May 19: Captured Hamas document details terror operative training during early 2025 ceasefire

Lebanese Health Ministry says Israeli strike kills 10

An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon today killed at least 10 people, including three women and three children, the country’s health ministry says.

“An Israeli airstrike on the town of Deir Qanun al-Nahr in the Tyre district resulted in an initial toll of 10 martyrs, including three children and three women, in addition to three wounded, including a child,” the ministry says in a statement, calling it a “massacre.”

The IDF has not commented publicly on the claim.

A ceasefire is in effect in the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, but it has largely unraveled.

Israel says latest Gaza-bound flotilla has ‘come to an end,’ 430 activists being transferred to Israel

Israeli naval forces sail a confiscated Gaza-bound flotilla boat into Israel's Ashdod port after intercepting the vessel on the Mediterranean Sea, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The Foreign Ministry says the latest activist flotilla aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza has “come to an end,” and more than 400 activists are being taken to Israel.

Israeli commandos have intercepted all of the more than 50 boats in the flotilla. A live feed on the Global Sumud Flotilla’s website shows IDF soldiers boarding the vessels as activists in life vests put their hands up. Soldiers then destroy cameras mounted on the vessels.

“Another PR flotilla has come to an end,” the Foreign Ministry writes in a post on X. “All 430 activists have been transferred to Israeli vessels and are making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives. This flotilla has once again proved to be nothing more than a PR stunt at the service of Hamas. Israel will continue to act in full accordance with international law and will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani calls for an urgent review of Israel’s use of force after Italian activists said soldiers fired rubber bullets at vessels, which was also reported by Hebrew media. Flotilla organizers claim Israeli soldiers fired on five boats during the interdictions, with some damage.

“At no point was live ammunition fired,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier on Tuesday. “Following multiple warnings, non-lethal means were employed toward the vessel – not toward protesters – as a warning.”

The IDF had begun stopping the flotilla around 167 miles (268 kilometers) from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website. The vessels departed last week from Turkey.

The flotilla urges governments and world leaders to demand the activists’ “immediate and unconditional release” and to ensure they get legal and consular help without delay.

US plans to shrink forces available to NATO during crises, sources tell Reuters

Illustrative: US Soldiers prepare to launch a stinger missile during African Lion 26 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, May 1, 2026. (US Army photo )

The Trump administration is planning to tell NATO allies this week that it will shrink the pool of military capabilities that the US would have available to assist the alliance’s European nations in a major crisis, three sources familiar with the matter tell Reuters.

Under a framework known as the NATO Force Model, the alliance’s member countries identify a pool of available forces that could be activated during a conflict or any other major crisis, such as a military attack on a NATO member.

While the precise composition of those wartime forces is a closely guarded secret, the Pentagon has decided to significantly scale down its commitment, say the sources, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.

US President Donald Trump has made clear he expects European countries to take over primary responsibility for the continent’s security from the United States. The message to allies this week is a concrete sign of that policy being implemented.

Several details are unclear, such as how quickly the Pentagon plans to shift crisis-mode responsibilities onto European allies. The sources say, however, that the Pentagon plans to announce its intention to lessen its commitment at a Friday meeting of defense policy chiefs in Brussels.

A NATO spokesperson directs a request for comment to the United States. The Pentagon does not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tomorrow’s Netanyahu trial hearing canceled due to ‘diplomatic-security schedule’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the courtroom at the District Court in Tel Aviv, before the start of his testimony in the trial against him, October 28, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Tomorrow’s hearing in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has been canceled due to a “diplomatic-security schedule,” Hebrew outlets report.

Today’s hearing was also shortened for the same reason. Netanyahu regularly asks for the hearings to be canceled or cut short due to his prime ministerial duties.

The premier faces charges of bribery and fraud and breach of trust in three cases.

Sally Rooney to publish Hebrew translation of novel with BDS-aligned Israeli publisher

Irish author Sally Rooney speaks during the Hulu segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington in Pasadena, California, on January 17, 2020. (Amy Sussman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Prominent Irish novelist Sally Rooney will publish a Hebrew translation of her fourth and most recent novel, “Intermezzo,” with an Israeli publisher that aligns with the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, after refusing an offer to translate her third novel into the language due to her support for BDS.

Rooney, a vocal opponent of Israel, had published her first two mega hit novels, “Conversations with Friends” and “Normal People,” with Modan Publishing House. But she made waves in 2021 when she declined Modan’s offer to translate her third book, “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” because she supports the cultural boycott of Israel.

For “Intermezzo,” however, she has found an Israeli publisher, November Books, that is compliant with the BDS movement, the Guardian reports. The publisher has also translated other books by prominent critics of Israel.

The left-wing publication +972 and its Hebrew partner site, Local Call, are collaborating on publishing the book, according to an article in +972.

“Next month, we will be publishing Rooney’s latest novel, ‘Intermezzo,’ in Hebrew, in a way that honors the principles of the boycott and stands in solidarity with the Palestinian demand for freedom, equality, and justice,” reads the article.

It says the book is available for preorder “only for readers in Israel-Palestine, with the exception of West Bank settlements.”

“For me, the act of translation is in itself a beautiful ideal,” Rooney says, according to the Guardian. “Though my refusal to work with complicit Israeli publishing houses made the contractual side of things more complex, I was, of course, never boycotting the Hebrew language or any language.”

On its website, November Books calls itself “an ideological publishing house that aims to present alternative voices that do not gain sufficient exposure in the Israeli public sphere.”

It continues, “We are committed to the idea, in line with Palestinian and democratic voices in Israel, that Israel should not be a Jewish state but rather a state of all its citizens and recognize the right of return as it was accepted by the UN. We strongly oppose any form of inequality and apartheid.”

The right of return refers to the idea that Palestinians be able to gain citizenship in Israel, something that supporters of Israel generally see as a recipe for the end of the country’s Jewish character.

November Books director Ishai Menuchin says in a statement to the Guardian that “publishing books by authors associated with the boycott movement demonstrates to Israeli readers that opposition to occupation, apartheid and genocide is what lies at the heart of the boycott – a clearly legitimate form of political protest.”

US resident released from Iranian prison, returns home, rights group says

An Iranian citizen who holds permanent residency in the United States has been released from prison in Iran and has returned to the US, a rights group says.

“Shahab Dalili, an Iranian citizen and US permanent resident who had been imprisoned in Evin Prison, was released after serving 10 years in prison. Following his release, he returned to the United States,” the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says in a statement.

It says the man, who was sentenced for allegedly “cooperating with a hostile government,” traveled from Iran to the Armenian capital Yerevan before returning to Washington, DC, “where he is now safe and reunited with his family,” without specifying the date of his return.

Iran’s supreme leader urges citizens to procreate, hopes for ‘fruitful results’

Women walk past a banner showing portraits of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, left, and his father, the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In a break from his recent bellicose rhetoric, the latest message from Iran’s as-yet-unseen supreme leader sets his people a more productive mission: get out and make babies.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly wounded in the US-Israeli bombardment that killed his father and predecessor, and ignited the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic on February 28. He was appointed in March but has not been seen or heard in public since.

But several written messages have been attributed to him, and in the latest — a letter in response to well-wishes from pro-natalists — he urges Iranians to secure great power status by growing their population.

“By earnestly pursuing the correct, necessary policy of population growth, the great Iranian nation will be able to play a major role and experience strategic leaps in the future,” he posts on X.

In a longer version of his remarks carried by state broadcaster IRIB, Khamenei tells activists: “It is hoped that your sincere efforts… will lead to fruitful results, God willing.”

Iran has a population of around 92 million — less than half that of neighboring Pakistan — but official figures show it is still the 17th most populous nation in the world.

The country’s fertility rate has however fallen drastically in recent decades, from 6.5 in 1979, the year of the Islamic Revolution, to just 1.7 in 2024, according to World Bank figures.

In 2020, an Iranian health official said state hospitals and clinics had stopped providing vasectomies or handing out contraceptives in order to turbo-charge population growth.

To maintain a regional leadership role and take “long strides toward building the new Islamic-Iranian civilisation,” Khamenei says, Iranians must promote a “culture of childbearing.”

US seized Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian ocean, WSJ reports

The US seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing three US officials.

The tanker, known as the Skywave, was sanctioned by the US in March for its role in transporting Iranian oil and was likely loaded with more than a million barrels of crude at Iran’s Kharg Island in February, the report says.

If not for Israel, Arabs here ‘would still be riding camels,’ says far-right minister

Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu speaks during the funeral of terror victim Matan Elmaliach at the Maale Adumim cemetery, February 22, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

If it were not for Israel’s establishment, the country’s Arab population would still be riding on camels, declares Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) during a special Knesset session marking Jerusalem Day and Students Day.

“If the State of Israel had not been established and had not helped the population of Walid and his friends to study in academia, they would still be riding camels,” declares the far-right minister, following a speech by Ra’am MK Waleed Alhwashla.

This is not the first time a coalition minister has mocked Arabs by invoking camels.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faced accusations of racism last year for saying that he wouldn’t agree to a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia if it meant the establishment of a Palestinian state, disparagingly saying the Saudis could “keep riding camels.”

Nor is it the first inflammatory statement by Eliyahu, who called for using a nuclear weapon on Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.

Haredim deny PM told them draft exemption bill now has majority support in Knesset

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, right, arriving for a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on September 27, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

Ultra-Orthodox political sources deny claims by officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he has managed to convince a majority of the Knesset to pass the controversial Haredi draft exemption bill before the end of the government’s term in office.

Haredi leaders called for the dissolution of the Knesset last week after Netanyahu informed them that his coalition wouldn’t have a majority to pass the bill in the current Knesset. Tomorrow, lawmakers are due to start the process of dissolving the Knesset and triggering elections.

But this evening, a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office claimed that following pressure by Netanyahu on holdouts within his coalition, enough have come around to allow the bill to move forward.

“We achieved the necessary majority and that is what is important,” the official stated, adding that Netanyahu’s staff had conveyed this message to Haredi leaders.

