May 26: IDF division completes Rafah operations, pushes into Khan Younis in new offensive

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it began aid distribution today

Palestinians pick up boxes of humanitarian aid at a distribution site managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on May 26, 2025. (GHF)

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says it commenced operations in Gaza today, delivering truckloads of food to newly established distribution sites, from which the supplies were then distributed to a number of Palestinians.

The announcement follows Hebrew media reports claiming that the US- and Israel-backed GHF did not manage to begin operating in Gaza today as initially planned.

Palestinians pick up boxes of humanitarian aid at a distribution site managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on May 26, 2025. (GHF)

The GHF does not say how much aid was distributed, but does release photos of a number of Gazans picking up boxes of aid from a distribution site.

The GHF statement says more trucks will be delivered tomorrow and that the flow of aid will increase each day.

The foundation also condemns what it says have been Hamas death threats against aid groups who have agreed to cooperate with GHF, as well as efforts to block Gazans from reaching its distribution sites.

“It is clear that Hamas is threatened by this new operating model, and will do everything in its power to see it fail,” GHF says.

GHF also announces that John Acree has been named its interim executive director, after its previous chief resigned yesterday and indicated that Israeli restrictions were preventing the initiative from being able to adhere to humanitarian principles.

Acree is a “senior humanitarian practitioner with more than two decades of global field experience in disaster response, stabilization programming, and civil-military coordination,” GHF says.

GHF was created earlier this year, as Israel tried to advance a new mechanism for distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza that would prevent its diversion by Hamas.

Israel wanted to create a small number of distribution sites in southern Gaza where pre-selected family representatives would be able to pick up a heavy box full of food for their families in a zone secured and operated by American private contractors.

The GHF still needs support and cooperation from existing humanitarian organizations, as it seeks to gain credibility on the ground. That backing has yet to come, though, with the UN and other international organizations in Gaza vowing not to cooperate with the GHF, arguing that its aid initiative violates humanitarian principles by requiring Gazans to walk long distances in order to retrieve aid and limiting distribution to southern Gaza, in what would forcibly displace the Palestinian population.

A small number of lesser-known organizations have agreed to cooperate with the GHF thus far, including the US-based aid group Rahma Worldwide, whose logo is seen in the photos of boxes being distributed to Gazans today.

UK police arrest 53-year-old white British man after Liverpool apparent ramming; probe underway

British police arrest a 53-year-old white British man after a car plowed into large crowds of Liverpool soccer fans in the city center during their side’s Premier League title celebrations.

Unverified videos online show a car driving at speed into large crowds of fans lining the street, at one point appearing to swerve away from the most densely crowded area.

“Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision,” the police say in an update on the incident.

Warning: Graphic content

???? GRAPHIC WARNING

A car has ploughed into Liverpool’s Premier League Parade this evening, injuring many. pic.twitter.com/FSoRY1ONmj

— Sydney Jones ???????? (POB) ???? (@JournoJones05) May 26, 2025

‘She should be brought to justice’: Ministers urge Netanyahu to ignore AG, appoint Zini as Shin Bet chief

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, April 27, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Government and coalition members issue outraged reactions to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s announcement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pick of IDF Maj. Gen. David Zini to head the Shin Bet is “invalid and unlawful,” since it was taken “while ignoring determinations in the [High Court] ruling and legal instructions.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, of Netanyahu’s Likud party, says that “trying to prevent a prime minister from appointing a Shin Bet head during wartime harms national security — she should be brought to justice immediately after she is ousted.”

Karhi claims Baharav-Miara’s legal opinion “completely contradicts the law, democracy and common sense” and should not be recognized since she “has a conflict of interest,” due to the government having initiated the complex process of firing her.

“David Zini must be appointed by hook or by crook,” he adds.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch (Likud) also accuses the attorney general of compromising national security, calling her “a political player whose sole purpose is toppling the government” and demanding that Zini’s appointment go ahead.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir repeats his call to oust Baharav-Miara, and his fellow Otzma Yehudit minister Amichay Eliyahu agrees and urges Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin to bring the standoff to an end.

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen goes a step further, saying he has told Netanyahu that if Zini ends up not being appointed, he will resign from the government over the failure to deal with the attorney general’s “silent coup.”

Israel says 170 aid trucks entered Gaza today, containing food, medical equipment, drugs

Humanitarian aid slated to Gaza sit on a truck at the Kerem Shalom crossing between southern Israel and the Gaza Strip, on May 22, 2025. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces that 170 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip today.

Israel resumed near-daily aid deliveries to Gaza last week, after a pause since March 2. Since then, 665 trucks of aid have entered the Strip.

COGAT says the aid delivery comes “following the recommendation of professional IDF officials and in accordance with the directive of the political echelon.”

Today’s trucks include food, medical equipment and pharmaceutical drugs, COGAT says.

The aid underwent an inspection by Israeli authorities before entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

COGAT does not comment on whether the trucks headed for the new aid distribution sites in Gaza, which according to reports, did not begin operations today as planned.

IDF reorganizes top-level unit after its commander is appointed to head Shin Bet

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (left) and Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, in the northern Gaza Strip on May 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has decided to place the General Staff Corps, a top-level unit only activated in wartime, under the Ground Forces, the military says.

The corps is currently led by Maj. Gen. David Zini, who is being dismissed from the military, after being appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to head the Shin Bet security agency, a move done without consulting Zamir.

The move means that after Zini leaves the army, no major generals will be appointed to the position of head of the General Staff Corps. Instead, the role will likely go to a brigadier general, as it will be subordinate to the Ground Forces, led by Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan.

The supposed role of the General Staff Corps in wartime is to operate troops on a tactical level, while freeing the regional command to engage in planning and strategy.

In reality, the General Staff Corps is rarely used, and its commander, currently Zini, is simultaneously responsible for the IDF’s Training Command.

Netanyahu: If hostages not returned today, it will happen tomorrow; if not, then the day after tomorrow

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a Jerusalem Day state ceremony at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

After angering hostage families by promising an announcement on the matter “today or tomorrow,” and then attempting to walk that back, the premier again makes a similar remark at the Jerusalem Day state ceremony held in the capital’s Ammunition Hill.

“The task in Gaza, including the task of returning our hostages, keeps us busy every day and every night,” he says. “We aren’t letting go of this, and if we don’t fulfill it today, we will do it tomorrow. And if not tomorrow — then the day after tomorrow.”

He goes on to say Hamas is “stubborn” and rejecting offers for ceasefires, arguing that US special envoy Steve Witkoff also says so.

Man detained after car hit UK soccer fans celebrating Liverpool’s title

British police say they are responding to reports of a car hitting a “number of pedestrians” during soccer side Liverpool’s Premier League title celebrations in the city center.

Police say in a statement that the car stopped at the scene and a man was detained.

“Emergency services are currently on the scene,” they say.

As Flag March ends, Smotrich urges settling Gaza, says Israel no longer ‘afraid of the word occupation’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, while addressing religious Zionist revelers on Jerusalem Day, as the annual Flag March reaches its conclusion at the Western Wall.

“Are we afraid of victory?” the far-right minister asks the crowd, which responds with a chorus of “no.”

“Are we afraid of the word ‘occupation?'” to which the revelers again answer “no,” en masse.

“Are we settling the Land of Israel? Are we liberating Gaza?” he shouts, to cheers of approval from among the tens of thousands gathered at the holy site. “We are triumphing over the enemy!”

Report: Netanyahu-Trump phone call on Iran was marked by heated disagreements

US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mark Schiefelbein)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump engaged in a heated phone call on Thursday over how to confront Iran, Channel 12 reports, contradicting earlier claims that the two had reached a unified stance on preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

According to the report, the conversation was marked by sharp disagreements, with Trump reportedly telling Netanyahu: “I want a diplomatic solution with the Iranians. I believe in my ability to make a good deal.” He also reportedly emphasized his interest in an agreement that would serve the interests of both sides.

The tone of the conversation appears to conflict with earlier claims suggesting the two leaders had concluded their call with mutual understanding.

The report comes shortly after US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News that “President Trump specifically sent me here to speak with the prime minister about how negotiations are going and how important it is that we stay united and let this process play out.” Noem described the meeting as “very candid,” possibly alluding to underlying tensions.

IDF says troops killed Gaza terror operatives who fired mortars at them

The IDF says it “eliminated” a cell of terror operatives that launched several mortars at troops during operations in the northern Gaza Strip today.

According to the military, several mortars were fired at troops of the 401st Armored Brigade, without causing any injuries. After just one minute, the troops identified the cell behind the attack, which had withdrawn to a building.

The troops then called in an airstrike on the building, killing the members of the cell, the IDF adds.

The IDF says it eliminated a cell of terror operatives who launched several mortars at troops during operations in the northern Gaza Strip today.

According to the military, several mortars were fired at troops of the 401st Armored Brigade, without causing any injuries. After… pic.twitter.com/XG0qJRJ8TZ

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 26, 2025

Opening of first Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution point delayed, won’t happen today

After the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and Israeli officials earlier said the first distribution point supervised by the body would begin operations in the Strip today, Hebrew media says it was delayed due to logistical issues.

Channel 12 and Ynet cite unnamed officials as saying the problems originate not with Israel, but with the American firm set to distribute the aid.

Israel’s security establishment hopes the aid distribution will begin tomorrow, when a situation assessment will be held to see if it is possible, the reports say.

Israel had blocked food, fuel, medicine, and all other supplies from entering Gaza since early March, only lifting the blockade last week to allow limited numbers of aid trucks to enter, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians there.

Experts have warned of a high risk of famine, and even the United States, a staunch ally, has voiced concerns over the hunger crisis.

