May 6: Hailing Houthi truce, Trump says he’ll address Houthi strikes on Israel if they happen

Flights to and from Yemen’s Sanaa airport suspended following Israeli attack, director says

All flights to and from Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport have been suspended until further notice due to extensive damage following Israeli strike, the airport’s general director says in a post on X.

The Israeli military carried out an airstrike on Yemen’s main airport in Sanaa on Tuesday, its second attack in two days on Iran-aligned Houthi rebels after a surge in tensions between the group and Israel.

Indian army says three civilians killed by Pakistani artillery fire

India’s army says that three civilians had been killed overnight by artillery fired by Pakistan’s army along their de facto Line of Control border with contested Kashmir.

“During the night of May 06-07… Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing including artillery shelling from posts across the Line of Control and IB (international border) opposite Jammu and Kashmir”, the army says in a statement.

“Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing/shelling,” it adds, saying that the Indian army is “responding in proportionate manner.”

Death toll from Indian strikes on Pakistan jumps to 8 civilians

The death toll from Indian strikes on Pakistan has increased to eight, the country’s military spokesman says, as India fired missiles at Pakistani territory and Islamabad vowed to “settle the score.”

“In total in at six locations there were 24 impacts in Pakistan. In these 24 impacts eight Pakistanis have been martyred and 35 have been injured and two are missing,” Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says, adding one 3-year-old girl is killed in a mosque in Punjab province.

Gaza rescuers say 9 killed in new Israeli strike on school sheltering displaced

Gaza’s civil defence agency says that nine people were killed in a fresh Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the center of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

“Nine dead and dozens of injuries in a new airstrike that targeted the northern side of Abu Humeisa School, which shelters displaced people in Al-Bureij camp,” Ahmad Radwan, a media officer from the Hamas-linked Gaza civil defense, tells AFP after rescuers said an earlier Israeli strike on the same site killed 22.

The IDF has yet to comment on the latest strike but has long insisted that it takes precautions to avoid civilian casualties.

Blackstone president to donate $125 million to Tel Aviv University’s medical school — NYT

The president of the Blackstone investment firm will donate $125 million to Tel Aviv University’s health science and medical school, The New York Times reports.

The donation from Jonathan and Mindy Gray’s family foundation is the largest ever to TAU and will allow for enrollment in the medical school to increase by a quarter, amid a shortage in Israeli doctors, The Times says.

Israeli envoy says official list of living hostages remains at 24 after Trump said it dropped to 21

Demonstrators protest for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, outside the District Court in Tel Aviv, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testifying in the trial against him, May 6, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hostage point-man Gal Hirsch says Israel’s official list of living hostages still has 24 names on it after US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this evening that the total number of living hostages in Gaza dropped from 24 to 21.

A source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the discrepancy could be due to the fact that Israel might have intelligence that certain hostages are no longer alive or has yet to obtain any sign of life from them since their kidnapping but that their deaths have not been definitively confirmed.

Hirsch tweets that Hamas is currently holding 59 hostages — 24 of whom are on the list of living hostages and 35 of whom are on the list of hostages whose deaths have been officially confirmed.

Of the 59 hostages, five are foreign nationals, Hirsch says.

Amid anger from hostage families over learning about such developments in the media, Hirsch insists that his office maintains regular contact with hostage families and is always available for updates and clarifications.

India fires missiles across the frontier with Pakistan, killing at least 1 child, officials say

Indian students walk home after attending school near international border India Pakistan at Jora farm village, in Ranbir Singh Pura about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Jammu, India, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

India has fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-controlled territory in at least three locations early Wednesday, killing a child and wounding two other people, Pakistani security officials say. India says it struck infrastructure used by militants.

Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors over last month’s militant attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.

The missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province, according to officials. One of them struck a mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, where a child was killed, and a woman and man were injured, one official says.

The officials says Pakistan had launched retaliatory strikes, without providing any details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, says Pakistan’s air force shot down two Indian jets but provided no additional details.

Pakistani army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, tells ARY News that the missiles were launched from within Indian territory and that no Indian aircraft had entered Pakistani airspace.

“This was a cowardly attack targeting innocent civilians under the cover of darkness,” Sharif tells the broadcaster.

India’s Defense Ministry says in a statement that at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.”

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement says, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”

“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the statement says.

The Indian army in a post on the social media platform X wrote: “Justice is served.” It did not provide further details.

Asked about Houthi pledge to continue attacking Israel, Trump responds, ‘I’ll discuss that if something happens’

Asked about Houthi pledges to continue attacks against Israel despite having agreed to halt attacks on US ships in the Red Sea, US President Donald Trump responds, “I’ll discuss that if something happens.”

“I don’t know about that, but I know one thing: They want nothing to do with us, and they let that be known through all of their surrogates,” Trump responds when asked about the Houthi threats during questions from reporters in the Oval Office.

Asked whether there’s any progress in hostage negotiations and whether he’s spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s plan to re-occupy all of Gaza, Trump avoids answering directly, instead pivoting to Iran.

“This is really crunch time…for Iran,” he says, urging Iran to agree to a nuclear deal with the US.

Trump reiterates that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and warns of major repercussions if it doesn’t reach an agreement with the US.

Trump reveals that number of living hostages has dropped from 24 to 21

President Donald Trump speaks before Steve Witkoff is sworn as special envoy during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington, as Vice President JD Vance watches. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump reveals that the number of living hostages in Gaza has dropped from 24 to 21.

Israel has yet to publicly confirm this updated figure, though, last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara said in front of reporters that the number was less than 24. The comments infuriated hostage families who had not been updated on the matter.

Trump went on to echo that revelation two days later that fewer than 24 hostages were still alive in Gaza but didn’t give a specific figure.

But speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump says, “As of today, it’s 21 [who are still alive]. Three have died.”

He doesn’t give additional details.

Trump says he’s not planning to stop in Israel on next week’s Mideast trip

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Assistant to the President, Senior Adviser and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff after Witkoff's swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

US President Donald Trump says he doesn’t plan to stop in Israel during next week’s Mideast trip.

“We’re not planning on stopping in Israel. We will be doing it at some point, but not [on] this trip,” Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office during the ceremonial swear-in of Steve Witkoff as his special envoy to the Mideast.

Congratulations to @SteveWitkoff, who was officially sworn in as Special Envoy to the Middle East today!

pic.twitter.com/IcFiPW92Bn

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 6, 2025

Trump will depart for Saudi Arabia on Monday before making stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

IDF says Hezbollah commander killed by drone strike in southern Lebanon

The IDF says it killed a Hezbollah commander in a drone strike in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon earlier today.

The strike killed Adnan Harb, who the military says headed Hezbollah’s logistics array in the terror group’s Badr regional division. The regional unit is tasked with the area north of the Litani River.

The IDF says Harb, as part of his role, worked to restore Hezbollah’s fighting capabilities, as well as restore infrastructure in areas south of the Litani River.

“The terrorist worked to transfer weapons within Lebanese territory between the various units in the organization. His actions constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF says.

Iran’s FM ‘disturbed’ by UK’s arrest of Iranian nationals on terror suspicions

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says he is “disturbed” to learn Iranian citizens have been arrested by British authorities, according to a post on X.

He says Iran is ready to assist in investigations if “credible allegations of misconduct are established.”

His statements come days after British counterterrorism police arrested eight men, including seven Iranians in two separate operations in what the British interior minister called some of the biggest investigations of their kind in recent years.

Syria says Israeli strikes to be a key focus of Sharaa’s meeting in Paris with Macron

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday, the French presidency says.

During the meeting, Macron will reaffirm France’s support for the construction of a “free, stable and sovereign Syria that respects all the components of the Syrian society,” the statement says.

The visit, the first for Sharaa to a European country since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, is expected to address several security challenges faced by the new Syrian government, with particular emphasis on the repeated Israeli attacks on Syria’s sovereignty, according to the state-run Syrian news agency SANA.

Sharaa, in February, received an invitation from Macron to visit France.

At event for US envoy, ex-captive and hostage’s family plead for Trump’s help to free captives

Former hostage Omer Shem Tov, his parents, and the parents of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal speak on stage during an international welcoming event for US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem.

“Thank you, Ambassador Huckabee, and thank you, President Trump. I am here today…because of you. And today, I am the happiest man alive,” says Omer, who was released during the temporary ceasefire-hostage deal in February.

“We have to bring my brothers and sisters home as soon as possible,” he continues, referring to the 59 hostages remaining in Gaza, adding that “I believe and I know you can bring them home. So please do everything you can.”

Guy’s father, Ilan Dalal, tells Huckabee that “As a representative of the strongest country in the world, you and President Trump have an important role in achieving an agreement for the release of the hostages. You have the power to influence the parties to reach an agreement and to urge the mediators to work harder…My son’s life is in your hands.”

“You can leverage the great power of the USA and the significant influence of President Trump, the strongest man in the world right now, to free the hostages,” he says.

Huckabee responds that “We heard tonight from the hostage families, whose hearts are broken and who broke our hearts with their stories…I want Guy home. I pray that before another fortnight happens, Guy is home. We all pray for the return of every hostage.”

Columbia lays off nearly 180 staffers after Trump pulled $400M over antisemitism concerns

A New York City police officer keeps watch on the campus of Columbia University in New York, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK — Columbia University says that it will be laying off nearly 180 staffers in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel $400 million in funding over the Manhattan college’s handling of student protests against Israel over the war with Hamas in Gaza.

Those receiving non-renewal or termination notices represent about 20% of the employees funded in some manner by the terminated federal grants, the university says in a statement Tuesday.

“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” the university says. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”

Officials are working with the Trump administration in the hopes of getting the funding restored, they say, but the university will still pull back spending because of uncertainty and strain on its budget.

Officials say the university will be scaling back research, with some departments winding down activities and others maintaining some level of research while pursuing alternate funding.

US: ‘Important announcement regarding entry of aid to Gaza will be issued in next few days’

Displaced Palestinians line up for a portion of hot food at a charity kitchen at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on May 5, 2025. (Eyad Baba/AFP)

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says, “An important announcement regarding the entry of aid to Gaza will be issued in the next few days, and there is very good news.”

A source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel that the announcement will be about the establishment of a new international foundation that will help manage the resumption of aid into Gaza.