Asked about this claim, one senior United Torah Judaism figure dismisses it as “nonsense” while a spokesman for Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni says that they had not received such a message. Degel HaTorah is a faction of UTJ.

“He doesn’t need to give notice. He should just bring the bill to a vote,” the spokesman states.

On Monday, the draft exemption bill was placed back on the parliamentary agenda, with an announcement that discussions in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee would resume tomorrow in order to prepare it for the final two readings needed for it to pass into law.

Haredi political sources have told the press that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office offered to resume discussions in the committee in an effort to postpone elections until October, while the Haredim want a September date, during the High Holidays.

Rabbi Avi Weiss, US liberal Orthodox leader, gets Israeli citizenship; ‘no longer sure’ what the future is for US Jews

Rabbi Avi Weiss during a memorial service on June 17, 2014, outside the UN in New York, for the three Israeli teenagers kidnapped in the West Bank. (AP/John Minchillo)

Rabbi Avi Weiss, the prominent American liberal Orthodox spiritual leader, has obtained Israeli citizenship along with his wife, he writes in a social media post.

They will not be moving to Israel full-time, Weiss tells The Times of Israel, adding that most of their grandchildren live in Israel. They formally became citizens in April, Weiss says.

“For us, it’s a dream come true, becoming citizens,” he tells ToI. “We try to be here as often as we can.”

Weiss is the founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale synagogue in New York City, and is also a founder of the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah rabbinical seminary for men, and the Yeshivat Maharat rabbinic seminary for women. He is also known as an outspoken advocate for Israel and, in previous decades, as a leading activist in the movement to free Soviet Jewry.

In a post on X, Weiss recounts handing his papers in to an Ethiopian-Israeli official, and recalls his past activism on behalf of Ethiopian Jews.

“I told him: ‘I remember the 1970s and ’80s, when we marched and protested so Ethiopian Jews could come home to Israel. Back then, many questioned whether Ethiopian Jews were Jewish at all. We insisted our Black brothers and sisters were as Jewish as any of us,’” he writes in the post. “And now, 35 years later, here was a holy Ethiopian Jew confirming my Judaism.”

While discussing his choice to obtain Israeli citizenship now, Weiss, 81, alludes to rising antisemitism in the US.

“If I were asked today what is the future for Jews in America, I’m no longer sure,” he tells ToI. “I am sure [that] this, the State of Israel, is our place.”

Israel fires rubber bullets, blasts Eurovision song at Gaza flotilla boats

Israel fired rubber bullets at a few of the vessels in the flotilla attempting to breach the IDF’s blockade of Gaza, according to footage circulating online and claims by activists aboard the boats. Hebrew media also reports the incident, with Channel 12 saying that “several rubber bullets were fired at a small number of vessels” in the flotilla that are still proceeding toward Gaza and “did not heed [the Navy’s] calls.”

There are no immediate reports of casualties.

“At no point was live ammunition fired,” the Foreign Ministry says in a statement. “Following multiple warnings, non-lethal means were employed toward the vessel – not toward protesters – as a warning.”

Israeli authorities have reportedly seized 41 of the flotilla’s 51 vessels so far, with the remaining 10 expected to be intercepted by the navy in the coming hours.

The Channel 12 report says there is a female Israeli citizen among the activists.

Israeli forces opened fire at a Global Sumud Flotilla boat on Tuesday, targeting the vessel with rubber bullets. pic.twitter.com/SfGLDQXUhm

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) May 19, 2026

Additional footage circulating online appears to show Israeli authorities blasting “Michelle” by Noam Bettan, Israel’s entry in the recent Eurovision Song Contest, through the speakers of at least one flotilla vessel.

In similar footage circulated yesterday, Israeli authorities were seen playing “Oops!… I Did It Again” by Britney Spears through at least one of the flotilla boats’ speakers.

ההטרלה של לוחמי שייטת 13: "מישל" של נועם בתן בהשתלטות על ספינת משט לעזה @kann pic.twitter.com/4HWxBdGOK0

— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) May 19, 2026

Vance: US prefers diplomatic solution to Iran conflict but is ‘locked and loaded’ to resume war

US Vice President JD Vance speaks to reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

US Vice President JD Vance says the Trump administration still prefers a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran, but is prepared to resume the war in order to ensure that Tehran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

He says during a White House press briefing that the US is committed to ensuring that Iran doesn’t have access to nuclear weapons because if it did, it would lead to a regional arms race that would make the world less safe.

Vance argues that the US has already degraded Iran’s conventional military capability through the first six weeks of the war.

“That has been successfully done. You could always do a little bit more, but where we are now is the president has told us to aggressively negotiate with the Iranians,” he says.

“We’ve made a lot of progress. We think the Iranians want to make a deal,” he continues.

“So we’re in a pretty good spot here, but there’s an option B, and the option B is that we can restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case to try to achieve America’s objectives… but that’s not what the president wants, and I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either,” Vance says.

“We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon. So, as the president just told me, we’re locked and loaded,” he adds.

Vance reiterates the US belief that Iran’s leadership is divided.

“It’s not sometimes totally clear what the negotiating position of the team is, and I don’t know if that’s sometimes bad communication, if that’s bad faith,” Vance says.

As for whether he thinks a deal is still possible, the vice president says, “I feel confident enough (with the current state of talks) to keep on doing the work and to try to find a good deal for the American people.”

Asked about reports that Iran’s highly enriched uranium could be transferred to Russia in the event of a deal, Vance says that is not an idea currently being considered by the US, nor was it requested by Tehran.

Smotrich rejects US request to transfer withheld Palestinian tax revenue to Board of Peace

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of Religious Zionism leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, January 19, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has rejected a US request that he allow a portion of the $5 billion in Palestinian tax revenues that Israel is withholding from the Palestinian Authority to be transferred instead to the Board of Peace running Gaza.

The US-led Board of Peace tasked with overseeing the postwar management of the Strip has struggled to secure funding after countries made pledges of $17 billion earlier this year that have overwhelmingly gone unfulfilled.

To help close the gap, a Palestinian official told The Times of Israel that the PA has offered to donate to the Board of Peace, but has conditioned its contribution on Israel releasing its clearance revenues, tax funds which Jerusalem is supposed to collect on Ramallah’s behalf and transfer to the PA each month. Smotrich has refused to do so for over a year — a violation of the Oslo Accords that has risked collapsing the PA entirely as the tax funds make up the majority of its budget.

The PA official said Ramallah is hoping that the US can coax Israel to release a significant portion of the withheld funds that would then be transferred to the Board of Peace, while an identical portion would be transferred to Ramallah.

The US raised the idea with Israel but Smotrich — who has advocated collapsing the PA — rejected it, arguing that it could allow Ramallah to gain a foothold in Gaza, his office told The Times of Israel, confirming a report on the Ynet news site.

Israel preparing to join potential US strike on Iran despite Trump’s delay — report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visit the navy's operational headquarters at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on May 18, 2026. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Israel’s political leadership expects and is prepared to participate in a US strike on Iran, even after US President Donald Trump said he canceled an attack planned for today because Gulf states convinced him that reaching a deal with Tehran was possible, Channel 12 reports.

Officials in Israel are said to believe Trump’s announcement only further narrowed his options, assessing that unless Tehran presents a dramatically improved proposal — something Israeli officials view as unlikely — the president will ultimately feel compelled to respond militarily, according to the network.

The report points to multiple developments suggesting heightened preparation for an American strike, adding that Israel is likely to coordinate with the US on the potential attack.

Last night’s limited security meeting convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lasted nearly five hours – with the IDF chief of staff, air force chief, head of military intelligence, head of the Operations Directorate, and other senior defense officials in attendance – to ensure full preparedness for the possibility of an American strike, the report says.

In addition, Netanyahu canceled his court testimony for tomorrow without opposition from the prosecution, the network adds.

Reservist officer killed in combat in southern Lebanon, IDF says

Cap: Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir. (Israel Defense Forces)

An IDF officer was killed in combat with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the military announces.

The slain officer is named as Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir, 27, a deputy company commander in the 551st Brigade’s 7008th Battalion, from the West Bank settlement of Eli.

Sapir is the eighth IDF soldier to be killed in southern Lebanon since the start of the ceasefire there, which has largely unraveled. He is the 21st since hostilities between Israel and the terror group escalated amid the Iran war. A civilian contractor was also killed in southern Lebanon.

Rubio, UN chief discuss Strait of Hormuz, US State Department says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio 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)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UN Secretary-General António Guterres discuss American efforts to stop Iran from placing mines and imposing tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, including a UN Security Council resolution on the issue.

“The Secretary emphasized the overwhelming support of a broad base of UN members for these efforts,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott says in a statement.

Rubio also championed USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg’s qualifications to lead the UN World Food Program, he says.

‘Anti-Islamic writings’ found in car of California mosque shooting suspects, official says

A Nazi "SS" branded gas can is seen on the ground near the vehicle allegedly belonging to one of the teenage shooters who opened fire outside a mosque, killing three, in San Diego, California, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

“Anti-Islamic writings” were found in a vehicle connected to the two teenage suspects in yesterday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego that killed three people, according to a Department of Justice official with knowledge of the investigation.

The alleged gunmen have been identified as Caleb Vasquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, the official tells Reuters. They were found dead in their car after the shooting, apparently from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said yesterday.

Police said yesterday that the attack was being investigated as a hate crime but declined to offer further details about a possible motive.

Clark’s mother is cooperating with authorities, the DOJ official added.

The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and houses the Bright Horizon Academy. All students were safe and accounted for after Monday’s attack.

A fundraising effort organized by CAIR San Diego with the Islamic Center of San Diego has raised over $1.7 million for the family of slain security guard Amin Abdullah, who authorities have credited with preventing further bloodshed.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria tells CNN that security will be beefed up across the city.

