May 14: Trump says Xi wants Hormuz reopened

Spanish PM hits back after Katz accused Barcelona star who waved Palestinian flag of ‘inciting hatred’

FC Barcelona player Lamine Yamal holding a Palestinian flag as he celebrates with his team atop a bus after winning the Spanish La Liga soccer title in Barcelona, Spain, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Barcelona star Lamine Yamal made Spain “proud” for waving a Palestinian flag at a victory parade, leading Defense Minister Israel Katz to accuse him of “inciting hatred.” FC Barcelona has also distanced itself from Yamal.

“Those who think that waving the flag of a state is ‘inciting hatred’, they have either lost their minds or they have been blinded by their own disgrace. Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him,” Sanchez writes on X.

IDF ‘strongly condemns’ ultra-Orthodox protest outside Military Police chief’s home

The IDF says it “strongly condemns” the protests by ultra-Orthodox extremists outside the home of Military Police chief Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon.

“The IDF strongly condemns any attempt to harm members of the security forces and their family members, and will continue to support Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin, who is carrying out his duties faithfully,” the military says.

The IDF says the Military Police “will continue to carry out its missions and operate according to the law.”

The Haredi protesters were rioting over the arrest of yeshiva students for evading mandatory military conscription.

Haredi extremists demonstrate outside Ashkelon home of Military Police chief, two weeks after breaking into house

Haredi extremists demonstrate outside the home of the Military Police commander, Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin, in Ashkelon on May 14, 2026. (X screenshot)

Ultra-Orthodox extremists again demonstrate outside the home of the Military Police chief, two weeks after breaching the residence of Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin, while rioting over the arrest of yeshiva students for evading mandatory military conscription.

בפעם השנייה תוך שבועיים: עשרות חרדים קיצוניים מפגינים כעת מול בית קצין המשטרה הצבאית הראשי באשקלון pic.twitter.com/gArENIW5kr

— דניאל גרובייס Daniel Grovais (@daniel_grovais) May 14, 2026

Great Isaiah Scroll, oldest near-complete biblical book ever found, to be displayed again after Iran war

The Israel Museum puts the long-awaited exhibit of the Isaiah Scroll away as Iran began launching missiles at Israel on February 28, 2026.(Courtesy)

The Great Isaiah Scroll, the oldest nearly complete book from the Hebrew Bible ever found, will be back on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem starting from Friday, a spokesperson for the museum says.

A special exhibition called “A Voice from the Desert,” showcasing the 2,100-year-old artifact in its full length of seven meters (23 feet) was inaugurated on February 23. However, only five days later, the scroll was moved to a safe place as the US and Israel launched a campaign against Iran to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.

The current exhibit allows visitors to view the scroll in a climate-controlled room, accessible to no more than 25 people at a time. Visitors are required to book a time slot in advance.

The scroll will be on display until August 31, 2026.

IDF says it downed several Hezbollah rockets shot at Kiryat Shmona area, others fell in open areas

Hezbollah fired a barrage of several rockets from Lebanon at the Kiryat Shmona area in northern Israel a short while ago.

According to the IDF, some of the rockets were intercepted while the others struck open areas.

No injuries are reported in the attack.

The IDF says the rocket fire is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization.”

Rocket warning sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona and neighboring towns

Sirens warning of rocket fire from Lebanon sound in Kiryat Shmona and nearby towns in the Galilee Panhandle.

The IDF says it is investigating.

Hezbollah claims drone attack that wounded civilians targeted soldiers

Hezbollah says it was targeting Israeli troops with a drone in northern Israel when it wounded several civilians, one of whom is in critical condition.

In a statement, the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group says it “targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers at the Rosh Hanikra site” near the border with Lebanon with a drone.

In Jerusalem Day speech, Netanyahu says ‘Iran weaker than ever,’ vows continued fight against ‘radical Islam’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and other senior officials attend the official Jerusalem Day state ceremony at Ammunition Hill, May 14, 2026. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows that Jerusalem will remain forever under Israeli control while hailing military achievements against Iran and other foes, in remarks at Ammunition Hill during the Jerusalem Day state ceremony marking 59 years since Israel’s reunification of the city.

“The regime of terror in Iran is weaker than ever, and the State of Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu declares, adding, “we will continue to fight decisively against every threat of radical Islam.”

Netanyahu repeats his assertion that if Israel had not launched military campaigns against Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs in June 2025 and earlier this year, “Iran would already possess a nuclear bomb today.”

“Our enemies seek to destroy us all without exception. But they have another goal as well: to uproot us from Jerusalem. Their slogan, ‘We are on the way to Jerusalem,’ expresses their malicious intention to remove us from the heart of the Jewish nation. We will not allow that to happen,” the premier says. “Only Jerusalem under Israeli rule is a truly free city — free for all religions and all nations,” he says.

Netanyahu claims successes in the recent conflicts against Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah, saying, “the power we have projected on every front [and] the alliance — closer than ever — with President Trump’s administration in the United States, our determination to strike those who seek our destruction deep within their territory, far beyond our borders, the buffer zones we have created around us in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria – all these have transformed the face of the Middle East.”

“At the same time, we will expand cooperation with moderate forces in our region who have understood the advantages of extending a hand to Israel,” he says.

In a separate speech, President Isaac Herzog makes a similar assertion that Jerusalem will remain in Israel’s hands, adding that doing so requires great moral responsibility.

“We have already proven to the entire world that we will never relinquish Jerusalem or its past — now is the time to prove to ourselves that we are capable of shaping its future with pride…through morality, responsibility, love of humanity and of one another, and respect for each person’s faith and way of life,” the president says.

Eisenkot privately called Bennett-Lapid alliance ‘deep disappointment’

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, speaks during a conference at Tel Aviv University, May 12, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot privately described the alliance between former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid as a “deep disappointment” and said it took him days to process the news of the merger, which happened behind his back, according to recordings aired by Channel 12 news.

Speaking at a closed-door conference this week, Eisenkot said he initially tried not to “get dragged into negativity,” telling himself that Bennett and Lapid were each acting in their own political interests.

“But it was a blow,” Eisenkot is heard saying. “I asked myself how we got to this situation. I thought we were a united team.”

According to Channel 12, Eisenkot’s decision on whether to join Bennett and Lapid in an alliance could come within weeks, as the polling picture becomes clearer.

“The question is whether we open a new path, a different path, together with partners for this purpose,” Eisenkot says in the recoding.

Government said seeking to approve hundreds of millions in spending on Haredi community before elections

The government is planning to advance a five-year plan to promote the ultra-Orthodox community that would include transferring hundreds of millions of shekels, according to Hebrew media reports.

According to Kan public broadcaster, the plan entails allocating 25 percent of the Education Ministry’s construction budget to the ultra-Orthodox education system. In addition, an annual budget of 44 million shekels will be earmarked for a “dropout prevention” program from yeshivas whose actual purpose is to prevent enlistment in the IDF. Tens of millions of additional shekels would be transferred annually for professional training programs and “ultra-Orthodox tourism.”

The report says the government aims to approve the plan before the elections.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on Wednesday submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset and trigger elections.

The maneuvering came a day after the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah faction announced that it would push to dissolve the Knesset and advance the next general election over the coalition’s failure to pass a draft exemption law for yeshiva students.

If lawmakers vote to dissolve the Knesset, elections must be held within five months of that vote passing, which would mean mid-to late-October at latest — and potentially as early as August. The Haredi parties reportedly favor an election date in early September. Elections must in any case be held by October 27.

The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

In recent months, Netanyahu’s government has allocated billions of shekels of taxpayer money for Haredi education, prompting pushback from the opposition and High Court of Justice.

Last month, the Knesset Finance Committee approved the allocation of nearly NIS 100 million ($33 million) in additional funding, part of a larger NIS 1 billion ($331 million) transfer that was halted in December by the High Court.

IDF says south Lebanon strikes killed over 20 Hezbollah operatives in the past day

Over 20 Hezbollah operatives were killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon in the past day, the IDF says.

The IDF says it also struck some 65 Hezbollah infrastructure sites over the previous 24 hours, including weapon depots, surveillance posts, command centers, and other sites used by the terror group to advance attacks.

ביממה האחרונה: צה"ל תקף כ-65 תשתיות וחיסל יותר מ-20 מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון

צה"ל ממשיך לפעול להסרת איומים על אזרחי ישראל וכוחות צה"ל בדרום לבנון.

