Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Thursday’s events as they happened.
Shin Bet said urging lawmakers to treat proliferation of weapons in Arab communities as national security threat
Shin Bet officials are reportedly urging politicians to treat the proliferation of weapons in Arab society as a national security threat, reports Israel’s Channel 12 News.
According to the report, the agency’s research division authored a document defining the accessibility and quantity of illegal arms in Arab society as “a threat to Israel’s national security” that must be dealt with immediately.
The Shin Bet reportedly fears another outbreak of widespread nationalist violence, akin to the interethnic riots that swept across mixed cities on the backdrop of the 2021 Gaza war.
The document reportedly suggests that in order to deter illegal weapons trafficking, enforcement agencies treat weapons-related offenses as security offenses — a move that would lead to harsher sentencing for the former.
Violent crime in Arab society has spiraled in recent years, claiming 89 lives since the start of 2025. According to the Abraham Initiatives, there has been an 84% jump in the number of Arab sector homicides compared to the same time last year.
Arab resident deported from Israel to Gaza in February said killed in Israeli airstrike
Basel al-Qur'an, a temporary resident of Israel who was deported to Gaza after serving out a jail sentence for traffic violations, takes a selfie in Rafah on March 5, 2025. (Courtesy)
An Arab man deported from Israel to Gaza in February was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Rafah, reports the Arab48 news site.
28-year-old Basel al-Qur’an was born in Deir al-Balah but spent his entire adult life in Israel, until he was sent back to the Strip when he completed a prison sentence for traffic violations.
Al-Qur’an’s mother Marwa tells the outlet yesterday that she was notified of her son’s death by one of the people he had been staying with in the Strip. His corpse was taken to Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis for identification. It is unclear when al-Qur’an was killed.
Al-Qur’an was born to an Arab Israeli mother and an Egyptian father in Gaza. Upon his parents’ divorce, he moved with his mother to Israel as an adolescent, where he spent his entire adult life.
Though his mother, wife and children are Israeli citizens, al-Qur’an was never able to obtain permanent residency or citizenship in Israel due to a 2003 law largely barring Palestinians married to Israeli citizens from the naturalization process.
Al-Qur’an migrated to Israel in 2013 on a temporary permit granted by the army that must be renewed every six months. Holders of these permits are largely barred from obtaining driver’s licenses.
In June 2023, Al-Qur’an was arrested and convicted of driving without a license — which he could not obtain because of his temporary status in Israel.
Basel al-Qur’an, a temporary resident of Israel deported to the Gaza Strip, with his two eldest children Adam and Marwa. (Courtesy)
His residency permit expired during the 20 months he spent in prison, leaving him without legal status in Israel. He was deported to Rafah upon his release from prison.
Over several phone calls with The Times of Israel in March, the deportee claimed that upon his release from Shikma Prison on February 1 — the same day that 150 Gazan security detainees were freed as part of the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas — Shin Bet agents took him to the Kerem Shalom border crossing, where two IDF soldiers loaded him onto an aid truck headed to Rafah.
His lawyer, Uzi Avraham, appealed to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Defense Ministry body that oversees coordination in the West Bank and Gaza, requesting he be allowed to return to Israel.
According to Avraham, COGAT responded that they were reviewing the situation and would decide how to address it by the end of March, however both Avraham and al-Qur’an say the agency never followed up with them.
PA president Abbas calls on new pope Leo XIV to uphold predecessor’s ‘legacy’ of defending Palestinian rights
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas calls on the new Pope Leo XIV to pursue the “peace efforts” of his predecessor Francis, an official statement says.
Abbas sends “best wishes for the success of Pope Leo XIV in the pursuit of his noble task and maintaining the legacy of the late Pope Francis,” says the statement. Abbas highlighted the “importance of the moral, religious and political role of the Vatican in the defence of just causes,” adding that “the Palestinian people and their right to liberty and independence” should be at the top.
Pope Francis, who died last month after a 12-year papacy, had drawn anger from Israel over his criticism of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
IDF says baby lightly hurt in stone-throwing attack on bus in Jordan Valley
The military says that a baby was lightly wounded while riding on a bus in the Jordan Valley that was targeted in a stone-throwing attack.
The Israel Defense Forces says the baby was treated at the scene and that troops are searching for the culprits.
PM congratulates new pope, wishes him ‘success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a statement through his office congratulating Pope Leo XIV on his election as head of the Catholic Church.
“I wish the first Pope from the United States success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths,” says the post on the official X account of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Appeals court overturns decision to release top Netanyahu aide from police custody
Jonatan Urich, adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is seen before a press conference in Tel Aviv on October 4, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
An appeals court overturns a lower court’s decision to release Jonatan Urich from custody, ordering him to remain detained until Monday as suspicions against him “significantly strengthened in the past day.”
The judge also orders an end to the house arrest of Eli Feldstein, another key suspect in the so-called Qatargate affair, who is a defendant in a case involving the leak of classified documents to and from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
IDF suspends reservist from combat duty over video calling to blow up Al-Aqsa Mosque
The IDF has suspended a reservist from combat duty after a video posted to social media showed him calling to blow up Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Like we are blowing up a picture of Al-Aqsa, God willing, we will have the privilege of really blowing up Al-Aqsa and building the temple,” the reservist says in a video, as he is seen rigging up explosives in a home, while pointing to a decorative piece depicting the mosque in Jerusalem.
In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF says that when commanders discovered the video, the reservist was dismissed by his battalion commander and received a formal reprimand.
“The IDF views these types of statements, which are contrary to the IDF’s values, with great severity,” the army adds.
מי שאחראי בראש ובראשונה לזוהמה המסוכנת הזו ולהתפשטות התופעה הוא לא סמוטריץ׳ ולא בן גביר בלבד. הוא הרמט״ל וגם הפצ״רית. ורק אח״כ הם ועוד אחרים. pic.twitter.com/IvyUH1FnWS
— Ahmad Tibi (@Ahmad_tibi) May 8, 2025
Netanyahu speaks with fathers of hostages Avinatan Or and Eitan Horn
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says he spoke this evening with the fathers of hostages Avinatan Or and Eitan Horn.
“During the conversation, the prime minister described the efforts to return all the captives and clarified that this is a mission that the government is not letting up on,” says a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office without offering further details.
Horn’s brother, Iair, was freed during the most recent ceasefire, while Or’s partner Noa Argamani was rescued during an operation in Gaza last year.
US State Department says solution for Gaza food aid ‘steps away’ but doesn’t offer details
The US State Department says a solution to be able to deliver food aid to Gaza was “steps away” and an announcement is coming shortly, although it falls short of detailing what the plan will entail.
Regev meets with Israeli airlines as foreign flight cancellations strand Israelis abroad
Travelers at Ben Gurion Airport on May 7, 2025. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
Transportation Minister Miri Regev is holding an emergency meeting with the heads of Israeli carriers after almost all foreign airlines temporarily suspended service to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, leaving thousands of Israelis stranded abroad.
Regev, together with Economy Minister Nir Barkat and Israel Airports Authority officials, is meeting with the heads of Israeli flagship carrier El Al and smaller local airlines Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa to discuss assistance solutions to help bring back Israelis from overseas.
“In a time of national emergency, I expect Israeli airlines to show responsibility and refrain from exploiting the situation, and unfair price increases for Israeli consumers so that we don’t have to activate the regulatory tools at our disposal,” says Barkat. “Israeli aviation companies must show solidarity and act out of a mission and not burden the public.”