“There’s always a concern about other sick and twisted individuals who will take inspiration from this tragedy and try and replicate,” he says. “No expense will be spared in protecting the people of this city.”

Senior Border Police officer convicted of sexual assault of a civilian

A high-ranking Border Police officer is convicted of sexual assault against a civilian, the Department of Internal Police Investigations announces.

Cdr. Yaron Dahan, who commands the force’s tactical brigade, is found guilty by the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court of groping a woman at a gym.

According to the prosecutor statement announcing the conviction, the officer pressed up against and touched the complainant while making “taunting remarks” without her consent.

Dahan’s defense attorney, Ofer Bartal, says his client intends to appeal the verdict in the Beersheba District Court, Channel 12 News reports.

Captured Hamas document details terror operative training during early 2025 ceasefire

Masked Hamas gunmen attend the funeral of Mahmoud al-Nabaheen, 24, in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, on January 23, 2019.(MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)

A captured Hamas document uncovered by the IDF during operations in Gaza indicates that the terror group used the January-March 2025 ceasefire with Israel to rapidly train and prepare new fighters for renewed combat, according to a report published by the government-affiliated Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

The report says the document detailed a seven-day training program held between February 17 and March 1 for 121 new recruits assigned to Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion, while the ceasefire was still in effect.

According to the document, the recruits underwent training in field combat skills, anti-tank tactics, use of Israeli weapons including M16 and Tavor rifles, first aid, drone defense and combat documentation, alongside religious and ideological indoctrination sessions.

The report says Hamas also incorporated operational lessons learned from the war into the accelerated training program, which was specifically designed to be completed before the ceasefire expired.

The Meir Amit Center assesses that Hamas used the ceasefire not only to regroup and rest, but as “a critical window” for force buildup and integrating fresh fighters ahead of renewed fighting with Israel.

According to the report, 116 of the 121 recruits completed the course successfully, including 12 with distinction.

Hamas has been accused of working to similarly rebuild its forces during the current ceasefire, which began last October. An internal IDF intelligence document circulated to political leadership last month warned that Hamas was steadily rebuilding its capabilities in Gaza, according to a Channel 12 report.

Bipartisan US Senate bill aims to boost federal fight against antisemitism

FILE - US Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, speaks at the Capitol in Washington, January 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)

A bipartisan group of senators have introduced a bill aimed at throwing significant federal weight into the fight against antisemitism.

The Jewish American Security Act cosponsored by Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen and Republican Sen. James Lankford, would require the US Education Department to develop and implement a comprehensive federal framework to combat antisemitism on college campuses, require the US government to invest $1 billion in security resources for at-risk houses of worship and other non-profit institutions, and require social media sites to demonstrate transparency regarding how they handle antisemitic content on their platforms.

The bill is backed by nearly every major Jewish organization, including the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Orthodox Union, and Union for Reform Judaism.

“Our nation is facing an epidemic of antisemitism. Year after year, we are seeing unprecedented levels of antisemitic violence and harassment. Jewish Americans are being targeted, attacked and killed simply because of who they are. This alarming trend demands a comprehensive, bipartisan approach that addresses both the seeds and the impacts of this vile hatred,” says Rosen in a statement.

“Since October 7, Jews in America have faced an unprecedented surge in antisemitism. These are not just numbers, these are real stories impacting real people. Jewish students being targeted on campuses. Synagogues being vandalized. People being attacked in the streets simply because of their faith and heritage. That is not who we are as a nation, and we unequivocally condemn antisemitism in all its forms. Every American deserves to live their faith freely. That is worth fighting for,” says Lankford.

Man found dead in burned building near Petah Tikva, in potential homicide

The site of a suspected homicide, in which a man was found dead inside a building that went up in flames near Petah Tikva, on May 19, 2026. (Fire and Rescue Service)

A man was found dead in a building that caught fire near Petah Tikva, first responders say. Police are investigating the incident as a potential homicide.

The slain man, 49, was found by firefighters who arrived to extinguish the flames that consumed much of the building. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Police suspect the apparent arson and homicide is linked to an “ongoing blood feud,” the agency says in a statement.

Young man gunned down in Shfaram, teen wounded in separate Taybeh shooting

A 23-year-old was shot and killed in Shfaram this evening, in the northern Arab city’s third lethal shooting since the start of the month.

The slain man is identified by Arabic-language outlets as Qasim Khatib, a resident of the city.

According to police, paramedics found the victim with serious injuries and took him to the hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

Police say they have launched an investigation and are searching for suspects.

Shortly after Khatib’s death, an 18-year-old was wounded in a separate shooting in the central Arab city of Taybeh.

The teenager sustained serious injuries. Paramedics are taking him to the hospital, the Magen David Adom emergency service says.

High Court asks panel appointing next Mossad chief to review new material, testimony

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 requests that the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee review new material and hear from two new individuals in order to further probe a controversial incident at the heart of petitions against the appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad.

The High Court says that the four-member committee’s work in examining the incident was “deficient” since it did not review relevant documentation or hear from key individuals at the heart of the affair.

The court’s request comes following an affidavit submitted to the court on Sunday by a military intelligence official known as “Gimmel,” who had knowledge of the matter, which detailed what he knew regarding Gofman’s knowledge of the affair.

The court recommends specifically that the committee review the affidavit and interview Gimmel himself.

The court also recommends the committee hear from Ori Elmakayes, a former blogger who was used by the IDF division commanded by Gofman in a social media influence campaign, but who was indicted on espionage charges for assisting with that campaign. Gofman did not inform law enforcement agencies that Elmakayes had worked with his division, resulting in Elmakayes remaining in various forms of detention for over 18 months before the charges were ultimately dropped.

Gofman could then be given the opportunity to respond to the new information, the court says.

The court asks the committee to inform it by Thursday if it will take the requested steps, and if it agrees to do so, to complete this work by May 26.

In theory, the committee could decide that its previous decision to recommend that Gofman be appointed was based on an incomplete picture of the incident and reverse its decision.

The initial recommendation was made three to one, with committee chair retired Supreme Court president Asher Grunis voting against Gofman’s appointment and strongly implying Gofman lied about the incident in question.

Tel Aviv says ‘nothing we can do’ as crows attack children, adults at city kindergarten

A Crow at the Palmachim Beach, on a winter day, January 14, 2022. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Violent crows have reportedly attacked parents and children at a kindergarten in central Tel Aviv, but the city says there is nothing it can do to stop the avian assaults.

Shelly Tapiero, a reporter for the Kan public broadcaster, posted on X yesterday that on Sunday, she saw a crow attack a child as he was leaving the kindergarten, and then was attacked herself the next day.

“I witnessed a crow attack one of the children,” she wrote. “The terrified boy screamed, was overwhelmed and ran away. This morning, I was attacked to the point of bleeding by a crow at the entrance to the kindergarten.”

She wrote that when she complained to the city, she was told municipal officials attend only to wounded crows.

The city appears to confirm her account, writing that it is unable to stop the attacks.

“Hi Shelly, we’re sorry to hear about the attack,” Tel Aviv’s official X account responds. It then explains that it is currently the end of nesting season, when chicks fall from nests, leading the adult crows to attack anyone nearby.

“As a municipality, there is nothing we can do about the phenomenon, and we are unable to get involved, and can only recommend that you keep your distance from the area until the chicks grow.”

Tapiero posted today that a teacher at the kindergarten was attacked and, when she absented herself today, her substitute was attacked.

IDF reiterates evacuation warnings for 12 towns in southern Lebanon

The IDF reiterates evacuation warnings for 12 villages and towns in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.

Residents of Toura, Nabatiyeh at-Tahta, Habboush, al-Bazouriyah, Tayr Debba, Kfar Houneh, Ain Qana, Libbaya, Jibshit, ash-Shehabiyah, Burj al-Shamali and Houmine al-Faouqaare are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.

“Anyone present near Hezbollah operatives, facilities, or combat equipment is putting their life at risk,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee, citing alleged ceasefire violations by the terror group.

Trump says he was an hour away from decision to strike; hasn’t decided on new deadline; claims war ‘very popular’ despite polls

US President Donald Trump tours Ballroom construction around the outside of the White House, May 19, 2026, in Washington, DC. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

US President Donald Trump indicates he has not decided how long he will hold off on striking Iran and ending the ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.

Yesterday, he claimed he was planning to launch a major attack on Iran today but that Gulf allies had asked him to hold off for two or three days in light of recent progress made in talks toward a deal to permanently end the war.

Asked how long he’s willing to wait while showing off the construction of the White House ballroom to a group of reporters, Trump gives a vague timeline.

“I’m saying two or three days — maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, maybe early next week — a limited period of time,” Trump claims.

“I hope we don’t have to do the war, but we may have to give them another big hit… I’m not sure yet, you’ll know very soon,” he adds, issuing yet another threat against Iran.

Trump claims that yesterday, he was “an hour away from making the decision” to strike Iran today. He then contradicts himself and says he had already “made the decision” to strike when Gulf leaders purportedly reached out to convince him to hold off.

Trump repeats his claim that he has caused regime change through strikes on Iran’s leaders before later calling Tehran’s current leaders “extremely radicalized” and willing to use a nuclear weapon against the US if they obtained one.

“Everyone tells me [the war is] unpopular, but I think it’s very popular,” Trump says in a brief moment of candor. Polls of Americans have routinely shown that most object to the war. A recent New York Times/Siena poll found that 64% of US respondents felt going to war with Iran was the wrong decision.

Trump then claims that opponents of the war change their mind when he asks them if they’d want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

“When we explain it to people, I don’t really have enough time to explain to people. I’m too busy getting it done,” Trump says amid the banging from the ballroom construction behind him.

“When they understand (the risk of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, I think (the war is) frankly very popular,” Trump says.

He repeats that Iran cannot be allowed nuclear weapons: “They would start with Israel. They would blow it up, and they would blow it up fast.” Then, “they go after Saudi Arabia, they go after Kuwait, they go after UAE, they go after Qatar… I think they go after the entire Middle East… It would be [a] nuclear holocaust.”