AG says Netanyahu’s nomination of Zini as Shin Bet head is ‘invalid and unlawful’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, November 1, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO); Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara at a farewell ceremony for retiring acting Supreme Court president Uzi Vogelman, at the Supreme Court, in Jerusalem, October 1, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon/ POOL/ File)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had a conflict of interest in selecting IDF Maj. Gen. David Zini to head the Shin Bet, and that it is doubtful that the appointment can go ahead.

Writing to the prime minister, the attorney general says that Netanyahu’s decision to select Zini for the position was taken “while ignoring determinations in the [High Court] ruling and legal instructions,” and is therefore “invalid and unlawful.”

Baharv-Miara says that Netanyahu’s conflict of interest prevents him from being involved “directly or indirectly in appointing a new Shin Bet chief,” and that in order to speedily replace outgoing Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, he must delegate the authority for recommending a candidate to another cabinet minister.

The cabinet can then confirm that candidate.

A legal position paper written by Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon to Baharav-Miara says that in order to avoid concerns that the designated minister simply acts “as the long arm of the prime minister,” the appointments process must be done under “strict guidelines,” in order to ensure that the process is not “tainted by ulterior motives,” and in order to get the appointment approved in time to take over from Bar.

Bar is set to step down on June 15.

Last week, the High Court found that Netanyahu had a conflict of interest in firing Bar due to the Shin Bet’s involvement in the leaked documents and Qatargate investigations into the prime minister’s close aides.

The attorney general immediately told Netanyahu not to make any decision about a new Shin Bet chief until she issued legal instructions, but he went ahead anyway and nominated Zini.

‘Psychological terrorism’: Families of hostage slam PM for promising announcement, backtracking

Families of hostages held in Gaza lash out, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s video in which he suggested a breakthrough in hostage negotiations may be announced “today or tomorrow” — a statement that the Prime Minister’s Office later attempted to walk back.

“We feel like we’re being abused,” Channel 12 quotes the families as saying. “Every comment like this makes our already broken hearts leap. The expectation when it comes to such a sensitive subject is that they will show the minimum sensitivity and choose their words carefully.”

Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, adds: “This is psychological terrorism against the families.”

“Netanyahu is abusing us day and night, while my Matan is alone in the tunnel,” she tells Channel 12, echoing the growing anguish voiced by many of the relatives.

Netanyahu’s office attempts to walk back PM’s remark suggesting hostage deal is imminent

The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement sent out in the name of a “senior official,” attempts to walk back Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remark, made in a recorded video he sent out, that an imminent announcement regarding the hostages is in the cards.

The “official” claims this should not be seen as a signal of an impending deal.

“The prime minister meant that we will not give up on freeing our hostages, and if we don’t achieve that, hopefully in the coming days, we will achieve it later on,” the statement says, adding that, as of now, “Hamas continues to cling to its refusal.”

In a video posted earlier today, Netanyahu said: “I really hope we can announce something regarding the hostages, if not today, then tomorrow.”

Netanyahu says he hopes to make announcement on Gaza hostages ‘today or tomorrow’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, arrives at a cabinet meeting held on Jerusalem Day in the City of David, outside Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025. (Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he hopes to make an announcement regarding hostages held in Gaza “today or tomorrow,” after Hamas officials claimed the terror group accepted a ceasefire proposal from mediators and the United States denied this.

“I really hope we can announce something regarding the hostages, if not today, then tomorrow,” Netanyahu says in a video statement.

The clip is released as Jerusalem Day draws to a close, with Netanyahu calling himself a “proud Jerusalemite” while standing in one of the ancient streets in the City of David, where a cabinet meeting was held earlier today.

He also addresses the growing controversy over his nomination of Maj. Gen. David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet.

“Today, the Old City and the new city of Jerusalem are in our hands — and they will always remain in our hands,” Netanyahu declares in the video.

Turning to the political firestorm surrounding Zini’s appointment, Netanyahu says: “According to the law, it is the prime minister who nominates the head of the Shin Bet to the government.” He dismisses criticism of the move as nothing more than a reflexive backlash from the left, accusing his critics of being on “automatic pilot.”

“There is no basis to cancel this appointment,” Netanyahu continued, instead arguing that “there is every necessity for Israel’s security in a time of war — we need a chief of the Shin Bet.”

He also asserts that attempts to block the nomination are unlawful.

IDF division completes Rafah operations, pushes into Khan Younis in new offensive

Troops of the 36th Division operate in the southern Gaza Strip, in a handout photo published on May 26, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF’s 36th Division is advancing in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis as part of a new offensive against Hamas, the military announces.

In a statement, the IDF says the division recently completed its operations in Rafah, and is now pushing into new areas in Khan Younis.

The division has established the so-called Morag Corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis in recent weeks.

In the past week, the IDF says the division’s forces killed dozens of terror operatives and destroyed hundreds of infrastructures, including observation posts and tunnels.

Police chief: No arrests at Flag March so far; disturbances are ‘on the fringes of the fringes’

Israelis celebrate Jerusalem Day during the Flag March at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)

Police chief Danny Levy arrives to Damascus Gate as thousands of Jerusalem Day revelers enter the Old City’s Muslim Quarter.

The top cop tells Kan public broadcaster that police have made no arrests so far, but have detained some. Last year, police made 18 arrests over the course of the Flag March.

Levy says that “on the fringes of the fringes, there are a handful of people who try to harm the joy and ceremoniousness” of the parade, but that “99% is passing quietly.”

When asked about the anti-Arab refrains and songs heard from marchers, he tells i24News that he did not hear any racist songs.

“Maybe I didn’t hear them because I’m an artilleryman,” he says jokingly to the outlet.

Levy shakes hands with marchers and is approached by two boys, one of whom tells him he wants to be a policeman when he is older.

He pats them on the shoulders and says: “You can enlist in the police when you’re older. You don’t have to, but you can.”

The last of the marchers are currently entering Damascus Gate and heading towards the Western Wall, where the parade concludes.

Police chief Danny Levy arrives to Damascus Gate as Flag Parade enters Old City pic.twitter.com/rOMKml1hRi

— charlie summers (@cbsu03) May 26, 2025

Right-wing activists appear to urge mass expulsion of Gazans during Flag March

The right-wing Im Tirtzu organization unveils a banner appearing to call for the mass expulsion of Gazans from the Strip during the Jerusalem Day Flag March.

Standing next to the Old City’s Damascus Gate, the activists pose with a banner saying: “Without a Nakba, there is no victory!”

The Nakba, or catastrophe, is the name for the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who either left their homes or were expelled in the late 1940s, during the war and major Middle East demographic changes surrounding the creation of the State of Israel.

Another banner urges Israel to take over Gaza just like East Jerusalem was taken over from Jordan in the Six Day War in 1967 — the occasion being celebrated on Jerusalem Day.

התנועה בעלת הסממנים הפאשיסטים @ImTirtzu קוראת לבצע פשעים נגד האנושות

מזל שיש את יום ירושלים כדי שכולם יוכלו לראות כמה הימין הישראלי מטורלל

קרדיט תמונה : ״אם תרצו״ (כן הם אשכרה פירסמו את התמונה הזאת בגאווה ברשתות שלהם) pic.twitter.com/hlMDqys7Vm

— נדב וימן Nadav Weiman (@weimanadav) May 26, 2025

Ministers said warning European countries Israel will react to Palestine recognition with West Bank annexation

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer speaks at the Jewish News Syndicate conference in Jerusalem, on April 28, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Israeli government ministers have reportedly warned key European countries that any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state could prompt Israel to take unilateral measures as well, potentially including the annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer personally warned French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy that Israel could respond to recognition of a Palestinian state by annexing Area C of the West Bank and legalizing unauthorized outposts, the Haaretz outlet cites a foreign diplomat familiar with the matter as saying.

A separate report by Israel Hayom says Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar conveyed a similar message to counterparts in the UK, France and other nations, warning that steps against Israel would be met with Israeli actions such as extending sovereignty to West Bank settlements and parts of the Jordan Valley. “Unilateral moves against Israel will be met with unilateral moves by Israel,” Sa’ar reportedly said.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar holds a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, May 22, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The warnings come ahead of a French- and Saudi-led summit set to take place in New York next month, where French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to promote coordinated recognition of Palestinian statehood.

While the US has said it will not participate, other European countries are still deliberating. Some, including Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic, have reportedly voiced opposition to unilateral recognition. Others, such as Spain — which recognized a Palestinian state last year — and Malta — which has said it will do so at the summit — are expected to say they support countries announcing unilateral recognition.

Kicking off Flag March, Ben Gvir urges death penalty for terrorists, halt to Gaza aid

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addresses a crowd of Jerusalem Day revelers ahead of annual Flag March through the Old City on May 26, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addresses tens of thousands of Jerusalem Day revelers from a stage outside the city’s Great Synagogue before the annual Flag March sets out toward the Old City.

Young yeshiva students crowding near the stage reach out to the minister while shouting his name, handing him flags and stickers to hold while he dances onstage.

One young man gives him a flag bearing the logo of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party. Another hands him a sticker that reads “Gaza is ours forever.”

Before speaking, Ben Gvir holds up a sticker with the name and face of a slain IDF soldier.

“What sweethearts, what sweethearts you are,” he says. “Bringing me stickers of slain soldiers, may God avenge their blood, heroes and martyrs, thanks to them we are winning.”

But, Ben Gvir adds, “this victory must be taken further and further… we will enter Gaza and triumph!” The crowd cheers.

He comes out against the recent government decision to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. “I say to the prime minister, dear prime minister, we must not give them humanitarian aid, we must not give them fuel… our enemies deserve only a bullet to the head!”

Revelers begin to chant “Death to Arabs,” but Ben Gvir instead chants, “Death to terrorists,” and the crowd soon follows his lead.

Ben Gvir outside the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem, holding Otzma Yehudit flag… calls for death penalty for Palestinian terrorists, decries Netanyahu decision to resume humanitarian aid to Gaza, says "the only thing our enemies need is a bullet to the head" pic.twitter.com/4pinCpE8dc

— charlie summers (@cbsu03) May 26, 2025

He also calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists, touting the harshening of conditions for security prisoners on his watch as national security minister, a position that oversees the Israel Prison Authority.