Among the measures under discussion with local carriers are reducing ticket price restrictions for major destinations and preparing for the activation of emergency plans in case of another wave of cancellations.
Most foreign airlines servicing Israel this week canceled their flights to Israel shortly after a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis struck inside the grounds of Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday.
Huckabee says US ‘not required to get permission’ from Israel to cut deal with Houthis
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks at the Jewish News Syndicate conference in Jerusalem, on April 28, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says that after speaking with US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, he understands that Washington’s actions against Houthi attacks on Israel will depend on whether American citizens are harmed, according to Channel 12 news.
“The United States isn’t required to get permission from Israel to make some type of arrangement that would get the Houthis from firing on our ships,” Huckabee says in a clip from an interview set to air this weekend on the Israeli network.
His comments follow Trump’s surprise announcement this week of a bilateral ceasefire agreement between the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and the US, after which the rebel group vowed to continue its attacks on Israel.
“Here’s what I can tell you, because I had a conversation with both the president and the vice president last night,” Huckabee continues.
“There’s 700,000 Americans living in Israel, if the Houthis want to continue doing things to Israel and they hurt an American, then it becomes our business,” says the ambassador.
Asked by Channel 12 to clarify whether he means that only if a Houthi missile hits an American citizen will the US intervene to fight the rebel group, the ambassador says, “It’s a matter of what becomes our immediate business.”
New judicial ombudsman appointed by newly formed coalition-controlled panel
Retired Judge Asher Kula is selected by a newly formed statutory committee to serve as the state ombudsman for judges, after a year in which the position has been vacant.
Kula was first elected to serve as a judge in 2004 and served as deputy president of the Nazareth District Court from 2021 to 2024 when he retired.
The committee for appointing the state ombudsman for judges selected Kula for the post in a five to two vote, with former deputy Supreme Court president Elyakim Rubenstein and former president of the National Labor Court Varda Wirth Livne voting against.
Rubenstein and Wirth Livne believed that since the position of ombudsman has been filled until now only by retired Supreme Court judges, it was appropriate to choose one of the retired district court presidents for the post.
The committee to appoint the ombudsman was only recently formed after the government forced through legislation in the Knesset giving the current coalition an automatic majority on the panel, whereas previously the president of the Supreme Court and the justice minister would agree on a candidate who was confirmed by the Judicial Selection Committee.
Government watchdog groups have petitioned the High Court of Justice against the legislation.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who is engaged in an ongoing battle with the judiciary, welcomed Kula’s appointment, saying that the ombudsman “plays a central role in strengthening public confidence in the judicial system, through external, effective and independent oversight.”
The Judicial Authority, which represents the judiciary, also welcomes Kula’s appointment, although it adds that it was of the position during the legislative process for the new appointments system that a retired Supreme Court judge or retired district court president should fill the role.
“This is without detracting from the estimation for Judge Kula,” the Judicial Authority says in its statement, adding that it will work together with him “to strengthen public trust” in the judicial system.
PM claims half of Israelis oppose state inquiry into Oct. 7 despite polls showing otherwise
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised his voice in a meeting with reservist soldiers while decrying the prospect of a state commission of inquiry to probe the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, terror onslaught by Hamas, according to the Ynet news site.
“Half the nation wants Supreme Court President Isaac Amit to decide and everything will be all right. Half of the nation won’t accept this and therefore the only way to do this is to get away from these two entities,” Netanyahu is quoted as saying.
The premier then reportedly raised his voice and banged on the table, adding, “You think someone here really knows what happened? Each time I discover interesting things.”
Despite Netanyahu’s assertion, recent polls have consistently showed an overwhelming majority of Israelis support a state commission of inquiry into October 7, including a survey last month that found 75 percent of Israelis back such a commission.
Herzog congratulates new pope: ‘May we see the return of the hostages in Gaza and a new era of peace’
President Isaac Herzog issues a statement congratulating Pope Leo XIV on his election as the new head of the Catholic Church.
Herzog, who stresses he’s sending “warmest wishes from the Holy City of Jerusalem,” says that is looking forward “to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world.”
“May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples. May we see the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world,” he adds.
‘Peace be with you,’ says Pope Leo XIV in first words after being elected pontiff
Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica after his election, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (AP/Gregorio Borgia)
In his first words, Pope Leo XIV, history’s first American pope, Robert Prevost, says, “Peace be with you.”
From the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, he recalls that he was an Augustinian priest, but a Christian above all, and a bishop, “so we can all walk together.”
He speaks in Italian and then switches to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
Ahead of Mother’s Day, mom of Edan Alexander says she’s unable to celebrate while son still in captivity
Hagit Chen, mother of hostage Itay Chen, considered to have been killed and his body taken captive on October 7, 2023, speaks during a Zoom interview on May 8, 2025. (Courtesy screengrab)
Hagit Chen, mother of hostage Itay Chen, a soldier whose remains were abducted by Hamas terrorists after he was killed on October 7, 2023, says that she finds it difficult to acknowledge that her son is dead, as there is no physical evidence of his death, only intelligence information.
“He was 19 when he was kidnapped, and I say he’s 21 because I’m counting the years since October 7,” says Chen. “We didn’t have a funeral, we didn’t sit shiva, we don’t have a grave, we can’t go to a cemetery. It’s really difficult to acknowledge that he’s dead, even though they pronounced that Itay is not alive. I still dream about him coming back to me.”
Chen, along with Yael Alexander, mother of hostage Edan Alexander, and Herut Nimrodi, mother of hostage Tamir Nimrodi, speak to the press ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 11.
The three women talk about being mothers who haven’t seen their sons in 19 months, and the pain of not knowing their children’s fates.
Alexander, who lives in Tenafly, New Jersey, remarks about her family’s usual Mother’s Day celebrations, which follow her birthday on May 9. She says she is unable to celebrate anything since Edan was taken captive.
“Sadness is all over me,” she says. “I don’t sleep at night, I cry every night. It’s 580 days and still I’m stuck on October 7. The emotions, the fear, the emptiness in my heart. I’m just hoping something is going to happen, that we’re going to see changes in the near future. We have to have this closure.”
The three women speak about first hearing in the media about the comments made by Sara Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump regarding doubts about three hostages who may no longer be alive.
“It’s not okay to get any news like that,” says Alexander. “To suddenly hear Sara Netanyahu say something like it doesn’t matter, and then President Trump, it was very disturbing and concerning for all the families. This is a human life.”
Yael Alexander, mother of hostage Edan Alexander, speaks during a Zoom interview on May 8, 2025 (Courtesy Screengrab)
Alexander adds that her family is hoping and praying that Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East next week will yield some movement, declaration, or announcement regarding the hostages.
“President Trump is known as a very creative person and we want him to surprise us with some good news,” says Chen.
Revolutionary Guards chief warns Iran will ‘open the gates of hell’ if attacked by US or Israel
Islamic Revolutionary Guard chief Hossein Salami speaks during a memorial service for slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah and his successor Hashem Safieddine in Iran's capital Tehran on February 23, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami warns that any attack by the United States or Israel will “open the gates of hell.”
