May 1: Trump tells Congress that deadline to approve Iran war doesn’t apply as hostilities ‘terminated’

Rocket sirens activated in Kiryat Shmona and neighboring Lebanon border towns

Rocket sirens sound in the northern border city of Kiryat Shmona and nearby towns.

This comes shortly after sirens warning of a drone attack from Lebanon sounded in the area.

The IDF has said it is investigating the incident.

Trump: We won’t leave Iran early ‘and then have the problem arise’ again

US President Donald Trump says the United States will not exit its confrontation with Iran early “and then have the problem arise in three more years.”

Drone infiltration sirens sound in Galilee Panhandle and Golan Heights

Sirens warning of a drone attack from Lebanon sound in the Galilee Panhandle and Golan Heights.

The IDF says it is investigating.

US cautions Americans in UK to be alert after terror threat level raised to ‘severe’

The US embassy in London has cautioned Americans in the UK to stay alert in public places, keep a low profile and review their personal security plans after British government officials said earlier that they were raising the national terrorism threat to its second-highest level.

“The recent increase in terrorist threats is driven by a rise in Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threats in the UK,” the US embassy says in a security alert.

Britain raised its national terrorism threat level to “severe” from “substantial” on Thursday after an antisemitic stabbing attack earlier in the week in north London.

The threat level indicates that an extremist attack is highly likely within the next six months.

Trump tells Congress that deadline to approve Iran war doesn’t apply as hostilities ‘terminated’

WASHINGTON — The White House asserts to US Congress in a letter that hostilities with Iran have “terminated” despite the continued presence of US armed forces in the region.

The message from President Donald Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the president.

The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump’s war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago.

“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Chuck Grassley, the Senate president pro tempore.

Yet he also makes it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over.

“Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” the Republican president says.

Imprisoned Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi moved to hospital after severe cardiac crisis — foundation

Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran after a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health, her foundation says.

The Narges Mohammadi Foundation says the Nobel Prize laureate had two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis.

Earlier today, Mohammadi fainted twice in prison in Zanjan in northwestern Iran, according to the foundation. She was believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March, according to her lawyers who visited her a few days after the incident. At the time, she appeared pale, underweight and needed a nurse to help her walk.

The hospital transfer comes “after 140 days of systematic medical neglect,” since her arrest on December 12, the foundation says.

“This transfer was done as an unavoidable necessity after prison doctors determined her condition could not be managed on-site, despite standing medical recommendations that she be treated by her specialized team in Tehran,” the foundation says.

Detonation of unexploded bombs in Iran reportedly kills 14 Revolutionary Guards

An explosion of leftover bombs from strikes during the war against Iran killed 14 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian media reports.

A report by the Nournews website, believed to be close to Iran’s security, says the explosion happened near the northern city of Zanjan, which is northwest of Tehran.

It is the largest number of IRGC members reported to be killed since the ceasefire began on April 7. The report says the ammunition included cluster bombs and air mines dropped during the fighting.

Shin Bet chief said ignoring AG’s instruction not to carry out requests from PM that could impact graft trial

Shin Bet chief David Zini attends the state memorial ceremony marking 30 years since the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, November 3, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Shin Bet chief David Zini has been ignoring a letter from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructing him that any requests he receives from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that could impact the premier’s corruption trial be referred to the security agency’s legal adviser, Channel 12 news reports.

The network says the letter cites previous “improper requests” by Netanyahu and tells Zini to ask the Shin Bet legal adviser for a legal opinion, but notes Zini didn’t do so when he told the court that the prime minister cannot attend the hearings in his criminal trial due to security threats against him.

IDF confirms detaining settler who fired army-issued gun at Palestinian homes

An Israeli settler armed by the military opened fire on Palestinian homes in the West Bank refugee camp of al-Arroub, north of Hebron, overnight, before being detained by the IDF.

The settler is a reservist serving in one of the IDF’s so-called area defense forces, known by its Hebrew acronym Hagmar.

According to the IDF, troops launched searches in al-Arroub following reports of gunfire being carried out by an Israeli in civilian clothing.

The IDF says the “Israeli civilian,” later confirmed to be a reservist, had “carried out gunfire and behaved dangerously in the village area.” No injuries were reported.

The troops located the suspect, and he was “immediately detained,” the IDF says.

The army says it handed over the reservist to the Israel Police for questioning, and his weapon was confiscated.

“The investigation is ongoing by the relevant authorities,” the IDF says.

The military adds that “this is a grave incident that does not align with IDF orders and values.”

Dozens of soldiers from Hagmar units, which comprise local settlers serving in reserve duty, have been dismissed for violations, including attacks on Palestinians.

NY Jewish group claims double standard after Mamdani comments on Gaza flotilla

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a union rally on Park Avenue, in New York, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, a leading Jewish group in the city, accuses New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of a double standard over Mamdani’s comments on the Gaza flotilla.