As the crowd begins to chant the common anti-Arab refrain “May their village burn,” Ben Gvir tells the celebrants: “Guys, I want to say something — I don’t hate Arabs, but I hate terrorists, and I want a death penalty for terrorists, and God willing, we must win.”

Golan, Lapid have ‘constructive conversation,’ a week after butting heads over ‘killing babies’ remark

Leader of The Democrats party Yair Golan leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Following a meeting with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid to discuss ongoing coordination between opposition parties, The Democrats party chairman Yair Golan tells reporters that the pair had a “constructive conversation” and hits back at coalition politicians who blasted his recent statement — since walked back — that Israel is killing babies in Gaza “as a hobby.”

Despite critics stating that his comments caused damage to Israel, Golan tells reporters that it is politicians like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and others on the “extreme nationalist right” who are creating problems for the country abroad.

“I also do not intend to remain silent,” he continues, attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s so-called “poison machine.”

The “poison machine” is the name some avowed critics of Netanyahu use for what they say is a network of pundits, journalists, influencers and activists dedicated to besmirching the premier’s political rivals.

“Netanyahu and the poison machine have declared war on anyone who stands up to them,” he says. “They are attacking not only the gatekeepers, but those who present a different path to the public. They are attacking me directly. In recent days, I have heard that I have a Nazi grandfather, that I am a traitor, that I have to face a firing squad, and they wish my family and children death. I am not afraid of the poison machine. And I have no intention of surrendering. Because we have something they lost a long time ago: a backbone.”

Lapid, speaking ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting, is asked by a reporter how Golan had responded to his criticism of his remarks last week.

Lapid answers that the two did not meet today for a “reconciliation meeting” because Golan had retracted his statement and “he doesn’t agree with his statement either.”

“The fact is that IDF soldiers don’t kill babies as a hobby, and there’s also the other side: the Israeli government needs to say out loud that we’re sorry for every child who died, even if Hamas is to blame for his death. Children shouldn’t die in adults’ wars,” he says.

Queried by a reporter about how he is getting along with Golan, Lapid replies that he works with other opposition leaders “all the time” because it is his job.

Asked about the fact that he met with Yisrael Beytenu party chairman Avigdor Liberman separately from Golan, Lapid replies that sometimes he meets with opposition party leaders together and sometimes separately, and he does not attribute any significance to the fact that Golan and Liberman did not sit together.

Yesterday, Liberman told Radio 103FM that Golan was “building a coalition with Ayman Odeh, with the guys from the Islamic List and other things. It’s hard to call it a Zionist coalition.”

Speaking with party activists last week, Golan said that he would sit in a coalition with Ra’am chief Mansour Abbas and Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh.

Palestinian official claims Witkoff changed his mind on Hamas offer; US envoy issues denial

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff speaks with journalists after a signing ceremony between President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A Palestinian official accuses US special envoy Steve Witkoff of walking back previous understandings.

The official claims to The Times of Israel that Witkoff initially informed Hamas through mediators that he accepted the alterations it had made to his proposal for a temporary ceasefire.

This led to a series of media reports earlier today citing Hamas officials who claimed that the group had accepted Witkoff’s proposals.

But Witkoff then changed his mind, informing mediators that what Hamas had presented was not acceptable to him, the Palestinian official says.

Speaking to The Times of Israel, Witkoff flatly denies the Palestinian official’s claim.

He then refers to a statement he issued to the Axios news site in which he denied claims from Hamas officials that the terror group had accepted his proposal for a ceasefire.

“What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable,” he said then.

“Israel will agree to a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal that would see half of the living and half of the deceased returned and lead to a substantive discussion to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I have agreed to preside over.”

“That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it,” Witkoff said.

Arab party chief demands that defense minister explain Gaza strike that reportedly killed 9 kids

Hadash head Ayman Odeh speaks during a plenum session at the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 18, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

MK Ayman Odeh, leader of the predominantly Arab Hadash party, demands in a parliamentary question that Defense Minister Israel Katz explain the circumstances behind an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis on Friday in which nine children from the same family were reportedly killed.

In his question, Odeh demands to know who gave the order to bomb the building; what the criteria were for giving that order; what the military policy is regarding “bombing homes with civilians inside them”; and what the policy is for evacuating civilians from their homes.

“Nine children under the age of 12 were burned to death inside their home,” says Odeh. “We demand accountability. This crime is not an ‘operational error’ — it is a government waging a war of extermination against civilians. We will not remain silent in the face of war crimes.”

Cabinet ministers are obligated to respond in writing to parliamentary questions within 21 days of their submission.

In response to the reports, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed it carried out a strike in Khan Younis, saying it targeted several suspects observed at a building near where ground troops were operating.

“The Khan Younis area is a dangerous combat zone that the IDF ordered civilians to evacuate for their safety before the start of the operation,” the military said, referring to a warning issued a week ago, adding that it was looking into the claims of civilian deaths.

‘Greatest theft in country’s history’: Lapid slams government’s funds to Haredim as defense deficit grows

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads a Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

The government’s efforts to find ways to transfer coalition funds to the ultra-Orthodox sector while significantly increasing spending due to the renewed military offensive in Gaza constitute “the greatest theft in the history of the country,” alleges Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.

While the ongoing war against Hamas has created an NIS 15 billion ($4.2 billion) deficit in the defense budget, the government has not engaged in any budgetary planning to minimize the impact on ordinary citizens, he charges during a press conference ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.

The government’s discussion on the matter “did not even raise for a moment the possibility of closing one unnecessary government ministry,” he continues, stating that there are at least 15 “unnecessary government ministries” and multiple extraneous ministerial positions within other ministries such as defense and finance.

In 2023, the Finance Ministry recommended shutting 10 surplus ministries to cover budget deficits, advice the government ignored.

“The discussion did not even raise for a moment the possibility of cutting a single shekel from the coalition funds, from the billions they transfer to the evaders and the corrupt,” Lapid continues, predicting that if the war continues “prices will rise again, salaries will fall again, they will raise taxes on the Israeli middle class again.”

“The only economic discussion this government has had in the past week is not about financing the war, but about how they will manage to transfer another 1.3 billion shekels to the Haredim ‘under the table’ to compensate them for preventing them from evading the IDF. We managed to stop this transfer, but you know and I know they will try again,” he states.

“What we are facing is the greatest theft in the history of the country, and it is being committed during a war, by an irresponsible government that is abusing its power to oppress the citizens who keep it alive.”

According to financial daily The Marker, NIS 1.3 billion ($364 million) in coalition funds for ultra-Orthodox education are currently stuck and cannot be transferred. This includes hundreds of millions of shekels for yeshiva students who cannot receive stipends because they are eligible for military service but have not enlisted.

Sweden to summon Israeli envoy as Scandinavian leaders escalate criticism over Gaza aid

Leaders from Sweden, Finland and Denmark express growing frustration over the humanitarian aid crisis in Gaza, calling on Israel to immediately ensure the flow of assistance into the enclave.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announces that Sweden’s foreign ministry intends to summon Israel’s ambassador in Stockholm over the issue.

Meanwhile, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo urges international pressure on Israel, saying the country “must ensure immediate access for humanitarian aid.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoes the criticism, calling the current situation “unacceptable.”

Air France announces resumption of Tel Aviv-Paris flights starting tomorrow

An Air France Airbus A320 approaches for landing in Lisbon, Portugal, October 10, 2023. (AP/Armando Franca)

Air France says it has decided to resume its flight services between Tel Aviv and Paris, starting tomorrow.

The French carrier says it will operate a daily flight on the B777-300 aircraft, which includes premium class, bed seats in business class, and Wi-Fi service for every passenger.

“We are happy and excited to resume regular Air France flight services on the route to Israel,” Air France Israel manager Alon Netah says in a statement. “With the resumption of Air France flights on the route to Tel Aviv, Israeli passengers can travel via Charles de Gaulle airport to all Air France destinations in the world just in time for the holiday of Shavuot.”

The airline was among several international carriers to suspend Tel Aviv flights after Israeli air defenses failed to intercept an incoming Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen that impacted near an access road several hundred yards from the control tower at Ben-Gurion airport’s main terminal on May 4.

The Air France KLM Group says it is “constantly monitoring developments in the geopolitical situation in the region to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security.”

Government backs nomination of Zini as Shin Bet chief, urges expedited confirmation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from left, leads a special cabinet meeting on Jerusalem Day in the City of David, outside Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025. (Flash90)

The government issues a statement welcoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intention to appoint IDF Maj. Gen. David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet security service.

“The government calls on all relevant parties to remove obstacles and expedite the approval process for the appointment, which is essential for Israel’s security,” the statement reads, emphasizing the need for a permanent Shin Bet chief during wartime and rejecting the option of a temporary appointment.

The move comes amid sharp criticism from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who warned that Netanyahu acted against legal counsel and may have made the decision while in a conflict of interest, rendering the process “flawed.”

Further controversy arose when it was revealed that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir was informed of Zini’s appointment just minutes before the official announcement and had not been aware Zini was even under consideration.

Palestinian official: Hamas open to phased deal, but would free all hostages at once if war ends

A Palestinian official familiar with the hostage negotiations tells The Times of Israel that while Hamas is prepared to accept an interim ceasefire deal that leads to a permanent ceasefire, it remains willing to release all of the remaining hostages at once if Israel agrees upfront to end the war.

“All of this talk about the phases is because of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” the Palestinian official says.

Hamas is “prepared to return all of the hostages now if [Netanyahu] agrees to end the war,” the official adds.