“These are serious warnings to the Zionist and American authorities… If you make the slightest mistake, we will open the gates of hell for you,” Salami says in a video carried by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Cardinal Robert Prevost named as Pope Leo XIV; is first American pontiff
Cardinal Robert Prevost appears on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica after being chosen the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, choosing the name of Pope Leo XIV, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (AP/Alessandra Tarantino)
USA Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church and has taken the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announces to crowds in St. Peter’s Square.
He is the first American pope.
Mother of Tamir Nimrodi says he’s one of the hostages who may no longer be alive
Herut Nimrodi, mother of hostage Tamir Nimrodi, on May 8, 2025 (Courtesy screengrab)
Herut Nimrodi, mother of hostage soldier Tamir Nimrodi, says in a Zoom meeting with journalists organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and MediaCentral that her son is one of the three captives who may no longer be alive.
“It’s not that there’s new information,” says Nimrodi. “They are just mentioning the three hostages for whom there have been no signs of life since October 7.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday there is “doubt” as to whether three Israeli hostages held in Gaza are still alive, after comments by his wife and by US President Donald Trump had called into question Israel’s official estimate that 24 living hostages remain in the Strip.
As other hostages have been released in hostage deals or rescued from captivity, they have brought signs of life from other hostages.
“As hostages came home, we wished we’d get some details of Tamir, but nothing,” says Nimrodi. “There’s no indication yet and we’re still waiting.”
Nimrodi says there are serious concerns as to whether her son, an education officer serving in the Defense Ministry body that liaises with Palestinians on civilian affairs, has survived captivity, though those concerns have existed for the last 19 months.
“It’s been a very emotional couple of days for me because everybody has been asking me about Tamir,” says Nimrodi. “And there’s nothing new, but the comments from Sara Netanyahu and [US President Donald] Trump just raised the question of what has happened to him.”
Tamir Nimrodi was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, from his army base near Erez Crossing (Courtesy)
Nimrodi was one of the first hostages taken captive when he was abducted at 7:15 a.m. on October 7 from his base near the Gaza border. He texted his mother that morning, telling her he would be home soon.
Late that afternoon, his 14-year-old sister found a video posted by the terrorists on Instagram, showing Tamir in pajamas, barefoot and without his glasses. He was hiding his face so that the terrorists couldn’t hit him as hard.
“The last footage showed him being led by force into Gaza,” says Nimrodi. “And that’s the last sign of Tamir. There’s no indication whether he survived or not.”
“As a mother, I’m very worried,” she says. “If he’s surviving, if he’s held alone. I can’t even describe what that means to me.”
NY man charged with antisemitic attacks found with weapons, hundreds of thousands in cash, feds say
Court filings provide further information about a New York man charged with a series of antisemitic attacks.
The US Department of Justice charged Tarek Bazrouk, 20, with hate crimes yesterday for assaulting Jews, including two Columbia University students, during three separate Gaza protests.
A federal attorney files a letter in the case saying a search of Bazrouk’s apartment turned up weapons and “hundreds of thousands of dollars in unexplained cash.” Bazrouk lived in the Manhattan apartment with other family members and was previously arrested for dealing drugs.
The weapons were several knives including a switch blade, brass knuckles, an airsoft gun that looks like an actual firearm, and spent bullet casings.
The letter says Bazrouk threatened violence in text messages with unnamed acquaintances. He threatened to shoot people using a gun emoji, and in another text, said, “You know i gothcu and if I don’t my gun do.”
“If I ever see 1 of them ima boom them,” he said in another message, referring to Jews.
He also shared images of bullets and firearms on social media that suggested he had access to guns.
Bazrouk visited the West Bank and Jordan in 2024, the letter says. He texted friends that during the visit he found out he has family members in Hamas, saying that it made him “mad happy.” He wore a Hamas headband to at least one protest.
The letter urges the court to hold Bazrouk in custody ahead of a bail hearing later this month because he poses a threat and a flight risk.
The three protests where Bazrouk assaulted Jews were led by Within Our Lifetime, the leading anti-Israel protest group in New York City. Other activists affiliated with the group are in prison for antisemitic hate crimes.
IDF says rocket sirens activated in Gaza border communities due to false alarm
Rocket sirens sound in the Gaza border communities of Sufa and Nir Yitzhak.
Shortly after the sirens sound, the IDF says it was a false alarm.
IDF releases video of strike on underground Hezbollah facility near Beaufort Castle
The IDF releases footage showing its airstrikes earlier today against an underground Hezbollah facility near the Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.
The footage also shows a drone strike on a Hezbollah operative in the area of the facility, according to the military.
מצורפים תיעודים מתקיפות צה״ל מוקדם יותר היום באתר הצבאי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב רכס הבופור pic.twitter.com/iMGBUP8o6j
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 8, 2025
Catholic churches in Jerusalem’s Old City ring bells to celebrate election of new pope
Celebratory bells peal from Catholic churches in Jerusalem’s Old City after the Cardinal electors elect a new pope in The Vatican.
The new pontiff will soon emerge at the window of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Netanyahu: Victory in Gaza requires defeating Hamas, releasing our hostages
This handout photo shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with reserve soldiers at Tzeelim training base in southern Israel, May 8, 2025. (Ma’ayan Toaf/GPO)
Victory in Gaza means both defeating Hamas and freeing the hostages, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to reservist soldiers at the Tzeelim training base in the south.
“We are determined to achieve two goals,” says Netanyahu. “One — to defeat Hamas, to defeat Hamas, to eliminate Hamas. The second thing, of course, at the same time — to release our hostages.”
Netanyahu said last week that the ultimate goal of the war is the defeat of Hamas, which angered hostage families.
“To Hamas, I say one thing: — the rules are going to change very soon,” Netanyahu says.
The security cabinet approved a new plan which would see the Israel Defense Forces take control of the Gaza Strip and remain in captured territory.
“We have more challenges, but we have a strong spirit, and this spirit is achieved by our army, which is composed of both regulars and reservists,” says Netanyahu.
His government has come under fire as tens of thousands of reservists are being called up once again, while it promotes a conscription bill that would allow the vast majority of ultra-Orthodox men to avoid military service.
“The reservists do a fantastic job,” says Netanyahu. “It places a great burden on them, on their families, on their wives and children, and sometimes their spouses. And we are determined to help them, because they deserve everything. We have given a lot, but more needs to be given – and we will do it.”
White smoke emerges from Sistine Chapel, signaling new pope has been chosen
This photograph shows white smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaling that cardinals elected a new pope during their conclave in the Vatican on May 8, 2025. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP)
White smoke appears from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signaling that the 133 Roman Catholic cardinals meeting in a secret conclave have elected a new pope.
Mahmoud Abbas’s deputy meets Saudi crown prince for first time since appointment
Hussein al-Sheikh, recently appointed deputy to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, held his first official meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The meeting comes two weeks after al-Sheikh was named to the position.
According to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, the two leaders discussed “developments in Palestine and strengthening joint efforts surrounding the Palestinian cause.”
Arab media outlets report that Arab states pressured Abbas to appoint a deputy.
سمو #ولي_العهد يستقبل نائب رئيس دولة فلسطين، ويبحثان تطورات الأوضاع في فلسطين، وسُبل تعزيز العمل المشترك لدعم القضية الفلسطينية، ومصالح الشعب الفلسطيني الشقيق.#واس pic.twitter.com/pKgjuvGTwO
— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) May 8, 2025
IDF, Shin Bet say Gaza City strike killed Hamas terrorist involved in kidnapping Yaffa Adar
This screenshot from a video shows the abduction of hostage Yaffa Adar on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorist Mohammed Rasmi Marzouk Baraka. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF and Shin Bet announce that a Hamas terrorist involved in the kidnapping of Yaffa Adar, 85, during the October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City yesterday.