However, the source says there is still significant planning that hasn’t been finalized.

The heads of the UN and international organizations currently operating in Gaza issued a joint statement earlier this week, asserting that they won’t cooperate with this new Israeli initiative, arguing that it doesn’t adequately address the humanitarian crisis and weaponizes aid at the expense of civilians.

Without cooperation from at least some of the international organizations currently operating in Gaza, it will likely be difficult for the plan to succeed.

After Houthi ceasefire, pro-Trump senator tells Israel ‘do what you have to do to protect yourself’

US Senator Lindsey Graham makes remarks to journalists in Jerusalem, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the leading Trump loyalists in the upper chamber of US Congress, indicates Israel is on its own in defending itself from attacks by Iran and its proxies after the US president announced a ceasefire with the Tehran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen.

“As to the Houthis continuing to attack Israel — they do so at Iran’s own peril. Without Iran, the Houthis do not possess the capability to attack America, international shipping or Israel,” Graham writes on X. “To my friends in Israel, do what you have to do to protect your airspace and your people. It is long past time to consider hitting Iran hard. It wouldn’t take much to put Iran out of the oil business.”

Rubio fully merges US Office of Palestinian Affairs back into Jerusalem Embassy

Illustrative: A road sign shows the way toward the US embassy in Jerusalem on April 19, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to fully merge the US Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) back into the US Embassy in Jerusalem, the State Department announces.

The OPA was established in 2022 by then president Joe Biden as something of a consolation for not reopening the US Consulate in Jerusalem, which served as Washington’s de facto mission to the Palestinians.

The consulate was shuttered by the Trump administration in 2019, and its staff was merged into the US Embassy in Jerusalem where they reported directly to the US ambassador.

The Biden administration wanted to reopen the consulate two years later but needed Israeli approval that it was not able to secure. Instead, Biden sufficed with establishing the OPA, which remained within the embassy, but an independent reporting channel was established so that its diplomats could report directly to Washington.

Supporters of OPA said the Palestinian viewpoint was often marginalized by the Israeli one when reporting was filtered through the US ambassador. Opponents argued that the separate systems led to a lack of unity in US messaging back to Washington.

The merger “will restore the first Trump term framework of a unified US diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the US Ambassador to Israel [Mike] Huckabee, [who] will take the steps necessary to implement the merger over the coming weeks,” says State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a briefing.

“The United States remains committed to its historic relationship with Israel, bolstering Israel’s security and securing peace to create a better life for the entire region,” she says, making no mention of the US relationship with the Palestinians, which appears to be further downgraded by this move.

Houthis declare attacks on Israel to continue after ceasefire reached with US

This handout picture released by the Huthi-affiliated branch of the Yemeni News Agency SABA on May 6, 2025, shows a firefighter truck extinguishing fire from a burning airplane at Sanaa international airport after Israel's military warplanes struck Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa. (SABA / AFP)

The head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, says the Iran-aligned group will continue its attacks to support Gaza, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reports.

He advises Israelis to “remain in shelters because their government will not be able to protect them,” indicating the ceasefire with the US does not include a halt to the group’s attacks on Israel.

The head of Yemen’s Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, meanwhile, says the US halt of “aggression” against Yemen will be evaluated, according to a post on X, which also suggests the rebels will continue attacking Israel.

Suspect indicted for making terror threats against New York synagogue

Illustrative: People arrive for a prayer vigil for the victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, at Central Synagogue in New York on October 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

A suspect is indicted for making terror threats against a New York synagogue, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announces.

Luis Ramirez, 23, from Utah, was arrested in February after making threats against Central Synagogue in Manhattan.

Ramirez posted threats on X on February 14, including, “The Jews killed me in my past life if you try to kill me again today in NYC when I pull up to Shabbat I will kill you first.” He also said he was the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler.

Hours later, police in New Jersey arrested Ramirez as he drove toward the Lincoln Tunnel to New York.

Ramirez is indicted for making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a felony; making a terroristic threat, also a felony; and aggravated threat of mass harm, a misdemeanor. The top charge carries a mandatory prison term of three-and-a-half years if Ramirez is convicted.

“Nobody should have to fear for their safety when they are in a house of worship, and the language allegedly used by this defendant is extremely disturbing,” Bragg says in a statement. “My office will remain vigilant against any and all threats to the Jewish community.”

Ramirez’s threatening posts were first identified by the Community Security Initiative, a Jewish security group, which relayed the threats to law enforcement, leading to the arrest.

Law enforcement has thwarted repeated terror threats against Jewish community members over the past year in New York and other areas of the US.

Dermer heads to DC for meetings with senior US officials ahead of Trump’s Mideast trip

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer walks into the Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington, DC on December 26, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has departed for Washington for meetings tomorrow with senior American officials ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

The meetings will cover ongoing hostage talks, Israel’s planned operation in Gaza, Iran nuclear negotiations and other regional issues, the Israeli official says, confirming reporting in the Walla news site.

Dermer is looking to remain up to date on what the administration is planning for the trip, the Israeli official says.

Trump is slated to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. There is not currently a plan to stopover in Israel, but some Israeli officials have been telling reporters over the past day that it is not out of the question.

The focus of Trump’s meetings will largely be boosting bilateral ties between the US and the countries he’s visiting, the Israeli official says.

Oman says it mediated ceasefire deal between US and Yemen’s Houthis

Oman says it mediated a ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the US, marking a major shift in the Iran-aligned group’s policy since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza following the terror group’s October 2023 attack.

The announcement comes as Oman also mediates nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, the next round of which is expected to be held in the Omani capital of Muscat this weekend.

A source familiar with the matter tells the Axios news site that Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy, negotiated the Omani-mediated deal with the Houthis. Witkoff is also the top US negotiator in the nuclear talks with Iran.

Israel said given no advance notice that Trump would declare halt to strikes on Houthis

Israeli officials tell Hebrew media outlets that the United States did not give Israel advance notice of US President Donald Trump’s declaration that America will immediately halt strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, adding that Israel was surprised by the announcement.

Nearly half of Gazans willing to emigrate from enclave with Israeli help — survey

Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift tent camp in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Almost half of Gazans may be willing to apply to Israel to help them leave to other countries, according to a survey that also shows significant support for anti-Hamas protests.

The survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research is based on polling of people across the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank between May 1-4, some six weeks after Israeli forces resumed operations in Gaza following the breakdown of a brief ceasefire.

The center, a think tank based in Ramallah and funded by Western donors, says in the report that 49% of those surveyed declared that they would be willing to apply to Israel to help them emigrate via Israeli ports and airports, against 50% who say they would not be willing to do so.

Israeli officials have said that Israel will help Gazans who wish to leave the enclave, but it has made little headway persuading other countries to accept them.

The survey also finds that 48% of Palestinians in Gaza supported the series of anti-Hamas demonstrations that sprang up in various places around the enclave, a much higher level than among Palestinians in the West Bank, where only 14% back the protests, a rare public show of opposition to the terror group.

At the same time, 54% of Gazans also thought the protests, which Hamas said were set up by Israeli intelligence services, are steered by outside hands and only 20% say they express the real opinion of the population.

The Center says the survey’s sample is 1,270 with a margin of error of +/-3.5%.

Malta government to repair Gaza flotilla ship that was reportedly hit by drones

Damage to the vessel Conscience is seen after what the ship's operators, Flotilla Freedom Coalition, said was an Israeli drone strike in international waters near Malta, May 2, 2025. (Screen capture: Instagram/Flotilla Freedom Coalition)

VALLETTA, Malta — Malta’s government says it will carry out repairs in international waters on a humanitarian aid ship which was reportedly bombed by two drones early on Friday.

The “Conscience” is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international NGO which says it wants to use the ship to break the siege of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.

The drone attack happened as the ship waited to board an international group of activists just outside Malta’s waters, causing a loss of power and communications, Freedom Flotilla said on Friday.

It said Israel, which has blockaded Gaza in its war against Palestinian Hamas terrorists, was to blame for the incident. Israel did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The Malta government says a surveyor had inspected the vessel and found it needed minor repairs to sail to its next destination.

“The ship’s hull and engine room were found in good or satisfactory condition and free from water ingress. Most of the important equipment on the vessel, such as the two main engines, the two generators, the bow thrust and the fire extinguishers were operational.”

The survey found only food and drink for crew members for about 30 days, the government says. “The captain indicated that a limited part of the food and drink supplies were for humanitarian purposes.”

Fuel storage of around 32 tons was also found.

“The government will be carrying out repairs which require immediate attention so that the vessel sails to its next destination,” the government says.

Trump administration urges court to prevent release of anti-Israel students facing deportation

The Trump administration urges a US appeals court to allow immigration authorities to continue to detain anti-Israel students at Tufts University and Columbia University who were arrested after engaging in pro-Palestinian advocacy on campus.

A lawyer with the US Department of Justice asks the New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals to pause lower-court orders requiring Tuft’s Rumeysa Ozturk to be transferred to Vermont for a bail hearing on Friday and allowing Columbia’s Mohsen Mahdawi to be released last week.

Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign says those orders by two judges in Vermont should never have been issued, as Congress has made clear that any challenges to the government’s decisions to deport someone must proceed in immigration court.

“The result is precisely what Congress took particular care to avoid: simultaneous proceedings in both immigration courts and district courts considering the same issues regarding the removal of aliens from the United States,” he says.

He urges the court to allow the administration to avoid moving Ozturk from the Louisiana detention facility where she is being held and to allow immigration authorities to swiftly take Mahdawi back into custody.

But lawyers for Ozturk and Mahdawi counter that their lawsuits are not about the government’s ability to seek their deportation but instead are focused on claims they were unlawfully detained for making constitutionally protected statements critical of Israel’s actions during the Gaza war.

UK’s Mideast minister says any Israeli effort to annex land in Gaza ‘unacceptable’

Any Israeli attempt to annex land in Gaza would be “unacceptable,” the UK’s Middle East minister says as Israel’s army prepares to broaden its offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian territory.

“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s operations. Any attempt to annex land in Gaza would be unacceptable,” Minister Hamish Falconer says.