Witkoff denies Hamas accepted his truce proposal, says group’s stance ‘disappointing and unacceptable’

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff arrives for a signing ceremony at the Royal Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025. (Karim Jaafar/AFP)

US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff denies claims from Hamas officials that the terror group has accepted his proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

“What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable,” Witkoff tells the Axios news site.

Witkoff says Israel is prepared to agree to a temporary ceasefire that would see half of the living and deceased hostages return “and lead to substantive negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I agreed to preside over.”

“That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it,” Witkoff says.

Some residents of Jerusalem neighborhood of Yefe Nof evacuated due to wildfire

Many firefighting teams are battling a wildfire near the Jerusalem neighborhood of Yefe Nof, with some residents being evacuated as authorities fear the blaze could spread toward the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.

The fire is raging in two points, and land and aerial teams are working to contain it.

Due to heavy smoke, residents are asked to stay indoors and close windows.

Source says reports Hamas accepted US proposal for hostage deal are inaccurate

A source familiar with the ongoing hostage negotiations tells The Times of Israel that reports of Hamas accepting US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire are not accurate.

Negotiations between the sides are still ongoing, and a breakthrough has not yet been reached, the source says.

A short while ago, Reuters quoted an unnamed Palestinian official who claimed that Hamas had accepted a proposal from Witkoff.

The deal being discussed would see around 10 living hostages and 10 bodies of hostages, along with hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, released in two stages during a roughly two-month ceasefire. During that time, Israel and Hamas would hold negotiations on the terms of a permanent truce, with the US providing guarantees that it will keep Israel at the table. Israel refused to engage in those talks in the previous deal signed in January, leading to its collapse in March.

Lapid suggests Israel funding foreign ‘shell companies’ distributing Gaza aid; PM spokesperson denies

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads a Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accuses the government of secretly funding humanitarian aid for Gaza through two foreign “shell companies,” an assertion quickly denied by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Our job is to ask the government tough questions, and with such a question I take the podium today: Is the State of Israel behind two shell companies established in Switzerland and the United States, GHF and SRS, to organize and finance humanitarian aid in Gaza?” Lapid asks from the Knesset rostrum ahead of a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed this morning that the distribution of assistance under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) had begun, launching a system that Israel says is meant to keep aid from being diverted to the Hamas terror group.

While technically an American company, GHF was established in close coordination with Israeli authorities. Aid groups and the UN have refused to cooperate with the new initiative, saying it would create even more displacement of the Palestinian population, fail to meet local needs, and violate humanitarian principles that prohibit a warring party from controlling humanitarian assistance.

GHF has published a 14-page document detailing its distribution plan, including the names of those leading the project. Two American companies, Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) and UG Solutions, were selected to serve as onsite contractors.

According to The New York Times, the project wasn’t simply built in coordination with Israel, but is “an Israeli brainchild” proposed during a 2023 meeting of “like-minded officials, military officers and business people with close ties to the Israeli government.”

According to a separate Haaretz report published yesterday, SRS entered Gaza without security clearance from the Shin Bet, as is the procedure.

“Could it be that the Israeli security services were sent by the prime minister and the finance minister to move Israeli funds abroad, so that they would return to Gaza as humanitarian aid?” Lapid asks, noting that GHF CEO Jake Wood resigned yesterday. Wood said it is “clear that this program cannot be implemented while strictly adhering to the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.”

“The important word here is ‘independence,'” Lapid states. “Jake Wood understood that he was being played. The big question is whether we are not being played too. If this money is Israeli, if it comes from the state treasury, the State of Israel should not and cannot hide it.”

To hide the source of the money would constitute a “fraud” against the Israeli people and “one of the greatest acts of political folly in the history of the state,” he continues.

“If our tax money is buying humanitarian aid, financing food and medicine for children in Gaza, let’s profit from it in the international arena” by announcing it, he says.

“The Israeli government should have some dignity, say out loud that it funds these two organizations, and do the thing it hates to do the most: take responsibility for the things it does, and bear the consequences.”

In a swift reaction, Netanyahu spokesperson Omer Dostri says: “Israel does not fund the humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip. Israel and the United States are working in full coordination and through various channels to cut off aid from reaching Hamas.”

Gantz urges Zini to turn down nomination as Shin Bet head, to avert ‘unprecedented crisis’

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

National Unity party chairman Benny Gantz calls on designated Shin Bet chief Maj. Gen. David Zini not to accept the leadership of the domestic security agency, declaring that his appointment constitutes “sabotage of the security establishment” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Appointing the head of the Shin Bet, in defiance of a High Court ruling, drags the organization that guards the holy of holies of our security and democracy into the political mud,” Gantz tells reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.

“If the Shin Bet sinks into the political mud, we are all in danger. We also need to talk about the [nomination] procedure,” he continues. “The head of the Shin Bet is not appointed in a five-minute conversation in a jeep.”

During a recent visit to the Tzeelim military base on May 8, Netanyahu held a five-minute conversation with Zini in his car and asked the IDF general how he would feel about being appointed Shin Bet chief.

After the premier announced Zini as Shin Bet chief, the major general was ousted from the military on Friday for meeting with the prime minister behind IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir’s back.

“There are three possibilities: Either Netanyahu met with Maj. Gen. Zini behind the backs of the chief of staff and the defense minister — and this is a serious matter — or Netanyahu decided to appoint the head of the Shin Bet without knowing his plans and positions, and this is security recklessness,” Gantz continues.

“Or, the appointment was made in exchange for personal favors, and this is corruption at the expense of state security.”

“From my acquaintance with Maj. Gen. Zini, who is a talented field commander and a moral and courageous officer, I do not believe that he gave the prime minister any personal promise. But the way in which this appointment was made is leading us to an unprecedented government crisis in the State of Israel, and I call on Maj. Gen. Zini to go public and announce that he will not accept the appointment in this way,” Gantz says.

Asked by reporters if the failure to return the remaining 58 hostages means that the government and opposition are not functioning properly, Gantz replies that each opposition party has “its own emphasis and style, and we all have one common goal in the parliamentary context: early elections and the replacement of the Israeli government in order to renew trust between the people and their elected officials.”

On Jerusalem Day, government passes incentive plan to support opening foreign embassies in capital

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from left, leads a special cabinet meeting on Jerusalem Day in the City of David, outside Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025. (Flash90)

Following a special cabinet meeting in East Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day, the government has approved a resolution proposed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to assist and financially support foreign countries in establishing or relocating their embassies to Jerusalem, Sa’ar’s office announces in a joint statement with Minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Heritage Meir Porush.

“This resolution will significantly strengthen the diplomatic efforts I’ve been leading on this issue,” says Sa’ar in the statement.

Porush adds: “We continue our efforts to strengthen Jerusalem on the diplomatic level as well. We will keep encouraging and facilitating the countries that recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to translate that recognition into action.”

Most countries do not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and base their embassies in Tel Aviv, often opening smaller consulates in Jerusalem. Currently, six countries — the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay — have embassies in Jerusalem.

The decision, which includes a multi-year commitment from the Israeli government and all relevant ministries, will invest millions of shekels into an incentive package, providing partial funding of costs related to moving embassies to Jerusalem, as well as housing and planning solutions, according to the statement.

Fiji is expected to open an embassy in the capital in September, Paraguay reopened its Jerusalem embassy in December, and earlier this month, Ecuador inaugurated an innovation office in Jerusalem as an extension of its embassy in Tel Aviv, Sa’ar’s office adds.

Senior police officer said close to Ben Gvir promoted for 3rd time in 3 years

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 27, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy has appointed his assistant as the next chief of the force’s spokesperson unit, in a move that has seen the officer rise through the ranks at an unusually fast pace.

Cdr. Lior Abudarham will be promoted to the rank of assistant commissioner upon entering the role, a police statement says.

Abudarham was a superintendent just three years ago and was only recently appointed as Levy’s assistant.

This means that the officer will have been promoted three times in under three years, the equivalent of a major in the military being fast-tracked to brigadier general.

Police sources cited by the Maariv daily say that Abudarham’s fast promotion is “unprecedented.”

The paper says some police sources have linked the fast promotions to Abudarham’s close ties with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

About half of essential medicines, medical equipment at ‘stock zero’ in Gaza, WHO says

The majority of stocks of medical equipment have run out in Gaza, while 42% of basic medicines, including pain killers, are out of stock, the World Health Organization says.

“We are at stock zero of close to 64% of medical equipment and stock zero of 42% of essential medicines and vaccines,” Hanan Balkhy, the WHO’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, tells reporters in Geneva.

Central bank leaves interest rates at 4.5% amid war, high inflation

The Bank of Israel's main offices in Jerusalem, January 2, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

The Bank of Israel decides to leave interest rates steady at 4.5% amid renewed fighting with the Hamas terror group in Gaza, a higher inflation environment, and “high global uncertainty.”

“Economic activity continues to recover at a moderate pace, alongside high domestic and global uncertainty,” the central bank says in a statement. “There are several risks for a possible acceleration of inflation or for it not converging to the target range: geopolitical developments and their impact on economic activity, supply constraints, worsening global terms of trade, and volatility of the shekel.”

Ahead of the interest rate decision, economists were in consensus that the central bank would not rush to lower the base lending rate after inflation quickened at a faster pace than expected in April. Annual inflation over the past 12 months accelerated to 3.6%, up from 3.3% in March, as foreign travel costs soared. The government’s annual target range of inflation is between 1% to 3%.

The central bank last lowered interest rates in January 2024, the first cut in almost four years, to support households and businesses as the economy was getting battered by the war with Hamas in Gaza.

Police seize Palestinian who chased Jewish agitators in Jerusalem Old City ahead of Flag March

Right-wing and left-wing activists protest and clash at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, ahead of the Jerusalem Day Flag March, May 26, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Police detain a Palestinian man in the Old City’s Christian Quarter after he attempted to chase after a few dozen religious Zionist youth with his belt in hand, which happened after they attacked another shopkeeper in his vicinity.