במהלך היממה האחרונה, צה"ל תקף מהאוויר ומהיבשה, יותר מ-65 תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במספר מרחבים בדרום לבנון.… pic.twitter.com/JFnV0eZqWI

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 14, 2026

Cops nab suspect at car wash for planning attack on Jerusalem Day celebrations

Police say they arrested a suspect who planned to carry out a terror attack today during the Jerusalem Day celebrations in the capital.

Undercover Border Police officers tracked the suspect down to a car wash in Abu Tor, a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem, where they apprehended him.

He was handed over to the Shin Bet to be interrogated, police say.

המשטרה: נעצר חשוד שתכנן לבצע פיגוע במהלך אירועי יום ירושלים | תיעוד המעצר ממצלמות קסדת המסתערבים ומתצפית אווירית

(צילום: דוברות המשטרה) @HGoldich @VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/tl0QEAJByV

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 14, 2026

Earlier today, tens of thousands of religious Zionist revelers paraded through the Old City to the Western Wall as part of the annual Flag March, celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem after Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem and the Old City from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War.

The procession, which runs through the Muslim Quarter, often sees violent confrontations between far-right Jewish youth and the few Palestinian locals who remain in the area.

Netanyahu said seeking to dissuade Haredi parties from backing September elections

Head of the UTJ party Yitzhak Goldknopf (left) in a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, March 20, 2026. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging the ultra-Orthodox parties in his coalition not to force early September elections, warning in private talks that such a timeline would “endanger” the right-wing bloc’s chances of winning, Channel 12 reports.

According to the report, Netanyahu has told Haredi lawmakers that if elections are triggered now – with campaigning effectively beginning within two weeks – he would be unable to fully focus on the race due to the ongoing security situation, particularly as US President Donald Trump weighs a resumption of fighting with Iran amid the lack of a decisive victory on that front.

Shas is reportedly pushing for elections on September 15, while United Torah Judaism prefers September 1 ahead of a preliminary Knesset vote on dissolving parliament scheduled for Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning, the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah party, one of two factions within UTJ, said it would seek to dissolve the Knesset and trigger early elections because of the coalition’s failure to pass a law enshrining the decades-old exemption of Haredi yeshiva students from military service. That position was later backed up by UTJ’s Agudat Yisrael faction.

CENTCOM chief: IDF offensive in south Lebanon ‘an option among options’ to deal with Hezbollah problem

The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with the top US military leader in the Middle East ended with a focus on the challenge of disarming Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group.

Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, the committee’s Republican chair, notes how Hezbollah has continually fired rockets into Israel, while Israel launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon focused on Hezbollah, displacing a million people.

Wicker asks Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, if the offensive was necessary.

“It is an option among options, of which there are few to deal with the Hezbollah problem,” Cooper says.

Wicker later says, “It would be a tremendous achievement” for Israel, Lebanon and the United States “if Hezbollah could be eliminated.”

Israeli Embassy in US holds Independence Day event at DC’s National Portrait Gallery

The Israeli Embassy in Washington hosts its annual Independence Day celebration at the National Portrait Gallery on May 13, 2026. (Shmulik Almany/ Israeli Embassy in Washington)

The Israeli Embassy in the US held its annual Independence Day celebration at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington last night, with hundreds in attendance, including senior officials from US President Donald Trump’s administration, members of Congress and Jewish community leaders.

“The first Independence Day event in 12 years with no Israeli hostages in Gaza, the ceremony marked a return to life and joy, and a realization of the slogan ‘We will dance again,’ the embassy says in a statement.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered the keynote address, speaking about the strength of the Israel–US relationship and the importance of continued cooperation between the two countries.

“Israel’s strength as an economic and technological powerhouse reflects the power of innovation, resilience and freedom. The United States looks forward to further advancing energy security, prosperity, and opportunity alongside our closest ally in the region,” Wright said.

Also sharing remarks were Jewish Democratic congressmen Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz, who stressed the importance of keeping the US-Israel relationship a bipartisan issue.

“We should feel proud of the US-Israel relationship, of the independence, of what it’s done for America, of the bipartisan nature, historically, of the relationship,” Gottheimer said, “Thank God we have Israel to help us fight terror, to stand for freedom and to stand for democracy.”

In his remarks, US Ambassador to Israel Yechiel Leiter said, “On my chest tonight, I see two flags with stars aligning for good: America and Israel. Three generations ago, who could have imagined a sovereign Jewish state allied so closely with the great United States?”

“Who could have imagined Israeli and American pilots flying wing to wing—uniting good with good—to defeat evil?” he added, referring to the military cooperation seen throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Hospital says one of the civilians wounded in Hezbollah drone attack is now in critical condition

The condition of one of the civilians wounded in the Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel earlier has worsened.

Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya says it is treating one person in critical condition, and another person in moderate condition.

Two others were brought to the hospital in good condition. One has been released home and the other is set to be released soon, the hospital says.

The Hezbollah drone struck a parking lot near Rosh Hanikra, close to the Lebanon border.

IDF installing mesh nets on vehicles and at military posts to counter Hezbollah FPV drones

Mesh nets are seen deployed at a military position and a vehicle, to combat Hezbollah FPV drones, in a handout photo published by the IDF on May 14, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

To combat the threat of Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) drones, the IDF has so far been supplied with 158,000 square meters of mesh netting, according to the military.

The IDF says it is working on procuring another 188,000 square meters of netting. In total, the netting purchased by the military is equivalent to the area of some 20 soccer fields.

Photos shared by the IDF show the netting being deployed on vehicles and at military posts. The drones seen in the images are part of tests conducted by the army.

New Iraqi PM sworn in with partial government after lawmakers fail to reach consensus on key posts

Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is sworn in with only a partial cabinet after lawmakers fail to reach a consensus on key postings, including interior and defense.

Basim Mohammed has been appointed as the country’s new oil minister while Fuad Hussein is being kept on as the foreign minister in the new government, lawmakers tell Reuters.

Parliament approved 14 ministers in the new government but failed to reach consensus on several remaining posts, including the interior and defense portfolios.

The session witnessed heated exchanges among lawmakers after some objected to the approval of the nominee for interior minister, lawmakers say.

“Parliament approved 14 ministries, while nine ministries remain pending. Three of them failed to win parliament’s confidence today,” MP Muqdad al-Khafaji tell Reuters.

Senior US military commander says Iran’s Revolutionary Guards still ‘exercise significant authority’

The top US commander in the Middle East says that while he believes Iran’s military capabilities are “dramatically degraded,” he notes that Iran’s able to influence shipping with rhetoric alone.

“Their voice is very loud, and the threats are clearly heard by the merchant industry and the insurance industry,” Adm. Brad Cooper tells lawmakers Thursday.

Cooper also says the US military has a wide range of contingencies and retains the ability to escort shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, he defers to policymakers about the best path forward amid the “time of sensitive negotiations.”

He adds that despite the damage and destruction inflicted by the US military on Iranian military forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is still a major force in running the country.

In response to questions from Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, about who’s in charge in Iran, Adm. Brad Cooper says the IRGC is still “exercising significant authority.”

But Cooper defers to diplomats and negotiators on whether the paramilitary force is part of the peace negotiations.

Additionally, Cooper tells the Senate Senate Armed Services Committee that American forces have learned a lot from the Ukrainian military, which is battle-hardened from its war with Russia.

“We adopted a large number of tactics, techniques and procedures that the Ukrainians have passed us that have helped us defend Americans,” Cooper says.

Ukraine has passed on expertise to the US specifically regarding anti-drone warfare. Iran had launched swarms of drones against US and allied forces, killing some Americans.

Trump: Xi said China won’t send military gear to Iran, wants to see Hormuz reopened

US President Donald Trump, left, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping offered China’s help to open the Strait of Hormuz and pledged not to send military equipment to aid Iran in its war against the US and Israel.

“He said he’s not going to give military equipment… he said that strongly,” Trump tells the “Hannity” show on Fox News, after the two leaders met in Beijing.

“He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said ‘if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,'” Trump adds.

Israel taps mentalist Lior Suchard to award its Eurovision jury points

Israeli entertainer Lior Suchard attends a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on December 1, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Kan public broadcaster announces that famed mentalist Lior Suchard will award Israel’s jury points during the live grand final of the Eurovision on Saturday night.

When Israel hosted the Eurovision in Tel Aviv in 2019, Suchard — who performs around the world — took part in the grand final as a special guest.