30 anti-Israel protesters arrested for occupying building at University of Washington

Illustrative: Anti-Israel demonstrators protest the arrest of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil and show support for Palestinians during a "Fight for Our Rights" demonstration by Shut It Down for Palestine (SID4P) and various local groups at the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington, on March 15, 2025. (Jason Redmond/AFP)

SEATTLE — Police arrest about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied a University of Washington engineering building and demanded the school break ties with Boeing.

Students from the group Super UW moved into the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in Seattle on Monday evening and unofficially renamed it after Shaban al-Dalou, a teenage engineering student who was killed along with his mother after an Israeli airstrike caused an inferno outside of a Gaza hospital.

The students demanded that the university sever all ties with Boeing, including returning any Boeing donations and barring the company’s employees from teaching at or otherwise influencing the school. Boeing has a factory in nearby Renton that makes commercial and military aircraft, according to its website.

“We’re hoping to remove the influence of Boeing and other manufacturing companies from our educational space, period, and we’re hoping to expose the repressive tactics of the university,” Super UW spokesperson Eric Horford told KOMO News.

Another group dressed in black blocked the front of the building with furniture and used dumpsters to block nearby Jefferson Road.

UW police worked with Seattle police to clear the building at around 10:30 p.m., UW spokesperson Victor Balta says in a statement. About 30 people were taken into custody and charged with trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, he says. Their cases will be referred to the King County prosecutors.

Any students identified will be referred to the Student Conduct Office, Balta says.

Senate Democrat: Wireless spectrum sale could put Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield at risk

WASHINGTON — The top Democrat on the US Senate Commerce Committee says the sale of wireless spectrum held by the Pentagon could put President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield and other military projects at risk.

Senator Maria Cantwell says mandating the sale of military wireless spectrum also could endanger a substantial number of military radar systems. “Acting to auction this band before we understand the full consequences of doing so risks exposing the United States to even more significant incursions – and next time, it may not merely be a Chinese balloon that we can’t afford to miss,” Cantwell says.

Citing war developments, IDF chief calls to ‘expand and maximize’ Haredi conscription

Due to the developments in the war, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has instructed the Personnel Directorate to bring forward an immediate plan to “expand and maximize” the sending out of draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox community, according to the military.

The Personnel Directorate is also instructed by Zamir to increase its capabilities to absorb the Haredi recruits.

No further details are provided.

The IDF will soon complete sending out a total of 24,000 draft orders to Haredi men, an effort which began last summer, though very few of them have so far enlisted.

IDF says fighter jets dropped 50 munitions in Sanaa strikes against Houthis

The IDF says Israeli Air Force fighter jets dropped 50 munitions during the strikes today on the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport and other targets near Yemen’s capital.

Dozens of IAF aircraft were involved in the strikes, including fighter jets, refueling planes, and spy planes.

According to the IDF, the fighter jets “disabled” the airport within 15 minutes.

The strikes also hit several power stations near Sanaa and a cement factory north of the capital, which the military says were used by the Houthis.

Sanaa airport official says facility ‘completely destroyed’ by Israeli strikes

Yemenis watch as smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes targeting a power plant and Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Yemen’s international airport was “completely destroyed” in Israeli airstrikes on the rebel-held capital Sanaa, an airport official tells AFP.

“Three planes out of seven belonging to Yemenia Airlines were destroyed at Sanaa airport, and Sanaa International Airport was completely destroyed,” the official says.

IDF says strike targeted Hamas operatives at command post in central Gaza

The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a group of Hamas operatives at a command center in the central Gaza Strip a short while ago.

Palestinian media reports that the strike hit a school in the Bureij area, which was used as a shelter for displaced Gazans, killing at least 18 people.

According to the military, the site was being used by Hamas to store weapons intended to be used in attacks on IDF troops and Israeli civilians.

The IDF says it took numerous steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including the use of a “precision munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”

#عاجل | في أحدث حصيلة: 18 شهيدا وعشرات الجرحى في قصف الاحتلال مدرسة تؤوي نازحين بمخيم البريج وسط قطاع غزة pic.twitter.com/9cHqyUtuj4

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) May 6, 2025

Trump teases ‘very, very, very big announcement’ ahead of his upcoming Mideast trip

US President Donald Trump waiting to greet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the West Wing of the White House, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump says that he plans to make a major announcement in the coming days before his departure for the Middle East but he declines to say what the topic would be about.

Trump says the “very, very, very big announcement to make.. like as big as it gets… and it’s really positive.”

Trump, speaking during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, says the announcement will be very positive and could come Thursday, Friday or Monday. Trump’s administration has been negotiating trade deals with a number of countries.

???? @POTUS says he will have a "very, very big announcement to make" before he departs for the Middle East: "It'll be one of the most important announcements that has been made in many years about a certain subject." pic.twitter.com/g0NFO70uW1

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 6, 2025

Trump: US will stop bombing Yemen after Houthis agreed to halt attacks on shipping

US President Donald Trump announces that the United States will immediately end its bombing campaign against the Houthis, saying the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen informed the administration “they don’t want to fight anymore.”

“We will honor that and we still stop the bombings,” Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office, claiming the Houthis “capitulated.”

“We will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore, and that was the purpose of what we’ve been doing,” he continues. “I think that’s very positive. They were knocking out of a lot of ships sailing beautifully down the various seas.”

Trump also stresses that the US “will stop the bombing of the Houthis effective immediately.”

He doesn’t mention Israel in his remarks or whether the Houthis also agreed to halt attacks on the Jewish state and targets they claim have Israeli links.

Herzog praises ‘settlement’ as Israel’s defensive shield, drawing rebuke from Peace Now

President Isaac Herzog praises “settlement” as a “cornerstone of Zionism and Judaism,” and describes them as “Israel’s defensive shield” in a video message to a conference about Israeli settlements in the West Bank settlement of Ofra.

“Every time anew in my visits around the country, especially in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]… my understanding of just how much settlement is a positive, wonderful, and thriving project, and how much settlement is Israel’s defensive shield in the full meaning of the word, is strengthened,” says Herzog in his prerecorded message.

“Settlement is one of the cornerstones of Zionism and of the Jewish story from ancient times. This is all the more correct at this time when the challenges of the moment in the realm of settlement are very great, and therefore we expect from all relevant officials to fully get on board for the benefit of the security of settlement around the entire country,” he adds.

The Peace Now organization, which campaigns against the settlement movement, strongly criticizes Herzog for his remarks, describing the settlements as a “burden” on Israel and accusing him of siding with far-right politicians.

“The Israel Defense Forces is our defensive shield. The settlements are a burden on Israel, as are you apparently,” says the organization.

“The government is leading to a full occupation of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of settlements at the expense of the hostages, and you are joining [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich, [Settlements Minister Orit] Struck, and [right-wing commentator Shimon] Riklin,” says Peace Now.

Israeli official says Jerusalem not aware of any new US proposal for hostage deal

Israel does not know of any new US proposal passed along to Qatar and Egypt, an Israeli official says, reacting to reports in Arabic-language media.

Yesterday an Israeli official told the Times of Israel that Jerusalem is trying to pressure Hamas to accept an Egyptian compromise proposal that would see 6-8 living hostages released at the outset in exchange for an extended cease-fire.

EU foreign policy chief says she told Sa’ar that Gaza aid ‘should never be politicized’

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says she told Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in a telephone conversation that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is untenable.

“Humanitarian aid must resume immediately and should never be politicized. The new aid delivery mechanism should run through humanitarian actors,” she adds in a statement on X.

Gantz says Israel shouldn’t have evacuated northern Gaza settlements in 2005 pullout

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on May 5, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Unity chairman MK Benny Gantz says Israel should not have fully withdrawn from Gaza in 2005 under its disengagement plan, and should have left three settlements on the northern border with Israel for security reasons and to show that the post-1967 borders were “not relevant.”

He adds that the disengagement of 2005, when Israel removed all settlements in the territory and evacuated some 8,500 residents, was done in a process tainted by “lots of problems.”

Gantz also says that he advocated for seizing territory in Gaza during one of the first security cabinet meetings in which he participated at the beginning of the current war with Hamas, to create a buffer zone with the Palestinian territory.

“The disengagement was a process with lots of problems. But the biggest mistake, in my opinion, was evacuating the northern settlements of Dugit, Nissanit, and Elei Sinai,” says Gantz at the “Settlements Conference” in the West Bank settlement of Ofra organized by the Mekor Rishon newspaper.

“We should have stayed there to control the territory, but principally there was a need to remain there in order to inform the world that the 1967 lines are not relevant,” says Gantz.

He adds that he is currently in favor of establishing full security control in Gaza, but says that rebuilding settlements in the Strip would be a mistake.

In call, Netanyahu thanked Putin for helping secure release of hostage Sasha Troufanov

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with freed Palestinian Islamic Jihad hostage Sasha Troufanov, during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 16, 2025. (Sofia Sandurskaya/Pool/AFP)

In his conversation today with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanks the Russian leader for his help in securing the release of Sasha Troufanov in February, The Times of Israel has learned. He also lays out Israel’s ongoing efforts to release the remaining hostages.

They spoke to mark Victory in Europe Day, says Netanyahu’s office, which is observed on May 8.

“The two leaders exchanged warm greetings on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II,” says the Israeli readout. “The prime minister emphasized the decisive contribution of the Red Army to the victory over the Nazis, and emphasized the importance of the many Jewish commanders and fighters in the war.”

The two veteran leaders also discuss “regional developments.”

Netanyahu and Katz issue warning to Iran after Israelis strikes on Yemen’s Houthis

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C), Defense Minister Israel Katz (L) and Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler, the IAF’s chief of staff, observing strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on May 6, 2025. (Screenshot)

Sitting in the Israeli Air Force command bunker at the Kirya military headquarters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz send a warning to Iran after the IAF strikes Houthi targets for a second day.

“I have said many times that whoever attacks Israel — his blood will be on his own head,” says Netanyahu, adding that he promised yesterday that there would be multiple “blows” in response to Sunday’s Houthi missile strike on Ben Gurion International Airport.

He says that the choice and timing of targets is meant to punish the Houthis, but also to send a message to Iran, “without whose approval and long-term support, the Houthis could not carry out the criminal missile attack against us.”

“President Trump said this a month and a half ago,” he continues. “I say it again today — we will hold anyone who attacks Israel accountable.”