The Palestinian man appears to be drunk and repeatedly falls to the ground while trying to resist arrest, as police officers rough him up.

Police arrest Palestinian man in Christian Quarter after he attemps to chase group of religious Zionist youth with belt in hand. Man appears to be drunk.

Bystanders complain that police declined to arrest dozens of right wing agitators who attacked a Palestinian moments earlier pic.twitter.com/lm7BPTejNJ

— charlie summers (@cbsu03) May 26, 2025

Bystanders complain that police arrested him but did not deal with the large group of agitators, who ran away after attacking a middle-aged man outside a barber shop.

Also on the scene are purple-vested volunteers with the left-wing Standing Together movement, who tried to restrain the man from chasing the youth.

During his arrest, activists urge police to deal with him “gently.” They are operating as part of a self-styled “humanitarian guard” with the aim of “escorting and protecting Palestinian residents and businesses from attacks by participants in the Flag March.”

Right-wing Jewish youth scuffle with the left-wing activists as well, deriding them as “traitors.”

Earlier this morning, The Times of Israel witnessed police detain a Jewish youth in the Muslim Quarter and drag him toward Damascus Gate. Police have not stated how many arrests have been made so far.

The official Flag March is set to begin at 4:30 p.m., with most revelers beginning the procession from Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue in West Jerusalem.

The marchers will then walk to Damascus Gate, enter the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, and conclude their parade at the Western Wall later this evening.

Anticipating violence from participants in the march, most Palestinian shopkeepers closed their shops at around 2 p.m. today.

Hamas-led groups execute four for looting aid trucks amid some Gaza dissent

Aid trucks carrying food arrive at a World Food Program warehouse in Az-Zawayda, central Gaza Strip, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Hamas has executed four men for looting some of the aid trucks that have begun entering Gaza, sources familiar with the incident say, as a clan leader in southern Gaza issues a challenge to the Palestinian terror group over guarding the convoys.

One source says the four were involved in an incident last week in which six security officials were allegedly killed by an Israeli airstrike as they were working to prevent gang members from hijacking aid trucks.

“The four criminals, who were executed, were involved in the crimes of looting and causing the death of members of a force tasked with securing aid trucks,” one of the sources tells Reuters.

Seven other suspects are being pursued, according to a statement issued by an umbrella group identifying itself as the “Palestinian Resistance.”

Aid groups have said that deliveries have been hampered by looting, claiming Israel is to blame for creating a situation in which hundreds of thousands of people have been driven to desperation by aid blockade.

Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid, and says aid needs to be tightly controlled to prevent it from helping the terror group, which is still holding 58 hostages.

Israeli military officials say the security teams put in place by Hamas are there to take delivery of the supplies, not to protect them.

Hamas, which took power in Gaza by force in 2007, has long cracked down hard on signs of dissent among Palestinians in Gaza but it has faced sizable protests in recent months over the war and challenges to its control by armed groups of looters, some of whom it has punished by shooting them in the legs in public.

Opposition MK sets up mock office inside UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, urging government to take it over

MK Yulia Malinovsky sets up a mock parliamentary office inside an UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky set up a makeshift “parliamentary office” at the former East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations’ Palestinian relief agency UNRWA earlier today, in protest of the government’s failure to “assert its sovereignty” over the compound.

Malinovsky, an opposition member from the Yisrael Beytenu party, sponsored one of two bills passed in October that effectively barred the agency from operating in Israel, and drastically curtailed its activities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel alleges that more than 10% of UNRWA’s staff in Gaza have ties to terror, and that educational facilities under the organization’s auspices consistently incite hatred of Israel and glorify terror.

“Back in January of this year, the laws against UNRWA came into effect, yet to this very day, Israel has not asserted its sovereignty over the former UNRWA compound in the heart of Jerusalem,” said Malinovsky at the site, according to Yisrael Beytenu’s spokesperson.

“Despite all the promises, the Israel Land Authority has not entered the former headquarters of this group of terrorists,” she said.

“Because they didn’t do it, I had no choice — I did. I set up a parliamentary office in the compound. I invite the general public to come and visit,” she said, adding that “I especially invite the government ministers who are incapable of doing something so simple.”

“Today is Jerusalem Day, when we mark the unification of Jerusalem — in other words, our sovereignty over Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the current government does not understand what sovereignty means,” she said.

In a video shared by the party spokesperson, Malinovsky explains that police have arrived to remove her and the crowd from the premises, and calls on “all members of Knesset, from all parties,” to join her in protest.

Police later took apart the mock parliamentary office and removed Malinovsky and activists accompanying her from the compound.

Police take apart a mock parliamentary office set up by MK Yulia Malinovsky inside an UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

An UNRWA spokesperson tells The Times of Israel regarding the incident that “members of the Israeli Knesset and other individuals have illegally come into the UN compound,” constituting “a breach of the privileges and immunities of the UN.”

UNRWA will issue an official statement in response to the event at a later time, the spokesperson adds.

Sam Sokol contributed to this report.

US homeland security chief says she had ‘candid’ conversation with Netanyahu about Iran talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during her visit to Israel, on May 25, 2025. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she had a candid conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the United States’ negotiations with Iran.

“President [Donald] Trump specifically sent me here to have a conversation with the prime minister about how those negotiations are going and how important it is that we stay united and let this process play out,” Noem says during an interview with Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.”

“It was a very candid conversation.”

Iranian and US delegations wrapped up a fifth round of talks in Rome last week, and signs of some limited progress has emerged.

Israeli strike reported deep in Lebanon

Lebanese media reports an Israeli airstrike near the village of Brital in the northeastern Beqaa Valley.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

الطيران الإسرائيلي يشنّ غارة على السلسلة الشرقية في مرتفعات بلدة بريتال شرقي بعلبك pic.twitter.com/JS4bjSsq47

— Annahar النهار (@Annahar) May 26, 2025

Opposition leaders: Knesset speaker must schedule debate to allow PM to also attend his trial

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Tel Aviv District Court before the start of his testimony in the corruption trial against him, May 12, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

In a joint message, the leaders of the Knesset opposition appeal to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to place this Wednesday’s 40 signatures debate at the end of the plenum schedule “in order to prevent a conflict with the prime minister’s testimony in court.”

“We will not allow the prime minister to evade and use the Knesset debates as a cynical excuse to postpone his trial,” the opposition declares.

A so-called 40-signatures debate is a plenum discussion that the opposition can call once a month and that the prime minister is legally obliged to attend.

Netanyahu had requested to shorten Wednesday’s court hearing because of the debate, a motion opposed by prosecutors.

Germany’s Merz: Israeli strikes on Gaza can no longer be justified as fight against Hamas

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz takes part in a discussion on stage during the opening day of the 'Re:publica 25' digital conference in Berlin on May 26, 2025. (Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that Israel’s recent strikes on Gaza are taking a humanitarian toll on civilians that can no longer be justified as a fight against the Hamas terror group.

“Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism,” he tells broadcaster WDR in a televised interview.

Merz also says he “no longer understands” the Israel Defense Forces’ objective in Gaza amid a stepped-up offensive in the Palestinian territory.

“I no longer understand what the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip, with what goal the civilian population is being impacted to such an extent,” he says.

Merz adds he plans to hold a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week to tell him “to not overdo it,” though for “historical reasons,” Germany would always be more guarded in its criticism than some European partners.

Germany has long been a strong supporter of Israel as it seeks to atone for the Holocaust.

However, the war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, has cast a shadow over relations, with Germany at pains to carefully calibrate its response.

Death toll in Israeli strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter reaches 36, Hamas-run authorities say

People inspect the damage at the Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School used as a shelter in Gaza City on May 26, 2025, following an Israeli strike that the IDF said was targeting terrrorists (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

The death toll in an Israeli strike on a Gaza City school-turned-shelter has risen to 36, Hamas-run authorities say.

The Israel Defense Forces said the early-morning strike on the Fahmi Al-Jarjawi school targeted “key terrorists” in a command center.

The strike apparently sparked a number of blazes.

IDF reissues wide evacuation warning for entire Rafah, Khan Younis area in south Gaza

The IDF reissues a wide evacuation warning for the entire Rafah and Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip, ahead of a planned major ground offensive.

The military calls for Palestinians residing in areas marked on a map in red to evacuate westward toward the Mawasi area on the coast, which Israel is set to declare as a “safer zone.”

“The IDF will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terror organizations [in this area],” says the military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee.

He says that the evacuated area is considered “a dangerous combat zone.” The evacuation warning does not include the Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals, Adraee adds.

On March 31, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for all of Rafah and the southern part of Khan Younis, and on May 19, ordered the rest of Khan Younis to also evacuate.

The latest order covers the same areas previously ordered to be evacuated.

#عاجل ‼️ الى سكان محافظة خانيونس، بني سهيلا، عبسان والقرارة
⭕️جيش الدفاع يشن هجوماً غير مسبوق لتدمير قدرات المنظمات الإرهابية
⭕️تواصل المنظمات الإرهابية اطلاق قذائف صاروخية من مناطقكم
⭕️تعتبر منطقة محافظة خان يونس منطقة قتال خطيرة تم تحذيرها عدة مرات
????أخلوا فوراً غرباً الى منطقة… pic.twitter.com/6T7BCf8ikD

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 26, 2025

3 arrested on suspicion of planning terror attacks in Israel for Islamic State

The Shin Bet and Israel Police announce the arrest of three residents of the northern town of Ar’ara — two adults and a minor — on suspicion of planning terror attacks in Israel on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS).

According to investigators, the suspects swore allegiance to ISIS, received guidance from the group’s operatives in Syria, and conducted test explosions in open areas with the intention of building a powerful bomb to target Israeli security forces.

The Haifa District Attorney’s Office has filed “serious indictments” against the suspects and is seeking their detention until the end of legal proceedings.