The terrorist is identified as Mohammed Rasmi Marzouk Baraka, a member of Hamas’s intelligence division.
Baraka can be seen in infamous footage showing the abduction of Adar from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Adar was released from captivity in November 2023.
The second terrorist in the car, Asim Hatab, was reportedly killed several months following Adar’s abduction, though the military has not confirmed this.
The military does not say where in Gaza City the strike took place yesterday.
Hamas authorities reported yesterday that a strike on a former school in the neighborhood of Tuffah in Gaza City killed at least 15, and another strike near a market in the city killed a further 33. The figures have not been verified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The IDF says Hamas “systematically violates international law, while cynically using civilian infrastructure for terror activity.”
This video shows the abduction of hostage Yaffa Adar on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorist Mohammed Rasmi Marzouk Baraka. (Israel Defense Forces)
Trump drops Biden’s demand that Saudis recognize Israel in nuclear deal with US — sources
People walk past an electronic billboard that shows US President Donald Trump, left, shaking hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the pro-normalization message 'We are ready,' in Tel Aviv, February 3, 2025. (AP Photo/ Ariel Schalit)
The United States is no longer demanding Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as a condition for progress on civil nuclear cooperation talks, two sources with knowledge of the matter tell Reuters ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit next week.
Washington would be making a major concession by dropping the demand that Saudi Arabia establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Under former US president Joe Biden, nuclear talks were an element of a wider US-Saudi deal tied to normalization and Riyadh’s goal of a defense treaty with Washington.
The kingdom has repeatedly said it would not recognize Israel without a Palestinian state, frustrating Biden administration attempts to expand the Abraham Accords signed during Trump’s first term. Under those accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized relations with Israel. Progress toward Saudi recognition of Israel has been halted by fury in Arab countries over the war raging in Gaza. The nuclear talks had also stumbled over Washington’s non-proliferation concerns.
In a possible sign of a new approach, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Saudi Arabia and the United States were on a “pathway” to a civil nuclear agreement when he visited the kingdom in April.
“When we have something to announce, you will hear it from the President. Any reports on this are speculative,” US National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt tells Reuters in response to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Even without the normalization requirement for civil nuclear talks to progress, and despite unpacking the issue from a wider defense treaty, a deal is not yet in close reach, one of the sources says.
US slaps sanctions on another Chinese ‘teapot’ refiner of Iranian oil
The United States imposes sanctions on a Chinese refinery of Iranian oil, its latest pressure against Tehran despite ongoing talks on a nuclear deal.
The Treasury Department says it’s targeting Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group and three port terminal operators in Shandong province which it said had been involved in handling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil.
“The United States remains resolved to intensify pressure on all elements of Iran’s oil supply chain to prevent the regime from generating revenue to further its destabilizing agenda,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says in a statement.
The State Department says it was the third US action against a so-called teapot, or small-scale, refinery in China since early February when President Donald Trump issued an order to increase pressure on Iran.
Trump, however, has also said that he is acting reluctantly and that he is hopeful for a deal on Iran’s nuclear program that averts a threatened Israeli military strike.
UNRWA chief decries closure of 6 agency schools in East Jerusalem
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees condemns the closure of six UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem by Israeli forces as an “assault on children.”
“An assault on children. An assault on education. A sad day in occupied East Jerusalem… Storming schools & forcing them shut is a blatant disregard of international law,” Philippe Lazzarini writes on X. “These schools are inviolable premises of the United Nations.”
The closures were carried out in accordance with a law barring UNRWA from operating in Jerusalem over its ties to terror organizations.
German intel agency suspends labeling of AfD as ‘right-wing extremist’ pending appeal
COLOGNE, Germany — Germany’s domestic intelligence service will temporarily suspend its classification of the far-right AfD party as a “right-wing extremist” group pending a legal appeal, a court says.
The BfV agency last week announced it was giving the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany the label after a lengthy investigation, accusing it of seeking to undermine the country’s democracy.
But the AfD — which came second in February elections, behind only new Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives — said the move was politically motivated and lodged a legal challenge.
The Cologne court says the BfV spy agency will no longer refer to the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” organization in public and remove a press release about the designation from its website.
The BfV was taking such steps without admitting any legal liability, a court statement adds, pointing out that the agency is waiting for the outcome of the AfD’s challenge.
AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla say in a statement posted on X that the party had scored “a partial success.”
“This is an important first step to us being fully in the clear and countering accusations of right-wing extremism,” they add.
IDF says over 150 targets struck across Gaza in the past 3 days
An Israeli fighter jet drops flares above the Gaza Strip as pictured from a position near the southern Israeli border with the coastal enclave, on May 8. (Menahem Kahana/AFP)
The IDF says it struck over 150 targets in the Gaza Strip in the past 72 hours, including cells of terror operatives, buildings used by terror groups, and other infrastructure.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported nearly 200 dead in the past three days. The figures have not been verified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
A drone strike yesterday in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed a Hamas commander, identified by the IDF as Nasser Juma. The military says he was a veteran member of Hamas’s rocket production unit.
EU foreign policy chief: Most countries in bloc say Gaza situation is untenable
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking at an informal meeting of EU foreign policy ministers in Poland, says that a majority of European countries agreed that the situation in Gaza is untenable and rapidly deteriorating.
41 antisemitic hate crimes reported to NY police in April, highest in 10 months
The NYPD reports 41 antisemitic hate crimes in April, the highest monthly tally since the 45 incidents in June 2024.
There were more antisemitic hate crimes last month than incidents targeting all other groups combined, as in nearly every month.
Last month there were 10 crimes targeting Asians, seven against Black people, one against a Hispanic person, one against another ethnicity, two based on gender, four motivated by sexual orientation, three against white people, two Islamophobic incidents, and five against other religious groups.
The total for the month was 76, meaning Jews were targeted in 54% of all hate crimes in the city.
There was a surge of antisemitic incidents following the October 2023 invasion of Israel, and the rate has fluctuated since then. In the past year, the number of incidents ranges from 55 last May to 18 in January.
There have been 380 antisemitic incidents in the past year, from May 2024 through last month.
The numbers are preliminary and subject to change if, for example, a crime that appeared to be antisemitic turns out to have been motivated by other factors.
Jewish security groups and hate crimes experts say many incidents likely go unreported.
Knesset panel chair urges ‘real solution’ as work set to begin on new Haredi draft bill
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein chairs a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, March 10, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense committee has finished its deliberations on a proposed bill regulating Haredi military enlistment and will begin drafting a new text of the controversial legislation, chairman Yuli Edelstein announces.
Addressing members of the committee following the end of its latest meeting, the Likud lawmaker states that “we have completed the discussions phase” and that the committee’s legal staff will now begin drafting an updated version of the legislation.
“We need a real solution, and I very much hope that we will be able to bring one,” he states.
IDF: 340 Israelis who received draft order detained this year while trying to leave country
Since the beginning of the year, 340 Israelis who received military draft orders and dodged service were detained while trying to leave the country, Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate’s Planning and Personnel Management Division, tells lawmakers.
Testifying before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tayeb says of this group, 52 recently received orders as part of an effort to recruit ultra-Orthodox men. The IDF has sent out some 14,000 draft orders to Haredim since June.