Last year, Israel picked Eden Golan, who competed in 2024, to award the points of Kan’s professional jury.

Israeli singer Noam Bettan will perform Saturday against 24 other finalists, where a combination of jury votes and the public vote will decide the winner.

Police say 13 arrested over ‘isolated’ violent incidents in Jerusalem’s Old City

Police say they have arrested thirteen suspects involved in “isolated” altercations and violence in the Old City in the leadup to the Jerusalem Day Flag March.

Even before the march, which is now underway in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, groups of religious Zionist youth were roving around the area, shouting anti-Arab chants and attacking reporters covering the event.

Police say Jerusalem District chief Avshalom Peled is now touring the area as marchers continue on to the Western Wall.

IDF says Hezbollah unsuccessfully tried to down 2 drones with surface-to-air missiles

In two incidents today, Hezbollah attempted to shoot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon.

The IDF says the surface-to-air missiles “failed,” and no damage was caused.

Additionally, Hezbollah fired several rockets and mortars at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, and an apparent Hezbollah drone was intercepted, the military says.

According to the IDF, no injuries were caused in the incidents.

Flag with swastikas and Star of David flown over New York University

A flag with a Star of David and two swastikas was flown over New York University in Manhattan yesterday, students report.

The banner resembled the Israeli flag, with two white stripes on a purple background — NYU’s color — and a Star of David at its center, over the letters “NYU.” The swastikas are on either side of the Star of David.

The university says in a statement, “We are shocked and deeply troubled that this hateful symbol expressing antisemitism was raised on a flagpole overlooking Washington Square Park.”

“Campus safety responded immediately to remove it and we are working closely with the NYPD to identify whoever is responsible,” an NYU spokesperson says. “We are one community. We protect each other. And we will not let hate and division find a foothold on our campus.”

Flag with 2 swastikas spotted on Steinhardt roof during Grad Alley https://t.co/FpZDgLrb7i via @nyunews

— Hemingwaypaws (@Hemingwaypaws) May 14, 2026

The incident occurred during an event held for graduation week attended by hundreds, NYU student newspaper Washington Square News reports.

The flag was raised over the Steinhardt building, named for the Jewish philanthropists Michael and Judy Steinhardt, who have donated to the university and Jewish causes. Michael Steinhardt is a co-founder of Birthright.

The flag was removed after around 15 minutes, the student newspaper reports.

NYU has seen some anti-Zionist activism in recent years, but less than at other campuses in the city, like Columbia University.

Swastikas and other Nazi imagery are increasingly common in New York, according to an Anti-Defamation League audit released last week.

US CENTCOM chief: Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis ‘all cut-off’ from Iranian weapons and support

Admiral Charles Bradford 'Brad' Cooper II, commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Octavio JONES / AFP)

Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and US interests in the region have been dramatically reduced, a senior US admiral says.

“Iran has a significantly degraded threat, and they no longer threaten regional partners, or the United States, in ways that they were able to do before, across every domain,” Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads US Central Command tells a Senate committee. “They’ve been significantly degraded.”

Cooper notes that Iran’s armed proxies launched over 350 attacks on US troops and diplomats in the 30 months before the recent war, an average of one every three days, killing four American soldiers.

“Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are all cut-off from Iran’s weapons supply and support,” Cooper asserts. “This result was not foreordained.”

Cooper also says American forces have stopped using high-end munitions to shoot down Iran’s drones.

The nation’s limited stockpiles of expensive weapon systems, including advanced missile interceptors, became a lightning rod during the Iran war. American forces were using them to defend against Iranian drones. But Cooper says the US military is now using lower-cost munitions.

The admiral says Iran only has 10 percent of its drones left. Despite a fragile month-long ceasefire, skirmishes have flared between Iranian and American forces.

‘Belongs to a Jew’: Jewish shop owners in Old City put up signs urging ultranationalist marchers not to damage their property

Jewish shop owners in Jerusalem’s Old City have posted signs meant to protect their property from being vandalized by participants in the ultranationalist Flag March set to kick off this afternoon.

A cardboard sign placed over an ATM reads, “Belongs to a Jew. Do not damage. Thank you.”

The march will see tens of thousands of right-wing Israelis parade through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter. Participants are known to behave violently toward Palestinian shopkeepers, as well as reporters and left-wing activists, in the lead-up to and during the march.

Extremist youth who came to the Old City before the official march have already been seen damaging property and harassing others in the area. In one clip, a group is seen singing the anti-Arab refrain, “May your village burn.”

תיעוד: משתתפי מצעד הדגלים בעיר העתיקה בשירת "שיישרף לכם הכפר"

(צילום: רוזה ניוז) @VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/DWBGG3iYlM

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 14, 2026

As marchers gather outside the Old City, participants wave Israeli flags, as well as flags depicting the ancient Jewish Temple.

Some young men pass out stickers calling for Jewish settlement in Gaza.

Israel and Lebanon share goal of dismantling Hezbollah, says Israeli official

Both Jerusalem and Beirut have the objective of disarming Hezbollah, a senior Israeli official tells The Times of Israel, as direct talks between the two enemy states begin in Washington.

“Our objective is the same one that we had last week and the week before, that we have to dismantle Hezbollah,” says the official. “That’s the mutual objective of both the Lebanese government and of Israel. And anybody who wants peace wants to dismantle Hezbollah.”

Turning to Iran, the official is not worried about US President Donald Trump’s insistence on continuing to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iranian threat.

“The president knows that Iran always lies and plays for time,” says the official. “We should not underestimate President Trump’s resolve in making sure that he reaches his objectives of making sure that Iran does not have nuclear capabilities.”

Israel has “degraded the regime considerably,” says the official. “We’ve taken out most of the first-tier leadership, most of the second-tier leadership. And now they have what you call the D-League team. And I don’t think the Iranian people want to replace one ayatollah with another one — Ayatollah Senior being replaced by Ayatollah Junior. But it’s up to them.”

Despite Hamas’s open defiance of Trump’s plan to disarm the Gaza terror group, the official is optimistic on that front as well.

“In terms of destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, as the president said, as the prime minister said, it’s going to happen the easy way or the hard way,” says the official.

“We wake up almost every morning, and hear of a different Hamas terrorist that’s been taken out. We’ve taken out thousands of Hamas terrorists and we’ll continue to do so if need be. If the Board of Peace can disarm them, fantastic. And if not, it will happen the hard way.”

Ben Gvir waves Israeli flag on Temple Mount with far-right MK who calls ‘to get rid of all the mosques, construct the Temple’

A handout photo of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir displaying an Israeli flag atop the Temple Mount alongside Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer during Jerusalem Day, May 14, 2026. (Otzma Yehudit)

Far right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer wave an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount ahead of this year’s Jerusalem Day march through the Old City of Jerusalem.

“We restored governance on the Temple Mount thanks to determination and deterrence. This year, Ramadan was the quietest, thanks to deterrence. The Temple Mount is in our hands,” he declares.

The ultranationalist lawmakers then dance and sing with the flag next to the Dome of the Rock.

This morning, Kroizer visited the site alongside his children and father, a prominent Kahanist rabbi, to mark Jerusalem Day. He was photographed prostrating on the ground at the flashpoint holy site, facing towards the Dome of the Rock.

“The time has come to get rid of all the mosques and work to construct the Temple!” he later wrote on Facebook.

On Wednesday, Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, also of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, urged the public to visit the Temple Mount to see the “revolution” led there by  Ben Gvir.

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City is the holiest place in Judaism, as the site of the two biblical temples. Known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, it is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.

Jews are not officially allowed to pray at the Temple Mount under an arrangement known as the status quo, but the Israel Police, which comes under the purview of Ben Gvir’s ministry, have increasingly tolerated prayer there. Ben Gvir has said repeatedly that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer, drawing rebukes from US and international officials, as well as warnings from the security establishment that renewed conflict over the site could pose a risk to national security.

Ben Gvir has also rebuffed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated insistence that the decades-old status quo remains in force.

Organizer of new activist flotilla says ships have departed Turkey for Gaza

Illustrative: A boat from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla is seen during a symbolic send-off at a port in Barcelona, Spain, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Dozens of ships set sail today from southwestern Turkey as part of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, an organizer tells AFP.

“Around 50 ships sailed from Marmaris around an hour ago,” says Gorkem Duru, a member of the Turkey branch of the Global Sumud Fleet.

“They will be joined by four or five ships from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in international waters. Now they are sailing for Gaza,” he adds.