Officials warn of a growing trend of Arab Israeli minors becoming involved in terrorism, with the Shin Bet vowing to continue efforts to prevent attacks and protect public safety.

Marchers chant ‘death to Arabs’ and ‘may your village burn’ in Old City’s Muslim Quarter ahead of Flag March

Israeli police officers escort Palestinian women while right wing Israelis marking Jerusalem Day chant racist chants in Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

National-religious Israelis clash with Palestinian shopkeepers and sing racist chants in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City ahead of the annual contentious Flag March.

Eyewitnesses tell The Times of Israel that a Palestinian youth was arrested after he pepper-sprayed a crowd of Jewish revelers during a scuffle that broke out between the two groups.

Following the arrest, the Jewish marchers chant “Death to Arabs” while thronging the Muslim Quarter.

Some are filmed shoving an elderly Palestinian man making his way through the crowd.

One of the Jewish celebrants, an adolescent, attempts to prevent the reporter from filming as police and border cops use force to separate the crowd from Palestinians and left-wing activists.

Jerusalem Day in the Old City, religious Zionist youth chanting "death to Arabs" pic.twitter.com/xgACdi5Y8v

— charlie summers (@cbsu03) May 26, 2025

Separate footage shows a group of Jewish young men and teens singing “May your village burn,” a common anti-Arab refrain.

The video shows security officials escorting a group of Arab women away from the jostling crowd.

The footage appears to have been filmed in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

רמקולים חובה. pic.twitter.com/kEQ14vfy90

— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) May 26, 2025

Extremist Jewish youths attending the Flag March have been known to harass and beat Palestinians during the procession, especially as it enters the Old City through the Muslim Quarter’s Damascus Gate.

Last year’s march saw several attacks on Palestinians and journalists by marchers, who chanted anti-Arab refrains and plastered stickers on shuttered shops supporting the ideology of the late ultranationalist rabbi Meir Kahane and calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Lapid, Golan meet to coordinate ‘joint moves for the opposition’ after Golan’s ‘killing babies’ comments

(L) Yesh Atid leader MK Yair Lapid leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on May 12, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) and (R) The Democrats party leader Yair Golan holds a press conference in Tel Aviv, May 20, 2025 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

In an apparent attempt at reconciliation, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid meets with The Democrats chairman Yair Golan to discuss ongoing coordination between the opposition parties, just under a week after Lapid publicly excoriated Golan for stating that Israel was killing babies in Gaza “as a hobby.”

“The meeting was good and dealt with continuing to coordinate joint moves for the opposition parties,” spokespeople for Golan and Lapid say in identical statements.

Lapid was one of many coalition and opposition politicians who condemned Golan’s statement last week, arguing that the use of such rhetoric was “a gift to our enemies.”

Following Golan’s statement, which the former IDF deputy chief of staff later said was directed at the government and not the military, Shas leader Aryeh Deri called on the leaders of the opposition to “unequivocally disavow Yair Golan and make it clear to the public that under no circumstances will they form a government with him.”

Despite the widespread outrage over Golan’s statement, a Channel 12 poll published yesterday showed The Democrats with 13 seats were elections to take place now, a loss of only one seat since the previous poll, leaving them in third place behind Bennett 2026 and Likud. Yesh Atid only garnered 9 seats.

Last week, a spokesperson for Lapid announced that he would hold a meeting in his Knesset office this Wednesday with the heads of the “Zionist opposition parties” to discuss efforts against the government’s draft exemptions for Haredi men. It remains unclear if this meeting is still on the agenda and if Golan will participate.

WHO global assembly votes in favor of Palestinian delegation flying flag

A sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) displayed at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 13, 2025. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

The Palestinian delegation wins the right to fly its flag at the World Health Organization after a symbolic victory in a vote that its envoy hopes will lead to greater recognition within the United Nations and beyond.

The proposal, brought by China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others, at the global agency’s annual assembly in Geneva passes with 95 in favor and four against – Israel, Hungary, Czech Republic and Germany – and 27 abstentions.

Israel argued against the WHO resolution. Its main ally, the United States, which plans to exit the WHO, did not participate.

France and Japan voted in favor of the proposal while Britain abstained.

“It is symbolic and one act but a sign that we are part of an international community to help on health needs,” the Palestinian Authority’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, tells Reuters. “I hope we will soon have full membership of the WHO and all UN forums.”

Last week, the Palestinians won the right to receive notifications under the WHO’s International Health Regulations – a set of global rules for monitoring outbreaks.

Jordan condemns Ben Gvir’s visit to Temple Mount

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, on Jerusalem Day, May 26, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Jordan condemns a visit by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Temple Mount.

“The practices of this extremist minister and his continued incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque… do not negate the fact that East Jerusalem is an occupied city over which Israel has no sovereignty,” says a statement from the foreign ministry of Jordan.

The Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, where two biblical Temples once stood, and Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest shrine in Islam, making the site a central flashpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel captured the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s Old City from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. However, it allowed the Jordanian Waqf to continue to maintain religious authority atop the mount. Under their 1994 peace treaty, Israel recognized Amman’s “special role… in Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem.”

Envelope containing ‘suspicious powder’ sent to office of coalition whip Katz

MK Ofir Katz, chairman of the Knesset House Committee, leads a hearing, March 12, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Knesset guards are examining an envelope containing a suspicious powder sent to coalition whip Ofir Katz’s Knesset office, a Knesset spokesperson announces.

“In accordance with the security procedures for such events – an update has been forwarded to the Israel Police and the envelope and the suspicious material inside will be forwarded for further examination by the authorities,” the Knesset says in a statement.

Just under a week ago, another envelope “containing a suspicious powder” was sent to Health Minister Uriel Busso’s Knesset office, the second time in under a year that Busso’s office had been targeted in this manner.

Last month, Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman Simcha Rothman also said he had received a “suspicious envelope” and accused the Shin Bet security service of falling down on the job.

Also last month, police announced that they were investigating several threatening letters that had been sent to elected officials and their families. According to Channel 12, these included Likud MK Shalom Danino and United Torah Judaism lawmaker Moshe Roth.

Ben Gvir says Jewish prayer, including full prostration, permitted at flashpoint Temple Mount

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, on Jerusalem Day, May 26, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declares that Jewish prayer, including full prostration, is allowed on the Temple Mount as he pays a Jerusalem Day visit to the contested holy site.

Flanked by Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and MK Yitzhak Kroizer, both members of his ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, Ben Gvir says that “many Jews are flooding the Temple Mount.”

“Today, thank God, it is possible to pray on the Temple Mount, to bow down on the Temple Mount – we thank God for that,” the far-right minister declares — adding that he and his colleagues had come to “pray for the safety of the hostages” and “for victory in the war.”

A photo apparently shows Kroizer prostrated on the Mount alongside other Jews as a police officers look on.

Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer (in blue blazer) is one of a number of Jews to prostrate themselves on the Temple Mount as police officers look on, on Jerusalem Day, May 26, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Meanwhile, MK Zvi Sukkot, of the far-right Religious Zionism party, was filmed walking across the holy site with an Israeli flag, repeatedly declaring “the Temple Mount is in our hands.”

ח"כ סוכות השתחווה והניף דגל ישראל בהר הבית: "הר הבית בידינו" pic.twitter.com/yD1SucGtB2

— חזקי ברוך (@HezkeiB) May 26, 2025

Ben Gvir has long rebuffed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated insistence that the decades-old status quo, which bans Jewish prayer on the site, remains in force.

The Prime Minister’s Office says it is looking into the matter.

Ben Gvir says he also prayed for the success of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious pick to head the Shin Bet security agency, Maj. Gen. David Zini.

“And I pray for the success of the new head of the Shin Bet: that he will pursue our enemies, that he will mow down our enemies, as he has done throughout his years – to be professional, and to distinguish between an enemy and a friend: those who love are embraced, and enemies are mowed down,” he says.

Ben Gvir last visited the Temple Mount in early April, eliciting criticism from the coalition’s ultra-Orthodox members as Haredim believe it is forbidden to tread in the holy site due to its sanctity.

Jews are not officially allowed to pray at the Temple Mount, but the Israel Police, which comes under the purview of Ben Gvir’s ministry, has increasingly tolerated limited prayer there.

Ben Gvir has said repeatedly that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer there, drawing rebukes from US and international officials, as well as warnings from the security establishment that conflict over the site poses a risk to national security.

Macron’s office downplays plane incident with wife: ‘A moment of togetherness’

France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron disembark from the plane upon their arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on May 25, 2025 (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office downplays an incident in which his wife appeared to push his face away as he arrived in Vietnam to begin a Southeast Asian tour.

Footage shot by the Associated Press news agency in Hanoi shows Macron’s plane door opening to reveal him.

His wife Brigitte’s arms emerge from the left of the open doorway, and she places both hands on her husband’s face and gives it a shove.

The president appears startled but quickly recovers and turns to wave through the open door. She remains concealed by the aircraft body, making it impossible to see her facial expression or body language.

The couple proceed down the staircase for the official welcome by Vietnamese officials, though Brigitte Macron does not take her husband’s offered arm.

The video clip circulated rapidly online, promoted particularly by accounts that are habitually hostile to the French leader.

Macron’s office initially denied the authenticity of the images, before they were confirmed as genuine.

A close associate of the president later describes the incident as a couple’s harmless “squabble.”

Another member of his entourage plays down the significance of the incident.

“It was a moment when the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by joking around,” the second source tells reporters.

“It’s a moment of togetherness. No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,” the source adds, blaming pro-Russian accounts for negative comments about the incident.

A video has emerged of President Macron getting slapped in the face by his wife as he was about to disembark the presidential plane in Vietnam.

His office initially denied the incident, before changing tunes and calling it “playful teasing” ???????? pic.twitter.com/QWj2Ons4eI

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 26, 2025

Hitting back at Supreme Court chief, Levin says ‘sovereignty of the people under wild attack’

Justice Minister Yariv Levin attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, on January 21, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a rejoinder to Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Justice Minister Yariv Levin says, “What is under wild attack is the sovereignty of the people.”

