapped up in Gaza next, the two sources say.
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