Iran girls’ school was located on active cruise missile base, CENTCOM chief says

The US military investigation into a blast at a girls’ school in Iran is “complex” given that it was located on an active Iranian cruise missile site, US Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, testifies before Congress.

Reuters first reported that an initial, internal US military investigation showed US forces were likely responsible for the destruction of the ​girls’ school in Minab. The Pentagon has since elevated the probe.

The incident took place on Feb. 28 on the first day of the conflict and killed 168 children, mostly ⁠girls, Iranian officials say.

Knesset committee legal adviser slams bid to establish politically appointed Oct. 7 inquiry

Legal adviser to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee attorney Gur Bligh speaks during a committee meeting, January 29, 2023. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee legal adviser Gur Bligh levels criticism at a controversial Likud bill aimed at establishing a politically appointed probe into the state’s failures on and leading up to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.

The legislation, which passed its preliminary reading in December, is intended to establish a politically appointed commission rather than an independent state commission of inquiry, the country’s highest investigative authority.

The bid has been strongly criticized by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who said last year that it was “tailor-made” for the “personal” needs of the government.

Addressing lawmakers, Bligh objects to the legislation’s exclusion of current and former High Court judges, attorney generals, officers over the rank of major general, Shin Bet chiefs and members of the national security cabinet as members of the proposed inquiry.

“The harsh eligibility restrictions block the committee members from choosing individuals in whom they have confidence,” and “on a practical level, this harms the ability to conduct a factual inquiry,” says Bligh, asking how it is possible for investigators who never served in top military roles to evaluate the actions of the IDF General Staff.

“For all these reasons, the restrictions should be waived, and a basic rule regarding personal conflict of interest should be established instead,” he says.

Bligh also objects to the coalition’s desire to probe members of the judiciary, stating that “the demand to investigate judges creates great difficulty regarding judicial independence” and says that “investigating judges and imposing sanctions based on their rulings could deter them from judging in accordance with how they believe the law applies.”

Somaliland to open its first-ever embassy in Jerusalem; Sa’ar hails ‘important’ move

Somaliland will open its first-ever embassy in Jerusalem, announces Somaliland’s ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi.

“I am pleased to announce that the Republic of Somaliland’s Embassy will be located in Jerusalem — the Embassy will be opened soon, while Israel will also establish its Embassy in Hargeisa, reflecting growing friendship, mutual respect and strategic cooperation between our two peoples,” writes Hagi on X.

I commend my friend, President of Somaliland @Abdirahmanirro, on his important decision to establish Somaliland’s Embassy in our eternal capital, Jerusalem.

The opening of the embassy in Jerusalem will be another significant step in strengthening relations between our countries… https://t.co/SGXtIZ33KU pic.twitter.com/QeHSDPoGqB

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) May 19, 2026

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hails the “important decision” to open the embassy in “our eternal capital, Jerusalem,” calling it “another significant step in strengthening relations between our countries and nations.”

Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland’s independence in December. The African nation will be the eighth country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

The government approved on Sunday a proposal to financially incentivize countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980 and considers the entire city its capital.

Most of the international community says the final borders of the city should be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians. Many countries maintain their embassies in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, while maintaining consulates in Jerusalem.

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iranian exchange house, shadow fleet vessels

Motorbikes driving past a billboard showing the slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

The Trump administration imposes sanctions on an Iranian foreign currency exchange house and what it says are front companies overseeing transactions on behalf of Iranian banks as the US maintains pressure on Tehran amid a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.

The Treasury Department imposes sanctions on the Iran-based Amin Exchange, also known as Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company, which it says has a widespread network of front companies spanning multiple jurisdictions, including in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Hong Kong.

The US also blocks 19 vessels it says are involved in shipping Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals to foreign customers.

The Treasury Department says Iranian exchange houses facilitate billions of dollars in foreign currency transactions a year, enabling the government to evade sanctions and access the international financial system. It says the front companies oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions on behalf of Iranian banks.

“Iran’s shadow banking system facilitates the illicit transfer of funding for terrorist purposes,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says in a release. “As Treasury systematically dismantles Tehran’s shadow banking system and shadow fleet under Economic Fury, financial institutions must be alert to how the regime manipulates the international financial system to wreak havoc.”

The sanctions block US assets of those designated and prevent Americans from doing business with them.

The US also designates vessels for transporting Iranian-origin oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals, including the Barbados-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tanker Great Sail, the Palau-flagged products tanker Ocean Wave, and the Panama-flagged chemical/oil tanker Swift Falcon.

Potential NATO mission in Strait of Hormuz is political decision, top commander says

Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the head of US Air Force Central, speaks at a news conference at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, September 20, 2023. (Jon Gambrell/ AP/ File)

Top NATO commander Alexus Grynkewich says that a potential mission of the military alliance in the Strait of Hormuz would be a political decision.

“The conditions under which NATO would consider operating in the Strait of Hormuz are ultimately a political decision,” Grynkewich says, speaking in Brussels where he met with military chiefs from NATO countries.

US says it is imposing sanctions against four people linked to Gaza flotilla

Boats belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla depart for Gaza from the port of Marmaris, Turkey,, May 14, 2026, in an attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade. (AP/Murat Kocabas)

The United States is imposing sanctions against four people associated with a flotilla trying to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, the US Treasury says in a statement.

The organizers of the flotilla say Israeli forces have intercepted 41 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, with 10 vessels still sailing toward the enclave.

“The pro-terror flotilla attempting to reach Gaza is a ludicrous attempt to undermine [US] President [Donald] Trump’s successful progress toward lasting peace in the region,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says in a statement.

Yesh Atid, Blue and White support former conservative justice Elron for state comptroller

Outgoing Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron attends a ceremony in his honor at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, September 18, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party announces that it has “begun collecting the necessary signatures to submit the candidacy of [retired] High Court Justice Yosef Elron for the position of state comptroller.”

Elron, who was appointed to the nation’s top court in 2017 and retired in 2024, is seen as a staunch conservative. Justice Minister Yariv Levin unsuccessfully sought to have Elron installed as Supreme Court president instead of Isaac Amit. He has been praised by Amit and Attorney General Gali Bahav-Miara for his contributions to criminal jurisprudence in Israel.

In a statement, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party announces that its MKs will also support Elron’s candidacy.

The Times of Israel understands from sources involved in the matter that Elron’s supporters believe that a “moderate conservative former judge with integrity can win over members of the coalition in a secret ballot.”

Michael Rabello, an attorney who has represented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the High Court of Justice on several occasions, is also a candidate for the position of State Comptroller, Hebrew media reported last week.

Netanyahu himself is pushing Rabello’s candidacy, Kan reported, and has held several meetings with coalition party heads in an effort to persuade them to support him.

Rabello has represented Netanyahu in High Court petitions when the attorney general has opposed the government’s position, including the petitions demanding that a state commission of inquiry be established into the failures surrounding the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and atrocities.

The State Comptroller has the authority to audit and review the functioning of government ministries and agencies and examine whether they are acting legally, efficiently and properly.

The comptroller is elected in a secret ballot in the Knesset, and must secure a majority.

UAE says it intercepted 6 drones from Iraqi territory over past 2 days

The United Arab Emirates intercepted six UAVs targeting “civilian and vital areas in the country” over the past 48 hours, the UAE defense ministry says in a statement, adding that the attacks originated from Iraqi territory and caused no casualties or serious damage to facilities.

Three of the drone attacks occurred Sunday, including a “brazen attack” on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the statement notes. The attack on the plant sparked concerns amid reports of renewed war with Iran.

“The Defense Ministry emphasizes the full readiness of the armed forces to deal with any threats targeting the security of the state and its national capabilities,” the statement concludes.

Correction: Smotrich says ICC prosecutor requested warrant for his arrest

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested a warrant for his arrest. The ICC said that it has not issued an arrest warrant, as previously reported, but did not deny that a request for a warrant had been made by the prosecutor.

In order to obtain an arrest warrant, the office of the prosecutor submits a request for a warrant to a pre-trial chamber of the ICC. The three judges of the pre-trial chamber review the evidence and legal arguments and then decide whether or not to approve the arrest warrant.

UAE says drone that hit near its nuclear plant was launched from Iraq

The United Arab Emirates’ defense ministry says that a drone that caused a fire at its nuclear power plant on Sunday had been launched from Iraq.

Emirati officials have said the UAE has the full right to respond to such “terrorist attacks.”

Gaza to be included in bill tasking new body with managing West Bank antiquities, which IDF opposes

MKs Zvi Sukkot, Michal Woldiger and Keti Shitrit lead a joint meeting of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee, in Jerusalem, January 26, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee includes Gaza in the scope of a controversial bill seeking to extend Israeli civilian control over antiquities in the West Bank, as it prepares the bill for its final votes in the plenum before becoming law.

If the bill passes, according to many, it will be a step in the de facto annexation of the territory.

The bill passed its first reading in the plenum last week, and the committee has been racing to allow the bill to be voted into law before the expected proceedings to dissolve the Knesset begin tomorrow. The committee is expected to vote on the bill tomorrow, sending it to the plenum. It is not clear yet whether there will be time for the plenum to approve it.

The version of the bill advanced in the plenum last week aimed to create a “Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority,” using the West Bank’s biblical name.

The bill’s sponsor, MK Amit Halevi (Likud), requests to also include the Gaza Strip. Committee legal adviser Tami Sela says that the authority’s name (as well as the name of the bill) will be amended to reflect the change.

A representative of the Israel Defense Forces states that the army opposes the bill as it explicitly asserts that its provisions will override military legislation.

“This is a law that overrides the powers of the general in the region, and we oppose the wording of this section,” says Major Marta Kramenko of the office of the Legal Adviser for Judea and Samaria. “This is the position of the IDF.”

If approved in its current form, the bill will change the decades-long status quo in the West Bank by establishing a civilian body to assume responsibilities currently held by the Defense Ministry, and directly affecting the Palestinians living there.