Of those who were detained, 23 have since been drafted to the IDF, he says.
Security forces say Palestinian gunman killed by troops in Nablus
A police handout photo shows a handgun, cash and a tactical vest that were recovered from a Palestinian gunman killed in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on May 8, 2025. (Israel Police)
A wanted Palestinian gunman was killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Nablus a short while ago, the IDF, police, and Shin Bet say.
Undercover Border Police officers entered Nablus to detain a member of the former Lion’s Den terror group, who was allegedly planning attacks.
According to police, the officers covertly reached the area where the suspect was and identified him as armed. The officers opened fire, killing the wanted man.
A handgun and cash were found on his body, and a tactical vest was found in his car, police say.
Another wanted Palestinian was detained by the forces in the area and handed over to the Shin Bet for questioning, the statement says.
During the operation, troops opened fire on Palestinians hurling explosives and shooting at the forces. No Israeli forces were hurt, the statement adds.
NYPD: 78 arrested at last night’s Columbia anti-Israel protest
Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters are escorted out of Columbia University's Butler Library after being arrested for occupying the library space on May 7, 2025, in New York City.(Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP)
The New York Police Department says 78 individuals were arrested at last night’s Columbia University protest.
An NYPD spokesperson says two were issued summonses to appear in court, but there is no information yet on the charges.
In a raucous protest, anti-Israel demonstrators took over a library reading room right before final exams, chanting for an “intifada” and vandalizing the building.
The university called in the police after the protesters refused to identify themselves and leave, and other activists attempted to force their way into the building, past campus safety officers.
NOW: Massive Police line outside of Columbia University makes arrests as they clear the street for NYPD busses removing arrested protesters from Butler library. pic.twitter.com/SIDmmfPPGy
— Oliya Scootercaster ???? (@ScooterCasterNY) May 8, 2025
Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman releases a video statement on the protest, saying she saw the library room “defaced and damaged in disturbing ways and with disturbing slogans.”
“Violence and vandalism, hijacking a library — none of that has any place on our campus,” Shipman says. “Let me be clear: Columbia unequivocally rejects antisemitism and all other forms of harassment and discrimination.”
Shipman says 900 students were forced out of the library during the protests.
She adds that two campus safety officers were wounded. One was wheeled out on a gurney and another required bandages.
Jewish students and faculty applaud the university’s response to the protest, in stark contrast from last year, when the administration was widely criticized for its handling of demonstrations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, “We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University’s library.”
“Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation,” Rubio says on X.
ADL: Antisemitic harassment of Jewish US lawmakers nearly quintupled after Facebook changed policy
Antisemitic harassment targeting Jewish members of Congress on Facebook has increased nearly fivefold since the site changed its content moderation policies at the beginning of 2025, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says.
At the time, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, loosened restrictions on certain types of speech and shifted away from third-party fact-checking towards a user-generated “community notes” system for addressing potentially misleading content.
Researchers at ADL’s Center for Technology and Society found that after the change, the average number of antisemitic comments per day on the Facebook accounts of 30 Jewish lawmakers jumped from 6.5 to almost 30 between February 4 and April 7, 2025.
“Meta bears responsibility for the harm that its recent moderation policy rollback has caused,” says ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, adding that the company is “enabling, if not actively encouraging, antisemitic, hateful, and toxic activity.”
The ADL, which analyzed over 337,000 comments for the report, had previously warned that Meta’s changes would lead to increased hate speech, it notes. ADL called on Meta to reconsider its decision.
In response, a Meta spokesperson says the report uses a flawed methodology and presents a false narrative.
“As always, we remove violating antisemitic content, and our enforcement here has not changed,” the spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.
Russia and China slam Trump’s plans for US version of Iron Dome as ‘deeply destabilizing’
Russia and China slam US President Donald Trump’s plans for an “Iron Dome” missile defense system as “deeply destabilizing” in a joint statement issued after talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Moscow.
“The recently announced large-scale ‘Golden (Iron) Dome for America’ program is also deeply destabilizing,” says the statement published by the Kremlin. The plan “explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space,” it adds.
Ahead of Lag B’Omer, ombudsman tells PM that recent fires ‘must be a wakeup call’
State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman sends a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Lag B’Omer, which is traditionally marked with bonfires, warning the recent major blazes over Memorial Day and Independence Day “must be a wakeup call.”
“The fire service cannot contend with the challenge alone,” Englman writes.
He calls on Netanyahu to take immediate steps to boost firefighters’ capabilities in case of emergency, noting the heatwave forecast for the coming days.
Englman describes last week’s forest fires as “a near-disaster with dozens of victims that would have ended more gravely than the Carmel fire in 2010,” referring to the country’s deadliest conflagration.
24 Israeli academic institutions adopt IHRA definition of antisemitism
Twenty-four Israeli universities and higher education institutions have formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
The decision is praised by advocacy organizations and student leaders, including the National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS), the World Zionist Organization, and CAMERA. NUIS, in collaboration with Israeli student unions, adopted the IHRA definition in January and called on academic institutions in Israel to take a similar step.
The IHRA definition is a framework for identifying and responding to contemporary antisemitism formulated in 2016. It has been adopted by more than 1,200 organizations, universities and other entities around the world.
The move coincides with Israel taking over the rotating presidency of the IHRA, an international body of more than 40 member countries dedicated to Holocaust remembrance, education, and research.
“Israel carrying the torch of the global fight against antisemitism this year as president of IHRA underscores the importance of organizations and bodies, including Israeli academia, to confront the unprecedented amount of antisemitism and BDS efforts that have raised their heads since October 7th,” notes Tom Yohay, manager of CAMERA on Campus Israel.
Judge slams police over Qatargate investigation, says Urich ‘unlawfully arrested’
Likud media adviser Jonatan Urich arrives at a conference organized by Makor Rishon and the Israeli Democracy Institute at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, November 11, 2019. (Noam Revkin/ File)
Judge Menachem Mizrahi of the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court rejects the police request to extend the detention of Jonatan Urich, a key suspect in the Qatargate affair, and issues sharp criticism of investigators over their handling of the case and the allegations themselves.
Urich was arrested late last night after being detained and questioned regarding new evidence.
Mizrahi declares, however, there was no reason to arrest Urich, adding that the suspect was “unlawfully arrested.”
The judge continues, saying “there is a creeping feeling that the investigation is steaming ahead without anyone stopping on the side and asking themselves ‘what crime has been committed here?'”
Adds the judge, “It is not possible to accept the request to extend Urich’s detention, and no court that is concerned for human liberty would allow this.”
The judge nevertheless agrees to delay Urich’s release by 24 hours to enable the police to appeal his decision.
Germany slams Russian ‘lies’ about Ukraine during WWII commemoration day
A Ukraine supporter standing behind a NATO flag waves a Ukraine flag at the Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten in Berlin on May 8, 2025, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the 1945 victory against Nazi Germany. (Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticizes Russia’s “historical lies” over the Ukraine war, as he marks the Nazi defeat that ended World War II in Europe 80 years ago.
In a speech to parliament in Berlin, Steinmeier expresses gratitude to the Allied soldiers and resistance movements that defeated Nazi Germany “with all their strength and at great sacrifice.”
He also praises the Soviet Red Army — in which Russian and Ukrainian troops fought side-by-side — for their role in the Nazis’ defeat, noting it had liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.