Katz says that Israel destroyed Sana’a’s airport in today’s strike. “Whoever hits us — we will hit sevenfold,” he pledges.

“It also sent a warning message to the head of the Iranian octopus,” says Katz. “‘You bear direct responsibility for every attack by the Houthi tentacle against Israel — and you will also bear the full consequences.'”

Kremlin: Putin and Netanyahu ‘reaffirmed determination to upholding the truth’ about WWII

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) with a bouquet of flowers and then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 30, 2020. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool/AFP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone today, according to a message on the Kremlin’s telegram account.

The conversation focused on preserving the memory of the defeat of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, and “also addressed various aspects of the situation in the Middle East and current issues in bilateral relations,” the Russian readout says.

“The two countries reaffirmed their determination to uphold the truth about the events of the Second World War and to oppose attempts to revise its outcomes or falsify history,” the Kremlin adds.

“They emphasized the decisive contribution of the Red Army and the entire Soviet people to the defeat of Nazism. The memory of the war’s heroes—those who gave their lives for Victory—is held sacred both in Russia and Israel, where May 9 is also a national holiday,” continues the message.

Putin also asked Netanyahu to pass along his greetings to Israeli veterans in honor of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, according to the Kremlin.

There is currently no Israeli readout from the conversation between the leaders.

Smotrich: Gaza will be ‘totally destroyed’ within months, population ‘concentrated’ in narrow border area

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a Religious Zionism party faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 5, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that within half a year the Gazan population will be “concentrated” in a narrow strip of land between the border with Egypt and the Morag Corridor running the width of Gaza between Khan Younis and the border city of Rafah.

He adds that Gaza will “totally destroyed,” that the entire territory north of the Morag Corridor will be “empty,” and that in six months Hamas will not be a functioning entity.

The ultranationalist minister also says that Israel will “apply sovereignty” in the West Bank during the tenure of the current government.

“Within a few months we will be able to declare that we have won. Gaza will be totally destroyed,” Smotrich says at the “Settlements Conference” in the West Bank settlement of Ofra, organized by the Makor Rishon newspaper.

“In another six months Hamas won’t exist as a functioning entity… The population of Gaza will be concentrated from the Morag Corridor southwards. The rest of the Strip will be empty.”

Adds the finance minister: “The Gazan citizens will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places.”

Smotrich has been an ardent advocate of building new Israeli settlements in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas atrocities, as well as “encouraging” the emigration of Gaza’s civilian population out of the territory.

Asked about steps to annex the West Bank, the finance minister says, “It will happen this term. It is one of our most important challenges. We are at a historic opportunity.”

Israel preparing for a potential Trump visit next week — report

US President Donald Trump (left) welcomes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in Washington on April 7, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

Israel has received messages that US President Donald Trump could come to Israel next week during his Middle East trip, according to the Hebrew-language Maariv daily.

An Israeli official tells the outlet that the visit “is in no way final, but there are feelers out, and we are certainly taking the possibility into account.”

Yesterday, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel that he was unaware of any preparations for a Trump visit.

Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE during his visit, and will meet with Gulf leaders at a regional summit. Israel sees his arrival as an opportunity to press Hamas into accepting a hostage release deal.

German lawmakers elect Friedrich Merz as chancellor after defeat on first ballot

The leader of the Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, reacts after being elected chancellor by the Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

BERLIN — German lawmakers vote for conservative leader Friedrich Merz to become chancellor in a second-round vote after he suffered a shock defeat in the initial ballot.

In the second round he wins 325 votes in the 630-member assembly, with 289 voting against, attaining an absolute majority.

Dozens of former Eurovision contestants call for barring Israel from this year’s competition

A sign for the Eurovision Song Contest is seen on the St. Jakobshalle arena that will host the 2025 edition of the competition, April 30, 2025. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)

Dozens of former Eurovision contestants sign on to a letter demanding that the European Broadcasting Union bar Israel from taking part in this year’s competition in Basel, Switzerland, citing the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The signatories accuse the Kan public broadcaster, an EBU member, of being “complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Palestinian people.”

The letter points to the exclusion of Russia from the competition after its invasion of Ukraine, claiming a “double standard” and asserting that the EBU’s decision to allow Israel to take part last year led to “the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant [contest] in the competition’s history.”

The EBU has consistently defended Israel’s right to participate, noting that Russia was excluded after its public broadcaster violated the organization’s guidelines and its independence as a public broadcaster.

The letter is signed by more than 70 former competitors, including songwriters and backup vocalists and dancers. Notable names include Salvador Sobral of Portugal, who won the 2017 contest, British singer Mae Muller, who competed in 2023 and the band Gate, which represented Norway last year.

Israel’s Eden Golan faced intense protests and booing at last year’s competition in Malmo, Sweden, with high security largely confining her to her hotel room throughout the contest. This year, the EBU has unveiled a strict new code of conduct, barring contestants from any public political comments as well as from bullying or harassment of other competitors.

Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who is slated to compete in the second semifinal next Thursday with her song “New Day Will Rise,” held her first rehearsal in Basel today.

Backing Iran, Russia asserts all nations have right to develop nuclear energy program

The Russian Foreign Ministry says that Iran and other countries that do not possess nuclear weapons have a legitimate right to develop their own civil nuclear energy programs.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, is responding to a question at a news briefing about remarks made by US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Washington’s goal in negotiating with Iran was to achieve the total “dismantlement” of Tehran’s nuclear program.

PM’s office releases images of Netanyahu observing strikes on Houthis at IAF bunker

This handout photo shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C), Defense Minister Israel Katz (L) and Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler, the IAF’s chief of staff, observing strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on May 6, 2025. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

As it did after yesterday’s strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases footage of the premier alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz in the Israeli Air Force command bunker at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv during the IAF strike on the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport and other sites near Yemen’s capital.

The IDF says it also targeted several power stations near Sanaa that were used by the Houthis, along with a cement factory north of the capital, used by the group to construct infrastructure and tunnels.

The strikes come in response to a Houthi ballistic missile attack that hit an inside the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, wounding several people.

Levin and other Likud ministers hit out at pro-Netanyahu commentator, accuse him of blackmail

Jacob Bardugo at the Knesset in Jerusalem on May 20, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Justice Minister Yariv Levin accuses right-wing media personality Jacob Bardugo, considered a close association of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of attempting to blackmail him and threatening unspecified consequences for noncompliance.

“Because of personal matters, he obsessively slanders me from every platform and every day. It’s disrespectful, it’s not appropriate. It mainly helps one person, the one who calls himself the president of the Supreme Court. He wants me to be weakened from within,” Levin says during an interview with Radio Galey Israel.

“When a person comes to me with demands that no decent person would agree to and tells me ‘if you don’t meet these demands…’ I don’t want to use the words he said,” Levin adds, without elaborating.

Bardugo has recently been highly critical of Levin, as well as Communications and Culture Minister Shlomo Karhi and Miki Zohar, for the coalition’s failure to advance its legislative agenda and for graffiti sprayed on his home — creating a months-long public feud. Levin, Karhi and Zohar are all prominent members of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party.

“Jacob Bardugo does not represent the right – he represents himself,” Karhi tweets, describing the pundit as “a powerful figure who is trying to run the country according to his personal interests.”

“The threats, the pressures, and the lies are well-known and familiar. But we will not be deterred. We were not elected to please commentators with a microphone – but to serve the people of Israel,” Karhi writes, calling on Levin to “not be afraid.”

In a separate post, Zohar offers his support to Levin, “who is vigorously leading the important reform to fix the judicial system and is dealing with threats from home and abroad.”

“Like other ministers, I too have encountered the phenomenon of threats from Jacob Bardugo, who has vested interests and has intimidated the elected representatives of the right in a despicable manner,” Zohar writes.

Following Levin’s remarks, MK Naor Shiri of the opposition Yesh Atid party wrote to the Attorney General’s Office to demand a criminal investigation be opened into the matter, according to Channel 12 news.

In response, firebrand Likud MK Tally Gotliv posted a video in which she harshly criticized Levin, Karhi and Zohar, blaming her fellow Likud members for Shiri’s move.

“Let’s remember basic common sense. Not everyone has to love us, respect us, or agree with our ways and actions,” she states, asserting that going against “against an experienced and veteran commentator who supports right-wing positions and protects the government and the prime minister” is “shameful” and “plays into the hands of the left.”

“MK Naor Shiri of Yesh Atid is appealing to the prosecutor to open an investigation against Bardugo because of what Minister Levin said,” she continues. “We do not have the privilege to engage in offensive discourse, but only substantive discourse.”

Citing ‘security risks,’ Air Baltic extends suspension of Tel Aviv flights until May 11

Air Baltic extends the suspension of its Tel Aviv route until May 11, joining a flood of foreign airlines canceling flight services to Israel following the Houthi ballistic missile attack on the country’s Ben Gurion Airport that left several injured on Sunday.

Citing “security risks,” Air Baltic says it is freezing ticket sales until May 18. Spanish low-cost carrier Air Europa extends the suspension of its Tel Aviv service through May 7.

The Israeli Air Force on Tuesday carried out airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled airport in Sanaa and other targets around the Yemeni capital, after hitting the port city of Hodeida the day before, following the launch of a missile from Yemen on Sunday that landed inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion Airport for the first time.

IDF says Sanaa airport ‘completely disabled’; power stations, cement factory also targeted

A screenshot from social media said to show Israeli strikes on Sanaa International Airport and other targets in Yemen's Houth-controlled capital, May 6, 2025. (X screenshot)

The IDF in a statement confirms launching a wave of airstrikes in Yemen, saying it destroyed the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport, in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated missile and drone attacks on Israel, including a hit on Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday that wounded several people.

The airport in the Houthi capital is now “completely disabled” following the strikes carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, the military says.

The IDF says that the airport was used by the Houthis “for transferring weapons and operatives, and is regularly operated by the Houthi regime for terror purposes.”

Ahead of the strike on the airport, the IDF issued a warning to civilians.

Additionally, the IDF says it targeted several power stations near Sanaa that were used by the Houthis, along with a cement factory north of the capital, used by the group to construct infrastructure and tunnels.

The strike on the concrete factory “constitutes a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup,” the military says.