The new Heritage Authority would also be given the power to operate in parts of the West Bank governed by the Palestinian Authority.

Critics of the bill say that it represents an unprecedented step toward annexation. During the committee hearing, supporters of the bill also say that the legislation is about extending Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza.

“In my opinion, it is a terrible disgrace that the State of Israel has not applied Israeli law in Judea and Samaria for so many years,” Committee Chair MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism) says.

“We are truly proud to be the legislators who work on the first piece of legislation in the Knesset that recognizes Israeli law in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip,” he adds.

IDF says it destroyed Hamas rocket shaft, weapons cache in northern Gaza

The IDF says it destroyed a Hamas weapons warehouse and a rocket launch shaft overnight in the northern Gaza Strip that it says posed a threat to troops and Israeli civilians.

According to the military, the warehouse contained dozens of weapons, including more than 20 mortar shells, rocket launchers, explosive devices, Kalashnikov rifles and additional combat equipment.

The IDF says the launch shaft and weapons were intended to target troops operating near the Yellow Line and Israeli civilians, and were destroyed “in order to remove the threat.”

במטרה להסיר איום על כוחותינו: צה"ל השמיד מחסן עם עשרות אמצעי לחימה ופיר שיגור רקטות של ארגון הטרור חמאס

צה"ל השמיד במהלך הלילה, מחסן אמצעי לחימה ופיר שיגור רקטות של ארגון הטרור חמאס בצפון רצועת עזה.

במחסן שהותקף אוחסנו עשרות אמצעי לחימה מסוגים שונים, ובהם יותר מ-20 פצצות… pic.twitter.com/ZZMWUGxJ89

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2026

Iran stock exchange reopens after war forced longest-ever shutdown

Iran reopens its stock exchange after the longest shutdown in its history, caused by the war with the United States and Israel, local media reports.

“After nearly 80 days … the Tehran Stock Exchange reopened this morning,” the economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad reports.

Trading had been suspended since the start of the war on February 28, when Israeli and US strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran across the region.

The market had remained closed even after a fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8.

Unlike major global exchanges, Iran’s stock market operates largely outside the international financial system due to decades of sanctions and restrictions on foreign investment.

The official IRNA news agency says trading in shares in more than 40 companies affected by war — including firms in the chemical and metal sectors — “will remain suspended for the time being”.

The nearly 40-day conflict saw strikes hit parts of Iran’s critical infrastructure, including two of the country’s largest steel factories, which were put out of action after US-Israeli strikes.

UN considers response to Israeli move to build military compound on UNRWA site

Police outside the UNRWA center in Jerusalem, as part of a raid on the center, December 08, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)

The United Nations is considering how to respond to Israel’s announcement that it will build a military complex on the former headquarters of the UN relief agency for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, an official says.

On Sunday, the government approved plans to establish a new IDF museum, enlistment office and an office for the defense minister at the site of UNRWA’s former headquarters near Ammunition Hill in East Jerusalem.

“The matter is currently under consideration at the level of the legal council, the highest legal authority of the United Nations in New York,” UNRWA Deputy Commissioner General Natalie Boucly tells The Associated Press during a visit to Syria.

“These are UN premises and, at a minimum, this is a breach of the 1946 UN Convention on privileges and immunities,” she says.

Israel began demolishing UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters in January, following years of legislative measures against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, which Israel has long accused of colluding with Hamas and participating in terror activities, including the October 7, 2023, attacks.

The Defense Ministry signed an agreement with the Jerusalem municipality in December to establish new defense headquarters in the capital and relocate the military’s colleges to the city, among other moves.

US Treasury chief urges more disruption to Iran’s financing, will review sanctions

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at a roundtable event with US President Donald Trump (not in picture) in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls on allies to more forcefully disrupt Iran’s financing networks and says the US Treasury would scrub its sanctions list of outdated designations to make it easier for financial institutions to root out the most sophisticated terrorist financing schemes.

In remarks prepared for delivery at an anti-terrorism financing conference after G7 finance leaders met in Paris, Bessent says that participants need to “stand with us in full measure” against Iran.

“That will require, for example, our European partners to join the United States in taking action against Iran by designating its financiers, unmasking its shell and front companies, shuttering its bank branches, and dismantling its proxies,” Bessent says. “It will require those of you in the Middle East and Asia to root out Iran’s shadow banking networks.”

As the Trump administration tries to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unlock vital oil flows disrupted by the US-Israeli war with Iran, the US Treasury has stepped up its sanctions efforts through a program dubbed “Economic Fury.” It aims to disrupt Iran’s shadow banking networks, and has frozen nearly half a billion dollars worth of cryptocurrency linked to Iran’s regime.

To make this more effective, the Treasury will modernize its sanctions architecture because “our adversaries adapt and innovate” by creating new shell companies, he says.

“To sharpen national security outcomes, Treasury is tailoring our sanctions program for the 21st century. We are reviewing outdated and obsolete designations to help financial institutions focus on the most sophisticated terrorist financing and sanctions evasion schemes,” Bessent says.

He says the most effective sanctions are aggressive and targeted, and those left in place too long could create unintended consequences.

“Sanctions are meant to change behavior, not to punish populations,” Bessent says. “Sanctions left in place for years with no visible and tangible changes in behavior can have generational impacts that are nearly impossible to predict.”

He says the Treasury’s approach would “maintain agility to maximize effectiveness” and cited examples of easing sanctions on Syria and Venezuela after regime changes as examples of how the Trump administration intends to adjust sanctions.

Syria says Damascus car explosion killed soldier

A Syrian government soldier stands outside SDF controlled Al Aktan prison which holds ISIS detainees, as the Syrian amry takes possession of the nearby SDF military base in the city of Raqa on January 19, 2026. After two days of rapid gains in Kurdish-controlled territory, the Syrian president announced on January 18, a deal with the chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that includes a ceasefire and the integration of the Kurdish administration and forces into the central state. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP)

Syria’s Defense Ministry says a car explosion near a building affiliated with it in Damascus today killed a soldier.

In a statement, the ministry says the army had been dismantling another explosive device near the building in the Bab Sharqi area, before “a car bomb exploded in the same area, resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and injuries to others.”

G7 finance chiefs say Strait of Hormuz must reopen, commit to stable energy markets

The finance ministers of the G7 group of countries reiterate that it is imperative to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is blocked by Iran, and that it is important to tackle global, current account imbalances.

They also reaffirm in a joint statement their commitment to multilateral cooperation in addressing risks to the global economy.

The ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom ​and ​the ⁠United States also say they remain committed to stable energy markets and call on all countries to avoid arbitrary export restrictions.

IDF tally says military recorded 2,420 reports of sexual misconduct in 2025

The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hears an IDF report on sexual misconduct in the military, May 19, 2026. (Benny Doron/Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee)

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee receives a report showing that the IDF recorded 2,420 reports of sexual misconduct in “military-related circumstances” in 2025.

The data is presented during a committee discussion held in accordance with a law passed last year requiring the IDF, Israel Police and Israel Prison Service to annually report sexual harassment figures as well as how such cases are handled.

According to the figures presented by the IDF chief of staff’s gender affairs adviser, Brig. Gen. Rozital Aviv, the reports covered a broad range of incidents, from verbal harassment to severe physical assaults, with 71% having been deemed below the criminal threshold.

Seventy percent involved male perpetrators and female victims. Of the complainants, 1,798 concerned conscript soldiers, 188 concerned reservists, 140 concerned career officers, and 108 concerned noncommissioned officers.

According to the data, 234 criminal complaints were filed in 2025, leading to 42 indictments and 21 disciplinary proceedings. Meanwhile, 59% of complaints were handled through the chain of command rather than criminal proceedings.

A Knesset spokesperson says in a statement that the military has seen a consistent increase in reports of sexual misconduct over the past decade, which the IDF attributes both to the growth in troop numbers and to growing confidence among service members in the army’s ability to handle complaints effectively.

Aviv seems to link the rise in cases with the strain placed on the military while operating under an “intense and prolonged campaign” for more than two and a half years since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks, warning that the operational strain is no longer temporary.

“We understand that the operational effort is not temporary… this is essentially our new routine,” she tells lawmakers. “Therefore, we are making adjustments both in how we operate and in how we approach protection measures.”

Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari, who sponsored the reporting law, says the numbers may partially reflect exhaustion among troops after prolonged fighting.

“Our male and female soldiers are working very hard, and this deterioration is troubling,” she says.

Acting committee chair MK Sharon Nir says the issue is directly tied to military discipline and values, stressing that there must be “zero tolerance for sexual harassment” in the armed forces.

Coalition members slam AG’s indictment of Gotliv for allegedly disclosing ID of Shin Bet agent

MK Boaz Bismuth chairs a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, January 15, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition slam Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara following the announcement of charges against firebrand Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv, who was indicted for allegedly disclosing the identity of a Shin Bet agent.

“The time has come for [Justice Minister] Yariv Levin and my friends in Likud to overcome their barrier of fear against the Attorney General—reform now,” tweets National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth (Likud) accuses Baharav-Miara of engaging in a “frame up” against his colleague, arguing that the government “must once again advance the process of her dismissal, and at the same time, examine whether she has engaged in breach of trust over her trampling of elected officials.”

The coalition voted to dismiss Baharav-Miara in August, but the decision was frozen by the High Court. The coalition is now advancing legislation to split her role into three.

Barahav-Miara is a “fired political AG who is busy 24/7 thwarting and persecuting the government and right-wing Members of Knesset,” declares Education Minister Yoav Kisch, calling on members of the Knesset House Committee “to make the right decision” and vote to give Gotliv immunity.

There are two types of parliamentary immunity for MKs: substantive immunity, which applies to actions that are directly related to an MK’s official duties and mostly applies to their freedom of speech, and procedural immunity protecting MKs from being put on trial while in office, but which must be actively granted by the Knesset.