Last night, Mamdani condemned Israel for detaining activists on a protest flotilla headed to Gaza, far off the coast, in international waters.

“This is a brazen violation of international law. Those detained must be released,” Mamdani says.

Nearly all of those detained have been released to Greece since Mamdani’s statement; two of the activists are being questioned for suspected illegal and terrorist activity.

Mark Treyger, the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, points out that City Hall has not commented on an antisemitic outburst this week at the Park Slope Food Coop, a major institution in the Brooklyn neighborhood.

At a Tuesday meeting focused on the food co-op’s attempted boycott of Israel, an attendee said, “Jewish supremacism is a problem in this country,” prompting applause from dozens of others.

The speaker also compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

“This week, it was reported that Jewish New Yorkers were subjected to vile antisemitism at a prominent Brooklyn institution … conduct that likely violates state and local human rights laws and warrants public attention and a response from your administration,” Treyger says in a response to Mamdani.

“I have not seen a word from City Hall about that incident. Leadership in New York requires the ability to show up consistently for all communities, especially when hate targets them here at home,” Treyger says.

Treyger’s criticism of Mamdani stands out because the JCRC needs to collaborate with City Hall, especially for the city’s annual Israel Day on 5th, the de facto Jewish community annual march in the city. This year’s parade, on Manhattan’s 5th ave., will take place on May 31.

Additionally, Mamdani says that “several New Yorkers” were “unlawfully detained” on the Gaza flotilla. It’s unclear which international law he is referring to.

“My team has been in direct contact with State and Federal partners as we work to confirm the whereabouts and conditions of these New Yorkers,” Mamdani says.

Asked by Politico about the identities of the New Yorkers detained by Israel, a City Hall spokesperson demurs, saying, “Will share more information as it becomes available.”

Board of Peace denies reported plans to shut down ceasefire coordination HQ in southern Israel

Officers and civilians from the US, Israel and around 20 other countries work at the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, Israel, November 19, 2025 (Lazar Berman/The Times of Israel)

The Board of Peace denies a report claiming the US will be shutting down the Civil-Military Coordination Center tasked with facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“Any claim that the CMCC is closing is wrong. The CMCC is advancing its efforts every day to continue delivering aid at a level unprecedented in modern history,” tweets the US-led international body tasked with overseeing the postwar management of Gaza.

Earlier Friday, Reuters published a report citing several unnamed sources familiar with the matter who told the outlet that the Trump administration will be shutting down the CMCC, which is based in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat.

The sources said the CMCC will be folded into the International Stabilization Force that is tasked with phasing the IDF out of Gaza but has yet to be deployed. Once folded into the ISF, the CMCC will be rebranded as the International Gaza Support Center, the sources told Reuters.

Any claim that the CMCC is closing is wrong. The CMCC is advancing its efforts every day to continue delivering aid at a level unprecedented in modern history:

– Food aid is reaching 3x more people than before
-Aid diversion has dwindled from 90% to less than 1%
– According to… https://t.co/pseqAUc9bn

— Board of Peace (@BoardOfPeace) May 1, 2026

Police open murder probe after man shot dead in Rahat

Police launch a murder investigation after a man in his late 20s, who was shot in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat, dies of his wounds.

9-year-old Jewish boy hit and killed by school bus in Brooklyn

A 9-year-old Jewish boy is struck and killed by a school bus in Brooklyn.

Yoel Jacobowitz was on his way to study at yeshiva this morning when he was hit, Yeshiva World News reports.

He was hit by the bus in the Williamsburg neighborhood, the home base of the Satmar Hasidic movement, around the intersection of Lee Ave. and Lorimer St.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he is “devastated” by the death and that the accident “is a painful reminder that we must continue to use every tool available to make our streets safe.”

Trump confirms he was briefed on military options agains Iran: Either we ‘blast the hell out of them’ or make a deal

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump confirms he was briefed this week by Central Command chief Adm. Bradley Cooper about military options against Iran.

“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal — those are the options,” Trump tells reporters outside the White House.

Trump claims that on a “human basis,” he would prefer not to bomb Iran, but also doesn’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.

He again claims that Iran’s leadership is so disjointed that different factions want different types of deals with the US. “They’re not getting along with each other, and it puts us in a bad position.”

Asked what specifically he’s unsatisfied with when it comes ot Iran, Trump says, “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”

Asked whether he still plans to host the leaders of Israel and Lebanon, Trump responds, “They’re going to be coming.”

The US has been pushing such direct engagement between the two leaders for weeks, with little success.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has thus far held off on engaging directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He faces significant domestic pressure back home, including threats from Hezbollah, and it’s unclear whether Aoun would be willing to meet Netanyahu while Israeli forces continue to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

China calls to revisit decision to wind down Lebanon peacekeeping mission

A French contingent of UNIFIL peacekeepers patrols the area as displaced residents waving Hezbollah flags make their way back to their homes on a makeshift road, built at the site where the Qasmieh bridge was destroyed in Israeli strikes, in the southern Lebanese area of al-Qasmiyeh on April 18, 2026. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

China’s ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong says there is a need to revisit a decision that will see the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) end at the end of the year.

