Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Saturday’s events as they unfolded.
Herzog tells Eurovision runner-up Bettan he ‘brought honor’ to Israel with ‘perfect’ performance
President Isaac Herzog speaks to Noam Bettan after he finished in an impressive second place at tonight’s Eurovision grand final, telling him he “brought honor to the people of Israel.”
“You moved us. You are simply wonderful. The performance was perfect, and you brought honor to the people of Israel,” Herzog tells him. “Your composure and calm on stage — great job.”
Herzog adds that during this “complex period” for the country, Bettan “added tremendously to the good name of the State of Israel around the world.”
Bettan tells the president that he knows “how much effort you invested to make this Eurovision happen, and I thank you for everything. It gave the people of Israel a lot of hope, and personally, it gave me a major and meaningful opportunity.”
Herzog was involved in diplomatic efforts to keep Israel in the contest, including meeting last year with the director of host Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.
Israel’s Noam Bettan finishes second to Bulgaria in Eurovision Song Contest
The final result of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, early on May 17, 2026, with Bulgaria the winner and Israel in second place. (Eurovision world)
Israel’s Noam Bettan finishes in second place at the Eurovision Song Contest grand final in Vienna, Austria, as Bulgaria’s Dara takes the overall top prize.
The nail-biting finish came down to Bulgaria edging out Israel at the end of the public vote.
Israel ultimately took home 343 points overall — 123 from the juries and 220 with the public — while Bulgaria, whose dance hit “Bangaranga” was a crowd favorite — got 204 from the juries and 312 from the public, cementing its first place win with a whopping 516 in total.
Those figures left Israel third overall in the popular vote and eighth in the jury vote, but with enough combined support to propel it to second overall.
Bettan performed his song “Michelle” in French, Hebrew and English along with five backup dancers as millions around the world tuned in. Unlike during Tuesday’s semi-final, no anti-Israel chanting or boos could be heard on the live broadcast. A number of fans could be heard chanting “Noam, Noam” just as the song began.
Israel’s jury gave its top points to Australia, followed by 10 to Denmark, eight to Bulgaria and seven to Finland.
Israel received 12 jury points — the highest possible — from Poland, as well as 10 from Ukraine and Moldova, and eight from Albania, Austria and Lithuania.
This is the second year running that Israel has finished in second place, after Yuval Raphael came in the same spot last year with “New Day Will Rise,” after she topped the televote.
IDF says it intercepted rockets launched by Hezbollah at troops in southern Lebanon
Several rockets launched by Hezbollah at troops stationed in southern Lebanon were intercepted a short while ago, the military says.
No injuries were caused, the IDF adds.
WATCH: Eurovision Song Contest results being announced
Jury votes are being cast in the culmination of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
Israel came in 14th in the jury vote last year, but the public vote lifted it into 2nd place overall.
Trump shares image warning of ‘calm before the storm’ amid reports Iran war could resume
US President Donald Trump shares an AI-generated graphic of him and a US Navy admiral in front of stormy waters with several ships, including one flying the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, amid reports the war could potentially resume soon.
Above the graphic is text reading: “It was calm before the storm.”
New media post from Donald J. Trump
( TruthSocial: May 16 2026, 4:03 PM ET ) pic.twitter.com/dgXKB5ZeTJ
— Donald J Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) May 16, 2026
Defense firm says large explosion near Beit Shemesh was part of ‘pre-planned experiment’
A large blast was heard near the Jerusalem-area city of Beit Shemesh this evening, at a testing ground belonging to the state-owned Tomer defense firm.
In a statement, Tomer — which develops engines for rockets and missiles — says that the blast was “a pre-planned experiment that was carried out according to plan.”
תיעוד: תושבים באזור בית שמש דיווחו על פיצוץ עז ואש שנראית מרחוק. מראה קצת אפוקליפטי.
מסתבר שמדובר בפיצוץ מבוקר שנעשה בתוך מפעל אזרחי. אין נזק או נפגעים. אפשר להרגע. pic.twitter.com/Xv3qVEFP8Y
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) May 16, 2026
FIFA discusses Iran’s World Cup participation with soccer chief barred from Canada over IRGC ties
FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom held a constructive and positive meeting with Iran’s FA [soccer association] President Mehdi Taj, he tells Reuters, expressing confidence about the country’s participation at this year’s World Cup.
Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group matches in the United States but the team’s participation in the June 11 to July 19 tournament has been in question since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.
“We’ve had an excellent meeting and constructive meeting together with the Iran FA,” Grafstrom says during a visit to Istanbul. “We’re working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them in the FIFA World Cup.”
More questions have arisen after Taj was refused entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver earlier this month because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The US and Canada, who are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a terrorist entity and have made it clear they will not admit people with links to the elite military force.
Grafstrom declines to provide details on the visa situation for Iran’s players, but says the two sides had the opportunity to discuss some of the operational matters and had a positive exchange.
Taj tells Reuters that Iran’s soccer association had a very good meeting with Grafstrom and other FIFA officials.
“I am pleased that they listened to Iran’s points, all 10 points that we had raised, and they offered solutions for each of them. I hope, God willing, that our national team can go to the World Cup without any problems and achieve very good results there,” he says.
Asked if FIFA had secured assurances on entry and visa arrangements for Iran’s players, Grafstrom declines to elaborate.
“We’ve discussed all relevant matters, but I think it’s not the place to discuss the details,” he says. “Overall, a very positive meeting and we’re looking forward to continuing the dialogue.”
Iran had asked for their World Cup matches to be switched to Mexico but FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists that all games must be played at the grounds originally scheduled.