The Israeli Navy is set to intercept the boats, and in the past has done so well before the activists were able to get close to Gaza’s coast.

Israel has previously dismissed the flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amount of symbolic aid they had been carrying with them to Israel or international organizations to be taken into the Strip and distributed via official channels.

The Global Sumud Flotilla will be the third initiative in a year aiming at breaking an Israeli blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, which has suffered severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel since the Palestinian terror group invaded Israel in October 2023, sparking two years of war in the coastal enclave.

Israeli forces intercepted the second flotilla in international waters off Greece on April 30, expelling most of the activists to Europe, but arrested two of them who were held for 10 days.

IDF says it downed another Hezbollah drone nearing troops in southern Lebanon

The IDF says it intercepted another apparent Hezbollah drone over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed a short while ago.

No injuries are reported in the incident.

Third round of direct Israel-Lebanon talks kick off in Washington

From left: Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad at the State Department in Washington, April 14, 2026. (Shmulik Almany / Israeli embassy, Washington)

The third round of talks between Israeli and Lebanese diplomats begins in Washington, DC, an Israeli official says.

The two days of talks are being led by the two enemy states’ ambassadors to Washington, and are being hosted by the State Department.

Rubio says Trump raised Iran with China’s Xi but ‘didn’t ask him for anything’

US President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14, 2026, in Beijing, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang watch. (AP Photo/ Mark Schiefelbein)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump raised Iran in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but “he didn’t ask him for anything.”

“We’re not asking for China’s help. We don’t need their help,” Rubio says in an interview with NBC News.

He says China agreed with the US that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and brought that up in their meetings.

He says the Chinese told the US team in meetings that “they are not in favor of militarizing the straits of Hormuz, and they’re not in favor of a tolling system.”

“It’s good that we have alliance, or at least agreement on that point,” Rubio says.

King Charles visits Golders Green neighborhood, meets with victims of stabbing attack

King Charles III visited the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green in London to show support for the local community, after a stabbing attack in which a terrorist wounded two Jewish men last month.

Crowds gathered to greet the monarch during his hour-long visit today, according to local reports, with some shouting, “Long live the King,” and thanking him for coming.

Charles met with the two victims stabbed in late April, Norman Shine, 76, and Shloime Rand, 34. He also met with Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, members of the Jewish police force Shomrim, who helped detain the terrorist, and representatives from the Jewish Hatzola ambulance service.

“It’s a dangerous world, isn’t it?” the king said, while speaking with members of the public. When another person described the April 29 attack as “horrific,” Charles replied: “I know.”

The visit was intended to “reaffirm his steadfast support” for the Jewish community amid rising security concerns following the attack, Buckingham Palace says in a statement.

Yesterday, King Charles said the British government will take immediate action to tackle antisemitism at the ceremonial opening of parliament.

The King’s grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was recognised as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jews during the Holocaust.

Following the horrific rise in antisemitism and the recent terror attacks targeting Jews, the King has visited Golders Green today.

At a… pic.twitter.com/Q77uxKOBZk

— Dov Forman (@DovForman) May 14, 2026

Netanyahu rails at AG over new legal filing against appointment of new Mossad head

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara of seeking to create an “uproar over nothing,” after her office’s submission of new information over the appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad.

The accusations are made in a letter from Netanyahu’s attorney to the High Court of Justice, asking it to make the letter filed by the Attorney General’s Office earlier today publicly available.

The Attorney General’s Office filed an update to the court today with information it said was relevant to petitions against Gofman’s appointment, and which it claimed Gofman should have disclosed himself.

After reviewing the information, which was kept confidential, the court determined that it was not pertinent and would not influence its decision.

In a letter to the court, Harel Arnon, the attorney representing Netanyahu, describes the information as “worthless,” claiming Baharav-Miara filed the request “to create an uproar over nothing and to defend her position that the appointment should be canceled.”

Continued Arnon: “A review of the letter reveals that it has one goal: to continue to cast aspersions on Maj. Gen. Gofman, and cause his appointment to be canceled.”

The prime minister’s attorney notes the two incidents mentioned in the attorney general’s update happened before the court hearing and ruling on May 12, which he pointed out the attorney general herself acknowledged.

And he says that the incidents themselves were irrelevant to the deliberations of the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which approved Gofman’s candidacy, but whose deliberations have been called into question by the petitions against his appointment.

Arnon also repeats a request that the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, and not the Attorney General’s Office, take down and submit to the court an affidavit by a military intelligence officer regarding the controversial affair at the heart of petitions against Gofman’s appointment.

“Having the attorney general take the [military intelligence officer’s] affidavit… will not contribute to uncovering the truth but, God forbid, to obstructing it, through misleading wording of the affidavit,” writes the attorney.

Hezbollah drone intercepted near Israeli troops in south Lebanon, says IDF

The IDF says it intercepted an apparent Hezbollah drone over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed a short while ago.

No injuries are reported in the incident.

Ahead of Flag March, teens attack journalists in Old City, including ToI reporter

Israeli youth celebrate in Damascus Gate ahead of a march marking Jerusalem Day, in Jerusalem's Old City, May 14, 2026. (AP/Leo Correa)

Ahead of the Jerusalem Day Flag March set to take place later today, religious Zionist youth are already thronging the Old City’s Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem.

Most Palestinian shopkeepers have already left the area. Nevertheless, a group of far-right youth chant, “Death to Arabs,” while dancing in Damascus Gate.

The youth are antagonizing reporters in the area, cursing them, and attempting to cover up their camera lenses.

A horde of teenagers spat on this reporter while trying to steal his phone as he filmed the main route in the Muslim Quarter, succeeding in knocking the device to the ground.

Before the official Jerusalem Day Flag March, religious Zionist youth chant "death to Arabs," try to cover up my phone camera lens.

The Old City is largely empty aside from extremist youth and reporters. Palestinian residents have locked themselves inside their homes pic.twitter.com/LyNYBcG9uA

— charlie summers (@cbsu03) May 14, 2026

Israel to sue New York Times over opinion article alleging widespread rape of prisoners

The New York Times building is seen in New York City, on May 6, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/ Getty Images/ AFP)

Israel will sue The New York Times over an op-ed alleging widespread sexual abuse and rape against Palestinian prisoners, say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in a joint statement.

They call the piece by columnist Nicholas Kristof “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.”

Kristof’s column alleged “a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children — by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, prison guards.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has alleged that the Times deliberately published Kristof’s column ahead of an independent Israeli report that found Hamas had systematically used sexual violence in the onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry claimed the Times had been approached with the Israeli report “months ago.”

PA’s Abbas blasts Israel for holding $5 billion in tax revenue belonging to Palestinians

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, December 22, 2025. (AP/ Nasser Nasser, Pool)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas criticizes Israel’s continued withholding of tax revenues that Israel has collected on behalf of the PA at border crossings since the Oslo Accords — saying the amount has reached $5 billion after a year without transfers.

“The continued holding of Palestinian Authority funds by Israel is an unprecedented event that violates the agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, as well as international law,” Abbas says in an address to the Fatah party conference in Ramallah.

“All of this [money] is being withheld from Palestinian Authority employees and prisoners,” he adds.

This is only the eighth time the conference has been held since the movement’s founding — a forum in which representatives to the organization’s smaller governing bodies are elected.

Abbas also criticizes Israel over its actions in Gaza, saying: “What is happening in Gaza is an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”

He also dismisses accusations of corruption against the Palestinian Authority, saying they were vague and unsubstantiated. “No one should just say ‘corruption’ and go to sleep. Give me the name of a specific person, and within five seconds he will be under investigation,” Abbas says.

Among those present in the audience are Zakaria Zubeidi, the former head of Fatah’s military wing in Jenin who had been serving a life sentence in Israel for involvement in attacks in which Israelis were killed and was released in the latest hostage deal, as well as Israeli MK Ahmad Tibi.

IDF says troops killed terror operative who approached soldiers in north Gaza

The IDF says troops killed a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line and approached forces in the Strip’s north today.

The operative “posed an immediate threat” to the troops, and he was killed “to remove the threat,” the army says.

At annual Ethiopian memorial, Netanyahu vows ‘justice to be done’ after recent murders by ‘fringe youth’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, seen with the family members of missing girl Haymanut Kasau at a ceremony at Mount Herzl, for Ethiopian Jews who died while making their way to Israel, May 14, 2026. (Gil Yohanan/POOL)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to “fight resolutely” against violence and racism after the recent murders of two Ethiopian-Israeli Jews, speaking at an annual state ceremony commemorating thousands of Ethiopian Jews who perished while immigrating to Israel in the 1980s.