Equal Opportunities Commission: ‘Unprecedented increase’ in workplace discrimination complaints from reservists, their spouses

2024 saw an “unprecedented increase” in the number of complaints from IDF reservists and their spouses submitted to the Equal Opportunities Commission, lawmakers hear during a discussion in the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee.

In a report, the agency states that last year complaints about workplace discrimination increased by 56 percent, with 63% of the total being due to calls from IDF reservists or their spouses. The report also states that the number of complaints about discrimination against reservists increased to 803 from only 26 in 2023, a 31-fold rise.

“This was the year in which we received the most complaints ever, and as noted, over 60% of the calls dealt with reserve service members and their spouses,” the commission’s Sivan Azoulay tells the committee.

The increase in complaints is likely linked to the multiple wide-scale reserve mobilizations called by the IDF in the wake of October 7, with many people serving for hundreds of days over the past 18 months.

The war and the repeated call-ups of reservists have created a “complete disruption of daily life,” declares Ofir Tal of the Reservists Forum, stating that “even the most caring and inclusive employer asks himself after the fifth [reserve call-up] order whether to give the employee a new project.”

“We are witnessing an unprecedented increase in the number of complaints and I see the utmost importance in protecting the reservists, who are forced to deal with severe damage to their livelihoods, exclusion from promotion, and even dismissal,” says committee deputy chair MK Debbie Biton (Yesh Atid).

“This is a direct attack on Israel’s national resilience.”

Days ago, the IDF announced that it was sending out tens of thousands of reservist call-up orders as the military was set to significantly expand its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Citing statistics from the Reservists’ Wives Forum, Channel 12 reported in late March that 34% of salaried reservists have been “hurt economically because of their service” in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The statistics showed that 56% of the wives of salaried reservists said they had to reduce their own work hours and take salary cuts. Of the 34% of salaried reservists cited above, a quarter were fired and another quarter had to quit their jobs, the report said.

Among reservists who are self-employed, 72% said their economic situation has worsened, and 54% said their income had fallen by over 50%.

The TV report also quoted from a separate survey, by the government’s Israeli Employment Service, in which 75% of reservists who responded said they have been hurt economically, and 41% of respondents said they were fired or had to quit their jobs or close their businesses. The service noted, however, that these figures did not constitute a representative sample of the 1,000 reservists who were surveyed.

In filing, Bennett’s party says key goals include integrating Haredim into army and workforce

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a tech conference in Ness Ziona, May 5, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s application to register a new political party is published by the Israeli Corporations Authority, listing its goals and founding members.

According to its application, the new party’s goals seem to focus on strengthening the economy and military and promoting the integration of the ultra-Orthodox population into the military and workforce.

The goals, as listed, are:

1) “To restore security to Israel, and restore the people’s trust in Israel’s ability to defend its borders and the interior of the country while implementing an active security concept.”

2) “To lead Israel in the spirit of the founders of the state and the builders of the country in a way that will ensure its unity, continuity and prosperity as a model Jewish and democratic state. To advance it as a strong, sovereign state, and grow in all areas of life, while integrating all its citizens in carrying the security, civil and economic burden.”

While Bennett announced that he was registering his party under the temporary name “Bennett 2026” in early April, the paperwork shows that the paperwork was only submitted on Sunday.

Among those listed as the party’s founders are Bennett, his wife Gilat, former Communications Ministry director general Liran Avissar Ben-Horin, former Strauss CEO Gadi Lesin and Bruria Naim Erman, founder of the PR firm Community Relations.

The founding members also include Giora Levi, Bennett’s commander during his time in the IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal unit; Ofer Ogash, who previously ran for Knesset as part of Bennett’s previous party; and former Target Market CEO Nir Novak.

The Times of Israel’s sister site, Zman Yisrael, has previously reported that Novak is working as Bennett’s chief of staff.

Bennett’s longtime political partner, Ayelet Shaked, who is widely expected to join Bennett’s new party, is not listed.

Bennett, who led the now-defunct right-wing Yamina party, has been out of office since the 2022 collapse of his diverse coalition government, which in 2021 ousted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the premiership after 12 consecutive years during which Israel underwent unprecedented political turmoil, including four national elections in three years.

Sa’ar to EU foreign policy chief Kallas: ‘Hamas uses Gaza aid to feed war machine’

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tells EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in a phone call that “Hamas used the humanitarian aid that entered Gaza to feed its war machine,” according to his office.

“If Hamas continues to steal the aid from the people as well as earning money from it – the war will continue forever,” argues Sa’ar in a post on X. “Therefore, Israel must change the way it facilitates the entrance of goods.”

He calls on the international community to assist Israel’s efforts.

Israel’s security cabinet approved this week plans for a major escalation in its operation against Hamas, which will include a new system to distribute aid in Gaza.

Israeli jets now striking Houthi-run Sanaa International Airport — local media

A screenshot from social media said to show Israeli strikes on Sanaa International Airport and other targets in Yemen's Houth-controlled capital, May 6, 2025. (X screenshot)

Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport in Yemen’s capital, according to local media.

???? لقطات جديدة للغارات الجوية الإسرائيلية التي أصابت مطار صنعاء الدولي في اليمن. pic.twitter.com/DlzAqg5xES

— الأحداث العالمية (@NewsNow4USA) May 6, 2025

Explosions are reported in the area of the airport.

مباشر… مطار صنعاء الدولي pic.twitter.com/3PtAHXh5sa

— محمد الوشلي (@mhmdals15036242) May 6, 2025

The IDF issued a warning ahead of the strike.

The strike comes in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated missile and drone attacks on Israel, including a hit on Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday that wounded several people.

IDF and Shin Bet chiefs meet to approve plans for expanded ground operation in Gaza

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and outgoing Shin Bet head Ronen Bar meet with top generals at the Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba, May 6, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and outgoing Shin Bet head Ronen Bar are meeting with the military’s top brass to approve battle plans for the Gaza Strip.

The assessment is taking place at the IDF Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba.

The military says Zamir and Bar are approving plans for “the expansion of the ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, ahead of Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” referring to a major offensive approved by the security cabinet.

PM leaves Tel Aviv court ahead of expected Israeli strike on Yemen airport

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv District Court for the ongoing corruption trial against him, May 6, 2025 (Reuven Kastro/POOL)

The hearing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial in the Tel Aviv District Court ends early, and the premier leaves the court.

Netanyahu received a sealed envelope earlier in the day and then requested from the judges that they end the hearing early, to which they agreed.

The IDF has issued evacuation warnings for Yemen’s Sanaa airport ahead of what appears to be a pending attack on the site, following the Houthi ballistic missile attack on Ben Gurion airport on Sunday.

Next round of Iran-US nuclear talks likely to be held in Oman this weekend

The reactor building of Iran's nuclear power plant and electricity poles are seen, at Bushehr, Iran, 750 miles (1,245 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran, February 27, 2005. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

A fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States is likely to take place over the weekend in the capital of Oman, with Iranian state media pointing to May 11 as a probable date.

Cautioning that the timing has not yet been finalized, an Iranian source close to the negotiating team tells Reuters: “The talks will take place over two days in Muscat, either on Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday.”

Initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, the fourth round of negotiations was postponed with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons.”

Top US negotiator Steve Witkoff also said Washington was trying to hold the next round of talks this weekend, according to the news site Axios, a day after Iran’s foreign ministry reiterated Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy with Washington.

US President Donald Trump, who withdrew the US from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, has threatened to bomb Iran if no agreement is reached with his administration to resolve the long-standing dispute.

Western countries say Iran’s nuclear program is geared toward producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian purposes.

IDF issues ‘urgent’ evacuation warning for Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport

Damaged control tower of Sanaa's international airport on December 27, 2024, following Israeli strikes at the site the previous day. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)

In an unusual move, the IDF has issued an “urgent” evacuation warning for Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport, in the Houthi-held capital.

In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, says, “We call upon you to evacuate the airport area immediately and warn everyone in your vicinity of the need to evacuate this area immediately.”

“Failure to evacuate and move away from the area exposes you to danger,” he adds.

#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى جميع المتواجدين في منطقة مطار صنعاء الدولي وفق ما يعرض في الخارطة المرفقة.
⭕️ندعوكم إلى اخلاء منطقة المطار – مطار صنعاء الدولي – بشكل فوري وتحذير كل من يتواجد بجواركم عن ضرورة اخلاء هذه المنطقة فورًا
⭕️عدم الاخلاء والابتعاد عن المكان يعرضكم للخطر pic.twitter.com/5qXw5x4SBD

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 6, 2025

The warning comes after the IDF struck Houthi targets in Yemen last night, in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated missile and drone attacks on Israel, including Sunday’s strike on Ben Gurion Airport.

Israeli warplanes hit Sanaa International Airport in December, with the IDF saying at the time that “infrastructure used by the Houthi terror regime for its military activities” was targeted.

An employee of the UN Humanitarian Air Service was wounded in that strike, which took place while WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was in the airport waiting to depart.

IDF releases footage of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen

Israeli Air Force fighter jets takeoff for airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, May 5, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF releases footage from its airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen yesterday, in response to the Iran-backed terror group’s missile and drone attacks on Israel.

Some 20 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in the airstrikes, dropping 50 munitions on the Hodeida port and a concrete factory near the nearby city of Bajil. IAF refuelers and spy planes also participated in the operation.

The IDF says the strikes “constitute a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup.”

The videos released by the IDF show the strikes on the Hodeida port, as well as aerial refueling amid the strikes, which were carried out nearly 2,000 kilometers from Israel.

Footage released by the IDF on May 6, 2025, shows airstrikes in Yemen the previous night and aerial refueling during the operation. (Israel Defense Forces)

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Israeli singer Dudu Tassa on cancellation of UK gigs: ‘Censorship and silencing’

Dudu Tassa (left) and Jonny Greenwood. (Shin Katan)

Musicians Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa, along with their ensemble, post a lengthy response on social media to a decision to cancel their June 23 and June 25 shows in Bristol and London.

The Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement had claimed the cancellations as a victory, while Greenwood and Tassa say that they canceled the shows due to credible threats against their performance venues and audiences.

The musicians say that the organizers of the BDS campaign who claim that stopping the concerts isn’t censorship “can’t have it both ways.”

“Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,” write Tassa and Greenwood. “Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves.”

The duo point out that their latest tour features singers from Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait and Iraq, who have ancestral and musical roots from across the Middle East, including Yemen and Turkey, and a shared love of Arabic song.

Greenwood, who is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan, has often partnered with Tassa, along with artists throughout the Middle East.

Tassa and Greenwood add that art exists above and beyond politics, and art that seeks to establish a common identity of musicians across borders should be encouraged, not decried.

“This project has always had a difficult, narrow channel to navigate,” they write. “We find ourselves in the odd position of being condemned by both ends of the political spectrum.”

The artists also refer to Irish hip-hop band Kneecap, which received support from fellow artists amid an ongoing police investigation. Some of the band’s shows were canceled following provocative statements made by band members that supported the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups and called for the murder of Conservative Party lawmakers.

“We have no judgement to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours,” they write.

“We agree completely with people who ask: ‘how can this be more important than what’s happening in Gaza and Israel?’ They’re right — it isn’t. How could it be? What, in anyone’s upcoming cultural life, is?” write Greenwood and Tassa.

They express admiration for the performers in the band, particularly the Arab musicians and singers, for showing “amazing bravery and conviction in contributing to their first record and touring with them.”

Qatar: ‘Efforts ongoing’ for hostage deal, even as Israel readies to expand Gaza operations

Demonstrators protest for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, outside the District Court in Tel Aviv, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testifying in the trial against him, May 6, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Qatar says it is still pursuing efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, even after Israel approved expanded military operations and Hamas said it wasn’t interested in further talks.

“Our efforts remain ongoing despite the difficulty of the situation and the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari tells reporters at a regular briefing.

Earlier today a senior Hamas official said the terror group was no longer interested in hostage-ceasefire deal talks with Israel and urged the international community to halt Israel’s “hunger war” against Gaza.

“There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,” said Basem Naim.

A senior Israeli defense official said yesterday that there was a window of opportunity for a fresh hostage-ceasefire deal until the end of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week.

The official said that if an agreement is not secured by then, the IDF will launch a wide offensive in the Strip.

The warning came after the security cabinet on Sunday night approved a plan to significantly broaden the military offensive against Hamas, and as the IDF was calling up tens of thousands of reservists.

The plan provided for the “conquering of Gaza” and retaining the territory, an Israeli official said. The plan also included moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip, attacking Hamas, and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.

Israel stopped allowing aid into Gaza on March 2 after the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release deal ended. The past two-plus months have been the longest time in which no aid has entered the Palestinian territory since war broke out with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Israeli officials say enough aid entered the Strip during a two-month ceasefire at the beginning of the year to allow Gazans to survive the halt in supplies as it seeks to ramp up pressure on Hamas for the return of 59 hostages still captive in the enclave.

But data and testimony from inside the Strip point to a worsening hunger crisis and rising rates of malnutrition. Israel is exploring ways to resume aid deliveries without allowing the goods to wind up in the hands of Hamas or allied terror groups, which are allegedly exploiting the crisis to fund the ongoing war.

The IDF believes that it only has several weeks before there is a major humanitarian crisis in the Strip, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel last week.

UN agency says Israeli plan for aid distribution ‘designed to further control supplies’

Displaced Palestinians line up to receive a meal in the northern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2025. (Ali Hassan/Flash90)

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs rejects a plan by Israeli authorities to shut down and replace the existing aid system in Gaza.

“We do not accept a proposal and a plan that does not live up to the core fundamental humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independent delivery of aid,” says OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke in Geneva.

Israel’s plan is “designed to further control and restrict supplies, which is the opposite of what is needed,” Laerke adds.

The overhaul to the aid delivery system, approved by the cabinet late Sunday and first reported by The Times of Israel on Friday, would entail the IDF transitioning away from wholesale distribution and warehousing of aid and instead have international organizations and private security contractors hand out boxes of food to individual Gazan families.

International aid organizations briefed on the initiative say that they won’t cooperate with it, as it doesn’t properly address the humanitarian crisis.

Data and testimony from inside the Strip point to a worsening hunger crisis and rising rates of malnutrition.

Israeli officials to date have claimed that Gazans are not yet starving and that enough aid entered the Strip during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year to sustain the Strip for an extended period of time, and also argue that Hamas has been stealing aid.

IDF’s top negotiator to politicians: Hamas may become even more violent toward hostages if Gaza op intensifies

Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon attends a ceremony at the IDF Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem on July 8, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, the IDF’s point man in the hostage negotiations, warned the political echelon that intensified IDF operations in Gaza could provoke Hamas to take out its frustrations on the hostages, who are already being held under difficult and worsening conditions, Channel 12 reports.

Alon reportedly criticized the government’s handling of the war and reaffirmed public concerns about the decision to expand operations in the Strip.

He cautioned that the harder the IDF strikes, the more violent the terrorists may become toward the hostages still held in captivity.

Alon’s comments come after the security cabinet approved a plan to significantly broaden the military offensive against Hamas, with the IDF calling up tens of thousands of reservists for duty.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the military will stay stationed in any areas of the Gaza Strip captured until all the goals of the war are achieved. Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Edelstein: Knesset panel set to begin rewriting law on Haredi IDF exemptions

Likud MK Yuli Edelstein chairs a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, April 23, 2025. (Noam Moskowitz, Office of the Knesset Spokesperson)

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s discussions on a proposed ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill have been completed and work to rewrite the legislation is set to begin, chairman Yuli Edelstein announces.

“We have exhausted the comprehensive and in-depth discussions we had in the committee. We are one step away from moving to the next stage: drafting the law,” Edelstein tells attendees of a settlement conference organized by the national-religious broadsheet Makor Rishon.

The bill being discussed has already passed its first reading in the Knesset plenum and is currently in committee in order to be prepared for the final two readings necessary for it to become law. Edelstein aims to rewrite the controversial legislation, having previously pledged that he will “only produce a real conscription law that will significantly increase the IDF’s conscription base.”

Addressing the contents of the bill, Edelstein tells the conference that “we cannot manage without personal sanctions and institutional sanctions [for those who violate it].”

Turning to the recent IDF call-up of tens of thousands of reservists ahead of a planned offensive in Gaza, Edelstein states that it is “impossible to view the fifth and sixth rounds of reservist [call-ups] with equanimity when there are so many who are not serving,” referring to the Haredi population.

Netanyahu is scheduled to attend a closed session of Edelstein’s committee next week to discuss this issue.

Continuing to the topic of what the IDF should do to get ready for a potential influx of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, Edelstein insists that “the army must be prepared for a situation in which a young Haredi man who enters the army will also receive all the conditions to leave [the army still being] Haredi.”

In an apparent repudiation of a recent statement by one of the prime minister’s advisers that the bill would be passed “with or without him,” Edelstein argues that “either a real law will be passed or there will be no law. There will be no ‘bluff’ of a law.”

Gantz: ‘Anyone who talks about a Palestinian state is disconnected from the security reality’

National Unity chair Benny Gantz attends an Israel Hayom security conference in Jerusalem, December 1, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Unity chairman MK Benny Gantz speaks out against a Palestinian state during a “settlements conference” in the West Bank settlement of Ofra, asserting that it would be a security threat to Israel.

He also argues that Israel needs to maintain “freedom of action” in southern Lebanon and the border region with Syria, as well as Gaza.

“The State of Israel cannot allow a direct and substantive threat to its citizens on all its borders. Therefore, [it] needs security control and to preserve freedom of action in Gaza, the West Bank, southern Lebanon, and in the border region with Syria,” says Gantz.

“The implication is clear, and anyone who talks about a Palestinian state or withdrawals is simply disconnected from the security reality,” he adds.

Gantz says he is in favor of full Israeli security control in Gaza, but opposes rebuilding settlements in the territory, saying it would be a “security error” and would also divide the nation “at a time when it needs unity.”

Democrats MK Gilad Kariv hits back at Gantz, saying, “After October 7, the idea that it is possible to ignore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and not offer any diplomatic path is even more disconnected from reality.”

Kariv adds that there is “a need to present an alternative of renewing the diplomatic dialogue between Jerusalem and Ramallah within the framework of a regional pact and under an international umbrella.”

IDF begins demolition of dozens of homes in refugee camps near West Bank’s Tulkarem

An Israeli army excavator demolishes a Palestinian building in a refugee camp east of Tulkarem, on May 5, 2025, during an ongoing military operation in the north of the West Bank (Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

The IDF has started the process of demolishing around 90 homes in the Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps near the city of Tulkarem in the West Bank.

Palestinian media reports that residents were given two hours to collect their belongings before the demolitions.

In response to an inquiry from The Times of Israel, COGAT, the Defense Ministry body which oversees coordination in the West Bank and Gaza, stated that residents were given approximately five hours and that 15 homes would be demolished today.

This marks the first significant wave of home demolitions in the Tulkarem area as part of an ongoing IDF counter-terror operation that has been underway for three months. According to Palestinian media reports, some 25,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the two camps amid the operation.

Houthis say 4 killed, 39 wounded in Israel’s Monday strikes on Yemen

A screen grab of footage purportedly shows Israeli strikes on Yemen's Houthi-held Hodeida area on May 5, 2025. (X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Yemen’s Houthis say four people were killed and 39 wounded in Israeli strikes that followed a ballistic missile attack by the Iran-backed rebels that hit Ben Gurion Airport.

“Three citizens were killed and 35 others wounded” at a cement factory in Bajil, and one person died and four were wounded at Hodeida port, the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV station says, quoting the health ministry.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the strikes carried out by some 20 IAF fighter jets targeted Houthi infrastructure along the coast of Yemen, including at the Hodeida port and a concrete factory near the nearby city of Bajil, some 2,000 kilometers from Israel.

The IDF said the Hodeida port was used by the Houthis “for the transfer of Iranian weapons, equipment for military needs, and other terror purposes.”

The Bajil concrete factory “serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi terror regime and is used for building tunnels and military infrastructure,” the IDF said, adding that the strikes “constitute a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup.”