With no audible booing, Israel’s Noam Bettan performs ‘Michelle’ at Eurovision final
Noam Bettan from Israel performs the song 'Michelle' during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, May 16, 2026. (AP/Martin Meissner)
Israel’s Noam Bettan performs “Michelle” at the Eurovision Song Contest grand final in Vienna, Austria.
After finishing a strong vocal performance, Bettan says: “Thank you Europe, toda raba, I love you all — Am Yisrael Chai.”
Unlike during the semifinal on Tuesday, no audible booing was heard from the audience. At the start of the song, some fans could be heard chanting “Noam.” Bettan, however, was greeted with loud boos during the final dress rehearsal earlier today.
Bettan is third in the lineup of the 25 countries performing tonight, who are seeking to win enough votes from the juries and the public to take home the win.
Voting is already open around the world on www.esc.vote, and will continue throughout the evening. Final results are not expected until after midnight Central European Time.
עם ישראל חי ואוהב אותך נועם ????????????????????#כאן_אירוויזיון pic.twitter.com/FaRfDRUl6O
— כאן (@kann) May 16, 2026
Several Palestinians reported injured during settler attacks in past few hours
The Red Crescent says a Palestinian was injured after being assaulted by settlers in the village of Kafin in the Tulkarem area of the western West Bank.
Palestinian media outlets also report that a woman was injured after being assaulted by settlers in the Wadi Sa’ir area north of Hebron.
Additionally, Palestinian media publishes footage of a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills area of the southern West Bank. Two settlers are seen physically fighting with several Palestinians.
إصابة سيدة جراء اعتداء مستـ.'ـوطنين عليها بالضرب في أراضي وادي سعير شمال الخليل. pic.twitter.com/akBKjFK0DA
— فلسطين بوست (@PalpostN) May 16, 2026
Iran’s stock market to reopen Tuesday after trading halted during war with US and Israel
Iran will reopen its stock market on Tuesday after a suspension during the conflict with the US and Israel, Iran’s IRNA news agency cites a senior official as saying.
“The suspension of stock market activities from the start of the war was aimed at protecting shareholders’ assets, preventing panic-driven trading and allowing for more transparent pricing conditions,” says Hamid Yari, deputy supervisor at the securities and exchange organization.
“Now, with the reopening of the stock market, we will see the full resumption of all capital market sectors,” he adds.
WATCH: Eurovision finals about to start in Vienna; Israel’s Noam Bettan to sing third
The Eurovision Song Contest is about to kick off live from Vienna, Austria, with tens of millions of viewers from around the world tuning in.
Israel’s Noam Bettan will perform third out of the 25 finalists who will take the stage tonight. Voting will begin a few minutes after the live show starts at 9 p.m. Central European Time.
The show is broadcast via each country’s participating public broadcaster — in Israel on Kan 11. Viewers in many countries can also watch via the official Eurovision YouTube channel, although it is geoblocked in some regions.
Viewers in the US can tune in via the Peacock streaming service, while viewers in the UK can only watch via the BBC, and fans in Australia can only access the show through the SBS broadcaster.
This year, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands are boycotting the show over Israel’s participation. Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have said they will also not air the competition, but Iceland and the Netherlands will still do so on public television.
Mother of slain soldier demands Oct. 7 state inquiry: ‘What are they hiding?’
About 400 people rally against the government during the weekly demonstration organized by the Movement for Quality Government anti-corruption watchdog at Habima Square in Tel Aviv.
The movement is involved in High Court petitions demanding an end to the exemptions from mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023.
Both the movement and the left-leaning Democrats party have set up stands on the outskirts of the demonstration in a bid to attract new supporters.
Using Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname, protesters at Habima form a drum circle and chant “Bibi Netanyahu, to jail in Ma’asiyahu,” referring to a prison that has held several prominent convicted politicians including former premier Ehud Olmert.
Speaking at the rally, Nirit Baram, whose son Neta was killed on October 7, 2023, while battling Hamas terrorirsts at southern Israel’s Nachal Oz base, slams the government’s failure to probe the security debacle that happened on its watch.
“Why the hell isn’t this happening? What are they hiding?” she asks to applause.
Her son was killed alongside four other soldiers from different religious, geographic and ethnic backgrounds, Baram says.
“In their death they ordered us to unite,” she says. “And we are united, in a demand to form a state commission of inquiry.”
Ifat Gadot, mother of an active-duty combat soldier, also generates applause with a tirade against preferential treatment that observant Jews receive in the military service over their secular counterparts.
Along with the ultra-Orthodox blanket exemption, she notes that National Religious women can, and often do, opt out of military service entirely, while National Religious men who study in so-called Hesder (arrangement) yeshivot are required to serve only about half the time that their secular counterparts do.
“It’s time to stop being simps,” she says. “It’s time to cut out the shows of solidarity for populations that don’t show it to us.”
She accuses the government of fighting endless wars for political reasons and the IDF of failing to counter religious and nationalist extremism in its ranks.
“Our children won’t serve in an army whose values don’t match our values,” she says. “They won’t become war criminals. They won’t protect illegal outposts. They won’t stand by and watch as Jewish terrorists kill innocent Palestinians, steal their property and throw them out of their homes.”
“If the State of Israel can’t manage, maybe it’s time it stopped fighting futile wars,” she says, adding that secular Jews are “no less Jewish” than their observant counterparts.
IDF says infantry platoon commander killed by Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon
Cpt. Maoz Israel Recanati. (Israel Defense Forces)
An IDF officer was killed in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon on Friday, the military announces.