All bills pulled from docket ahead of planned preliminary vote tomorrow to dissolve Knesset

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

Ahead of tomorrow’s planned preliminary vote on a bill to dissolve the Knesset, which would trigger elections if ultimately passed into law, all legislation is removed from the parliamentary plenum’s agenda for the second day in a row.

Without any legislation, the agenda includes only speeches marking last week’s Jerusalem Day, Ethiopian Jewish immigration and National Students Day.

The exact timeline for passing the Knesset dissolution bill remains unclear, though it is likely that the legislation will be pushed through the Knesset quickly. After passing its preliminary reading tomorrow, the bill would need to go to a committee and then pass three more readings in the plenum.

Firebrand Likud MK Tally Gotliv indicted for allegedly disclosing Shin Bet agent’s identity

MK Tally Gotliv attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, March 23, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

The Attorney General’s Office announces that it has indicted firebrand Likud MK Tally Gotliv for allegedly violating the law by disclosing the identity of a Shin Bet agent.

In January 2024, Gotliv posted on social media that the partner of Shikma Bressler, a leader of the protest movement against the government’s judicial overhaul, was an agent with the security service.

In a series of posts, Gotliv spread apparent conspiracy theories alleging that Bressler’s partner had conducted talks with then-Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar prior to the terror group’s October 7, 2023, invasion, and coordinated the atrocities with Sinwar and former prime minister Ehud Barak.

Gotliv was summoned twice by police for questioning over the affair but refused to show up, claiming her actions were covered by parliamentary immunity.

According to the indictment, filed in the Petah Tikva Magistrates Court, Gotliv shared the agent’s identity “in a conscious, deliberate, ongoing, demonstrative and even repeated manner” to her tens of thousands of Twitter followers.

Despite claims by the Shin Bet that her posts constituted potential security risks, Gotliv “consciously and intentionally” did not remove the posts and stood by their publication, continuing to share posts about Bressler’s partner and stating that she would keep doing so.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara was only able to file the indictment after Defense Minister Israel Katz, also a Likud member, signed off on a confidentiality agreement required in any case with classified, sensitive evidence.

“A stormy round of applause for Miara. She has just announced the filing of an indictment against me following Israel Katz’s signing of a confidentiality certificate,” Gotliv writes in a post on X, insisting that “the exposure of Bressler’s spouse was done within the framework and for the purpose of fulfilling my duties.”

“The indictment has not yet been sent to me, but I rely on Miara that I will read it soon through one of her mouthpieces.”

Burglar shot dead after breaking into home of Philadelphia Jewish family

A burglar breaking into the home of an Orthodox Jewish family in Philadelphia was shot dead.

Police reports say a burglar in his 40s broke into the family’s home on Griffith Street around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. After he forced open the front door and entered a daughter’s bedroom, a woman, said to be a babysitter who was watching the family’s two children at the time, began screaming.

A resident on the building’s first floor heard the noises and went up to confront the suspect with a handgun, according to police reports. He ordered the burglar to drop an object he was holding, and when he refused, fired a single shot into the man’s chest.

The burglar was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No one inside the home was injured.

Philadelphia police are investigating the case as a homicide, standard procedure in fatal shootings, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. No charges have been announced.

Gaza flotilla organizers say Israel has intercepted another of their vessels

Israeli naval commandos intercept boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla off the coast of Cyprus on May 18, 2026. (Global Sumud Flotilla)

Israeli forces intercepted one of the remaining Gaza flotilla boats, stopping the vessel when it was about 82 nautical miles (around 150 kilometers or 95 miles) from Gaza, according to the flotilla’s website tracker.

A livestream on the website showed Israeli forces in a dinghy pulling up to the boat, called the “Andros,” and activists with their arms in the air. The screen then went dark with a message saying the boat had been intercepted.

A handful of ships are still within 100 nautical miles of Gaza and sailing toward it as of this afternoon.

The Israeli Navy’s new action resumed a day after it interdicted the activist flotilla in international waters off Cyprus. Some 41 boats were intercepted yesterday, with another 10 continuing to sail before the Andros interception, according to the Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker.

Car blown up outside armament center in Damascus, killing 1, say officials

A security personnel member arrives at the scene near a burning vehicle following an explosion in Damascus on May 19, 2026. (AFP)

An explosion is heard in Damascus, Syrian state media reports, while an AFP correspondent saw a car ablaze near the Old City.

The official SANA news agency says “an explosion was heard in Damascus, and its nature is being investigated.”

The AFP journalist heard a blast before seeing a car burning near a building affiliated with Syria’s defense ministry, saying security forces had cordoned off the area.

A Syrian military source tells Reuters that an explosive device was planted inside a car and detonated near the front gate of an armament management center in the Syrian capital.

A civil defense source then tells AFP that one person was killed in the explosion.

Board of Peace tells UN it needs countries to follow through on funding pledges for Gaza

US President Donald Trump stands with other World leaders before a Board of Peace meeting at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, February 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The gap between funding pledges and disbursement for Donald Trump’s Gaza rebuilding plan must be closed urgently, the US president’s “Board of Peace” says in a report, identifying a potential cash crunch in a plan estimated to cost $70 billion.

Trump set up the Board of Peace to oversee his ambitious plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza and rebuild the shattered territory.

The UN Security Council has recognized the board, though many major powers have not joined Washington’s main Middle Eastern allies and some middling and smaller states in signing up. Reuters reported in April that the board had only received a small fraction of the $17 billion pledged by members for Gaza, preventing the president from moving ahead with his plan.

The board denies that report, saying in a statement it was an “execution-focused organization that calls capital as needed,” and that there “are no funding constraints.” The money is meant to pay for reconstruction and fund the activities of a new US-backed transitional Gaza government.

In a May 15 report to the United Nations Security Council, viewed by Reuters today, the board says that “the gap between commitment and disbursement must be closed with urgency.”

It adds: “Funds committed but not yet disbursed represent the difference between a framework that exists on paper and one that delivers on the ground for the people of Gaza.”

The board calls on countries that signed up for Trump’s board and others to make contributions without delay, and urges “those Member States that have made pledges to accelerate disbursement processes.”

British Airways delays return of flights to Tel Aviv until August 1

A British Airways flight takes off from Ben Gurion International Airport, September 3, 2014. (Moshe Shai/FLASH90)

British Airways further postpones the resumption of flight services to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to August 1, when it says it will begin operating a reduced schedule due to the “ongoing situation in the Middle East.”

The UK carrier says it is cutting Tel Aviv flights from “double daily to one daily flight, which is scheduled to resume from August 1.” British Airways previously planned to restart flights to Tel Aviv on July 1.

“We’re keeping the situation under constant review and are directly in touch with affected customers to offer them a range of options,” British Airways says in an emailed statement. “Since the disruption began, we’ve helped thousands of customers return home, operated relief flights, and added additional capacity on key long‑haul routes.”

“We will continue to assess and introduce further flying where possible,” the carrier adds.

Palestinian reports: Settlers smashed gravestones in Palestinian cemetery

Palestinian media outlets report that settlers vandalized gravestones in a Palestinian cemetery in the Rashayda area east of Bethlehem.

According to a resident of the village who spoke with The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, settlers arrived after the funeral of a 4-month-old girl who was buried there, told the mourners they were not allowed to bury people at the site, and smashed gravestones.

The cemetery is located in Area B, which under the Oslo Accords is under Palestinian civilian control, and burials there do not require coordination with the Civil Administration in the West Bank.

#صورة| مستوطنون يحطمون شواهد قبور في مقبرة الرشايدة شرق بيت لحم. pic.twitter.com/UefV5jnlQq

— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) May 19, 2026

IDF strikes more than 25 Hezbollah targets in past day, says military

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the village of Kfar Roummane in the southern Nabatieh district on May 19, 2026. (AFP)

The military says it struck more than 25 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past day.

The targets included weapon depots, command centers, rocket launchers used in previous attacks, and other infrastructure used by the terror group to advance attacks, according to the IDF.

The IDF says it also struck Hezbollah operatives in the Cristofani Ridge area, located several kilometers north of Mount Hermon.

Qatari official says US-Iran negotiations need ‘more time’

Majid al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, speaks onstage during Global Citizen NOW: Impact Sessions on September 24, 2025, in New York City. (ROB KIM / Getty Images via AFP)

Qatar says that US-Iran negotiations, mediated by Pakistan, require more time to reach a deal, a day after US President Donald Trump said he had postponed planned attacks to give the process a chance.

“We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan that has shown seriousness in bringing parties together and finding a solution, and we do believe it needs more time,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari says at a press conference.

“We want to protect the people of the region from being basically the main losers of any escalation in the region,” al-Ansari says.

He would not say whether Qatar was optimistic or not about a deal, and would not comment further on Trump’s remarks about the negotiations.

Liberman says his goal for upcoming national election is to become prime minister

Yisrael Beytenu party chief Avigdor Liberman speaks at a press conference, May 11, 2026. (Sam Sokol/Times of Israel)

Avigdor Liberman declares that he wants to be the next prime minister, despite the fact that his Yisrael Beytenu party is consistently polling around eight or nine seats — significantly behind former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Together slate, which received 26 mandates in a recent Zman Yisrael poll.

Speaking with Army Radio, Liberman says he has two goals for the upcoming election: “to replace the October 7 government” and “to be prime minister.”

“We will know how to get along after the election, and I think we proved that in the ‘government of change’ as well [that] it is not necessarily the leader of the largest party who is chosen to be prime minister,” he says, referring to the short-lived Bennett-Lapid government, which he also joined.

Liberman rules out using the threat of turning to Netanyahu and offering to back him in exchange for a rotation in the Prime Minister’s Office in negotiations with other opposition bloc parties, stating that “as far as I’m concerned, even if the world turns upside down” Netanyahu cannot hold any role in the next government.

Speaking with the Maariv daily, Bennett says that “Liberman has proven himself to be a serious and responsible partner. In my opinion, he was a very good minister in my government, which was an excellent government. I am not worried that Liberman will put his ego above the state. I trust Liberman to put the state above his ego.”