“We do not forget this,” Steinmeier tells the Bundestag, during a somber commemoration on the May 8 anniversary of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender to the Allies.
“But precisely because of this, we firmly oppose the Kremlin’s historical lies today.”
Russia has cast its three-year offensive against Ukraine as a fight against “neo-Nazis” and has channeled its own wartime legacy to justify the war.
But Steinmeier goes on: “The war against Ukraine is not a continuation of the fight against fascism.
“(President Vladimir) Putin’s war of aggression, his campaign against a free, democratic country, has nothing in common with the fight against Nazi tyranny in World War II.”
Others in the West and Kyiv, including independent experts, have also rejected Moscow’s narratives.
Germany has been a key backer of Kyiv in its fight against Moscow. Russia’s ambassador to Berlin was not invited to today’s commemoration, which was being marked with a public holiday in the capital.
Red Cross says Israeli aid blockade of Gaza ‘unacceptable,’ humanitarian situation on ‘razor’s edge’
Palestinian boys salvage bread from a makeshift bakery hit in Israeli strikes at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on May 8, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
The Red Cross has denounced the human cost of the war raging in Gaza, slamming Israel’s “unacceptable” full blockade on aid into the besieged and conflict-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which they say has been exacerbated by an Israeli blockade on all aid since early March.
“It is unacceptable that humanitarian aid is not allowed into the Gaza Strip,” Pierre Krahenbuhl, director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), tells reporters in Geneva.
“That’s just fundamentally against anything that international humanitarian law provides.”
The situation in Gaza is on a “razor’s edge” and “the next few days are absolutely decisive,” he adds.
“There’s a moment where we will also run out of anything that’s left in terms of medical supplies and other” aid, he says.
Israel denies a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the Gaza Strip, where it plans to expand military operations to force Hamas to free hostages held there since the terror group’s unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack.
At the same time, officials have acknowledged that food is running low and that new supplies will need to be brought in soon. Israel is reportedly working on a new mechanism to supply aid in a manner that will prevent goods from being stolen by Hamas, as Israel has accused the terror group of diverting much of the aid that goes in.
“Right now, the most effective way to get aid to people is to lift… actions or decisions that were taken to prevent aid from reaching” inside Gaza, Krahenbuhl says.
“There are huge quantities of aid that are on the borders of Gaza that can go in tomorrow,” he insists.
Documentary claims to have identified IDF soldier who killed Al-Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh
Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, a veteran Al Jazeera journalist who was shot and killed during clashes between IDF troops and Palestinian gunmen while covering an IDF raid in Jenin on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Courtesy)
A new documentary claims to identify the Israeli soldier who opened fire and killed veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank city of Jenin in 2022.
According to Zeteo News, a far-left outlet founded by Israel critic Mehdi Hasan, the soldier who fired the deadly shots was Cpt. Alon Sacgiu, then a 20-year-old sharpshooter in the Duvdevan commando unit.
An IDF investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh determined that one soldier, who “with very high likelihood” shot the 51-year-old Palestinian-American journalist who was wearing a vest marked “Press” and a helmet, did so by mistake after “misidentifying her.” The IDF had initially blamed Palestinian gunmen for the shooting.
The documentary claims that Sacgiu was named by another soldier serving in the Duvdevan squad at the time of the incident.
Sacgiu, while serving as a commander of a sniper team in the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, was killed by a roadside bomb in Jenin in June 2024.
The IDF has not named the soldier involved in the incident, but military officials confirm to The New York Times that the documentary’s conclusions are correct.
In response to a query by the NYT, the military says it made “no definitive determination regarding the identity of the individual responsible for the shooting.” It also passed the newspaper a message from Sacgiu’s family requesting that journalists avoid publishing his name.
Official says 3 hostages whose fate is in doubt are two foreigners, one Israeli
A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms that Israel believes 21 hostages are alive and that there is grave doubt regarding the fate of three other captives, an official with knowledge of the details says that “no signs of life have been received from [the three hostages] since the period shortly after the outbreak of the war.”
“Their families have been updated on this situation since then,” says the official.
Two are foreign nationals, and one is Israeli, the official continues.
Two foreign hostages have not been officially declared dead – Bipin Joshi of Nepal and Pinta Nattapong of Thailand.
Hamas and other terror groups are holding 59 hostages, 35 of whom are confirmed dead – 32 Israeli, and 3 foreigners.
“The families of the hostages are continuously and thoroughly updated about the condition of their loved ones,” says the official, adding that “all relevant information” is conveyed to hostage families by intelligence officers.
The relevant embassies in Israel maintain contact with the families of foreign hostages, says the official.
“Their families are supported by Israel, just as the families of Israeli hostages are supported.”
Report: Trump ‘disappointed’ with Netanyahu, will continue Middle East policy objectives without Israel
US President Donald Trump, left, greets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)
US President Donald Trump is disappointed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Hayom reports, citing two “senior sources close to the president.”
According to the Hebrew-language daily, in closed-door conversations Trump said he was going to make progress on his objectives in the Middle East without waiting for Israel.
On a deal with Saudi Arabia, Trump wants Israel to be a central part of an agreement, but “Netanyahu is delaying making the necessary decisions,” writes Israel Hayom’s Ariel Kahana, who interviewed Trump at Mar-A-Lago last year.
Trump is also still upset with Netanyahu and his circle over what he sees as an attempt to push the White House into military action against Iran’s nuclear program, say the sources.
Israeli officials were caught off guard by Trump’s announcement that the US had reached a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen this week, and by the start of US-Iran nuclear talks in April.
After the Houthi ceasefire announcement, Netanyahu and senior ministers have been emphasizing in recent statements that Israel “can defend itself by itself.”
IDF confirms wave of strikes in Lebanon, says they targeted ‘significant underground’ Hezbollah infrastructure
The IDF confirms carrying out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon a short while ago, saying it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure.
The strikes carried out by fighter jets hit a facility near the Beaufort Castle, which the IDF says was used by Hezbollah to manage rocket fire and defenses.
At the site, the IDF says, it struck “terrorists, weapons, and tunnel shafts.”
“This site is part of a significant underground project that, due to IDF strikes, has been rendered inoperable,” the army says.
The IDF adds that the facility and the activities carried out there “constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
All 13 beaches in Tel Aviv given Blue Flag sustainability award for 2025
People enjoy at the beach in Tel Aviv, during Israel's 77th Independence Day, May 1, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
All 13 beaches in Tel Aviv have been given the Blue Flag sustainability award for 2025.
The internationally recognized label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to beaches and marinas is conditioned on meeting strict environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility conditions and is reassessed annually.
The city says renewal of the status reflects its continuing commitment to sustainable coastal practices, which include reducing the use of disposable plastic goods on beaches.
Black smoke signals no pope elected in morning conclave votes
This photograph shows black smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaling that cardinals failed to elect a new pope during their conclave in the Vatican on May 8, 2025. (Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
Black smoke appears from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signaling that cardinals meeting in a secret conclave did not elect a new pope during their two morning ballots.
The cardinals held an initial inconclusive vote yesterday evening. They were then set to hold two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon daily until someone wins the necessary two-thirds majority to become the next pontiff.
Police look to question Minister Chikli in Shin Bet leaks probe
Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli seen after a court hearing of the Shin Bet official arrested in suspicion of leaking classified information at the court in Lod, April 15, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Shaul/Flash90)
The Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) has requested permission to question Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli under caution over suspicions that he was passed classified information by a Shin Bet official, Hebrew media reports.