Levin is responding to Amit’s comments that judicial independence is “under attack” today in both the public and political arenas.

“And by the way, how can you speak at all at a conference of the Israel Bar Association, when you appointed yourself to head the [judicial] panel which is deliberating on the petition of the Bar Association itself against the law that reduces its membership dues,” demands Levin.

“We have already grown used to the principles of conflict of interest having flexibility when it affects you,” snipes Levin.

The justice minister is referring to allegations made against Amit shortly before he was appointed chief justice that he served on several judicial panels on cases in which he had a conflict of interest.

Amit denied the allegations, saying that due to power of attorney arrangements, he had no knowledge of the proceedings in question.

Israel rejects latest proposed hostage-ceasefire deal, senior Israeli official says

People walk past posters of people who have been and are still held hostage in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, May 21, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Following a Lebanese report that a new outline for a hostage and ceasefire proposal has been agreed upon in principle by Israel, a senior Israeli official says the deal has been rejected.

“The proposal received by Israel cannot be accepted by any responsible government,” says the official, without giving any further details.

A Lebanese outlet affiliated with Hezbollah reported this morning that Israel agreed in principle to a draft proposal including a ceasefire of about 70 days, during which 10 hostages – five alive and five deceased – would be released in two phases, modifying the so-called Witkoff outline, which laid out a shorter ceasefire for the release of about 10 living hostages.

“There is no genuine willingness on Hamas’s part to move forward with a deal. Israel remains committed to the Witkoff framework,” says the Israeli official.

According to the Al-Mayadeen report, the latest discussions, mediated by US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, concluded early this morning. It did not say where those talks were held or whom they involved.

AG: Coalition using ‘cover of war’ to advance rapid changes to Israel’s form of government

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, April 27, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara accuses the government of using “the cover of war” to advance far-reaching changes to Israel’s form of government, which she says is happening “at a rapid rate, in front of our eyes.”

Speaking at the Israel Bar Association’s annual conference, the attorney general also lambastes recently passed legislation that greatly increases the power of politicians in the judicial appointment process, although it will only take effect in the next Knesset.

“Under the cover of war and the diversion of the public’s attention, the [governmental] regime change has sped up greatly, and the contempt for the law and defiance of it is active and felt,” says Baharav-Miara.

“This is not a warning about the future, but a picture of reality. Israel’s form of government is changing in front of our eyes at a rapid pace.”

The attorney general says the most significant change to Israel’s democracy is the change to the judicial selection process, saying that the politicization of the process will harm the independence of the judiciary.

“Diluting the value of professionalism and making political considerations the decisive considerations in the process of selecting judges will change the image of the country as a democracy with an independent judicial system. Perhaps irreversibly,” says the attorney general.

“A judge seeking promotion will know that his promotion depends on the degree of favor his rulings find within the political system,” she insists.

Lufthansa group extends suspension of Tel Aviv flights until June 15

Lufthansa aircrafts parked at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, September 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Probst,file)

The Lufthansa group of carriers extends the suspension of flight services to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport by another week to mid-June.

The Lufthansa group – whose carriers include SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings – says that following a situation assessment, it has decided to prolong flight suspensions to and from Tel Aviv through June 15, from the previously announced date of June 8.

On May 4, the group of carriers joined a list of foreign airlines canceling flight services to Israel, after a ballistic missile from Yemen struck an area of Israel’s main international airport.

Iran rejects push to suspend uranium enrichment to reach nuclear deal with US

A handout picture released by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization on November 4, 2019, shows the atomic enrichment facilities Natanz nuclear research center, some 300 kilometers south of capital Tehran. (HO / Atomic Energy Organization of Iran / AFP)

Iran rules out suspending its uranium enrichment as part of any potential nuclear agreement with the United States.

“This information is a figment of the imagination and totally false,” says foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai, when asked about the possibility during a press briefing in Tehran.

Enrichment remains the key point of contention between the sides.

US officials up to President Donald Trump insist Iran cannot continue to enrich uranium at all in any deal that could see sanctions lifted on Tehran’s struggling economy. Iran insists that there will not be an agreement that does not permit it to enrich uranium.

Baghai’s comments come after Trump said yesterday that American negotiators had made “real progress” during nuclear talks with Iran over the weekend, and hinted that an announcement could come in the “next two days.”

Lebanese report: Israel agrees in principle to proposal for hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas

Demonstrators in Tel Aviv protest against the war and for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip on May 24, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

A Lebanese outlet affiliated with Hezbollah reports that Israel has agreed in principle to a draft proposal for a ceasefire-hostage agreement.

The report cites an unnamed Palestinian official as its source.

There is no confirmation of the report from Israel.

According to Al-Mayadeen, the proposal includes a ceasefire lasting approximately 70 days, during which 10 hostages – five alive and five deceased – would be released in two phases, in an apparent updated version of the so-called Witkoff outline.

The draft also stipulates that negotiations on ending the war would occur during the ceasefire period.

The Al-Mayadeen report adds that the latest discussions, mediated by US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, concluded early this morning. It does not say where those talks were held or who they involved.

Witkoff and Bahbah brokered the talks that led to the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander earlier this month.

According to the report, which implies that at least some aspects of the proposal or amendments were from Hamas, some modifications to the draft may still be made, and parties are now awaiting Israel’s official response.

Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 58 hostages — 57 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023.

They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF, and 20 are believed to be alive. There are grave concerns for the well-being of three others, Israeli officials have said. The body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014 is also being held.

Supreme Court chief: ‘Judicial independence is under attack, but system will stand firm’

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit hears petitions at the High Court of Justice against the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in Jerusalem, April 8, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

Supreme Court Chief Justice Isaac Amit says that the independence of the judiciary is under attack, but that those who wish to weaken it will not succeed.

“For some time now, the judiciary has faced repeated attempts to undermine its independence, to weaken it, and to limit its ability to act independently and without dependence,” he tells the Bar Association Conference in Eilat. “Judicial independence is under attack in the public and political arena.”

“The attempt to undermine the principle of judicial independence will not succeed. The judiciary will continue to stand firm in the face of attempts to erode its strength, and will continue to protect the democratic fabric, without fear,” he says, amid the government’s contentious renewed judicial overhaul.

Amit additionally laments that Israel is lacking many of the pillars that help strengthen a democracy.

“The truth must be told. The Israeli democratic fabric is delicate and fragile. The State of Israel lacks the ‘engines of democracy’ that have the power to balance the branches of government,” he says. “Engines such as regional elections, two houses of parliament, strong local government, a full constitution, a full Bill of Human Rights, a constitutional tradition or constitutional practices. Engines that other democratic states have been blessed with, or at least in part.”

“Judicial independence is intended to serve the entire Israeli public and does not exist for the benefit of the judiciary itself. Harming the independence of the judiciary, and making it an authority subject to external pressures, will jeopardize the possibility of protecting individual rights from unlawful infringement,” he says.

“Judges who are not independent will have difficulty setting boundaries and providing relief to the public from unlawful action. Without judicial independence, the judiciary will cease to serve as a balancing factor for the other authorities, and it may become a tool in their hands,” he says.

3 cases of cholera identified in Israel; cases linked to travel to Ethiopia

The Health Ministry says that three cases of cholera have been identified in Israel, for the first time in years.

Two cases involve Israelis who contracted the disease in Ethiopia, and the third case is an Israeli who contracted the disease after drinking water from a well in Ethiopia brought back by one of the other infected people, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

Cholera causes diarrhea and vomiting and can lead to dehydration and even death. The cholera germ is found mostly in faeces and is common in developing countries where hygiene and sanitation are poor.

The Health Ministry advises travelers to Ethiopia to avoid drinking tap water and eating street food.

To help prevent cholera, it is recommended to wash hands thoroughly and maintain good hygiene.

IDF says over 200 strikes carried out in Gaza over past 48 hours; terror operatives, weapons depots targeted

An Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip is seen from southern Israel, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The Israeli Air Force carried out over 200 strikes in the Gaza Strip over the past 48 hours, the military says.

The IDF says the targets included terror operatives, weapon depots, anti-tank and sniper positions, tunnel shafts, and other infrastructure.

In southern Gaza, the military says troops struck a building used by Hamas as a weapons depot, an observation post, and another structure used by the terror group. Troops also directed drone strikes on several operatives spotted in buildings near the forces, the IDF says.

In northern Gaza, the IDF says a strike carried out by a fighter jet destroyed a building where members of Hamas’s Nukhba force were operating.

US homeland security chief Noem to speak in Jerusalem alongside Sa’ar, Huckabee

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (C) alongside Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (R) and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, for a memorial for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were shot and killed near the Jewish Museum in Washington, May 26, 2025 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is set to speak alongside Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee ahead of a memorial service for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.

Lischinsky and Milgrim, who were set to become engaged, were shot dead last week outside an American Jewish Committee event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, by a gunman who shouted “Free Palestine.”

The two victims were employees at the Israeli embassy in Washington.

The press statements can be watched here.

IDF says 3 rockets fired from Gaza; 2 fall short in Strip, 3rd is intercepted before crossing border

Three rockets were launched from the southern Gaza Strip a short while ago, the military says.

The IDF says two of the projectiles fell short in Gaza, and the third was intercepted by air defenses before crossing the border.

Sirens did not sound in any border communities amid the attack.

There are no reports of injuries in Gaza from either the two projectiles that fell short or the interception.

Israeli officials confirm 1st Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution point to open today

Palestinians struggle to receive cooked food distributed at a community kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The first distribution point operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will begin operations in the Strip today, Israeli officials confirm to the Kan public broadcaster.

Further points are expected to open gradually, the report says.