The slain officer is named as Cpt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion, from Itamar.
Recanati is the seventh IDF soldier to be killed in southern Lebanon since the start of a ceasefire, and the 20th since hostilities escalated amid the Iran war. A civilian contractor was also killed in southern Lebanon.
Recanati was set to marry his fiancée, Rani, in about a month, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We all embrace her and his loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement reads.
IDF says air defenses downed 2 Hezbollah drones nearing troops in southern Lebanon
Two Hezbollah drones were shot down by air defenses over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating, the military says.
The drones had triggered sirens in several border communities in the Western Galilee.
Additionally, Hezbollah launched several rockets and mortars at troops in southern Lebanon in the past hour. The IDF says the projectiles struck near the forces but did not cause any injuries.
Egyptian activist who founded anti-Israel group says France seeking to deport him
In an undated image from the Free Ramy Shaath Facebook page, Ramy Shaath poses for a photo in Cairo, Egypt. (Free Ramy Shaath Facebook page via AP, File)
Ramy Shaath says French authorities are seeking to deport him on the grounds that he is a threat to public security, accusing France of targeting him over his pro-Palestinian activism.
Shaath, 54, said in a May 14 face-to-camera video statement posted online that the move was part of what he described as a broader campaign to silence Palestinians and supporters of the Palestinian cause in France.
Shaath helped found the pro-Palestinian organization Urgence Palestine after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. He accuses French authorities of targeting him after earlier legal proceedings failed.
France’s Interior Ministry doesn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Shaath said in the video that the deportation move followed earlier difficulties renewing his French residency papers, despite his family ties in France. He also alleged that his bank account had been closed without warning and that his health insurance card had been suspended, saying the measures affected his ability to work, travel and receive care.
Shaath said he and his family would challenge the proceedings before French and European courts.
IDF says it hit around 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon this weekend
The IDF says it struck some 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the weekend.
According to the military, the targets included surveillance posts, weapon depots, and other infrastructure used by the terror group to advance attacks.
The strikes were carried out across southern Lebanon, including in the Tyre area.
Meanwhile, in the past day, Hezbollah launched several drones and mortars at troops in southern Lebanon. The IDF does not report any injuries in the latest attacks.
עמדות תצפית, מחסן אמצעי לחימה ותשתיות טרור נוספות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה: צה"ל תקף במהלך סוף השבוע כ-100 מטרות במספר מרחבים בדרום לבנון
במהלך סוף השבוע, צה"ל תקף כ-100 מטרות במרחבים שונים בדרום לבנון.
מוקדם יותר היום, צה"ל תקף במרחבים שונים בדרום לבנון עמדות תצפית, תשתיות… pic.twitter.com/Q2VmrWpytg
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 16, 2026
Former MK Youssef Atauna, Nihaya Wishahy round out top 5 on Hadash electoral slate
Arab-majority party Hadash elects former MK Youssef Atauna to the fourth slot and Nihaya Wishahy to the fifth slot on the faction’s electoral slate in internal primaries.
Atauna, a Bedouin politician from the Negev, served in the Knesset from 2017 to 2025 before resigning under a rotation agreement between Hadash and Ta’al, which ran together in the 2022 elections. He defeated former Arraba mayor Omar Wahad Nasser and activist and journalist Nadra Saadi Abu Dabi for the slot.
His return to the Knesset, alongside former MK Yousef Jabareen’s election earlier today to lead the party, underscores Hadash’s effort to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base and challenge Mansour Abbas’s Islamist United Arab List (Ra’am) for support among Bedouin voters in the Negev and Arab voters in central Israel’s Triangle region.
Wishahy, elected to the fifth slot after all other candidates withdrew their candidacies, is the only woman elected to Hadash’s slate in the vote, the first time in more than a decade that no women will hold one of the party’s top slots.
London cops say 31 now arrested during simultaneous far-right and anti-Israel rallies
London police say they have now arrested 31 people for a variety of offenses during simultaneous far-right and anti-Israel demonstrations in the British capital, which are being held at the same time as England’s major domestic cup competition takes place Wembley Stadium.
“While this may seem high, to this point both protests have proceeded largely without significant incident,” says the London Metropolitan Police.
IDF confiscates gun from reservist, suspends him from duty for taking part in settler arson attack
The IDF says it is investigating soldiers who stood by as several masked Israeli settlers, including a reservist, set fire to vehicles in a Palestinian village in the West Bank yesterday.
According to the military, troops were dispatched to the village of Shuqba, near Ramallah, following reports that several masked Israelis vandalized and set fire to several vehicles.
“When the troops arrived, some of the Israeli civilians tried to flee the area while others continued to vandalize the vehicles,” the IDF says in response to a query. A military source confirms that the troops did not detain any of the assailants as they were carrying out the attack.
חייל הגמ"ר ו-4 אזרחים ישראלים נעצרו בחשד שהציתו רכבים פלסטיניים; כוח צה"ל היה עד לאירוע, תיעד – אך לא עצר אותם@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/gLkp5rfRsS
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) May 16, 2026
Later, Border Police officers arrested four Israeli civilians and a reservist serving in one of the IDF’s so-called area defense forces, known by its Hebrew acronym Hagmar, who are suspected of participating in the attack. Israel Police announced earlier that it launched an investigation into the incident.
The reservist had his weapon confiscated, and he was also suspended from reserve duty amid the investigation.
The military says it will investigate the conduct of the troops who stood by during the attack.
Dozens of soldiers from Hagmar units, which comprise local settlers serving in reserve duty, have been dismissed for violations, including attacks on Palestinians in recent years.