“I stand here with you in immense sorrow over the lives cut short of two young members of the community,” Netanyahu says at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl cemetery, naming Yamenu Binyamin Zelka and Destao Tzakul, who he says were murdered “at the hands of delinquent youths, lawbreakers devoid of morality.”

Zelka, 21, and 19-year-old Tzakul were fatally stabbed by groups of minors in separate incidents late last month.

“We were horrified by the despicable crimes committed in Petah Tikva and Beersheba. These two young men, filled with light — Binyamin and Destao — fell victim to the cruelty of contemptible fringe youth,” Netanyahu says.

“Justice must be done. At the same time, I pledge that we will continue to fight resolutely against violence, racism and discrimination of every kind,” he says.

Hundreds have gathered in protest demanding more police action after Zelka’s murder, which occurred on Independence Day and, together with other recent crimes, has raised concerns about unfettered societal violence.

Visiting Be’eri, Liberman says he’s ‘concerned’ Netanyahu will start a war to aid election

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman (center) visiting Kibbutz Be’eri on the Gaza border, May 14, 2025. (Courtesy Yisrael Beytenu)

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman warns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may launch a new military operation to boost his standing ahead of the upcoming national election, and calls on the IDF’s top brass to act responsibly.

“I am very concerned, and I have every basis for concern, that the October 7 prime minister, upon the filing of the bill to dissolve the Knesset, will start a military move that is not intended for a decisive victory, but is intended for election purposes only,” Liberman tells reporters at Kibbutz Be’eri on the Gaza border.

“I am warning in advance, and appealing to the heads of the military: This is also your responsibility, we are talking about the lives of our soldiers. There must not be a military move for election purposes only,” the former defense minister adds, without offering any proof for his claim.

Liberman also slams Netanyahu’s government for failing to defeat Hamas, insisting that “we are seeing before our very eyes, that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is beginning without Hamas having any intention of disarming.”

“Hamas’s terror army is recruiting new terrorists, training, and already preparing for the next campaign. The funding is no longer coming via suitcases, but by way of trucks arriving with the authorization of the Israeli government,” he says.

“Hamas’s grip within the Strip has never been tighter than it is today,” Liberman adds, warning that “if we do not know how to defeat our enemies now,” explosive drones will end up targeting all parts of Israel.

Far-right MK visits Temple Mount for Jerusalem Day, prostrates on the ground

MK Yitzhak Kroizer visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer prayed this morning on the Temple Mount with his children and his father, a prominent Kahanist rabbi, to mark Jerusalem Day.

In footage of the act, Kroizer is seen prostrating himself on the ground at the flashpoint site, facing towards the Dome of the Rock.

“The time has come to get rid of all the mosques and work to construct the Temple!” he writes on Facebook, announcing his visit after the fact.

Kroizer, a lawmaker representing the far-right party, is one of many religious Zionist politicians expected to partake in the Flag March through the Old City later today.

To mark the national holiday, which celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli rule in the 1967 Six-Day War, participants each year march to the Western Wall through the Muslim Quarter, often sparking violence and harassment against Palestinian shopkeepers in the area.

מתפללים שהממשלה תשרוד?
חבר הכנסת יצחק קרויזר משתחווה בהר הבית עם ילדיו ואביו הרב יהודה קרויזר שליט"א. pic.twitter.com/8aLeBlO4ZZ

— אמברגו (@embargo1news) May 14, 2026

Levin addresses Romanian parliament, calls on Bucharest to move embassy to Jerusalem

Justice Minister Yariv Levin addresses the Romanian parliament, May 14, 2026. (Courtesy Yariv Levin)

Addressing a joint session of both houses of parliament in Bucharest, Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin calls on Romania to move its embassy to Jerusalem and praises the Eastern European nation as “a symbol of moral strength and a beacon of justice” for its policies vis-à-vis Israel.

“The heart of the Holy Land is our eternal capital, Jerusalem. After many years of denying our historical rights to our capital, President Trump transferred the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Other prominent leaders from a growing number of countries followed suit. I believe that the Romanian flag deserves to be flown in the city of the great Kings David and Solomon,” he states.

Israel “stands at the forefront of defending democratic values, women’s rights, and freedom” but “instead of standing in solidarity with Israel, there are those who cynically exploit international law to deny us our basic right to self-defense,” he continues — condemning those who, “instead of standing with Prime Minister Netanyahu in the war on terror… have chosen to issue an arrest warrant against him.”

Last January, despite an arrest warrant for Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu invited Netanyahu to visit Bucharest.

“Especially in these times, as worrying winds of antisemitism and hostility toward Israel blow through parts of Europe, Romania stands as a symbol of moral strength and a beacon of justice. From this distinguished podium, I call upon European leaders across the continent: Follow in Romania’s footsteps,” Levin declares.

During his trip, Levin met with senior Romanian officials, his office says in a statement.

30 coalition lawmakers call on Netanyahu to update IDF’s code of ethics; move’s initiator says code ‘was written by extreme leftists’

MK Zvi Sukkot attends an Interior committee meeting at the Knesset, on December 3, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Thirty coalition lawmakers co-sign a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on him to reopen and update the military’s official code of ethics, known as the “spirit of the IDF,” in light of lessons learned during the past two-and-a-half years of war.

In the letter, the lawmakers argue that because the document is “a moral and ethical compass for IDF soldiers and commanders and profoundly influences the way decisions are made in both routine and emergency situations,” it is “to ensure that it faithfully reflects the core values of the IDF and the State of Israel, the changing security reality, and the lessons learned from recent fighting.”

“The events of the war raised complex command, ethical, and operational questions that require in-depth investigation,” it continues. As such, reopening it for a “professional” discussion “will strengthen the trust of the soldiers and commanders, deepen the sense of partnership, and ensure that the document will continue to serve as a milestone for future generations.”

An initiative of MK Zvi Sukkot, the letter is signed by MKs from his Religious Zionism party as well as lawmakers representing Otzma Yehudit, New Hope, Noam and Netanyahu’s own ruling Likud party. Among the signatories is former Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein.

In a statement, Sukkot argues that the military’s code of ethics was “written by extreme leftists” and “should have been changed long ago.”

“Over the years, senior officers have taken pride in risking the lives of IDF fighters in the name of ‘the spirit of the IDF’ and it is time to make it clear that moral values ​​place the lives of our fighters first,” he says.

Late last year, Sukkot was summoned for police questioning over a 2024 incident in which he broke into the IDF’s Sde Teiman base.

Prosecutors say police will reopen investigation into sex crimes allegations against Eyal Golan

Israeli singer Eyal Golan performs at Bloomfield Stadium, in Tel Aviv, June 13, 2024. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

The State Attorney’s Office says that further investigations into allegations against popular singer Eyal Golan dating back more than a decade will be carried out.

The allegations that will be reexamined date back to an infamous scandal which saw Golan’s father, Danny Biton, convicted of procuring minors for purposes of prostitution, specifically by luring his son’s young fans.

Golan maintained his innocence in the case and was never charged with any crimes.

The statement from prosecutors says that the decision to reopen the investigation “does not express any position” on the ultimate outcome of the case. For now, the case file has been returned to the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office to oversee police’s completion of the investigation, the statement adds.

Golan has for years been dogged by allegations of sexual crimes, though he has long maintained his innocence despite multiple accusers coming forward publicly. A separate recent allegation involves an incident nine years ago, in which a beautician alleged that when Golan came to her clinic for facial treatment, he removed his pants and his underwear, exposed his genitalia and made sexual remarks to her.

Hezbollah drone triggered sirens in Western Galilee towns, says IDF

An apparent Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon triggered sirens in the Western Galilee communities of Shlomi and Betzet a short while ago.

The IDF says the incident has concluded and no injuries were caused.

High Court: New info from AG on Gofman will not change our decisions

Incoming Mossad Director Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman arrives for a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset on February 5, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice says the new information the Attorney General’s Office provided regarding petitions against Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman’s appointment as Mossad chief will not change the decisions it has already issued on the matter.

It says, however, that Gofman can submit a response to the new information if he so wishes, and may file it by 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The Attorney General’s Office submitted new information earlier today which it said was relevant to the petitions against Gofman, information it said should have been presented to the court by the incoming Mossad chief himself.