The report that the foundation has begun operations is later confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The report comes after the foundation announced that it will begin delivering aid today.

The organization made the announcement in a statement also expressing disappointment over the sudden resignation of its CEO Jake Wood, who said it was “clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”

Israel had blocked food, fuel, medicine, and all other supplies from entering Gaza since early March, only lifting the blockade last week to allow limited numbers of aid trucks to enter, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians there.

Experts have warned of a high risk of famine, and even the United States, a staunch ally, has voiced concerns over the hunger crisis.

IDF: ‘Key terrorists’ targeted in strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter; 25 said killed

Screenshot of video circulating on social media that apparently shows a girl trying to escape after a strike on Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City on May 26, 2025. The IDF said it was targeting Hamas in the strike (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The Israeli military says it carried out a strike overnight against “key terrorists” who were embedded within a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood.

According to Palestinian media, at least 25 people, including children, were killed in the strike on the Al-Jarjawi School.

The IDF says that the school was being used by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a command center.

“The command and control center was used by the terrorists to plan and gather intelligence in order to carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops in the area,” the military says.

The military says it took “many steps” to mitigate civilian harm, including by using a precision munition, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.

#فيديو | "في ناس عايشة" ..محاولة الدفاع المدني إخماد الحريق الذي اندلع بمدرسة الجرجاوي في حي الدرج نتيجة قصف الاحتلال الليلة الماضية، وأدى لإحراق وارتقاء 25 نازحًا على الأقل. pic.twitter.com/vX92Ih4QBM

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) May 26, 2025

Security forces gear up for potential violence at Jerusalem Day nationalist Flag March

Israeli right-wing activists gather with Israeli national flags outside the Damascus Gate of the old city of Jerusalem on June 5, 2024, during the Jerusalem Day flag march. (Menahem Kahana / AFP)

Security forces are gearing up for potential violence at today’s annual Jerusalem Day Flag March, in which thousands of national religious Israelis are expected to parade through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter toward the Western Wall.

Thousands of police officers and law enforcement personnel will be deployed throughout the capital.

Extremist Jewish youth attending the Flag March have been known to harass and beat Palestinians during the procession, especially as it enters the Old City through the Muslim Quarter’s Damascus Gate.

Last year’s march saw several attacks on Palestinians and journalists by marchers, who chanted anti-Arab refrains and plastered stickers on shuttered shops supporting the ideology of the late ultranationalist rabbi Meir Kahane and calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says will begin delivering aid today, expresses regret over CEO’s resignation

Palestinians struggle to receive cooked food distributed at a community kitchen in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it will begin delivering aid to the Strip today, expressing regret over the resignation of its CEO who stepped down yesterday.

“We were disappointed to learn of Jake Wood’s sudden resignation as Executive Director of GHF. He has been a passionate advocate for the need to safely deliver humanitarian assistance to Gazans without diversion or delay, and achieved real progress for the entire humanitarian community in the short time he was involved in this effort. The fact that aid is beginning to trickle back into Gaza is a testament to his work,” the board says in a statement.

“Unfortunately, from the moment GHF was announced, those who benefit from the status quo have been more focused on tearing this apart than on getting aid in, afraid that new, creative solutions to intractable problems might actually succeed,” the statement reads.

“We will not be deterred. Our trucks are loaded and ready to go. Beginning Monday, May 26, GHF will begin direct aid delivery in Gaza, reaching over one million Palestinians by the end of the week. We plan to scale rapidly to serve the full population in the weeks ahead,” GHF says.

There is no immediate comment from the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which coordinates the supply of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Jake Wood, CEO of the new Israeli- and US-backed organization that was supposed to begin managing the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, announced yesterday he was tendering his resignation, saying said he understood that it would be impossible to implement the plan while “strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”

While technically an American company, GHF was established in close coordination with Israeli authorities in order to manage the new aid initiative, and Wood’s resignation marks a major blow to Israel’s effort to resume aid in Gaza on its own terms.

Jacob Magid contributed to this report.

Trump issues rare rebuke of ‘crazy’ Putin after 13 killed in Ukraine drone strikes

US President Donald Trump calls Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “crazy” for his attacks on Ukrainian cities and warns that any attempt at a total takeover of Ukraine would “lead to the downfall of Russia.”

The comments are a rare rebuke to Putin, and come after a record number of Russian drones killed at least 13 people across Ukraine, despite a prisoner exchange and a US push for a truce.

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump says in a post on Truth Social.

“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he adds.

Trump also criticizes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a more frequent target of his ire, accusing him of “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.”

“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” he says of Zelensky.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump told reporters that he was “not happy” with Putin over the latest Russian offensive.

“I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” said Trump on the tarmac at Morristown airport before boarding Air Force One bound for Washington.

Hamas-run authorities say 20 killed, dozens wounded in strike on Gaza City school-turned-shelter

Hamas-run health authorities in the Gaza Strip say at least 20 people were killed and dozens were wounded when an Israeli strike hit a school housing displaced people a short while ago.

Medics say the dozens of casualties in the strike on the school, at Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, included women and children, although these figures could not be verified.

Some of the bodies were badly burned according to images circulating on social media, which Reuters cannot immediately verify.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Trump says US saw ‘real progress’ in latest nuclear talks with Iran, predicts ‘good news’ ahead

US President Donald Trump says American negotiators made “real progress” during “very good” nuclear talks with Iran earlier this weekend.

“I think we could have good news on the Iran front.”

“Likewise with Hamas on Gaza,” he adds, appearing to say that there could also be a positive development in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We want to see if we can stop that, and Israel. We’ve been talking to them and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation,” Trump tells reporters before boarding Air Force One.

???? BREAKING: Trump has had talks with Iran this weekend. He says "good news" could be coming soon with Iran on the nuclear front.

"I have a feeling I might be telling you something good. We've had some serious progress." pic.twitter.com/JkKKNqPV28

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 25, 2025

In blow to Israeli-backed aid effort, CEO of group supposed to manage it resigns

Palestinians struggle to receive cooked food distributed at a community kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The CEO of the new Israeli and US-backed organization that was supposed to begin managing the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza in the coming days has resigned.

“I am proud of the work I oversaw, including developing a pragmatic plan that could feed hungry people, address security concerns about diversion, and complement the work of longstanding NGOs in Gaza,” says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation CEO Jake Wood in a statement.

“However, it is clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,” he adds.

GHF was created earlier this year as Israel tried to advance a new mechanism for distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza, while preventing its diversion from Hamas.

Israel wanted to create a small number of distribution sites in southern Gaza where pre-selected family representatives would be able to pick up a heavy box full of food for their families in a zone secured and operated by American private contractors.

While technically an American company, GHF was established in close coordination with Israeli authorities in order to manage the new aid initiative.

However, GHF still needed support and cooperation from existing humanitarian organizations as it sought to gain credibility on the ground. That backing has yet to come, though, with the UN and other international organizations in Gaza vowing not to cooperate with GHF, arguing that its aid initiative violated humanitarian principles by requiring Gazans to walk long distances in order to retrieve aid and limiting distribution to southern Gaza in what would forcibly displace the Palestinian population.

There were also questions about GHF’s funding, which has not been transparent, along with a memo it sent out to potential donors that named two individuals on its leadership who said they weren’t involved in the initiative and admitted to only being able to initially feed 60% of Gaza’s population.

Wood, a former Marine and social entrepreneur, tried to dispel concerns when he announced that Israel had agreed to GHF’s demands to allow for the establishment of additional distribution sites throughout Gaza and to restart the distribution aid through existing mechanisms last week until GHF is operational on the ground.

A senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel last week that GHF’s target date for beginning operations was this weekend, but that has not happened.

Further complicating matters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said last week that in the third stage of Israel’s aid operations, distribution will be limited to a small area in southern Gaza that is secured by the IDF — in what would go against Wood’s assertion that he would not limit distribution to one part of the Strip.

Wood says he was approached about leading GHF two months ago due to his experience in humanitarian operations and stresses that he sought to “establish it as a truly independent humanitarian entity.”

“Like many others around the world, I was horrified and heartbroken at the hunger crisis in Gaza and, as a humanitarian leader, I was compelled to do whatever I could to help alleviate the suffering,” he adds.

Wood’s resignation marks a major blow to Israel’s effort to resume aid in Gaza on its own terms, and it’s unclear whether GHF will be able to march on.

His resignation is also likely to bury chances for GHF to be able to fundraise from countries abroad, as the reasons he gave for stepping down appeared to echo fears already voiced by the UN and international organizations already operating on the ground that were asked to cooperate with the foundation in order to ensure its success.

The American security contractors that GHF is working with already arrived in Israel earlier this month in order to enter Gaza and begin managing the distribution sites.

While Wood appeared willing to work within the strict provisions set up by Israel, his resignation statement indicated that his flexibility had reached a limit.

“I urge Israel to significantly expand the provision of aid into Gaza through all mechanisms, and I urge all stakeholders to continue to explore innovative new methods for the delivery of aid, without delay, diversion or discrimination,” he says.

“I continue to believe the only sustainable path for the long-term is for Hamas to release all hostages, for there to be a cessation of hostilities, and a pathway for peace, security, and dignity for all people in the region.”

PM meets with visiting US homeland security chief Kristi Noem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during her visit to Israel, on May 25, 2025. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, shortly after the secretary landed for a visit in Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office says.

During the meeting, Noem “expressed unequivocal support for the Prime Minister and for Israel,” says the PMO.

She also “conveyed deep appreciation” for Netanyahu’s policy “regarding the construction of the border fence along the Egypt border and his management of the war” in Gaza, says the PMO.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and senior PMO officials also participated in the meeting.

During her visit, Noem will attend a memorial ceremony for the two US embassy staffers killed in Washington DC last week, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, as well as participate in Jerusalem Day celebrations.

Earlier today, Netanyahu met with Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, adds the PMO.