Netanyahu: Conversations with newspaper publisher about restricting its rival were not criminal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv District Court for the ongoing corruption trial against him, May 6, 2025 (Reuven Kastro/POOL)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists his conversations with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes about improving the newspaper’s coverage of him and his family in return for restricting the distribution of rival publication Israel Hayom was not criminal, during testimony in Netanyahu’s criminal trial.

“These were conversations that exist with all publishers. His newspaper supported my rivals,” Netanyahu says regarding Case 2000 in the Tel Aviv District Court, Ynet reports.

Netanyahu denies that he was being offered a bribe with the proposal, and accuses the prosecutors of “inventing” accusations.

“This is part of the connection between journalism and politics, it happens all the time, [but] there’s an indictment only against me, part of this insane construction done against me,” Netanyahu continues in further attacks on the prosecutors.

In Case 2000, Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust over his alleged attempt to reach a quid pro quo agreement with Mozes whereby Yedioth would give the prime minister more positive media coverage in exchange for legislation weakening its key rival, the Israel Hayom free sheet.

Arnon (Noni) Mozes arrives to the courtroom at the Tel Aviv District Court for the ongoing corruption trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, May 6, 2025 (Reuven Kastro/POOL)

IDF says 2 Hamas operatives, including one who held hostages, surrendered to troops in Rafah

(L) Muhammad Zaarab, a commander in a Hamas sniper unit and (R) Yousef Qadi, a Hamas platoon commander who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023 and was later responsible for holding several Israeli hostages in Gaza, in a graphic released by the Israeli military and Shin Bet on May 6, 2025 (Courtesy)

Two Hamas operatives, including a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught and held hostages, surrendered to troops in southern Gaza’s Rafah, the military announces.

According to the IDF, the two were captured during operations of the 188th Armored Brigade in Rafah’s Shaboura camp several weeks ago.

One of the terror operatives is identified by the military and Shin Bet as Yousef Qadi, a Hamas platoon commander who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, during the terror group’s attack, and was later responsible for holding several Israeli hostages in Gaza, all of whom have since been released.

The second is identified as Muhammad Zaarab, a commander in a Hamas sniper unit.

The military says the pair were armed with several knives when they surrendered to troops.

During their interrogation by the Shin Bet, the pair provided intelligence information “about the location of a significant terror infrastructure in the area,” the statement says.

The IDF completed encircling Rafah several weeks ago and has been operating since then to locate and eliminate dozens of terror operatives still believed to be in the area.

The military says its activity in Rafah continues, and soon it will expand its operations to additional neighborhoods.

Merz’s bid to become Germany’s chancellor fails first ballot by 6 votes

Friedrich Merz reacts after he was not elected new chancellor in the first voting process at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz’s bid to become Germany’s 10th chancellor since World War II fails in the first round of voting in parliament by six votes, a vote he had been widely expected to win smoothly.

Merz needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot. He only received 310 votes. The parties are now to regroup to discuss the next step but it is not immediately clear how long the process could take.

The lower house of parliament — called the Bundestag — has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. If that also fails, the constitution allows for the president to appoint the candidate who wins the most votes as chancellor, or to dissolve the Bundestag and hold a new national election.

Merz is seeking to take the helm of the 27-nation European Union’s most populous member after outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government collapsed last year.

Germany has the continent’s biggest economy and serves as a diplomatic heavyweight. Merz’s portfolio would include the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the Trump administration’s trade policy, on top of domestic issues such as the stagnant economy and the rise of a far-right, anti-immigrant party.

China says it is ‘highly concerned’ about Israeli military operations in Gaza

Israeli troops deploy at a position near the border with the Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2025 (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)

China says it opposes Israel’s military actions in Gaza, after Israeli officials said expanded operations in the territory would include displacing “most” of its population and holding conquered territory.

“China is highly concerned about the current Palestine-Israel situation,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian says, adding: “We oppose Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza, and hope all parties continuously and effectively implement the ceasefire agreement.”

US defense chief Hegseth orders 20% cut in top military leadership positions

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listens during a meeting at the Pentagon, May 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, a memo from the defense secretary says.

The move is the latest major shakeup at the Pentagon under US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has already fired a series of senior officers this year.

The memo also calls for an additional 10% reduction in the number of general and flag officers, and a 20% cut in the number of general officers in the National Guard.

It does not specify how the reductions would be accomplished.

There were 38 four-star officers — the highest rank that can usually be achieved in the US military — and a total of 817 generals and admirals in the active-duty forces as of March 2025.

The cuts are aimed at removing “redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions,” the memo says.

Anti-government activist indicted for indecent act against female police officer during protest

Yom Kippur War veteran Eyal Yaffe arrives for a court hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, March 29, 2025, after he was arrested on suspicion of harassing a border policewoman during a protest in Jerusalem. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Anti-government activist Eyal Yaffe, 72, is indicted on charges of performing an indecent act on a female police office during a demonstration, as well as participating in an illegal demonstration and interfering with a police officer in the performance of their duty.

During the protest on March 25 outside the Knesset, Yaffe blocked the street together with other protesters and ignored instructions to disperse, the indictment charges.

At a different point during the demonstration, Yaffe came up behind a female police officer and rubbed his crotch against her from behind as she was bending over to deal with other protesters. The incident was caught on video and posted on social media.

Last month, Yaffe was indicted on charges of the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition after an AK-47 assault rifle, other firearms and ammunition were found in his home.

Yaffe said the rifle was a memento from his late brother Amir Yaffe, who fell during his military service, and that the remaining items were from his own time in the army.

10 more Syrian Druze brought to Israel for medical care after being wounded in sectarian violence

An Israeli military ambulance transporting injured Syrian Druze to an Israeli hospital crosses the border fence near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights on April 30, 2025 (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

Another 10 Syrian Druze, who were apparently wounded during sectarian violence in the country, were evacuated by the Israeli military to Ziv Hospital in Safed over the past two days, the IDF says.

In all, more than 25 Syrian Druze have been taken to hospitals in Israel over the past week.

The military says troops are “deployed to southern Syria and prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area and Druze villages.”

“The IDF continues to monitor the developments, while maintaining readiness for defense and different scenarios,” the military adds.

Coalition shelves planned bills amid Haredi threats to boycott votes over draft exemptions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition will not bring any private member bills to the Knesset plenum tomorrow, following threats by the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties to boycott votes on coalition legislation.

The two parties made their threat in light of the government’s failure to pass a bill exempting yeshiva students from military service in the wake of last year’s High Court ruling that such exemptions have no legal basis.

According to Channel 12, the Haredi parties will still cooperate with the coalition in voting down opposition bills.

Yesterday, UTJ appeared to threaten to withdraw from the government completely over the enlistment issue, with MK Yaakov Asher telling Haredi news site Kikar HaShabbat that if the Knesset does not pass draft exemption legislation by the end of the summer session, his party will no longer be able to remain in the government.

Top Hamas official: ‘No sense’ in hostage-ceasefire talks while ‘hunger war’ continues in Gaza

A rally calling for the release of hostages at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, May 3, 2025 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

A senior Hamas official says the terror group is no longer interested in hostage-ceasefire deal talks with Israel and urges the international community to halt Israel’s “hunger war” against Gaza.

“There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,” Basem Naim tells AFP, urging the international community “to pressure the Netanyahu government to end the crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings” in Gaza.

A senior Israeli defense official said yesterday that there was a window of opportunity for a fresh hostage-ceasefire deal until the end of US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East next week.

The official said that if an agreement is not secured by then, the IDF will launch a wide offensive in the Strip.

The warning came after the security cabinet on Sunday night approved a plan to significantly broaden the military offensive against Hamas, and as the IDF was calling up tens of thousands of reservists.

The plan provided for the “conquering of Gaza” and retaining the territory, an Israeli official said. The plan also included moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip, attacking Hamas, and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.

Israel stopped allowing aid into Gaza on March 2 after the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release deal ended. The past two-plus months have been the longest time in which no aid has entered the Palestinian territory since war broke out with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Israeli officials say enough aid entered the Strip during a two-month ceasefire at the beginning of the year to allow Gazans to survive the halt in supplies as it seeks to ramp up pressure on Hamas for the return of 59 hostages still captive in the enclave.

But data and testimony from inside the Strip point to a worsening hunger crisis and rising rates of malnutrition. Israel is exploring ways to resume aid deliveries without allowing the goods to wind up in the hands of Hamas or allied terror groups, who may be exploiting the crisis to fund the ongoing war.

The IDF believes that it only has several weeks before there is a major humanitarian crisis in the Strip, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel last week.

Displaced Palestinians line up to receive a meal in the northern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2025. (Ali Hassan/Flash90)

France ‘very strongly’ condemns plan to conquer and hold Gaza, says Israel ‘in violation of humanitarian law’

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noël Barrot conducts a press conference during the G20 Foreign Minister Meeting at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg on February 21, 2025 (Phill Magakoe / AFP)

France’s foreign minister says that Paris “very strongly” condemns Israel’s new military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

“It’s unacceptable,” Jean-Noel Barrot says in a radio interview, adding that the Israeli government is “in violation of humanitarian law,” after its security cabinet approved a plan that an Israeli official said will entail “the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the military will stay stationed in whatever areas of the Gaza Strip are captured until all the goals of the war are reached.

The new plan was also assailed by opposition politicians, who accused the government of prioritizing political survival over the lives of hostages and IDF soldiers.

The Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the current war, saw thousands of terrorists storm southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, of whom 58 remain in Gaza, including at least 35 who are thought to be dead, in addition to the remains of a soldier who was killed in the Strip in 2014.

Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 414.

More than 52,500 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. The figures cannot be independently verified, and do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January, and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the Hamas onslaught.

Macron to host Syrian president Sharaa’s first European visit

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (2nd R) leaves a bilateral room after his meeting with Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, in Antalya, on April 11, 2025. (Ozan KOSE / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa tomorrow for the former Islamist rebel’s first European visit, the French presidency tell AFP.

Macron will “reiterate France’s support for the construction of a new Syria, a free, stable, sovereign Syria that respects all components of Syrian society,” the presidency says.

“This meeting is part of France’s historic commitment to the Syrian people who aspire to peace and democracy,” it adds.

During the meeting, Macron will emphasize “his demands on the Syrian government, primarily the stabilization of the region, including Lebanon, and the fight against terrorism,” the presidency says.