After a hearing for the petitions on Tuesday, the court ordered that all documentation reviewed by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which recommended that Gofman be appointed as Mossad chief, be submitted to the court.

It also ordered a former brigadier general in military intelligence to file an affidavit to the court regarding what he knew about Gofman’s knowledge of a controversial social media influence operation carried out under Gofman’s authority as head of the IDF’s 210th Division in 2022. This incident lies at the heart of the petitions against the appointment.

Hebrew media has reported that the information the Attorney General’s Office submitted related to comments made by Gofman regarding the military intelligence officer in question, who is now working for the Mossad and who will be under Gofman’s authority if his appointment is approved.

Iran allowing transit of Chinese vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Fars news reports

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, vessels are pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/AFP)

Iran has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz following an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency says, citing an informed source.

US President Donald Trump is currently in Beijing meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The White House said earlier that the pair discussed current Middle East tensions and agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is in China’s best interests and he believes Beijing will do what it can to reopen the waterway.

“I think they’re going to do what they can,” Bessent says in an interview with CNBC from Beijing. “China, it’s very much in their interest to get the Strait reopened, and I think they will be working behind the scenes to the extent anyone has any say over the Iranian leadership.”

Lebanese official: Beirut to push for ceasefire that ‘Israel implements’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, listens to Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad speak along with US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, during a meeting between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office at the White House, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Lebanon will demand Israel cease fire at face-to-face talks in Washington today, a senior Lebanese official says.

The senior Lebanese official says the Lebanese delegation will seek “a ceasefire that Israel implements.”

The talks today and tomorrow mark the highest-level contact between Lebanon and Israel in decades.

Both Lebanon and Israel are broadening their delegations for this round, after the sides were represented by their ambassadors to Washington in the previous two meetings.

Lebanese Presidential Special Envoy Simon Karam and Israel’s Deputy National Security Adviser Yossi Draznin will participate in the talks, as well as senior Israeli military representatives, a State Department official said.

Despite the ceasefire reached following the first round of negotiations, cross-border violence has continued daily.

Israel proposing joint plan for phased Hezbollah disarmament, broader Lebanon peace, envoy says

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter speaks during a meeting between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office at the White House, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter says Jerusalem will present Beirut with a framework to gradually disarm Hezbollah and expand political ties during the third round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington later today, in a Hebrew-language interview with Walla news.

Seeing that — despite Beirut’s declarations that southern Lebanon is being cleared of Hezbollah weapons — the Iran-backed terror group remains armed, Israel hopes to advance a framework in today’s talks through which both countries can ensure its disarmament, Leiter says.

Since Hezbollah began attacking Israel in support of Iran in March, “we have found 8,000 rockets, missiles and weapons in southern Lebanon. Tunnels and armaments. There are Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon despite the declarations,” the envoy says. “We came and said: this game is over. We need to see, in practice, how the Lebanese government strengthens the Lebanese Army and acts concretely.”

According to Leiter, Israel is proposing a gradual on-the-ground process: “We will jointly define a specific area and plan with them how that area will be cleared, and afterward continue onward.”

He adds that Israel is prepared to pursue a broader diplomatic track contingent on the success of disarmament efforts: “We are prepared for two tracks. One track is to conduct negotiations for full peace as though Hezbollah does not exist — borders, embassies, visas, tourism, everything. An agreement like that could be reached within a few months. But it would be contingent on the success of the second track — dismantling Hezbollah.”

Linking the efforts against Hezbollah to US talks with Iran, Leiter says he stressed to US President Donald Trump and other senior US officials in the last round of talks that any agreement with Tehran “must include an end to [Iran’s] support for [regional] proxies.” In the same meeting, Leiter says that Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh told Trump “that if the agreement with Iran does not include a total cessation of support for Hezbollah, there will be no future for Lebanon.”

The envoy says the current shaky ceasefire in Lebanon, announced shortly after the first round of talks last month, “is a ceasefire in aspiration… but we will protect our soldiers and our civilians under all circumstances, and under no condition will we agree to stop and allow Hezbollah to rearm.”

Israel’s envoys will tell their Lebanese counterparts during today’s talks that it will not commit to a full ceasefire with Hezbollah but may offer to reduce its military operations, sources told the Saudi channel Al Arabiya, adding that the US supports Israel’s position.

Iran’s FM accuses UAE of being ‘directly involved in aggression against my country’

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for the opening of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on May 14, 2026. (Arun SANKAR / AFP)

Iran’s foreign minister accuses the United Arab Emirates of direct involvement in military operations against his country during a BRICS meeting in New Delhi today, the Iranian semi-official Mehr news agency reports.

“I didn’t name the UAE in my statement for the sake of unity. But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country. When the attacks started, they didn’t even issue a condemnation,” Araqchi says, according to Mehr news, in response to comments made by the Emirati representative.

UTJ official says party could sit with Bennett or Liberman in next government

Then-housing minister Yitzchak Goldknopf, right, and his senior adviser Motti Babchik arrive at the United Torah Judaism faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 17, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Motti Babchik, a top aide to United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf and a major power behind the scenes in Haredi politics, told i24 News last night that he does not rule out sitting with either former prime minister Naftali Bennett or Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman in the next government.

“We will wait for the election results and see where everyone stands,” he says. If Bennett calls him after the elections, “we’ll talk.”

This rhetoric is likely aimed at pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as it is highly unlikely that either side would agree to sit together in a government. Both Bennett and Liberman have called to establish a government without Haredim, which would enforce universal conscription, while the ultra-Orthodox reject the enlistment of yeshiva students and sanctions on those who do not serve.

While “of course there is a need for soldiers” and the troops do “holy work,” there must not be any “sanctions on those who sit and study,” Babchik tells the network.

Asked about Babchik’s comments, a spokesperson for Yisrael Beytenu tells The Times of Israel: “We have a clear position, nothing will change.”

Settlers filmed assaulting Peace Now director during West Bank tour

In footage published by Peace Now, the group’s director general, Lior Amihai, is seen being assaulted by settlers in the Jordan Valley while holding a tour for activists in The Democrats party.

The footage shows two settlers hitting him and pushing him against the side of a vehicle. One of them asks, “Why did you bring Arabs here?” He then turns to one of the participants in the tour and says, “He is an Arab, he can’t be here.”

According to Peace Now, Hagmar soliders — a reserve unit composed of settlers living in the area — arrived afterward and dispersed the gathering without arresting the settlers involved.

The IDF has not issued any comment on the incident.

אלימות מתנחלים קשה במעיין עין סמיה בשטחים:
ליאור עמיחי, מנכ"ל 'שלום עכשיו' הוכה ונחבל בפניו על ידי מתנחלים במהלך סיור שמקיימת התנועה לפעילים מרכזיים של מפלגת 'הדמוקרטים'.

המתנחלים האלימים חסמו גם את משתתפי הסיור ולא אפשרו להם לעזוב את המקום במשך זמן ממושך. משטרת ישראל עודכנה… pic.twitter.com/Y3hvW7snR9

— שלום עכשיו (@PeaceNowIL) May 14, 2026

Tira resident spied on behalf of Iran and refused payment for it, say prosecutors

State prosecutors charge a 27-year-old Arab-Israeli truck driver with espionage for Iran after he was arrested on suspicion of maintaining contact with a foreign agent during wartime.

Tira resident Ahmad Da’as is accused of gathering intelligence for an operative he met online, and taking photos and video of sites during his work driving across Israel.

Many of the sites he allegedly photographed are located in Ashdod and include the city’s port, the Eshkol Power Station and facilities belonging to Israel Aerospace Industries.

Prosecutors allege that Da’as was offered payment for these activities but refused to take money out of his ideological commitment to assist Iran during its war with Israel.

He is accused in the Lod-Central District Court today of contact with a foreign agent and providing intelligence to the enemy. Prosecutors are requesting he be kept in custody until the end of legal proceedings.

Trump, Xi agreed Strait of Hormuz ‘must remain open,’ Iran can never have nukes, says White House

US President Donald Trump, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 14, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agree that the Strait of Hormuz “must remain open,” the White House says, as the two leaders meet in Beijing.

“The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy,” the White House says.

Trump and Xi also discussed building on progress in ending the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the US, as well as increasing Chinese purchases of US agricultural products, the statement says.

Taiwan was not mentioned in the White House summary of the meeting, which it described as “good.”

“Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the White House adds, amid US negotiations with Iran on a ceasefire and nuclear agreement.

High Court says AG can submit new info in petitions against Mossad chief’s nomination

From L to R: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, September 30, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90); Incoming Mossad head Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman arrives at the Knesset, in Jerusalem on February 5, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court agrees to let the Attorney General’s Office submit new information relevant to the petitions against Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman’s appointment as Mossad chief, following an urgent request to the court earlier today.

The court says the update should be filed as soon as possible, and in addition to the full, confidential version that will be submitted, it says an open version paraphrasing the information should also be filed, if possible.

The Attorney General’s Office filed its request earlier today after learning new information relevant to the case that it says should have been presented to the court by Gofman himself.

The High Court is hearing petitions against Gofman’s nomination to head the spy agency, which argue that he is unfit for the position, largely due to a 2022 incident while he was serving as an IDF commander. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly defended his nomination.

Three civilians wounded in Hezbollah drone attack near Rosh Hanikra

Three Israeli civilians were wounded, two seriously, in a Hezbollah drone attack in the Rosh Hanikra area, the military and hospital officials say.

The drone struck a parking lot close to the border with Lebanon, injuring the civilians. No sirens sounded in the area, indicating that the drone was not detected by the military.

The IDF says the drone attack is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization.”

Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya says it is treating two people in serious condition and one person who was lightly hurt.

Report: Israel to tell Lebanon at DC talks that it will not commit to full ceasefire

From left, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, listen to President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office at the White House, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Israel’s envoys will reportedly tell their Lebanese counterparts during talks later today in Washington that it will not commit to a full ceasefire in its conflict with the Hezbollah terror group.

The Saudi channel Al Arabiya reports, citing sources, that the United States supports Israel’s position. However, Israel may offer to reduce its military operations alongside the ongoing negotiations, the report suggests.

In addition, Israel is expected to inform the United States that it supports arming and assisting the Lebanese army in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollah drones set off sirens in northern Israel, IDF fired interceptor

An interceptor missile was fired at an apparent Hezbollah drone targeting northern Israel a short while ago, the military says.

The drone triggered sirens in the border community of Misgav Am.

The IDF says the results of the interception are under review.

Another apparent Hezbollah drone triggered sirens in the Galilee Panhandle. The IDF says that the incident has concluded and no injuries were caused, without elaborating further.

Prince Harry says Mideast ‘violence and destruction’ cannot justify ‘troubling’ spike in antisemitism

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, smiles during a visit to the Centre for Blast Injury Studies, in London, on September 10, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett / POOL / AFP)

Prince Harry says a rise in antisemitism in Britain is deeply troubling and that whatever anger people feel about events in the Middle East, nothing can justify hostility towards people or faiths.

In an article for the New Statesman magazine, Harry, 41, makes thinly veiled criticism of the policies of the Israeli government, but says legitimate protest should not spill over into hatred.

“Across the country, we are seeing a deeply troubling rise in antisemitism,” King Charles’s younger son writes. “Jewish communities — families, children, ordinary people — are being made to feel unsafe in the very places they call home. That should alarm us, but also unite us.”

In his article, Harry, who does not reference Israel directly, says there is “deep and justified alarm at the scale of loss in the Middle East” and that images of destruction from Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere have “shaken people to their core.”

“We have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home — just as we have also seen how criticism of those actions can be too easily dismissed or mischaracterized,” writes Harry, who now lives in California.

“Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith.”

The prince was himself pilloried for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party 20 years ago and also acknowledges this: “I am acutely aware of my own past mistakes – thoughtless actions for which I have apologized, taken responsibility and learned from.”

Degel HaTorah rejects proposal to apply ‘continuity’ to draft exemption bill, halt Knesset dissolution

The Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, May 13, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah party rejects a coalition proposal aimed at preventing the dissolution of the Knesset, which would ostensibly have ensured that work on the current bill to exempt yeshiva students from military service could continue uninterrupted in the next Knesset.

Degel HaTorah is one of two factions within the Knesset’s larger United Torah Judaism party.

“We are sick and tired of futile actions designed to buy time and distract attention, only for it to be claimed in the end that there is no majority,” says the party in a statement. “We have notified the coalition management that we oppose the amendment to the Continuity Law and, per [rabbinic instructions], we are acting to dissolve the Knesset as soon as possible.”

On Tuesday morning, the party said it would seek to dissolve the Knesset and trigger early elections because of the coalition’s failure to pass a law enshrining the decades-old exemption of Haredi yeshiva students from military service. This call was backed up by UTJ’s Agudat Yisrael faction.

In an apparent attempt to control the process and timing of the dissolution, the coalition subsequently submitted its own bill to dissolve the Knesset and trigger an election, which was cosponsored by UTJ.

However, Hebrew media reported late last night that Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs had proposed to the Haredim to amend the law so that “continuity” could be applied to a bill twice, allowing legislative work to continue through three consecutive Knesset sittings.

While Degel HaTorah has rejected the proposal, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party is still considering it, according to the Haredi news site Emess.

IDF says it is striking Hezbollah infrastructure in south Lebanon

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Deir El Zahrani on May 13, 2026. (Kawnat HAJU / AFP)

The IDF says it has launched a wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure sites in several areas of southern Lebanon.

Earlier, the military issued evacuation warnings for eight villages in southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu tells court he’s at ‘top of health scale,’ says now-treated cancer diagnosed late 2025

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a video statement, May 11, 2026. (Screenshot/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims he is in perfect health during a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court for a libel suit Netanyahu filed against two journalists and a political activist for claiming he was suffering from various serious diseases in 2024.

“My health situation is fine, some would say excellent,” Netanyahu tells the court, according to Hebrew media reports.

Netanyahu says he never suffered from pancreatic cancer, as activist Gonen Ben Yitzhak claimed, saying he would have died by now if that would have been correct.

The prime minister details the surgery for an enlarged prostate he underwent in December 2024 and his subsequent diagnosis that he had prostate cancer, which he says happened “towards the end of 2025.”

Netanyahu says he underwent five treatments for radiation therapy in January and February of 2026 and that these treatments totally removed the cancer. This is the first public revelation of the timeline for his cancer, which he only revealed last month.

This information appears to be somewhat at odds with a statement by the doctor who headed the team that dealt with Netanyahu’s cancer treatment, Prof. Aron Popovtzer,  who said at the end of April that the prime minister started radiation therapy “about two and a half months ago,” which would have been in the second week of February.

The prime minister also tells the court that a pacemaker he had fitted in 2023 due to a problematic heart condition has never been activated.

“My physical condition has been improving and is at the top of the health scale. Not in the middle, not at the top, but in the top 10th percentile, according to all indications,” insists Netanyahu.

Vessel off UAE coast ‘taken,’ now bound for Iranian waters, says UK maritime agency

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations says it received a report of an incident 38 nautical miles (70 km) northeast of the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah.

It says the vessel was boarded by unauthorized personnel while at anchor and is now heading toward Iranian territorial waters.

AG asks to submit newly uncovered information on Roman Gofman to High Court

From L to R: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, September 30, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90); Incoming Mossad head Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman arrives at the Knesset, in Jerusalem on February 5, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Attorney General’s Office sends an urgent request to the High Court of Justice asking to send it information it has just learned relating to the petitions against Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman’s appointment as the next Mossad chief.

The High Court on Tuesday ordered a former brigadier general in military intelligence to file an affidavit to the court regarding what he knew about Gofman’s knowledge of a controversial social media influence operation carried out under Gofman’s authority as head of the IDF’s 210th Division in 2022.

Gofman is accused of unethical conduct during that incident and its aftermath and it is at the heart of the petitions against his appointment as head of the Mossad.

In an urgent request filed to the High Court this morning, the Attorney General’s Office says that after it filed a request to the IDF unit in question to obtain the officer’s affidavit, it learned information relevant to the case, which it says should have been presented to the court by Gofman himself.

The Attorney General’s Office asks to submit this information to the court in a confidential manner.

“The entire point of the update notice that is being requested to be submitted is the information that Maj. Gen. Gofman should have brought before the court during the course of the hearing,” the Attorney General’s Office says.

Iran’s FM says BRICS nations must shatter ‘West’s false sense of superiority’

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

Iran calls on BRICS member states to condemn what it says are violations of international law by the United States and Israel, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says in a statement on his Telegram account.

He also calls on the BRICS nations to prevent the politicization of international institutions.