Trump ‘not satisfied’ with latest Iranian proposal, says there may never be a deal

US President Donald Trump speaks after signing several executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

US President Donald Trump says he’s not satisfied with Iran’s latest proposal for an agreement to permanently end the war with the US.

“They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it,” Trump tells reporters outside the White House when asked about the proposal the US received from Tehran on Thursday.

“They’ve made strides, but I’m not sure if they ever get there,” Trump says, again claiming that Iran’s leadership is “disjointed.”

Lebanon reports 6 killed in Israeli strikes on town that IDF called to evacuate

Lebanon’s health ministry report six people, including a woman and a child, were killed in two Israeli strikes on a southern town where Israel’s army had issued an evacuation order despite a ceasefire, which it said Hezbollah violated by launching attacks from there.

The ministry statement says eight other people, including a woman and a child, were wounded in the strikes on Habboush, where the state-run National News Agency had reported casualties after Israeli warplanes “launched a series of heavy strikes… less than an hour after warning” residents there to evacuate.

White House declines to comment on new Iranian proposal, stresses Iran can’t have a nuke

The White House says it will not detail private diplomatic conversations when asked about Iran’s new proposal to the United States that was submitted to Pakistani mediators.

“We do not detail private diplomatic conversations. President Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and negotiations continue to ensure the short- and long-term national security of the United States,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly tells Reuters.

No injuries as IDF says troops in south Lebanon were targeted by Hezbollah drones, rockets

Hezbollah launched a rocket and several more explosive drones at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon today, the military says.

The IDF says the rocket was successfully intercepted, while the drones struck near Israeli forces, without causing any injuries.

In another incident, an interceptor missile was fired at a suspected Hezbollah drone, with the IDF saying the results of the interception are under review.

US warns shippers could be sanctioned if they pay Iran to pass through Strait of Hormuz

Any shippers paying tolls to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, including charitable donations to organizations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, are at risk of punitive sanctions, the US Treasury warns.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime routes, with about 20% of the world’s seaborne ​crude oil ​and liquefied ⁠natural gas flows passing through it.

Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels passing through the strait, as part of proposals to end the war with Israel and the United States.

The advisory, from Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, says the US is aware of Iranian threats to shipping and demands for payments to receive safe passage through the strait.

OFAC says demands may include several payment options, including fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments, such as nominally charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Bonyad Mostazafan, or Iranian embassy accounts.

“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage,” it says. “These risks exist regardless of payment method.”

Border Police say they immediately freed Palestinian teen upon determining he has Down syndrome

The Border Police say, in response to video of officers assaulting and detaining a teen with Down syndrome, that the “footage shows Border Police officers detaining a minor suspected of involvement in stone-throwing during disturbances directed at security forces in the Shuafat area, after he was identified holding a stone.

“Upon further clarification, officers determined that the individual is a minor with a disability who had inadvertently arrived at the scene. The detention was immediately discontinued.”

The police add that officers escorted the teen away from the scene, contacted his family and remained with him until his parents arrived, at which point they were briefed on the circumstances.

North Macedonia says recent attack on synagogue was linked to Islamic State

An arson attack last month on a synagogue in North Macedonia’s capital has been linked to the Islamic State jihadist group, the country’s intelligence service says.

Nobody was injured in the April 12 attack, which is the Orthodox Easter, but the entrance of the building was left scorched after it was set on fire.

The Agency for National Security says it raided several properties and arrested seven people believed to be a “part of a radical group ideologically linked to the global network of the Islamic State.”

Latest war will be ‘one big failure’ if Iran’s enriched uranium not removed — IDF official

An Israeli military official says that if Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% is not removed from the Islamic Republic, the entire latest war will be considered “one big failure.”

Israeli officials have said that this stockpile is sufficient for 11 nuclear bombs.

The senior officer says that if, as part of negotiations between the United States and Iran, no agreement is reached to remove the uranium stockpile and halt enrichment in the country, the achievements in the 40 days of fighting will have been for nothing.

“If the nuclear objective is not achieved, then everything we did in Iran will be one big failure. The evil Iranian regime can pounce on the nuclear program,” the official says.

The officer adds that “if the uranium is removed from Iran through diplomatic means, we have done our part.” However, if that does not happen, Israel would need to launch another operation in Iran to achieve the objective, they say.

IDF’s hands tied in countering Hezbollah drone threat due to truce, says official

Left: Hezbollah FPV drones captured by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published April 3, 2026; Right: A Hezbollah drone slams into an Israeli tank in the southern Lebanon town of Mays al-Jabal on April 11, 2026, in footage published by the terror group on April 27, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces; Hezbollah media office)

The Israeli military is optimistic that a solution will be found to counter the threat of Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) fiber-optic cable-guided drones, which have been repeatedly used in attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israel in recent weeks.