Chikli has now written to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who must approve requests to investigate cabinet ministers, to tell her he became aware of DIPI’s request yesterday after a journalist asked him for his response to the development.
In the same letter, the minister alleges that Baharav-Miara has a long list of conflicts of interest, and that she therefore should not make the call on whether or not he should be questioned under caution.
A suspect within the Shin Bet referred to only by his initial “Aleph” was arrested in April on suspicion of passing classified information to Chikli and two journalists.
The information he allegedly passed to the three individuals was tied to Shin Bet probes into the potential infiltration of Kahanist elements into the Israel Police. Channel 12 reporter Amit Segal reported on that probe in March, prompting an internal Shin Bet and DIPI investigation into the source of the leak.
Nature protection group calls for public help to map lumpy lobsters
A Mediterranean slipper lobster. (Dani Barchana)
The Society for the Protection of Nature calls on the public to report sightings of the rare Mediterranean slipper lobster as part of a new campaign to map its distribution along Israeli shores.
Sightings can be reported on the organization’s Sea Watch application.
The largest crustacean living on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, the lobster is up to 45 centimeters (18 inches) long, has slipper-like flippers and no pincers, and has bumps on its back, hence its Hebrew name, lumpy lobster.
It is rare due to overfishing and has been declared a protected species by Israel, which means it cannot be fished or sold.
Bar Sternbach, the SPNI’s coordinator of SeaWatch and marine projects, says the species has been seen off the coast of Israel at depths of 10-30 meters (33 to 100 meters), grows slowly, matures at a relatively late age, and possibly lives for decades.
It lives mainly in rocky areas where it shelters during the day, going out at night to hunt for food, mainly shellfish.
Report: Hezbollah faces internal debate over holding senior officials accountable for losses in war with Israel
People drive on a street past portraits of slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and buildings damaged in Israeli strikes in the recent war, amid the first round of municipal elections, in the Ghobeiry neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburb on May 4, 2025. (ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Nahar reports that Hezbollah is experiencing internal dissension over whether to take disciplinary action against senior figures in the organization.
The report says that the group is debating whether to take action against senior members of the organization’s top leadership body, the Shura Council, in response to military losses and internal political difficulties stemming from the conflict with Israel that ended in a ceasefire late last year, which has held despite periodic violence in what both sides have said constitute violations.
According to the report, Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, is attempting to navigate between two factions – one advocating for punitive measures against senior leaders, and another opposing such actions.
The report adds that Qassem seeks to preserve the party’s current institutional structure.
Palestinian Authority condemns Israel’s closure of East Jerusalem UNRWA schools
The Palestinian Authority condemns Israel’s closing of schools run by the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem today.
“The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemns Israel’s closure of UNRWA schools in Shuafat, considering it a violation of children’s right to education,” ministry spokesman Sadiq Khaddour tells AFP, adding it hopes that pressure from rights groups will cause Israel to reverse its decision.
Israeli strikes reported in south Lebanon; no comment from IDF
Lebanese media reports a wave of Israeli airstrikes in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanese media, the IDF carried out over 15 strikes, an unusually high number in the months since a ceasefire was agreed in late last year.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
سلسلة غارات جوية عنيفة جدا تستهدف منطقة النبطية pic.twitter.com/cyeQcIJpq1
— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) May 8, 2025
????غارات إسرائيلية باتجاه تلة علي الطاهر والدبشة قرب كفررمان في جنوب لبنان pic.twitter.com/w8WASqyyQW
— Annahar النهار (@Annahar) May 8, 2025
Fire chief bans bonfires in most outdoor areas ahead of Lag B’Omer holiday, in step with past years
The Fire and Rescue Service has ordered a nationwide ban on lighting fires in most open areas ahead of Lag B’Omer next week, a holiday typically celebrated with large bonfires and other outdoor activities.
The fire chief’s order, issued just a week after massive wildfires wreaked havoc on the outskirts of Jerusalem, will take effect tomorrow and last until May 18.
However the regulations are similar to those issued in years past, which have also barred bonfires in open areas save for some designated locations.
The fire service notes that the weather this coming week is expected to be very hot, upping the risk of wildfires in open areas, forests and groves.
There are some exceptions to the ban. People will be permitted to light fires in open areas that local authorities, the Nature and Parks Authority or KKL have designated for the purpose of bonfires.
Fire service district commanders will also be able to grant special permission in writing to those who wish to light bonfires in open areas, but only if the commander finds that an “adequate level of fire safety can be maintained” under the given circumstances.
Cardinals to vote in the Vatican for a second day to elect a new pope
Cardinals before the start of the conclave to elect a new Pope in the Sistine chapel in The Vatican, May 7, 2025. (Simone Risoluti / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)
Catholic cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to try and elect a new pope.
The 133 cardinals are expected to vote again in the morning after spending the night sequestered at the Vatican residences. Yesterday evening, black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave.
The cardinals have been sworn to secrecy in the centuries-old ritual to elect a new leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. To become pope, a cardinal needs a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes. This conclave is the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history.
Israel warns travelers to Eurovision to avoid protests, not show Jewish or Israeli symbols
A sign of the 2025 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is seen on the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, pictured on April 30, 2025. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
As Eurovision kicks off in Switzerland, the National Security Council releases a travel advisory for Israelis flying to Basel for the song competition.
Some 360 anti-Israel protests have taken place in Switzerland in the past year, says the NSC, and more will likely take place during the contest, with a focus on the presence of the Israeli delegation.
“It is recommended to stay away from these centers of friction and demonstrations, which may escalate into violence,” says the NSC. It also warns that some individuals might use the protests as cover to carry out attacks on Israelis.
The NSC calls on Israelis to download the Home Front Command app for up-to-date warnings and information.
Israelis should not display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public spaces; avoid posting on social media; refrain from discussing military service or the war against Hamas; avoid demonstrations; and avoid gatherings associated with Israel.
Iran denies involvement in reported plot to attack Israeli embassy in London
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denies media reports that a group of Iranian men arrested in the United Kingdom over the weekend were involved in a plot to attack the Israeli Embassy in west London.
“Iran in no uncertain terms categorically rejects any involvement in such actions and confirms that we have not been informed of any allegations via proper diplomatic channels,” Araghchi writes on X.
We are seeing stories in the media that Iranian nationals are allegedly involved in a supposed plot to target the Israeli embassy in London.
Iran in no uncertain terms categorically rejects any involvement in such actions and confirms that we have not been informed of any…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 7, 2025
His comments come after an unsourced report by The Times yesterday that five of the eight Iranians arrested were planning a terrorist attack on the embassy building in Kensington, west London, while the other three men were arrested under the National Security Act over allegations of working for Iran.
“Iran has urged the UK to engage so that we may assist any probe into credible allegations. Timing and lack of engagement suggest that something is amiss,” Araghchi continues.
He also seems to suggest that Israel may be behind it all.
“There is a history of third parties bent on derailing diplomacy and provoking escalation resorting to desperate measures, including false flag operations,” he says, adding that “Iran stands ready to engage to shed light on what has truly transpired, and we reiterate that UK authorities should afford our citizens due process.”
Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister Alireza Yousefi yesterday called for immediate clarification on the arrests and for consular access to the detainees, criticizing what he called a “habit” among British politicians of making “baseless and undocumented claims,” and warned that such rhetoric only deepens historical distrust between the two nations.