“The West’s false sense of superiority and immunity must be shattered by all of us,” he writes.

BRICS nations include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

IDF issues evacuation warning for 8 villages in southern Lebanon

A man standing on the beach in the area of Tyre looks at smoke rising from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the area of Ras Al-Ain on May 12, 2026. (KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)

The IDF issues evacuation warnings for eight villages in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.

Residents of Libbaya, Sohmor, Tefahta, Kfar Melki, Yohmor al-Beqaa, Ain al-Tineh, Houmine al-Faouqa and Mazraat Sinay are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.

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

Defense Ministry signs deal with Elbit for ‘extended-range capability’ for F-35I fighter jet

Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jets head to carry out strikes in Iran, in a photo published by the military on March 15, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Defense Ministry says it has signed a contract with a subsidiary of the Elbit defense firm for the development of an “extended-range capability” for the F-35I fighter jet.

The deal with Cyclone is valued at $34 million (NIS 100 million), and will include the “development and integration of external fuel tanks” based on a design that the subsidiary originally developed for the F-16 fighter jet, according to the ministry.

The ministry says the new capability is expected to “extend the aircraft’s operational range, reduce reliance on aerial refueling and enhance operational flexibility across long-range missions.”

Trump and Xi discussed Middle East and Ukraine in meeting, says China

US President Donald Trump, center, walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, at the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping discussed the war in the Middle East, the Ukraine conflict and issues on the Korean Peninsula when they met in Beijing today, the Chinese government says.

“The two heads of state exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis and the Korean Peninsula,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

Sirens sound in Gaza border towns; IDF says false alarm

Sirens warning of a rocket attack sound in Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza border as well as the nearby towns of Shuva and Zimrat.

The IDF later says that the sirens were triggered due to a false alarm.

Welcoming Trump, Xi says the US and China should be ‘partners rather than rivals’

US President Donald Trump, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 14, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

The US and China should be “partners rather than rivals,” Chinese President Xi Jinping tells US President Donald Trump ahead of their bilateral talks in Beijing.

“I always believed that the common interests between China and the US outweigh their differences,” Xi says. “Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.”

Xi adds that he wants 2026 to be a “landmark year” in the countries’ relations.

“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. I extend my congratulations to you and to the American people,” Xi says. He adds, “I firmly believe the common interests between China and the United States are bigger than our differences.”

“Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” Xi continues. “The two countries should be partners rather than rivals, achieve success together and pursue common prosperity, and chart a correct path for major-country relations in the new era.”

Trump tells the Chinese leader: “You’re a great leader, sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.”

US federal judge blocks US sanctions against anti-Israel UN envoy

UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese talks to The Associated Press at the Sarajevo airport in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Thursday, July 10, 2025, on her way to events commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A federal judge temporarily blocks US sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, claiming the Trump administration likely violated her free-speech rights.

Albanese, who has long been accused of antisemitism and extremist rhetoric against Israel, was sanctioned by the Trump administration last year for alleged “political and economic warfare” against the US and Israel.

The sanctions bar her from entering the US and banking there. Albanese, an Italian lawyer who is UN special rapporteur on the West Bank and Gaza, recommended the International Criminal Court pursue war-crimes prosecutions against Israeli and American nationals.

Albanese’s husband and daughter, who is a US citizen, sued the Trump administration in February, alleging that the US sanctions are “effectively debanking her and making it nearly impossible to meet the needs of her daily life.”

US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington says Albanese’s residency outside the US does not undercut her protections under the First Amendment of the US Constitution and that the Trump administration sought to regulate her speech because of the “idea or message expressed.”

Iranian FM threatens UAE, claims Tehran knew of Netanyahu’s visit to Abu Dhabi

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

Threatening the UAE, Iran says it knew of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ostensible visit to Abu Dhabi at the height of the now-suspended US-Israeli campaign against Tehran.

“Netanyahu has now publicly revealed what Iran’s security services long ago conveyed to our leadership,” writes Abbas Araghchi on X, without explaining why Iran didn’t go public weeks ago with the intelligence he claims it had.

“Enmity with the Great People of Iran is a foolish gamble,” continues Araghchi. “Collusion with Israel in doing so: unforgivable.”

“Those colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account.”

Rubio: China has ‘interest to resolve’ Gulf turmoil, needs to do more to change Iran’s behavior

The United States hopes to convince China to play a more active role in trying to persuade Iran to walk away from what it is doing in the Gulf, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says in an interview aired on Fox News.

Rubio makes the comments in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, noting that China has ships in the Gulf, one of which was struck by Iran over the weekend.

“I’m sure Iran didn’t do it deliberately but they did it, it happened,” Rubio says. “And so that’s why these Chinese ships are stuck in there.”

He adds that Iran’s behavior is “a huge source of instability. It threatens to destabilize Asia more than any other part of the world because it’s heavily reliant on the straits for energy.”

Rubio also argues that China has an economic interest in getting shipping to flow through the Strait of Hormuz again, as if other countries are struggling, “they are going to be buying less Chinese product and the Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously.”

“So it’s in their interest to resolve this.”

EXCLUSIVE: Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlines the high-stakes push for China to confront Iran over its actions in the Persian Gulf in an exclusive sit-down with @seanhannity aboard Air Force One:

“The Chinese have ships stuck in the Persian Gulf… A Chinese cargo got hit… pic.twitter.com/9gtJqdfvxN

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 13, 2026

PM’s former spokesman insists Netanyahu’s account of UAE wartime visit is true

Ziv Agmon, acting chief of staff and spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, walks outside his office at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 23, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

As the UAE denies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the country during the latest war against Iran, Netanyahu’s then-spokesman insists his former boss’s account is true.

“As someone who knows the United Arab Emirates well and has lived there for long periods of time, and as someone who accompanied the prime minister on the historic trip that has been top secret until today, I can say that the prime minister was received in Abu Dhabi with the honor of kings,” writes Ziv Agmon on Facebook.

“Sheikh [Mohamed] bin Zayed, his family members, and other dignitaries welcomed us and were happy to see the prime minister of Israel on their soil,” he continues.

Netanyahu’s office revealed the visit earlier tonight, which Abu Dhabi denied.

“The sheikh greatly respected the prime minister and personally drove the prime minister in his personal car from the plane to the palace,” writes Agmon. “The things the prime minister concluded during this amazing visit will be talked about for generations to come. A great success!”

IDF says Hezbollah fired anti-tank missile and mortars at troops in south Lebanon; no injuries

Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile and several mortars at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon in the past few hours, the military says.

The IDF says the projectiles exploded near the forces but did not cause any injuries.

Additionally, an interceptor missile was fired at an apparent Hezbollah drone over southern Lebanon a short while ago, the IDF adds.

Defendant pleads guilty to damaging Chabad World Headquarters in New York

A driver, seen on the right after being arrested, rams his car into an entrance to the Chabad movement's world headquarters, in New York City, January 28, 2026. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The defendant who repeatedly rammed a vehicle in the Chabad Hasidic movement’s headquarters in New York City in January pleads guilty to damaging religious property.

Dan Sohail faces a maximum three years in prison in the federal Eastern District of New York court.

During the incident, Sohail drove to Chabad’s headquarters, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, during an event marking the anniversary of the passing of the movement’s late leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

He parked his Honda Accord nearby, moved barriers near a side entrance, told congregants to move away, returned to his vehicle, and slammed into an entrance door at least five times, knocking it off its hinges. No one was injured.

Sohail was arrested at the scene and charged with a hate crime.

During an interview with law enforcement, he said he had previously visited the building, and that “he had recently learned he had Jewish heritage and was in the process of learning more about the Jewish tradition,” the complaint said.

Sohail claimed he had been invited to an event at the building that night and had “lost control of the car because of icy conditions and because he was wearing heavy boots.”

After his arrest, New York police said Sohail had previous contacts with Chabad, attending a “social gathering” at the same location around 10 days before the incident.

The building at 770 Eastern Parkway, known as “770,” is likely the most famous and recognizable Jewish site in New York City. The structure is iconic for the Chabad movement and there are replicas of the building in other countries, including in Kfar Chabad in Israel.

The incident provoked widespread shock and alarm in the Jewish community and from elected leaders in the city, where Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined.

“The defendant’s dangerous conduct was a targeted attack on the religious liberty and peace of worship to which every American is entitled,” says US Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Today’s conviction sends a clear message: the Department of Justice will not tolerate acts of hatred and violence against religious institutions.”