A military official says the IDF has been taking the threat seriously and has been working to develop and test systems to counter the fiber-optic FPV drones, which are immune to electronic jamming. However, it is unlikely that any such system will be ready in the short term, nor will it provide a hermetic solution to the threat.

Still, the official says the most effective way to counter the threat would be to target the drone operators and Hezbollah’s supply chain for the drones. However, this is currently not possible due to the ceasefire, as Israel is only permitted to target imminent threats to troops in Lebanon, such as a drone operator actively piloting a drone.

The Israeli Air Force has been assisting ground troops in Lebanon in dealing with the FPV drone threat by deploying mobile radars to detect them and alert forces, who can then attempt to shoot them down. The IAF has also supported interceptions, reporting that it shot down at least 27 FPV drones using the short-range Iron Dome air defense system.

Settlers torch two vehicles in southern West Bank — reports

Palestinian media report that settlers set fire to two vehicles, one of them an agricultural vehicle, in Wadi Rahim in the South Hebron Hills area of the southern West Bank.

No further details on the incident were immediately available.

مستوطنون يحرقون جرافة ومركبة للأهالي في مسافر يطا جنوب الخليل#العربي_الجديد pic.twitter.com/8cXpZhiG1f

— العربي الجديد (@alaraby_ar) May 1, 2026

Citing Hezbollah truce violations, IDF issues evacuation order for town in south Lebanon

The IDF issues an evacuation warning for the southern Lebanon town of Habboush, near Nabatieh.

Civilians are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.

Two IDF reservists lightly wounded by Hezbollah drone that struck northern Israel

Two IDF reservists were lightly injured in the Hezbollah drone attack near Misgav Am.

The pair were taken to a hospital, and their families were notified.

The IDF says it is investigating the attack, which it says is “a violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror group.”

Cops in East Jerusalem reportedly attack and detain Palestinian teen with special needs

Footage circulated by Palestinian media outlets appears to show police forces yesterday in the Shuafat Refugee Camp chasing and arresting a Palestinian.

According to the reports, the detained Palestinian is Mahdi al-Arabi, a teenager with down syndrome.

The forces are believed to be from the Border Police, which operates regularly in East Jerusalem.

There is no immediate comment from the Border Police.

A video shows Israeli soldiers chasing and detaining a Palestinian child with Down syndrome during a raid on the Shuafat Refugee Camp in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/KMWegBLwYK

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 30, 2026

Lebanon’s president hosts US envoy to discuss ceasefire, peace talks

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference after the EU Summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa meets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the presidential palace near Beirut to discuss the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and potential peace talks, according to Aoun’s office.

Talks in Washington, says the Lebanese readout, “would lead to achieving the accomplishment of peace and stability along the borders.”

Iran says it has sent its latest proposal to US via Pakistani mediators

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, fifth left, meets with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, center, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 25, 2026. (Pakistan Prime Minister Office via AP)

Iran sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States to Pakistani mediators yesterday, state news agency IRNA announces.

Man convicted of attempting terror attack at London’s Israeli embassy last year

A man who last year tried to enter Israel’s London embassy armed with two knives and carrying a “martyrdom note” is convicted in a London court of preparing an act of terrorism.

Abdullah Albadri, 34, a failed asylum seeker from Kuwait, attempted to breach the embassy’s perimeter in April 2025 because he wanted to send a message about “the killing of children,” prosecutors said at his trial this month.

Albadri has denied charges of preparing an act of terrorism and possession of two bladed articles, telling police he had the knives because he was homeless, but a jury has now found him guilty.

https://x.com/metpoliceuk/status/2050182944388452675/video/1?s=46

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo inaugurates new conservation center named after its longtime director

Shai Doron, when he was CEO of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, in July 2017. (Jessica Steinberg/ Times of Israel)

The Shai Doron Nature Conservation Center is officially opened at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo in memory of the former zoo director, who died suddenly in August 2024 at the age of 64.

The center, within the zoo’s Noah’s Ark display, tells the story of the institution’s efforts to conserve nature locally and globally.

The zoo and its aquarium are involved in multiple breeding programs, in partnerships with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority.

The programs help ensure the preservation of species in danger of extinction, and in many cases have led to reintroductions into the wild.

Doron, who was president of the Jerusalem Foundation when he died, established and funded many of these nature conservation projects during his 25-year tenure as the zoo’s director.

The new center presents a movie, videos and items brought from the Biblical Museum of Natural History in nearby Beit Shemesh.

2 lightly hurt by explosive drone strike on car in northern Israel

Two people are lightly injured by an explosive-laden drone that struck a vehicle near the Lebanon border community of Misgav Am, rescue services say.