Asked by Army Radio about the possibility of a merger with Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, Liberman says there are “fundamental gaps” which “need to be cleared up before a merger,” and that his party is “unwilling to give up even a millimeter on the full conscription law.”

Explosions heard in Iran’s Qeshm island due to disposal of enemy ammunition, says official

Backdropped by ships in the Strait of Hormuz, damage, according to local witnesses caused by several airstrikes, is seen on a fishing pier in the port of Qeshm island, Iran, April 13, 2026. (Asghar Besharati/AP)

Explosions are heard in Iran’s Qeshm island due to the neutralization of unexploded enemy ammunition, the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency says, citing a local official.

The country’s Mehr news agency had earlier reported the sound of explosions, saying the cause was unknown.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday he had paused a planned resumption of attacks on Iran after Tehran sent a new peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program.

2 said to be lightly hurt after Hezbollah drone strikes Israeli territory near border

A Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon struck Israeli territory, close to the border, a short while ago, the military says.

According to the IDF, the drone had targeted soldiers.

Two people are reportedly lightly injured in the incident. The military does not immediately publish details on casualties among troops.

Iran’s army warns it will ‘open new fronts’ against US if attacks resume

People hold roses as they attend a mass wedding ceremony in Tehran, Iran, May 18, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

Iran’s army warns it will “open new fronts” against the United States if it resumes attacks, after US President Donald Trump said he had held off launching a new offensive in hopes of striking a deal.

“If the enemy is foolish enough to fall into the Zionist trap again and launches new aggression against our beloved Iran, we will open new fronts against it, with new equipment and new methods,” says army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

Smotrich says ICC prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant against him, vows to ‘fight back’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference ahead of the vote on the state budget at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 29, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

A previous version of this report incorrectly stated that Smotrich said an arrest warrant had already been issued against him.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says the International Criminal Court in The Hague has requested the issuance of an arrest warrant against him, describing the move as “a declaration of war.”

Immediately following a press conference he held announcing the warrant request, Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry with authority over civilian affairs in the West Bank, orders the demolition of the long-disputed Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin village east of Jerusalem.

Smotrich says that the ICC request is the result of efforts by the Palestinian Authority to pressure the court to prosecute senior Israeli political leaders, and says that he will “fight back with a vengeance” and that “any economic or other target” that he can harm as a minister, he will do so.

Smotrich does not say on what charges the prosecutor wishes to prosecute him, but at a press conference responding to the matter, he lauds his efforts in establishing “over 100 new settlements” in the West Bank and “160 farming outposts” which he says help control 247,000 acres of land in the territory.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that the ICC prosecutor was seeking an arrest warrant against Smotrich for his role in expanding the West Bank settlements, which the International Court of Justice said in July 2024 in an advisory opinion was a violation of the Geneva Convention’s prohibition on transferring civilians to occupied territories.

Such activity has been interpreted as a war crime, which the ICC could prosecute.

“As a sovereign and independent state, we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies that regularly stand against the State of Israel, against our biblical, historical and legal rights in our homeland, and against our right and duty to self-defense and security,” says Smotrich.

Israel Innovation Authority chief says he will step down after five years in role

Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority. (Courtesy/Hanna Teib)

Dror Bin, the chief executive officer of the Israel Innovation Authority, announces his intention to step down after a five-year tenure at the helm of the body in charge of fostering the nation’s tech ecosystem and channeling government policies.

Bin, who before joining the authority was the president and CEO of global telecom network solutions company RAD Data Communications, says he led the Israel Innovation Authority during a “significant and challenging period” for both the State of Israel and the Israeli tech ecosystem, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global slowdown in the technology sector, and three years of war.

He will remain at his post in the coming months, until a replacement is found, the Innovation Authority says in a statement.

“I am concluding my role at a time when Israeli high tech continues to demonstrate resilience, strength, and adaptability even amid considerable uncertainty, and is well positioned to address the challenges and opportunities of the years ahead,” says Bin. “I am especially proud that in recent years we succeeded in laying critical foundations that will continue to support the Israeli economy in the future, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence, deep-tech, and the broader innovation ecosystem.”

Knesset panel votes to advance bills that will split and limit AG’s role, make it harder to indict a PM

MK Simcha Rothman leads a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, May 19, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Lawmakers on the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee vote 9-0 to advance a pair of controversial bills — which limit the power of the attorney general and make it harder to indict high-ranking government officials — to their first readings in the Knesset plenum.

Following a stormy debate, opposition lawmakers walked out ahead of the final vote, which they argued was illegitimate on procedural grounds, an opinion not shared by the committee’s chairman, Simcha Rothman, or its legal adviser.

One of the bills would split the attorney general’s role into three separate positions, effectively depriving the position of all authority and independence, in a move critics say is intended to weaken the office’s authority and independence and remove a major check on government power, including during upcoming elections.

The second, a proposed amendment to Basic Law: The Government, would make it significantly more difficult to indict senior officials, including the prime minister.

The bill, if passed, would require the attorney general to obtain permission from a district court before opening a criminal investigation into politicians or senior public servants. It would also require the attorney general to get approval from a special committee to file an indictment against such figures.

IDF issues evacuation warnings for 12 towns in southern Lebanon

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the village of Kfar Roummane in the southern Nabatieh district on May 19, 2026. (AFP)

The IDF issues evacuation warnings for 12 villages and towns in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.

Residents of Toura, Nabatiyeh at-Tahta, Habboush, al-Bazouriyah, Tayr Debba, Kfar Houneh, Ain Qana, Libbaya, Jibshit, ash-Shehabiyah, Burj al-Shamali, and Houmine al-Faouqaare 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.

Hezbollah drone which set off sirens in northern Israel was intercepted, says IDF

A Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon was intercepted a short while ago, the military says.

The drone triggered sirens in several border communities.

Thailand to cut visa-free travel in country from 60 days to 30 days

Thailand will tighten its rules for visas on arrival due to national security concerns, a Foreign Ministry official says, without elaborating.

The move will bring an end to a 60-day visa-free stay agreed with 93 countries — which includes Israel. Thailand’s foreign minister had previously said there was a plan to reduce the duration from 60 to 30 days.

Thailand is an extremely popular tourist destination for Israelis, particularly among backpackers who travel around Asia on a post-army trip.

Son of Mango fashion tycoon detained in investigation of father’s death in Spain

Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, arrives at the Fall-Winter 2011 Mango's fashion show in Paris, May 17, 2011. (AP/Thibault Camus, File)

Police in Spain’s region of Catalonia today detained the son of the founder of the Mango fashion group, Isak Andic, in an investigation of the death of his father, who was killed in a fall from a cliff near Barcelona in December 2024, the Mossos police force says.

A spokesperson for the family says that Jonathan Andic is being questioned by investigators, but does not give further details. The family said last year it was confident he was innocent after several local media outlets reported he was being officially investigated for possible homicide.

Isak Andic died after falling more than 100 meters (328 ft) from a cliff while hiking with members of his family in the Montserrat caves near Barcelona.

The Sephardic family of the Jewish billionaire moved from Turkey to Spain when he was young. He opened Mango’s first store in Barcelona in 1984 and over the following decades helped Mango grow into one of Europe’s leading fast fashion makers.

Turkey arrests 110 people on suspicion of having ties to ISIS

Turkish counter-terror police arrest 110 people on suspicion of activities in support of the Islamic State group in an operation largely targeting Istanbul, the Anadolu state news agency says.

The suspects are accused of organizing classes in illegal associations, educating young children with ISIS ideology, collecting money for the group and seeking to recruit new ISIS members, in an operation coordinated by the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office.

The arrests came during simultaneous raids across three provinces, centered in Istanbul, with police seizing four rifles and 90 cartridges along with documents and digital materials. Last week, police arrested another 324 people in raids targeting IS suspects across 47 provinces, the interior ministry said.

On April 7, a gunman was killed and two others were wounded in a shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said one of them was linked to an “organization that exploits religion,” which Turkish media reported was ISIS.

IDF says it killed Hamas terrorist in Gaza who invaded Israel on October 7

A Hamas terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught was killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, the military says.

According to the IDF, the terrorist crossed the Yellow Line and approached troops of the 188th Armored Brigade, “in a manner that posed an immediate threat.” The Israeli Air Force then struck and “eliminated the terrorist to remove the threat.”

“The terrorist who was killed infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre, and recently tried to carry out terror attacks against IDF troops,” the military says.

He is not named by the IDF.

Gaza flotilla organizers say 10 ships still sailing toward Strip after 41 intercepted by Israel

Israeli naval commandos intercept boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla off the coast of Cyprus on May 18, 2026. (Global Sumud Flotilla)

The organizers of a flotilla bound for Gaza say that Israeli forces have intercepted 41 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, with 10 vessels still sailing toward the Strip.

The closest vessel to Gaza, Sirius, is 145 nautical miles away, the group says.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza” and called on the flotilla to “turn back immediately.”

Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail for a third time on Thursday from southern Turkey, after earlier attempts to breach the Gaza blockade were intercepted by Israel in international waters.

The IDF said yesterday that Israeli Navy forces intercepted at least 39 of the boats as of last night, detaining hundreds of activists who are expected to be brought to the port of Ashdod and deported. Israel released video yesterday of what it said were activists “hugging after being transferred to Israeli vessels.”

Netanyahu’s testimony in court cut short again due to security meetings

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits at the Tel Aviv District Court ahead of his testimony in the corruption trial against him, October 15, 2025. (Reuven Kastro/POOL)

A hearing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial will end at 1 p.m. today, several hours earlier than scheduled due to security and diplomatic matters requiring Netanyahu’s attention.

The judges in his trial announced the truncation of Netanyahu’s hearing in court after a meeting in their chambers, the latest in a long series of canceled or curtailed sessions for his cross-examination by the prosecution.