In recent days, the IDF has been reducing the number of active Hagmar soldiers in the West Bank.
IDF says false alarms set off Western Galilee rocket sirens
Rocket sirens that sounded in the Western Galilee a short while ago were false alarms, the military says.
Hadash picks activist Jafar Farah for No. 2 spot, reelects MK Ofer Cassif as No. 3
The Arab-majority Hadash party elects human rights activist Jafar Farah and MK Ofer Cassif to the second and third spots on its Knesset slate in internal primaries held in the Lower Galilee town of Deir Hanna.
Former MK Yousef Jabareen was elected earlier today to lead the party, replacing outgoing chairman Ayman Odeh.
Farah, who heads the Mossawa rights group, will replace Hadash No. 2 MK Aida Touma-Sliman — who doesn’t seek reelection after 11 years in the Knesset — after defeating Nasreen Morqos and former Kafr Yasif mayor Shadi Shweiri.
In 2019, a police officer was indicted for allegedly beating Farah and breaking his knee following his arrest at a Gaza solidarity protest in Haifa the previous year.
Cassif was again picked for the third slot on Hadash’s electoral slate, traditionally reserved for a Jewish candidate, after defeating party activist Noa Levy. He was the only one of the three current Hadash MKs to seek reelection, after both Odeh and Touma-Sliman announced they would step down.
The results also leave Hadash, which has traditionally emphasized female representation as part of its platform, without a woman among its top three candidates for the first time in more than a decade.
Rocket warning sirens triggered in Western Galilee communities
Rocket warning sirens sound in several Western Galilee communities near the Lebanon border, days after a Hezbollah drone attack wounded several Israeli civilians in the area.
IDF investigating video showing partially uniformed soldier with bound and blindfolded Palestinian
Responding to footage of a partially uniformed Israeli standing over a bound and blindfolded Palestinian man in a central West Bank village before dragging him to a nearby road, the army says he was “a soldier on active reserve duty” who acted “in an inappropriate manner that deviated from the rules.”
“The incident and the behavior of the forces are being investigated,” says a statement from the Israel Defense Forces.
The army says the Palestinian attacked an Israeli before being detained and that the soldier was instructed by troops dispersing a group of Palestinians to watch over him.
HORRIFIC: An armed Israeli settler, under the protection of the Israeli army, blindfolded, humiliated, and detained a Palestinian man in the village of Bayt Iksa in the West Bank. pic.twitter.com/ya3FdCRTMS
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 15, 2026
After resigning as minister, Wes Streeting challenges PM Starmer for UK Labour leadership
Then-UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting leaves 10 Downing Street after a cabinet meeting in London, Tuesday, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Former UK health minister Wes Streeting says that he will challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer in any leadership contest held, days after stepping down and urging Starmer to set a timetable for his departure.
“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I will be standing,” Streeting tells a conference of the Progress group of Labour supporters.
Kremlin says Putin discussed Iran conflict with UAE leader
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, talk to each other during their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, Oct. 11, 2022. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict with his United Arab Emirates counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin says.
“Both sides emphasized the importance of continuing the political and diplomatic process aimed at reaching compromise-based peace agreements,” it says.
Putin also thanked the UAE for support in humanitarian issues related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Iranian media says Pakistani minister arrived in Tehran ‘to facilitate’ US-Iran talks
Pakistan’s interior minister has arrived in Tehran “to facilitate” the peace talks between Iran and the United States that have stalled despite a fragile ceasefire, Iranian media reports.
“Mohsin Naqvi arrived today in the Islamic Republic of Iran on an official two-day visit as part of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate talks and promote regional peace,” the Tasnim news agency reports.
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni receives Naqvi, whose visit to Tehran comes days after that of Pakistan’s influential army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Islamabad has been actively mediating in the peace talks between Iran and the US and last month hosted a high stakes meeting between delegations from both sides.
Freed hostage Omri Miran says ‘the world is better’ after Izz al-Din al-Haddad killed
Omri Miran pictured at the beach, with his wife Lishay and two daughters out of shot, on October 17, 2025, soon after his discharge from the hospital, and four days after he was released from more than two years in Hamas captivity in Gaza. (Via X; Eli Teichman and Shir Katz)
Freed hostage Omri Miran cheers the killing of Hamas military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad, saying he encountered the senior terror leader several times while held in tunnels below Gaza.
In a post on Instagram, Miran says the news of Haddad’s death feels “like a type of small victory, a victory over evil, and that the world is better today,” adding that he hopes the assassination brings “a small measure of justice” to bereaved families.
“In the tunnels of Gaza I was forced several times to stay with the arch-murderer Izz al-Din al-Haddad,” Miran continues. “I saw the evil in his eyes, something impossible to describe in words. Calmly, as he smiled from ear to ear, he proudly boasted how he was an architect of the October 7 massacre.”
IDF says it killed two Hezbollah operatives at rocket launch site in south Lebanon
The Israeli Air Force struck and killed two Hezbollah operatives at a rocket-launching site in southern Lebanon yesterday, following an attack on troops, the military says.
According to the IDF, the rockets launched toward the troops in southern Lebanon hit open areas, without causing injuries.
A short while later, the IAF struck two Hezbollah operatives at a building in the area of the launch. The military says secondary explosions were observed, indicating the presence of weapons in the building.