The Fire and Rescue Service says firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze that was caused by “an explosive drone impact,” adding that two people were evacuated from the scene in good condition.

The IDF says it is looking into the incident.

Bombing in Ukraine damages Odesa Jewish school, orphanage

A wave of overnight bombardments in southern Ukraine destroyed a Jewish school and damaged a nearby orphanage housing more than 100 children, community leaders say.

The Chabad-run “Or Avner” school in the Black Sea port city of Odesa has been rendered unusable after a direct strike amid ongoing fighting between Russia and Ukraine. The nearby Jewish orphanage, part of the “Mishpacha Ukraine” network and home to 124 children, has also been damaged, with no injuries reported.

“We had barely managed to close the door when the massive explosion hit. It shook the entire street,” the institution’s head, Rabbi Avraham Wolff, tells the Chabad.org website.

Following the incident, high school students will temporarily study alongside younger pupils in makeshift classrooms, corridors and shelters, says Wolff’s wife, Chaya, who oversees Chabad’s local school network.

“It’s difficult, but we will adapt,” she says.

Rabbi Wolff says the network, which provides education, welfare services and refugee assistance, has continued functioning throughout the war.

“We have rebuilt before,” he says. “We will rebuild again.”

Last night, Odessa came under heavy Russian attack. Among the targets was the Chabad Or Avner Jewish school, which sustained serious damage and is now unfit for use. For many years, Jewish children—including orphans and refugees from various regions of Ukraine—had studied there… pic.twitter.com/6d3plWUleH

— Chief Rabbi Of Ukraine Moshe Azman (@RabbiUkraine) April 30, 2026

IDF destroys booby-trapped Bint Jbeil stadium, says 200 Hezbollah members killed in town in recent weeks

The military publishes footage showing a recent exchange of fire between Israeli paratroopers and a Hezbollah operative in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil.

According to the IDF, in recent weeks, troops of the 98th Division killed some 200 Hezbollah operatives in Bint Jbeil and destroyed 900 “terror infrastructures,” including the town’s stadium, which the military says was booby-trapped by the terror group.

7 arrested over North Macedonia synagogue arson, country’s first antisemitic attack since WWII

Illustrative: The Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia in Skopje, Macedonia. (Wikimedia Commons)

North Macedonian authorities have arrested seven suspects in the attempted arson attack on the Jewish community building in the capital Skopje last month.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says he was informed by North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Timko Mocinski that the suspects will be prosecuted.

The attack in mid-April on the Beth Yaakov Synagogue, the country’s only synagogue, is believed to have been the first antisemitic attack in North Macedonia since World War II. Photos shared on social media showed the synagogue’s door and courtyard charred by fire.

???????? Skopje, North Macedonia, April 12, 2026: According to local reports, an arson attack targeted the entrance of a synagogue and Jewish community building early this morning.

Two individuals set fire to the door before fleeing. pic.twitter.com/DJBVSa7ax3

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) April 12, 2026

The country, with a total population of some 1.8 million people, has only about 200 Jews, with nearly all of them based in Skopje. Before the Holocaust, the country had nearly 8,000 Jews and five synagogues in Bitola, and some 3,000 Jews in Skopje, according to the World Jewish Congress.

Sa’ar has thanked his counterpart for the swift and determined handling of the serious antisemitic incident, the Foreign Ministry says.

Hezbollah rocket, drone hit near IDF forces in Lebanon; no casualties

In separate incidents, Hezbollah has fired a rocket and an explosive drone that struck near Israeli forces stationed in southern Lebanon, the military says.

Additionally, the military says the Israeli Air Force intercepted another drone over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed. This is in addition to four other drones intercepted today, plus another that had an interceptor shot at it, with the IDF reviewing the outcome in that case.

The IDF says no soldiers were injured in the incidents.

Iran judiciary chief says Tehran rejects policy ‘imposition,’ will not ‘back down’ in talks with US

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei says Tehran remains open to talks with the United States but will not accept what he calls policy “imposition” under threats.

“The Islamic Republic has never shied away from negotiations… but we certainly do not accept imposition,” Ejei says in a video carried by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.

“We do not welcome war in any way; we do not want war, we do not want its continuation,” he claims.

He insists that Iran is “absolutely not willing to abandon our principles and values in the face of this malicious enemy to avoid war or prevent its continuation.”

Ejei insists that the United States achieved “nothing” during the war, adding that Tehran will not “back down” in negotiations.

Golders Green stabber appears at London court, is remanded until May 15

The assailant in Wednesday’s terror stabbing of two Jewish men in London’s Golders Green appears in a London court, is charged with attempted murder and is remanded for two weeks.

Essa Suleiman, 45, appears at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court and is charged with two counts of the attempted murder of 34-year-old Shloime Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Shine – named in the charges as Norman Shine – and possession of a bladed article in relation to the attack.

Essa Suleiman, originally from Burco and reportedly a close relative of Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Cirro, has been accused of carrying out a terrorist attack against civilians of Israeli origin in north London.

He arrived in London 30 years ago legally and… pic.twitter.com/ELdvgakyp4

— Osman Omar (@Osman_estate) April 30, 2026

Suleiman, a British national who was born in Somalia, is also charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident earlier on the same day in south London.

He appears in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit, with prosecutor Emma Harraway saying Suleiman attacked a former friend in south London on Wednesday morning before carrying out the attack in north London later that day.

Suleiman is remanded in custody and will appear at London’s Old Bailey court on May 15.

IDF says 2 soldiers lightly hurt in Hezbollah drone attack

Two IDF soldiers were lightly wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon this morning, the military announces.

The pair were taken to a hospital and their families were notified, the army adds.

Home Front Command tightens gathering limits in north, further curbing Lag B’Omer pilgrimage

The IDF Home Front Command says it is further tightening its guidelines in northern Israel amid Hezbollah’s repeated attacks during the ceasefire.

In communities on the Lebanon border, as well as in Meron, Bar Yohai, Or HaGanuz and Safsufa in the Galilee, educational activities will only be permitted inside a building or in an area where an adequate bomb shelter can be reached in time.

Workplaces will also be able to operate under the same conditions.

Gatherings will be restricted to 200 people outdoors and 600 indoors. Previously, gatherings were restricted to 1,500 in those areas.

This means that the annual Lag B’Omer mass pilgrimage on Mount Meron next week will be restricted to just 200 people at any given gathering.

The guidelines will remain in effect until Monday night, though the Home Front Command is expected to extend them due to Hezbollah’s persistent attacks.

‘Proud to represent our country’: Israel’s Eurovision performers head to Vienna under heavy security

Noam Bettan (center) poses with his backup dancers at Ben Gurion Airport ahead of his departure for the 2026 Eurovision, May 1, 2026. (Asif Lankri)

Israel’s 2026 Eurovision contestant Noam Bettan departs for Vienna ahead of the competition, which will kick off with the first semifinal on May 12.

Bettan, who will be performing “Michelle” on the Eurovision stage, is set to hold his first official rehearsal on Sunday at the Wiener Stadthalle in the Austrian capital.

“Thank you to all the people of Israel, thank you for your love,” Bettan says in a video message from the airport distributed by the Kan public broadcaster. “Over the past few months, I felt the most love I’ve ever felt in my life. I feel like I’m departing with the biggest and strongest support.”

Bettan says he is “proud to represent our country, I promise we’ll do everything to make sure it’ll happen in the best way possible,” he adds.

The Israeli delegation, including backup dancers, officials from the Kan public broadcaster and other support staff, is departing under heavy security amid expected protests over Israel’s participation in the annual song contest. Five countries — Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, Spain and the Netherlands — pulled out of the competition after a vote last year of European Broadcasting Union members cleared Israel to remain in the contest.

Israel says Red Cross field hospital in Gaza to undergo major expansion next week

Medical equipment set to enter the Gaza Strip as part of a project to expand a Red Cross field hospital, in an image released on May 1, 2026. (COGAT Spokesperson)

Israel’s COGAT liaison to the Palestinians says it has approved a project to vastly expand a Red Cross field hospital in the Gaza Strip, promising that “extensive medical equipment and new capabilities will enter the Strip next week.”

“This will both replace systems and equipment that have been in use since the beginning of the war, and significantly expand the hospital’s capabilities,” the statement says. “The scope of the equipment and resources is expected to substantially upgrade and expand the hospital operated by the Red Cross.”

The equipment “will enter the Gaza Strip via dozens of trucks and will include advanced medical systems, medicines, generators and additional hospitalization infrastructure. These additions will enable the expansion of medical services, including in the fields of women’s health and maternity care,” it says.

“The advancement of this project demonstrates that even complex and sensitive equipment can enter the Gaza Strip through close and responsible coordination,” COGAT says, vowing to “continue to work together with the [US-led] CMCC and lead humanitarian efforts, in accordance with international law, to allow and facilitate the medical response in the Gaza Strip.”

UN watchdog argues Israel’s death penalty law perpetuates racial discrimination

Israel’s new death penalty law perpetuates racial discrimination against Palestinians, a United Nations committee argues, urging its immediate repeal.

The highly controversial law passed by the Knesset last month mandates the death penalty as the default sentence for West Bank Palestinians convicted of carrying out deadly terror attacks in the West Bank.

The law amounts to a grave erosion of human rights, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination says in a statement.

“The new law is a severe blow to human rights, rolling back Israel’s long-standing de facto moratorium on executions since 1962 and expanding the use of the death penalty,” the committee says.

The law is “de facto applicable to Palestinians only” and sets a 90-day deadline for executions once a final judgement is rendered, the committee claims.

Furthermore, it says Israel should ensure that all Palestinian detainees “are guaranteed their rights to equal treatment before the law, security of person, protection against violence or bodily harm, and access to justice.”