Iran’s latest proposal also includes demand to end war in Lebanon, says deputy FM

Bakhtiari nomads, wearing traditional dress, chant slogans during a pro-government gathering near the residence where former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, in Tehran, Iran, May 18, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

Iran’s recent proposal to the United States calls for the lifting of sanctions on Tehran, the release of Iranian frozen funds and an end to the marine blockade on the country, Iran’s Deputy Foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi says, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

The proposal also includes ending war on all fronts including in Lebanon, the exit of US forces from areas close to Iran and damages to cover destruction caused by the war, Gharibabadi adds.

Report: Iran has used ceasefire to dig out ballistic missile launchers

A ballistic missile fired from Iran, as seen over Jerusalem, April 7, 2026.(Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Iran has reportedly used the past month of a ceasefire in its war against the US and Israel to prepare for the resumption of fighting by repositioning ballistic missile launchers.

According to a New York Times report, citing an anonymous US military official, since a ceasefire went into effect on April 8, Iran has worked to “dig out scores of bombed ballistic missile sites, move mobile missile launchers, and, despite significant losses, adjust its tactics for any resumption of strikes.”

The official says that US strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities bombed the portals of the sites, but not the launchers themselves since they were buried in deep underground caves to protect them from attacks.

IDF fires interceptor missile at Hezbollah drone over troops in south Lebanon

An interceptor missile was launched at an apparent Hezbollah drone identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed a short while ago, the military says.

There are no reports of injuries in the incident.

Australia secures more jet fuel from China amid Iran war shortage

The Australian government says it secured three shipments of jet fuel from China and more agricultural-grade urea from Brunei, boosting fuel and fertilizer stocks amid disruptions caused by the Iran war.

The government says more than 600,000 barrels, or about 100 million liters, of jet fuel would arrive from early June, following discussions between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Beijing has clamped down on fuel exports since March to protect domestic supply after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted crude and fuel flows.

Australia also secured 38,500 metric tons of urea from Brunei to support farmers and the agriculture sector, the government says.

Both shipments were secured through a new $5.36 billion fuel and fertilizer security facility.

The facility was established to help Australia’s agriculture and transport industries cope with supply pressures by providing financial help through loans, equity, guarantees, insurance and price support.

“The additional 600,000 barrels of jet fuel will help keep Australia moving, and the extra fertilizer will help provide certainty to our farmers,” Albanese says in a statement.

The extra jet fuel represents about 1% of Australia’s annual consumption.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia is working with countries in its region to respond to the shock to the global economy and ensure the continued flow of essential fuels.

Australia, which imports most of its fuel, has ​experienced localized shortages since the Middle East conflict began at the end of February.

Israeli envoy to US calls J Street a ‘cancer,’ appears to reject dovish lobby’s Jewish identity

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 brands J Street as a “cancer within the Jewish community,” taking issue with the dovish Mideast lobby’s calls for restricting US aid to Israel over the latter’s treatment of the Palestinians.

“The worst thing about J Street is its duplicitousness,” Leiter says in remarks to a gathering of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism at Washington’s Museum of the Bible.

“How can you be pro-Israel and advocate for an arms embargo on a state that’s fighting a seven-front war against Iranian proxies?” Leiter says, referring to J Street billing itself as the “political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans.”

“If they said that they were pro-Palestinian, I wouldn’t have a problem meeting with them.I meet with pro-Palestinian groups,” Leiter claims, in remarks first reported by the JNS news site.

“But when you come and say in such a two-faced manner, ‘We’re pro-Israel, we’re pro democracy’ — there’s a democratically elected government in Israel. You don’t like Netanyahu, make aliyah, vote in the next election and express yourself. Don’t say you’re ‘pro-democracy’ and decry and defy the position of the democratic government of Israel,” he adds.

J Street says it brands itself as pro-democracy to emphasize its commitment to protecting democratic institutions, voting rights and liberal values in the US and Israel.

Leiter appears to reject the Jewish identity of J Street along with US Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has backed legislation blocking weapons sales to Israel.

“Don’t be fooled by the fact that they appear to be Jewish,” says Leiter, a longtime proponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the settlement movement.

“One senator told me that the sponsor is a Jew. The sponsor is not a Jew. The sponsor is a Communist, who may have Jewish pedigree. That doesn’t make him a Jew.”

Responding to Leiter, J Street president Jeremy Ben Ami says in a statement, “Instead of disparaging friends of Israel who disagree with its government and calling us names, Israel’s ambassador to the United States should be engaging seriously with us.”

“J Street represents a large and growing segment of the American Jewish community that supports and cares deeply about Israel but opposes policies we believe are making it less secure and more isolated,” Ben Ami continues. “Serving effectively as Israel’s ambassador to the US requires engaging with those disagreements, not attacking the patriotism or integrity of fellow Jews.”

Earlier this month, Leiter called out several mainstream American Jewish organizations for cosponsoring an event with the Spanish government, which has been strongly critical of Israel.

Trump laments ‘terrible situation’ of deadly US mosque shooting

US President Donald Trump describeד Monday’s shooting at a California mosque complex as a “terrible situation,” following news that a pair of gunmen killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego.

“At the mosque, they’re giving a briefing. It’s a terrible situation. I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly,” Trump tells reporters.

3 days after attack on dog, settler filmed throwing block at cats in Palestinian village

Three days after an Israeli settler was filmed brutally clubbing a guard dog in the central West Bank village of Atara, Palestinian media publishes a new clip of a man it identifies as the same settler throwing a block at a pair of cats in the same village.

Israeli police reportedly launched an investigation into the attack on the dog, but no arrests have been made.

A photo of the Israeli settler who attacked the cat. https://t.co/e6gGRbs6P1 pic.twitter.com/vu1Jq5ZIPR

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 18, 2026

US extends sanctions waiver on Russian oil to aid countries hit hardest by Iran war

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announces another 30-day extension of a sanctions waiver allowing purchases of Russian seaborne oil to aid “energy-vulnerable” countries hit by the Iran war, reversing plans not to grant an extension.

Bessent says in a posting on X that the Treasury was issuing the 30-day general license after a previous waiver lapsed on Saturday. This will allow temporary access to Russian oil and petroleum products stranded on tankers without violating severe US sanctions on Russian oil majors, he says.

A source familiar with the decision had told Reuters that the second waiver extension was requested by poor and vulnerable countries that cannot get Gulf oil shipments due to the US-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“This extension will provide additional flexibility, and we will work with these nations to provide specific licenses as needed,” Bessent says. “This general license will help stabilize the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries.”

Bessent, who last month told the Associated Press that no further extension of the Russian oil sanctions waiver was planned, on Monday argued that the measure would help reroute existing supply to countries most in need, allowing them to compete with China for previously sanctioned oil.

The action marks the second time the Treasury has allowed the sanctions waiver to lapse and subsequently extended it.

Two senior Democratic senators, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, blasted the move as an “indefensible gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Trump administration last year slapped sanctions on Russian oil majors Rosneft and Lukoil to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine by depriving vital oil revenues to Moscow.

But after US-Israeli attacks on Iran drove up global oil prices, the Treasury first issued the temporary license in March in an attempt to ease oil supply shortages and mitigate price spikes by releasing sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products stranded in tankers. The waivers do not apply to oil now being pumped by Russia.

Settlers reportedly torch Palestinian fields, block fire trucks from reaching the scene

Settlers torched agricultural lands on the outskirts of the central West Bank village of al-Mughayyir late Monday night, Palestinian media reports.

The Palestinian Authority’s official Wafa news site says that the IDF arrived at the scene after the fire broke out and prevented residents from approaching the area to try and put out the fire, firing live rounds toward those who disobeyed.

Palestinian media also reports that settlers prevented ambulances and fire trucks from reaching the scene.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

BREAKING: Right now, dozens of Israeli settler terrorists are attacking the village of Al-Mughayyir in the West Bank, burning olive fields and attempting to set fire to homes with families inside.

Residents are pleading with nearby villages for help to stop the attack. pic.twitter.com/4SGh9aS1WV

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 18, 2026

Gunmen killed 3 at California mosque before taking their own lives, police say

Police respond to a reported active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego in San Diego, California, on May 18, 2026. (Photo by Zoë Meyers / AFP)

A shooting at a mosque complex in San Diego on Monday left three people dead, including a security guard, before the two suspected gunmen took their own lives in a vehicle nearby, police say.

Police say emergency response teams found the victims outside the sprawling Islamic Center of San Diego, before later finding the two reportedly teenage suspects also dead.

New legislation aims to make it harder to indict senior officials, including PM, ministers, judges

MK Simcha Rothman leads a committee meeting at the Knesset, March 23, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/ Flash90)

A new version of the controversial legislation to increase government control over the role of the attorney general includes a clause that would require the attorney general to obtain permission from a district court before opening a criminal investigation into politicians or senior public servants.

The new version of the bill, introduced by Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman MK Simcha Rothman, would also require the attorney general to get approval from a special committee to file an indictment against such figures.

The officials listed in the bill are the prime minister, cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, members of Knesset, judges, and rabbinical judges, among others.

The special committee would be made up of a retired Supreme Court or district court judge to be chosen by the Supreme Court, as well as two private lawyers with expertise in criminal law, not from the state prosecutor’s office, one of whom would be chosen by the attorney general and one by the Knesset State Control Committee.

Committee legal adviser Gur Bligh says the clause is problematic since it will create a two-tiered justice system, one where regular citizens can be indicted simply by the prosecutor general, whereas politicians and senior public servants can only be indicted after the approval of three different bodies or decision-makers, which he says would have a chilling effect on filing indictments against such officials.

Professional representatives of the Justice Ministry, the State Attorney’s Office, and the police also oppose the new clause, saying respectively that it will harm the separation of powers, negatively impact the professional discretion of the attorney general, and will complicate the filing of indictments since the two private lawyers on the special committee would be exposed to sensitive information and could also refuse to even convene to file an indictment.

Rothman says he will begin voting on the legislation in committee tomorrow in order to pass it to the Knesset plenum for its first reading.