כוחות אוגדה 91 חיסלו מחבלים שפעלו במרחב ממנו שוגרו רקטות לעבר כוחותינו
אתמול, ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שיגר רקטות לעבר כוחות צה"ל הפועלים בדרום לבנון, הרקטות נפלו בשטחים פתוחים. אין נפגעים לכוחותינו.
לאחר זמן קצר, חיל האוויר בהכוונת כוחות אוגדה 91 זיהה ותקף שני מחבלים שפעלו ממבנה… pic.twitter.com/D0Q5IXFqQj
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 16, 2026
Two Hamas terrorists involved in Oct. 7 killed in Gaza strikes, IDF says
Flames engulf a vehicle struck by an Israeli strike in a street of Gaza City, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Two Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught were killed in recent strikes in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announces.
Khamer Iyad Muhammad Al-Matouq and Khaled Muhammad Salem Jouda were killed in separate strikes in northern Gaza in the past two weeks.
The military says the pair invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, recently attempted to carry out attacks on troops in Gaza, and had “posed an immediate threat to the forces.”
Another strike in central Gaza on Wednesday killed Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Jumaa Shafi, a member of Hamas’s Bureij Battalion, who the military says advanced attacks on troops in Gaza.
Hezbollah drone shot down after triggering sirens in north
An apparent Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon was intercepted by air defenses a short while ago, the military says.
The “suspicious aerial target” triggered sirens in the border community of Metula.
IDF reservist, four other Israelis arrested for allegedly burning Palestinian vehicles in West Bank
An IDF reservist and four other Israelis are arrested for allegedly burning vehicles in the West Bank Palestinian village of Shuqba, near Ramallah, yesterday, police say.
Police are investigating the incident, and will request from a court to extend their custody of the suspects.
חייל הגמ"ר ו-4 אזרחים ישראלים נעצרו בחשד שהציתו רכבים פלסטיניים; כוח צה"ל היה עד לאירוע, תיעד – אך לא עצר אותם@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/gLkp5rfRsS
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) May 16, 2026
Police arrest 11 as tens of thousands march in concurrent anti-Israel, anti-migrant protests in London
Protesters carry posters and flags during an anti-Israel, pro-Palestine march in London, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
London police say 11 arrests in total have been made as tens of thousands march in concurrent anti-Israel and anti-migrant protests assemble on separate sides of the city.
Police say officers have arrested two men, wanted on suspicion of being connected of running over a man in Birmingham, while trying to attend the Unite the Kingdom protest.
Separately, a woman at the anti-Israel protest was arrested for refusing to remove a face mask, the UK’s Press Association reports.
European countries in talks with Tehran over Hormuz transit, Iranian media says
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boat allegedly takes part in an operation to seize ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026. (MIRZADEH via the Iranian news agency TASNIM NEWS, via AFP)
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian state television says that European countries had been in talks with Tehran over transit for ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Following the passage of ships from East Asian countries notably China, Japan and Pakistan we received information today indicating that Europeans have also begun negotiations with the Revolutionary Guards navy” to get permission to pass, state television reports, without specifying which countries.
French judge to lead probe over killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks during a press conference in Manama, Bahrain on December 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)
PARIS, France — A French judge has been appointed to lead an inquiry over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the country’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) says, after a court ruled the case admissible.
The probe, covering charges of torture and enforced disappearance, follows a May 11 ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal that deemed complaints filed by human rights groups TRIAL International and Reporters Without Borders admissible, PNAT says.
A separate complaint filed by DAWN, Khashoggi’s employer, was ruled inadmissible, the PNAT adds.
Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, in an operation that US intelligence believed was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The crown prince has denied ordering the killing but acknowledged it took place “under my watch.”
The French inquiry adds a new legal front in a case that has seen limited judicial follow-up to date.
Former MK Yousef Jabareen elected leader of Arab party Hadash
Former MK Yousef Jabareen is elected leader of the Arab-majority Hadash party in internal primaries and will replace current chairman Ayman Odeh, who is resigning.
Jabareen’s ascent is part of a broader reshuffling underway within the Communist Hadash, as two of the party’s three current MKs in the party, which allied with the secularist Ta’al party for the last vote in 2022, prepare to leave parliamentary politics.
He previously served in the Knesset from 2015 to 2021.
Jabareen, a legal scholar and longtime Hadash activist, hails from the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm in the so-called Triangle region just south of the Lower Galilee, a densely populated cluster of Arab towns and villages that has increasingly pushed for greater representation within the party.
His rise to leadership marks a geographic and political shift for the left-wing party, which for years has been dominated by figures from the north and coastal urban centers like Tel Aviv and Haifa, the latter of which is also home to outgoing chairman Odeh.
Activists from the Triangle region have in recent years argued that the area, home to about 250,000 of Israel’s approximately 2 million Arabs and heavily affected by the violent crime epidemic plaguing Arab society, has not been sufficiently represented in the party’s leadership. Jabareen’s election is expected to increase activity and voter participation in the national elections in the important region.
לאחר ספירת תוצאות הסיבוב הראשון:
מועצת חד״ש בחרה בד״ר יוסף ג׳בארין למקום הראשון ולראשות רשימתה לכנסת. pic.twitter.com/vEL4jGciK4— חד״ש Hadash (@Hadash_org) May 16, 2026
IDF confirms shooting Palestinian suspect near Jenin refugee camp
An IDF soldier walks with his weapon on a street during a military raid in the West Bank village of al-Yamun, near Jenin, February 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The IDF confirms opening fire on a Palestinian suspect near the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, after Palestinian health officials reported one dead by Israeli fire in the area.
The Jenin camp has been sealed off by the IDF since early 2025 amid a counter-terrorism operation.
In response to a query, the IDF tells The Times of Israel that troops stationed in the Jenin camp identified a suspect who tried to enter the area without coordination.
A military source says that there were intelligence indications that the suspect sought to target Israeli forces in the camp.
“The troops began a suspect arrest procedure that included firing into the air, and after the suspect did not stop and continued toward the camp, the forces shot at him, resulting in his injury,” the military says.
The IDF says troops provided the suspect with medical attention before transferring him to the Red Crescent.
The man, identified by the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry as 34-year-old Nour al-Din Kamal Hassan Fayyad, later succumbed to his wounds.
Iran to announce mechanism for Hormuz control, including fees
A man waves an Iranian flag for a pro-government campaign under a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of US President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route that will be unveiled soon, the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee Ebrahim Azizi says.
Azizi adds that only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit from the arrangement. He says fees would be collected for specialized services provided under the mechanism.
IDF chief praises killing of Hamas’s Gaza leader, vows to continue hunt for Oct. 7 perpetrators
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 10, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir hails the killing of Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and chief of the terror group’s military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, and instructs the Southern Command to stay alert amid fears the terror group may retaliate.
“This is a significant operational success by the IDF led by the Southern Command, the Intelligence Directorate, the Air Force and the Shin Bet,” he says during an assessment, in remarks published by the IDF.
“In every conversation I held with the hostages who returned, the name of the arch-terrorist, Izz al-Din al-Haddad — one of the main figures responsible for the October 7 massacre and the head of Hamas’s military wing — came up again and again,” Zamir says.
“Today, we succeeded in eliminating him. The IDF will continue to pursue our enemies, strike, and settle accounts with everyone who took part in the October 7 massacre,” he says.
During the assessment, Zamir instructed the Southern Command to “maintain high operational readiness and to respond immediately to any attempt to harm our forces or the territory of the State of Israel,” the military adds.
Hamas chief in Gaza Izz al-Din al-Haddad killed in Israeli strike, IDF confirms
Hamas Gaza chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad, then the commander of the terror group's Gaza City Brigade, is seen in a video released by Hamas’s military wing in May 2022 (social media)
The IDF in a statement confirms the killing of Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and chief of the terror group’s military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in an airstrike last night.
Haddad, “one of the architects of the brutal October 7 massacre,” was targeted in a “precise strike” in Gaza City, the military says.
He took over the role of military chief and leader of Hamas in Gaza following the killing of Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025.
Recently, the military says, Haddad “worked to rebuild the capabilities of the terrorist organization’s military wing and to plan numerous terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.”
“Throughout the war, Haddad was involved in the holding of many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity. Haddad managed Hamas’s hostage captivity system and surrounded himself with hostages in an attempt to prevent his elimination,” the IDF says.
He is one of the longest-serving commanders in Hamas, after joining the terror group in its infancy. The IDF says he “maintained close ties with Hamas leadership” and played a “central role in Hamas’s terrorist rule” over the Strip.
Haddad previously served as chief of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, and is one of the last senior commanders “who directed the planning and execution of the October 7 massacre and the management of combat operations against IDF troops,” the IDF adds.
Funeral begins for Hamas’s Gaza leader, Palestinian media says
The funeral for Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, has begun, according to Palestinian media.
The terror group has not yet commented, but photos from the funeral show a “martyr poster” for Haddad.
Last night, the Israeli Air Force struck a hideout apartment in Gaza City where Haddad was, though the military has not yet confirmed he was killed.
بحضور شعبي.. بدء تشييع القائد العام لكتائب القسام الشهيد عز الدين الحداد "أبو صهيب" في مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/xSaK1xB2Kl
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) May 16, 2026
Hamas chief in Gaza killed in Israeli strike, senior official from terror group says
People inspect the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on May 16, 2026. Israel said that it had targeted Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and the head of the terror group’s military wing (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
CAIRO, Egypt — A senior Hamas official tells Reuters that the chief of the terror group’s military wing and leader in Gaza had died, a day after Israel said that it had carried out airstrikes targeting him.
Earlier, witnesses in Gaza City said that mosques had announced Izz al-Din al-Haddad’s “martyrdom.” He is the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since an October US-backed ceasefire deal that was meant to halt fighting in Gaza, and the last mastermind of the October 7, 2023, massacre to be killed.
Hamas has not publicly confirmed Haddad’s death.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a joint statement with his defence minister on Friday that Haddad had been targeted, though they did not say if he had been killed.
UAE says OPEC withdrawal strategic, not political move
The logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is seen outside of OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on March 3, 2022. (AP/Lisa Leutner)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates’ decision to withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+ was a sovereign and strategic choice based on a comprehensive assessment of its production policy and future capabilities, the UAE energy minister says, adding the move was not politically motivated and did not reflect divisions with partners.
Gaza mosques announce death of Hamas’s Gaza leader; terror group still mum
People walk outside a residential building that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on May 16, 2026. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
CAIRO, Egypt — Mosques in northern Gaza announce that Hamas’s military wing commander and leader in the Strip had died, a day after Israel’s military said that it had targeted the armed wing chief in airstrikes.
Witnesses say that mosques in Gaza City had announced Izz al-Din al-Haddad’s “martyrdom.” There is no immediate comment from Hamas on the fate of the terror group’s military chief.
Israel has not said if he was killed in the airstrikes, but military officials indicated last night that it was successful.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Police investigating after footage said to show Israeli settler beating dog in West Bank Palestinian village
Israel Police say it has taken testimony from the owner of a dog that was reportedly beaten by a masked settler yesterday.
Police say the owner was summoned to the local station to submit an official complaint, and investigators are searching for the suspect.
Footage aired by Palestinian media showed what was said to be an Israeli settler repeatedly clubbing a guard dog during a raid of the central West Bank village of Atara, near Ramallah.
Images later published showed the dog survived and was receiving treatment at a vet.
????אזהרת צפייה קשה. התעללות קשה בכלב של פלסטיני עטארה בשומרון. בעל הכלב הפלסטיני הגיש תלונה במשטרת ש״י וטען שמדובר במתנחל קיצוני שהגיע לכלב שלו והכה אותו קשות. משטרת ש״י פתחו בחקירה לבחינת נסיבות האירוע. pic.twitter.com/JoaNTgnm8O
— Yossi Eli (@Yossi_eli) May 16, 2026
IDF announces wave of strikes on Hezbollah in south Lebanon after warnings
The IDF says it has launched a wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, the military issued evacuation warnings for nine villages in southern Lebanon.
The strikes are the first since a ceasefire in Lebanon was extended by 45 days last night.
Hezbollah and Israel have continued to attack each other since US President Donald Trump first announced a ceasefire on April 16, which has now largely unraveled, though fighting remains at a lower level than before.
Iraq exported 10 million barrels of oil though Hormuz in April, oil minister says
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)
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq exported 10 million barrels of oil via the Strait of Hormuz in April, down from about 93 million barrels monthly before the Iran war, the country’s new Oil Minister Basim Mohammed says at a press conference.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has curtailed oil exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq, sending prices sharply higher.
Iraq’s crude exports through the Kirkuk–Ceyhan oil pipeline resumed in March, after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed on restarting flows.
“We export 200,000 barrels through Ceyhan port, and we have a plan to increase it to 500,000 barrels,” Mohammed says.
Iraq plans to engage with OPEC to boost the country’s production and export capacity, the minister says, adding that Baghdad aims to reach a production capacity of 5 million barrels per day.
PA says IDF troops killed man outside Jenin refugee camp
Palestinian Authority health officials say Israeli forces killed a man on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
The health ministry in Ramallah identifies the victim as 34-year-old Nour al-Din Kamal Hassan Fayyad, saying he was “killed by occupation forces’ fire in the Jenin camp.”
The Palestinian Red Crescent says its teams in Jenin received a man “with no signs of breathing or pulse from inside Jenin camp after he sustained a live bullet wound to the thigh.”
There was no immediate comment from the IDF on the incident.
Israel launched a major military operation in early 2025 in multiple northern Palestinian refugee camps, where the army says it is seeking to root out terror groups.
The operation, dubbed “Iron Wall,” has targeted Jenin and Tulkarem camps and displaced nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
The Israeli military has sealed off the Jenin camp, allowing displaced residents only limited access to check on their homes and belongings.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
FIFA to offer ‘reassurance’ to Iran over participation in US World Cup matches
Iran is illuminated on the screen during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP)
FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom will meet Iranian FA (FFIRI) officials in Istanbul today and offer “reassurance” over Iran’s participation in the World Cup, a source familiar with the talks tells Reuters.
Iran is scheduled to play all three World Cup group matches in the United States, but the team’s participation in the June 11 to July 19 tournament has been in question since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.
Hezbollah drone launched at Mount Meron; no injuries
An apparent Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon triggered sirens in the Mount Meron area a short while ago.
The military says the “incident has concluded,” and no injuries were caused.
IDF calls for nine villages in south Lebanon to evacuate ahead of airstrikes
The IDF issues evacuation warnings for nine villages in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.
Residents of Qaaqaaiyet al-Snoubar, Kaouthariyet El Saiyad, Merouaniyeh, Ghassaniyeh, Tefahta, Irzay, Babliyeh, Insar and al-Baisariyah 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.
London preparing for disruptions as concurrent anti-immigration, anti-Israel protests set to be held
London is preparing for two concurrent protests to be held today — one anti-immigration and pro-Palestinian — amid fears of unrest.
At least 80,000 people are expected in London on Saturday for the two demonstrations — a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel march marking Nakba Day and another “Unite the Kingdom” rally organized by the anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known by his pseudonym Tommy Robinson.
Police say they will be on the scene to “keep people safe and minimize disruption.” It warns people not “to use words, images or symbols to intimidate, provoke violence, or stir up hatred against any community.”
The protests come while the soccer FA Cup final is also being staged at Wembley in the northwest of the capital, and against a backdrop of global tensions, recent antisemitic attacks and a raising of Britain’s terrorism threat level.
????London will be very busy this weekend with the #EmiratesFACup final and two large protests taking place in central London. Officers will be on duty to keep people safe and minimise disruption. Please plan ahead if you’re travelling.https://t.co/9vCnJGvlZx pic.twitter.com/o8tniH0dPH
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 15, 2026
Agencies contributed to this report.
‘You’re going to get beheaded one by one, you dirty Jews,’ London man threatens
A video online is circulating showing a man threatening to behead Jews in the London neighborhood of Tower Hamlets.
The man, who is accompanied by a group of others, yells several anti-Israel, pro-Palestine slogans before saying, “The Jews, you’re going to get beheaded one by one, you dirty Jews.”
The group is talking into a camera outside a mosque, and doesn’t appear to be harassing a specific group of Jewish people in their area.
The Shomrim security group says police are investigating and working to arrest the man.
???? Threats To Behead Jews
???? @Shomrim are aware of the horrific video circulating on social media showing a gentleman threatening to behead Jews and much more. This was taken outside 82 Whitechapel Road, Tower Hamlets, London, E1 1JQ.
????♂️ This has been reported to @MetPoliceUK… pic.twitter.com/9JBS8vEZPP
— Shomrim (London North & East) (@Shomrim) May 15, 2026
Israel, US readying for renewed strikes on Iran for as early as next week — report
An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet takes off for strikes in Iran, in a handout photo published April 6, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israel and the United States are undergoing the most intense preparations since last month’s ceasefire for renewed attacks on Iran, seeking to be ready as early as next week, The New York Times reports, citing two Middle East officials.
According to US officials, one of the options for an operation would include putting commandos on the ground to extract nuclear material buried under rubble.
Such a complicated operation would risk several casualties, as it would require thousands of supporting forces to create a perimeter around an operations area, and likely engage with Iranian ground troops, military officials tell the Times.
Troops could also be used to conquer Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, officials add.
Another option would include more intense bombing of Iranian military and infrastructure sites, US officials say.
Israel launched its campaign against Iran, alongside the US, to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities, distance threats posed by Iran — including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs — and “create the conditions” for the Iranian people to topple the regime, the military and other Israeli leaders have said.
The ceasefire reached last month has left those declared goals unfulfilled.
Report: US officials suspect Iran behind hack of system monitoring levels of fuel available for gas stations
Illustrative: A gas pump is visible as a person sits in a vehicle after fueling, May 15, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Officials in the US suspect that Iran is behind a hack of systems that monitor the levels of available fuel in storage tanks that supply gas stations in some states, CNN reports.
The report says the hackers took advantage of online systems that weren’t protected by passwords.
The outlet says no physical damage was done to the systems and that the hackers changed the display system showing the fuel level, rather than the actual amount of fuel itself.
Sources briefed on the investigation tell CNN that Tehran was suspected because it had a history of trying to hack the systems, but caution that it was possible the culprits would never be identified.
It is unclear why the systems did not have more robust protections if they had been previously targeted.
CNN says there is no comment from the FBI or US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The apparent hack comes amid soaring fuel prices as a result of the Iran war.
Trump says ISIS No. 2 eliminated by US and Nigerian forces
US President Donald Trump says Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, has been eliminated in an operation conducted by US and Nigerian forces.
IDF says ‘false identification’ set off sirens in Majdal Shams
The IDF says that sirens were activated in Majdal Shams due to a “false identification.”
Suspected drone triggers sirens in Golan’s Majdal Shams
Warning sirens are sounding in the northern Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams due to a suspected drone infiltration.
Mamdani posts Nakba Day video, claims ‘the catastrophe continues to this day’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a May Day rally at Washington Square Park in New York, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posts a video and a statement for Nakba Day.
The video shows an interview with a “Nakba survivor,” New York resident Inea Bushnaq. She describes fleeing her home because “the Zionists were coming into Jerusalem.”
“Nakba is Arabic for ‘catastrophe,'” the video says. “It refers to the expulsion and displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed.”
“The Haganah, Irgun and Lehi militias, among others, destroyed more than 400 Palestinian villages and cities, killing thousands of Palestinians and carrying out dozens of massacres,” the video says. “May 15 is the annual commemoration of the Nakba. For Palestinians, their displacement and the Nakba continues to this day.”
Today marks Nakba Day, an annual day of remembrance to commemorate the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed.
Inea is a New Yorker and a Nakba survivor. She shared her story with us… pic.twitter.com/z2PBOaJq5Z
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) May 15, 2026
The video, produced by the mayor’s office and released shortly before Shabbat, presents a one-sided view of Israel’s War of Independence.
For example, it does not mention the Arab massacres of Jews, that Arab armies invaded the territory to eliminate its Jewish community, that the Palestinians refused a two-state solution that could have prevented the war, or that Jews were ethnically cleansed from Jerusalem in the conflict.
The video and the Nakba narrative reinforce the so-called “Right of Return,” a primary demand of Palestinians that would end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
Mamdani releases the video as hardline anti-Zionist groups hold Nakba Day rallies in Manhattan.
Mamdani has refused to march in the Jewish community’s annual parade, called Israel Day on Fifth, taking place later this month.
Six reported killed in Israeli strike on civil defense center in southern Lebanon
At least six people were killed, including three paramedics, and 22 were wounded in an Israeli strike on a civil defense center in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state news agency says.
There is no immediate statement on the strike from the IDF.
Iraqi man charged in US for plotting attacks on Jewish targets for Iran
The US Justice Department announces the arrest of an Iraqi national for terrorism on behalf of Iran.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a member of the Kata’ib Hizballah terrorist group and an operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, plotted close to 20 attacks in the US, Europe and Canada, prosecutors say.
Al-Saadi, 32, was extradited to the US from abroad and appears in a federal court in New York City.
He allegedly attacks on “US and Israeli interests and to kill Americans and Jews in the U.S. and abroad,” says Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Attacks linked to al-Saadi include arson against a synagogue in North Macedonia and the stabbing of two Jewish men last month in London.
This month and last month, Al-Saadi allegedly attempted terror attacks against Jewish institutions in New York, the Justice Department says.
In communication with an undercover officer, he shared photos of a prominent Jewish synagogue in New York, and two Jewish institutions in California and Arizona, directing the officer to attack the targets.
The Justice Department does not name the specific targets.
Al-Saadi is charged with six counts of terrorism-related offenses.
The Community Security Initiative, a group that coordinates security for Jewish institutions in the New York region, says in a bulletin that it has been in contact since last month with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force about the plot against the New York synagogue.
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