The committee also calls on Israel to “end all policies and practices that amount to racial discrimination against and segregation of Palestinians.”

It asserts other countries should “ensure that their resources are not used to enforce or support discriminatory policies and practices against Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

The committee of 18 independent experts monitors adherence to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its 182 state parties.

Under the convention, which came into force in 1969, countries must eliminate racial discrimination, eradicate practices of segregation and guarantee equality before the law without distinction as to race, color, descent or national or ethnic origin.

Israel ratified the convention in 1979.

Israel’s legal code already contains the death penalty, although it is so rarely invoked that it has only ever been implemented a single time, against Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann (Meir Tobianski was executed as a traitor after a drumhead court martial in 1948, and exonerated a year later). In contrast, the new measure ensures the regular exercise of capital punishment, stripping judges of broad discretion in sentencing, neutering the appeals process and removing several procedural safeguards.

Israeli legal scholars have said the law, promoted by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, contains serious constitutional defects, including violating the right to life, and is discriminatory in that it applies almost exclusively to Palestinians. In addition, experts argue, there is no proof that it would achieve its stated goal of deterring terrorism.

While the law is being challenged in the High Court, legal experts say it is far from certain that the bench will strike it down in its entirety.

IDF says it detroyed over 40 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in past day

The military says it struck and destroyed over 40 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in the past day.

They include command centers where members of the terror group were operating and advancing attacks against troops and Israel, according to the IDF.

צה"ל ממשיך בהשמדת תשתיות טרור וחיסול מחבלים: ביממה האחרונה הותקפו יותר מ-40 מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה

צה"ל תקף והשמיד ביממה האחרונה יותר מ-40 תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחבים שונים בדרום לבנון. בין המטרות שהותקפו: מפקדות בהן פעלו מחבלים, מבנים צבאיים ותשתיות טרור… pic.twitter.com/YUuz9Qunmw

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 1, 2026

IDF says it downed at least 4 Hezbollah drones, result of 5th attempt under review

The Israeli Air Force intercepted at least four Hezbollah drones a short while ago, while the results of a fifth are under review.

One drone crossed the border and triggered sirens in the community of Rosh Hanikra, while three others were intercepted over southern Lebanon before crossing into Israeli territory, the military says.

An interceptor missile was also fired toward another suspected Hezbollah drone identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed. The IDF says the results of the interception are under review.

Israel says 2 Gaza flotilla activists to be brought to country for questioning, one of them for terror ties

Participants in a Gaza-bound flotilla are seen on an Israeli vessel after the Navy intercepted the activist mission near crete, in a photo released on May 1, 2026. (Foreign Ministry)

After setting some 175 detained Gaza flotilla participants free in Crete, Israel’s Foreign Ministry says two are being brought to Israel as suspects.

“Saif Abu Keshek, suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization and Thiago Ávila suspected of illegal activity, will be brought to Israel for questioning,” the ministry says in a tweet.

The ministry says all detainees besides the two have been set free.

The statement also calls the mission a “Hamas-led-flotilla” and “another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm – and to serve the PR interests of professional provocateurs.”

As published by the Board of Peace and the U.S. State Department, the humanitarian activity in the Gaza Strip is managed by the BoP, and this Hamas-led-flotilla is another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm – and to serve the PR interests of… pic.twitter.com/5Bof2RzG0y

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 1, 2026

The flotilla organizers call for pressure on Israel to release the two remaining detainees.

RELEASE THIAGO AND SAIF NOW!

We demand that all governments do all they can to pressure the Israeli regime to release all the illegal abductees. The remaining captive participants were released in Crete except Thiago and Saif. pic.twitter.com/sfEZRx7O6a

— Global Sumud Flotilla (@gbsumudflotilla) May 1, 2026

Gaza aid flotilla participants detained by Israel disembark in Crete

Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete have disembarked on the Greek island, an AFP journalist has seen.

Escorted by Greek coast guards, some 175 activists are taken in four buses to a town whose name is not disclosed by the authorities.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 boats yesterday. Flotilla organisers put the number at 211.

“In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked along the Greek coast in the coming hours,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar wrote on X last night, thanking Greece “for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants.”

Breaking 20-hour nationwide lull, suspected drone sirens sound in Lebanon border area

Suspected drone attack sirens sound in the Lebanon border area of Rosh Hanikra, after a lull of some 20 hours in alerts nationwide.

The IDF is investigating the matter.

Senior UAE official says no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted regarding Strait of Hormuz

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash says in a post on X that no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted or relied upon regarding freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, following its “treacherous aggression” against its neighbors.

Iran said digging out buried missiles and other weapons in preparation for truce collapse

In recent days, Iran has been preparing for a potential collapse of the ceasefire with the US and Israel by working to dig out missiles and other ammunition buried underground or beneath rubble, NBC News reports, citing an unnamed US official and two other informed sources.

Washington has assessed that Tehran wants to be prepared to quickly renew drone and missile attacks if the war resumes, the report says.

US President Donald Trump is set to decide within the next few days how to move forward, after being briefed yesterday on military options, the outlet adds.

British police charge man over terror stabbing of two Jews in London

CCTV footage shows a terrorist stabbing attack on two Jewish people in Golders Green, London, April 29, 2026. (Screenshot: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

UK Metropolitan Police says it has charged a 45-year-old man following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into an attack during which two men were stabbed in Golders Green.

Essa Suleiman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place in relation to the attack, the police say.

Suleiman is due to make his first court appearance later today.

Britain yesterday raised its national terrorism threat level to “severe” from “substantial,” after the antisemitic stabbing attack in north London.

Report: Iran’s president, parliament speaker seeking to oust FM Araghchi over differences in talks with US

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives to attend talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 27, 2026. (AP/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool)

Top Iranian officials are seeking to oust Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, deeming him overly aligned with the Revolutionary Guard chief’s stance in negotiations with the United States, opposition-aligned outlet Iran International reports.

President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly accuse the top diplomat of sidelining them and not acting as a minister representing the government but rather as an aide to IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi.

Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the report says that Pezeshkian has told his associates he will fire Araghchi if this continues.

The report comes against the backdrop of serious disagreements among Iran’s top officials regarding the positions taken in talks with the US to end the war and make the current ceasefire permanent. The disagreements reportedly relate to whether to agree to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program as part of the negotiations.

Ahead of war powers deadline, US official says hostilities with Iran ‘terminated’ amid truce

For War Powers Resolution purposes, the United States’ hostilities with Iran that started in February have “terminated,” a senior Trump administration official says.

“Both parties agreed to a 2-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7 that has since been extended,” the official says. “There has been no exchange of fire between US Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7.”

Video shows armed man storming DC dinner where he is accused of attempting to assassinate Trump

This courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, seated center, the California man accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump at the correspondents dinner, seen appearing before US Magistrate Moxila Upadhyaya, in federal court, April 30, 2026 in Washington. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

US federal prosecutors release a video showing the moment authorities say an armed man tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and attempt to kill President Donald Trump.

Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor for Washington, posts the video on social media. She says it shows Cole Tomas Allen shooting a US Secret Service officer as he runs through security toward the gala packed with journalists, administration officials and others.

Pirro says there is no evidence that the agent was hit by friendly fire.

Today, we are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly… pic.twitter.com/a8gRXkW6BH

— US Attorney Pirro (@USAttyPirro) April 30, 2026

Allen agreed earlier in the day to remain jailed while he awaits trial.

Allen did not enter a plea during his brief appearance in federal court days after authorities say he ran through a magnetometer at the Washington Hilton while holding a long gun and disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.

Allen was injured during Saturday night’s attack but was not shot. A Secret Service officer was shot but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived, officials say. Prosecutors have said they believe Allen fired his shotgun at least once and that a Secret Service agent fired five shots. They had not previously confirmed that it was Allen’s bullet that struck the agent’s vest.

In court papers pressing for Allen’s continued detention, prosecutors wrote that Allen took a picture of himself in his hotel room just minutes before the incident, and that he was outfitted with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife. In a message that authorities say sheds light on his motive, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.

Allen’s lawyers agreed during the brief hearing before US Magistrate Moxila Upadhyaya to keep their client behind bars for now after initially arguing in court papers that Allen should be released.

Israel deployed laser system in UAE to help intercept Iranian missiles and drones — report

The IDF’s first operational Iron Beam high-power laser air defense system, displayed during a handover ceremony at a Rafael Advanced Defense Systems facility, December 28, 2025. (Defense Minister's Office)

Israel dispatched a version of the Iron Beam laser-based air defense system to the United Arab Emirates during the recent fighting with Iran to help protect the Gulf nation from missile and drone attacks, according to a report in the Financial Times.

The British newspaper reports that Israel also sent a surveillance system known as Spectro to help detect Iranian drones from up to 20 kilometers away, with a regional official saying the deployment of the advanced weaponry shows “the value of being Israel’s friend.”

The report additionally notes that Israel deployed the Iron Dome to the UAE along with troops to operate it, which was previously revealed by Axios.

“It’s not a small number of boots on the ground,” a person familiar with the matter is quoted as saying, referring to the number of Israeli soldiers in the UAE.

US hits out at allies for not preventing activist flotilla from departing for Gaza

The US State Department condemns an activist flotilla headed to Gaza that was intercepted by Israel and says that US allies, from whose territory the ships sailed, should have blocked the “stunt.”

“Consistent with international law, ports constitute internal waters over which coastal states exercise full territorial sovereignty. The United States expects all our allies…to take decisive action against this meaningless political stunt by denying port access, docking, departure and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott says.