Macron had first invited Syria’s new interim leader to visit France in February after Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year.

In March, he repeated the invitation but made it conditional on the formation of an inclusive Syrian government representing “all components of civil society,” describing his initial negotiations with the interim leaders as “positive.”

Syria’s new Islamist authorities, who have roots in the al-Qaeda jihadist network, have vowed inclusive rule in the multi-confessional, multi-ethnic country.

They have repeatedly pledged to protect all religious groups and include all of Syrian society in the transition, with many countries saying they would monitor the new authorities’ conduct before fully lifting sanctions.

But sectarian clashes in March in which more than 1,700 people, mostly Alawites, were killed in coastal areas sparked widespread condemnation.

More recent clashes involving Druze fighters, as well as reports of abuses from NGOs, have also raised doubts about the interim government’s ability to control extremists in its ranks.

Since Assad’s overthrow, Israel has also launched hundreds of strikes on Syria, including one near the presidential palace in Damascus on Friday.

Israel has repeatedly said its forces stand ready to protect the Druze minority and said the strike near the presidential palace was intended to send a “clear message” to Syria’s new rulers.

But the interim government described the strike as a “dangerous escalation,” while the United Nations on Saturday urged Israel to halt its attacks on Syria “at once.”

France’s President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech in front of humanitarian aid destined to Gaza, at the Egyptian Red Crescent warehouse in el-Arish in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, on April 8, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP)

IDF says Netiv Ha’asara siren was false alert triggered by north Gaza strikes

The IDF says the siren that sounded in the Gaza border community of Netiv Ha’asara a short while ago was a false alarm.

The alert was apparently triggered by Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip area.

Rocket sirens sounding in Netiv Ha’asara near Gaza border

Sirens are sounding in Netiv Ha’asara, close to the Gaza border, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The Israel Defense Forces says it is checking the incident.

IDF announces military exercises to be held in Tel Hashomer, northern coastal areas

The Israel Defense Forces announces a military exercise will be held today in the area of the Tel Hashomer base in Ramat Gan.

As part of the exercise, there will be heavy traffic of vehicles and security personnel, as well as roadblocks.

Additionally, an exercise will be held in the northern coastal area near Rosh Hanikra and Nahariya.

The army warns there will be heavy maritime traffic and the sounds of explosions.

Man shot and killed near Jaljulia

Police say a man was found shot and killed near Jaljulia in central Israel overnight.

The Abraham Initiatives, a coexistence group that tracks the violence, says the man is the 87th Arab to die in violent circumstances this year.

The organization says that 68 Arabs were killed in the same period last year, as the sharp spike in the Arab homicide rate seen under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir intensifies.

The vast majority of Arab sector murder cases are left unsolved by law enforcement, with many community leaders criticizing police for not doing enough to deter violent crime in Arab locales.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at Met Gala; counter-demonstration held nearby

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally where fans were gathered hoping to see their favorite celebrities enter the annual Met Gala on May 5, 2025 in New York City (Alex Kent / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Pro-Palestinian protesters are gathered about a block away from the Met Gala in Manhattan as the area immediately around the museum is been cordoned off by police.

Organizers calling for protesters to “surround” the Met in social media posts claimed the Manhattan institution is “tied to genocide in every way possible.”

The hardline Within Our Lifetime organization, the group at the center of New York City’s most volatile anti-Israel protests, also called out celebrities for continuing to “flaunt their extreme wealth and materialism” as residents of Gaza suffer in the ongoing war with Israel.

Video clips shared on social media show some protesters hopping over barricades as they marched in the rain through Central Park. Other clips show protesters met by vocal counterprotesters supporting Israel.

New York City police say no arrests had been made.

It’s the second year in a row that protests have taken place outside the gala.

Counter-protestors near pro-Palestinian demonstrators near the annual Met Gala on May 5, 2025 in New York City (Alex Kent / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Many schools, kindergartens to remain closed as teachers continue to protest salary cut

View of an empty classroom at a school in Jerusalem, during a strike, on September 1, 2024 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Many schools and kindergartens are set to remain closed as teaching staff call in sick in continued action over surprise salary cuts, despite an agreement between the Finance Ministry and the Israel Teachers Union.

Many teachers are unhappy with union leader Yaffa Ben David’s concessions in the negotiations, and are planning to continue to strike.

Reports say the majority of closed educational institutions are in the center of the country.

The Ynet news site reports that the disruptions are beginning to spread to the special education system, which previously had not been involved in the action.

Some municipalities have started to offer activities in community centers, albeit with parental supervision required.

Initial estimates by the Education Ministry suggest 17,000-20,000 teachers — around 10 percent of the workforce — listed themselves as sick yesterday, though it is unclear how many schools remained closed nationwide, the Kan public broadcaster reported.

The report noted that in Tel Aviv, 218 kindergartens and over 50 elementary and middle schools were shuttered.

The official strike began Sunday morning after apparent wildcat strikes on Friday. Some teachers did not report to work until 10 a.m., and others did not show up at all, with many schools opting to remain closed for the entire day. According to reports, some 25,000 teachers joined Sunday’s action.

The Teachers Union said Sunday in a statement that the agreement would set the pay cut at 0.95% instead of the originally set 3.3%, and it would only be in effect from May to the end of December 2025, hailing the “significant achievements.”

The gap in the cuts would be offset by other reductions in salary raises, promotions, and school benefits, and teachers would get extra vacation days, Hebrew media reported.

Citing their already low salaries, teachers say that they want the pay cut canceled entirely.

Channel 12 reported that the salary cut does not apply to teachers in Haredi schools.

Witkoff urges Israelis ‘to choose unity over division,’ says Independence Day ‘bittersweet’ while hostages in Gaza

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff addresses an event for Israel's Independence Day, at the Israeli Embassy in Washington on May 5, 2025. (Screenshot)

US President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, addresses an event for Israel’s Independence Day hosted by the Israeli Embassy in Washington, describing the occasion as “bittersweet while 59 hostages remain cruelly held by Hamas.”

“I remember being in the hospital in Israel when we got the female IDF soldiers out, and I sang the song ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ with them and their families. And I thought to myself, ‘this could be the most joyous moment of my life,'” he says. “On behalf of President Trump, I pledge that we will work tirelessly this year so that next year’s Independence Day is not just a wish for happiness, but a reality of peace, prosperity and for Israel, unity.”

“There are many efforts underway. Humanitarian aid initiatives for Gaza, which we applaud, the expansion of the Abraham peace accords,” Witkoff continues, referring to the normalization deals that Israel inked with Arab states during Trump’s first term in office, predicting there will be “a lot of announcements very, very shortly” on this front.

He also says that the US and Israel agree that Iran “shall never get a nuclear weapon.”

Additionally, Witkoff urges Israelis “to choose unity over division, vision over disagreement, and hope over despair. When you do, Israel’s future will shine brighter than ever.”

Trump administration informs Harvard of freeze on billions in grant funding

Anti-Israel demonstrators gather on Cambridge Common to protest Harvard's stance on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and show support for the Palestinian people, outside Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 25, 2025. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP)

The US Department of Education has informed Harvard University that it’s freezing billions of dollars in research grants and other aid until the elite university concedes to a number of demands from the Trump administration, a senior department official says.

Michigan prosecutors drop felony charges against anti-Israel campus protesters

Dozens of tents as part of a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 2, 2024. (Ed White/AP)

ANN ARBOR, Michigan — State prosecutors dropped felony charges against seven people accused of trespassing and resisting police a year ago during the break-up of a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Michigan.

Attorney General Dana Nessel says she believes the cases are strong but suggests her office was worn down by criticism and other factors. She notes that a judge in Washtenaw County still hasn’t decided whether to send the cases to a trial court despite multiple hearings.

“Baseless and absurd allegations of bias have only furthered this divide,” says Nessel, a Democrat, who adds that “distractions and ongoing delays have created a circus-like atmosphere.”

The camp on the Diag, a traditional site for campus protests, was cleared by police in May 2024 after a month. The university said the camp had become a threat to safety, with overloaded power sources and open flames.

Defense attorney Amir Makled says Nessel is trying to turn free speech into a crime.

“We sent a clear message to both Lansing and to Washington, that the people still rule, and that public pressure compels the rule of law to be upheld,” Makled says.

Protesters had demanded that the school’s endowment stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. The university insisted it has no direct investments and less than $15 million placed with funds that might include companies in Israel.

Anti-Israel singer Kehlani has Central Park concert nixed after pressure from NYC mayor’s office

Kehlani (center) at the 2024 WeHo Pride Parade on June 2, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images/AFP)

A concert in Central Park for the anti-Israel singer Kehlani is canceled after pressure from the New York City mayor’s office.

Kehlani was supposed to perform next month at a show called “Pride with Kehlani,” during the city’s LGBTQ Pride month. The show was hosted by the City Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that partners with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and receives public funding.

Kehlani has said, “Fuck Israel,” “Fuck Zionism,” “Dismantle Israel,” and shared other calls for Israel’s destruction on social media. Last year, she put out a music video that flashed the message, “Long live the intifada.”

The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams pressured the foundation to cancel the show, citing security concerns, The New York Post reports.

The foundation canceled the show following a letter from the mayor’s office, the report says.

Adams’ press secretary, Kayla Mamelak Altus, says on X, “We are grateful to the City Parks Foundation for responding to our concerns and canceling the Kehlani concert in Central Park.”

Kehlani arrives at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres also pushed for the show’s cancellation.

“Antisemitism becomes unacceptable only when we, as a society, have the courage to reject it,” Torres says after the show’s cancellation.

Cornell University in upstate New York canceled a Kehlani performance last month, due to her anti-Israel rhetoric.

IDF says it targeted Hezbollah weapons manufacturing, storage site in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley

The IDF confirms carrying out airstrikes in Lebanon this evening, saying it targeted infrastructure at a Hezbollah “strategic weapons” manufacturing and storage site in the Beqaa Valley area.

The strike was carried out after the military says it identified that Hezbollah was working to restore the facility, which had been targeted in the past.

Additionally, the IDF says it struck several more Hezbollah sites in the Srifa area of southern Lebanon this evening.

The Hezbollah activity and the presence of weapons in the targeted areas “constitute blatant violations of the understandings agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF adds.