Agencies contributed to this report.
IDF says it set up medical facility in southern Syria for Druze wounded in clashes
The IDF says it has set up a medical facility inside southern Syria, next to the Druze village of Hader, to treat those wounded during sectarian violence in the country.
“The facility is part of a number of efforts that the IDF is carrying out to support the Syrian Druze population, and to maintain their security,” the military says.
More than 30 wounded Syrian Druze have been evacuated to hospitals in Israel in recent weeks.
“The IDF continues to monitor developments and maintain readiness for defense and various scenarios,” the army adds.
#عاجل باشر جيش الدفاع تشغيل منشأة ميدانية متنقلة للتصنيف الطبي للمصابين في جنوب سوريا، في منطقة قرية الخضر.
????تُعدّ هذه المنشأة جزءًا من جهود متعدّدة ينفّذها جيش الدفاع بهدف دعم السكان السوريين من أبناء الطائفة الدرزية، والحفاظ على أمنهم.
????يواصل جيش الدفاع متابعة التطورات، وهو… pic.twitter.com/mvdW4sh7pw
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 8, 2025
Sectarian violence in Syria has escalated in recent weeks, as Islamist supporters of the country’s new regime have targeted Druze communities in clashes in southern Syria.
Israel has vowed to protect the Syrian Druze community from threats, and the IDF has struck targets in the country as a “warning” to the new regime.
Israel officially shutters UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, months after ban went into effect
Palestinian schoolgirls leave a UNRWA school in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem on May 8, 2025, as Israeli security forces prepared to close the school. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
Israeli police have shut down six schools operated by UNRWA in the Shuafat refugee camp and other neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
The closures follow a notice issued by police to the schools last month and now mark the official enforcement of Israel’s ban on UNRWA operations within its sovereign territory.
According to the Jerusalem Municipality, approximately 900 students were enrolled in UNRWA-run schools in the city. Since the law’s passage, the municipality has worked to provide alternative placements for these students in other schools across East Jerusalem.
In addition, a new educational center is being planned in the Shuafat refugee camp that will include several schools operating under the supervision of Israel’s Education Ministry.
Roughly six months ago, Israel passed legislation that came into effect in January prohibiting the UN refugee agency from operating within its sovereign territory, after accusing it of ongoing incitement and alleging that some 10% of its workforce in Gaza have ties to terror groups.
The law does not apply to the West Bank or Gaza Strip.
Trump’s Houthi ceasefire met with ‘astonishment’ in Israel, official says
US President Donald Trump’s announcement this week that his administration has reached a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen was met with “astonishment” by Israeli officials, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“Some are concerned there will be more surprise moves,” says the official. “Others say we should wait and see how this plays out.”
Arab countries pushing Hamas to accept hostage deal to stall IDF offensive, official says
Multiple Arab countries are pushing Hamas to accept another hostage release deal in order to forestall an expanded Israeli offensive in Gaza, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“There is now a lot of pressure,” says the official, “including from Jordan.”
“The entire region is pressuring them for some sort of deal.”
Hamas civil defense agency says 75% of emergency vehicles can’t operate due to lack of fuel
Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says that a lack of fuel had forced three-quarters of its emergency vehicles to stop operating, more than two months into an Israeli aid blockade.
“Seventy-five percent of our vehicles have stopped operating due to a lack of diesel fuel,” the agency’s spokesman Mahmud Bassal tells AFP, adding that its first responders were also facing a “severe shortage of electric generators and oxygen devices.”
Ukraine says Russia still attacking despite 3-day ceasefire announced by Moscow
Russian troops have continued to attack Ukrainian soldiers in the east after Moscow said it was introducing a three-day ceasefire at midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT) last night, says a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military.
Viktor Trehubov, a military spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern front, says Russia had waged military assaults in several areas after midnight.
Ukraine’s general staff say there had been 139 clashes on the entire frontline as of 10 p.m. Ukrainian time (1900 GMT) last night and 196 for the last day as of 8 a.m. this morning.
Security forces arrest suspect in yesterday’s West Bank shooting attack
Overnight, Israeli security forces say they detained a Palestinian suspected of carrying out yesterday’s shooting attack near the Reihan checkpoint in the northern West Bank that seriously wounded two reservists.
Officers of the police’s elite Gideonim unit (Unit 33), alongside IDF troops, surrounded a home in the nearby village of Barta’a, following intelligence on the suspect’s whereabouts provided by the Shin Bet.
The suspect turned himself in to the officers, the police, IDF, and Shin Bet say in a joint statement.
Qatargate suspect Jonatan Urich reportedly arrested again as house arrest set to expire
Police have again arrested Jonatan Urich, one of the main suspects in the so-called Qatargate probe, as he was set to be released from house arrest this morning, according to Hebrew media reports.
Reports say Urich, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior aides, was rearrested following an additional interrogation that took place yesterday evening.
He is expected to be brought before a judge this morning for a hearing on the extension of his arrest.
Katz warns Houthis ‘will absorb heavy blows if they continue firing toward us’
Defense Minister Israel Katz issues a warning to the Houthi rebels in Yemen and their sponsor Iran, as he says Israel “must be capable of defending itself on its own against any threat or enemy.”
The remarks come a day after the Houthis said that the truce reached with the United States would not prevent them from continuing to attack Israel.
“The Houthis will absorb heavy blows from Israel if they continue firing toward us. The IDF is prepared for any mission,” Katz says in a statement.
“I also warn the Iranian leadership which funds, arms and operates the Houthi terror organization: The proxy method is over and the axis of evil has collapsed. You bear direct responsibility. What we did to Hezbollah in Beirut, Hamas in Gaza, to Assad in Damascus and the Houthis in Yemen, will also be done to you in Tehran.”
“We will not allow any element to harm Israel,” he adds.
Israeli settlers reportedly torch farmhouse near Ramallah
Israeli settlers have torched a farmhouse in the village of Abu Falah near Ramallah, according to Palestinian media reports.
There are no arrests reported.
مستوطنون يحرقون مزرعة في قرية أبو فلاح شمال شرقي رام الله#دیوان #فلسطين_المحتلة pic.twitter.com/WGSwrKw2Bs
— ديوان (@DiwanDaily) May 7, 2025
???? BREAKING: Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home and farm in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah in the West Bank.
The Israeli army later arrived—not to stop the attackers, but to seal off the village. pic.twitter.com/e7G92Z1hAJ
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 7, 2025
Syrian minister says Qatar to provide $29 million a month for salary payments
Qatar is set to provide Syria with $29 million monthly for three months that can be extended to pay salaries, the Syrian finance minister says in a statement.
Israelis in Kashmir should ‘leave immediately,’ says Foreign Ministry
The wreckage of a mosque is seen after Indian strikes in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on May 7, 2025. (Sajjad QAYYUM / AFP)
The Foreign Ministry issues a warning for Israeli travelers amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The ministry calls on Israelis to avoid visiting the contentious Kashmir territory, with the exception of the Ladakh region.
It adds that any Israelis currently in Kashmir should “leave immediately” and obey the instructions of local security forces.
India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery fire along their contested frontier today, after New Delhi launched deadly missile strikes on its arch-rival. At least 43 deaths were reported in the fighting, which came two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir, which Pakistan denied.
AFP contributed to this report.
read more: