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The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they unfolded.
Top world economy officials warn of summer fuel scarcity if Hormuz remains closed
Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17, 2026. (AFP)
WASHINGTON — The heads of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and International Energy Agency warn of the risks to fuel security during peak demand summer months if oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz does not return to normal.
“Global oil inventories are being drawn down at a record pace in response to the major loss of supply through the Strait of Hormuz,” the heads of the agencies say in a joint statement. “If shipping flows do not return to normal, continued rapid depletion of global oil inventories ahead of peak summer oil demand in the Northern Hemisphere would present increasing risks for fuel security, market conditions, and broader economic resilience.”
US says it has seized $1 billion in crypto assets from Iran
Illustrative: The symbols of bitcoin and the stablecoin Tether (USDT) are displayed at a cryptocurrency store in Hong Kong on July 29, 2025. (Peter PARKS / AFP)
WASHINGTON — US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US has seized $1 billion in Iranian cryptocurrency assets as part of the economic component of President Donald Trump’s war on the Islamic Republic.
Trump meeting to make ‘final determination’ on Iran deal ends with no decision — report
US President Donald Trump’s meeting to make a “final determination” regarding a deal with Iran ended after two hours without a decision, a senior administration official tells The New York Times.
The official insists an agreement is still close but that certain issues still need to be debated, including the unfreezing of Iranian funds.
UN warns Israel’s plan to expand Gaza control will increase hardship of suffering children
A member of the Abu Rish family stands in front of the entrance to her collapsed house, which was destroyed by Israeli military strikes during the Israel-Hamas war, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
GENEVA, Switzerland — The UN warns that an Israeli plan to take control of 70 percent of Gaza will increase suffering among children already hit by the impacts of severe overcrowding.
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF warns that this would deepen the health crisis among children in the war-ravaged territory, suffering from acute lack of food, water, and hygiene.
Now “people have been crammed into around 40 percent of the space,” UNICEF spokesman Salim Oweis tells reporters in Geneva, speaking from Gaza.
People there were left “sheltering among broken buildings, rubble and mounting solid waste,” he says, adding “there is no accessible space left to clear” the waste.
“The effects of this are now widely apparent: children with respiratory infections, acute watery diarrhea, and more than half of all households reporting skin diseases.”
“Fleas, lice and scabies are commonplace,” Oweis says, also pointing to numerous cases of rats biting young children and even babies.
NY Jewish leader tells Mamdani: Your absence at Israel parade ‘will be long-remembered’
Celebrants march in the 2025 Israel Day Parade on New York's Fifth Avenue, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The head of the UJA-Federation of New York, a leading Jewish organization in New York City, shares an open letter to Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticizing his decision to boycott Sunday’s annual Israel parade.
The march, called Israel Day on 5th, serves as the de facto Jewish community parade in the city. Mamdani, who has identified as an anti-Zionist, is the first mayor to boycott the event.
“You are the first mayor in the history of New York City — home to the largest Jewish diaspora community in the world — to refuse to participate in this parade because you fundamentally reject Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state,” the federation’s CEO, Eric Goldstein says in an open letter to Mamdani.
Goldstein says Mamdani’s refusal to participate is not “criticism of a particular Israeli government or policy,” but is rooted in a “refusal to acknowledge the right of the Jewish people to self-determination.”
“Your refusal to attend the parade is simply the latest in a pattern of demonizing anti-Israel rhetoric and actions that continue to place the Jewish community of New York at greater risk,” he writes.
“Mr. Mayor, you cannot close your eyes to the deadly impact of this incendiary rhetoric that is playing out in Jewish communities across the world, from Bondi Beach to Boulder to Washington, DC. Nor should any of this suggest that we seek to silence debate and criticism about Israel,” Goldstein says, referring to deadly terrorist attacks against Jews in the past year.
“Our community in all its diversity will show up in multitudes not because we believe Israel’s government is beyond criticism, and not because we all agree on the right way forward. We do not. We will show up because we believe in the vital importance of a Jewish and democratic homeland for our people,” Goldstein says. “Your absence — and what it represents — will be long-remembered. ”
Hamas accuses Netanyahu of ‘blatant violation’ of ceasefire for ordering seizure of 70% of Gaza
Hamas accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a “blatant violation” of the October 2025 ceasefire after he ordered the army to seize more territory in the Gaza Strip.
“In a blatant violation of all agreements, as is their usual practice, Netanyahu announced expanding control over 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, while the killing and starvation continue,” Hamas spokesman Bassem Naim tells AFP.
The October deal was envisioned as part of a larger process that would see the terror group disarmed and the enclave demilitarized, but progress toward that vision has stalled, as Hamas has refused to lay down its weapons and Israel has continued striking deep inside Gaza, while facing allegations that it is violating additional terms of the October agreement.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hezbollah rocket salvo struck church in south Lebanon, IDF footage shows
Damage caused to Saint Georges Orthodox Church in Marjaayoun, southern Lebanon, in a Hezbollah rocket attack on May 29, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
A barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah overnight struck a church in southern Lebanon, according to footage published by the IDF.
According to the military, the rockets struck several buildings in Marjaayoun, including Saint Georges Orthodox Church, causing damage.
The IDF says that troops were not operating in the vicinity of the church.
A video released by the IDF shows the rockets striking Marjaayoun.
“This incident further proves how Hezbollah continues to endanger and harm Lebanese civilians,” the army adds.
UN envoy: Sde Teiman case showed Israel not taking sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners seriously
Pramila Patten, right, United Nations special representative on sexual violence in conflict, addresses a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the war in Gaza, March 11, 2024, at UN headquarters in New York. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)
UN Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten says Jerusalem failed to coordinate with her office on implementing accountability measures to counter alleged sexual violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
Patten’s comments at a press conference come after Israel said it cut ties with the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who placed Israel’s security forces on his blacklist of entities said to be credibly accused of sexual violence in war zones, citing alleged abuse of Palestinian inmates.
“For instance, with regard to the emblematic Sde Teiman case, not only was sexual violence not in the indictment, but the charges were even dropped altogether by the Military Advocate General,” Patten says, referring to the reported abuse of a Palestinian inmate after what an indictment said was the “insertion of an object in the anus” by guards in July 2024. Charges were later tossed due to prosecutorial misconduct.
“This is the case that had triggered demonstrations by some Knesset members to protest against the arrest of the soldiers, including attacks on the Sde Teiman camp and those investigating the case.
UN SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten: "I mentioned the Sde Teiman case. This is an emblematic case which shows the total lack of accountability. I mean the evidence was solid. The Commission of Inquiry made it very clear that there was solid evidence of sexual… https://t.co/1n6HFUxd85 pic.twitter.com/3AGjHMdZjX
— Rami Ayari (@Raminho) May 29, 2026
“On the issue of denial of access to UN monitors, the Government of Israel in its submission maintains that it will not provide access on account of what it alleges to be ‘institutional bias in UN bodies and mechanisms.’ It also confirmed that since 7 October 2023, ICRC has been denied access to detention facilities due to ‘security concerns,'” Patten says.
Israel shared its full legal and oversight framework with the UN, including regulations, complaint mechanisms, and its practice of filing indictments where warranted, UN Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said yesterday, adding that he personally held multiple meetings with Patten and her team.
According to Danon, Israel had also arranged for senior officials from the Prison Service, the military and the Justice Ministry to meet with Patten’s delegation, but she canceled trips to Israel due to technical issues and the security situation in the region, though Israel never blocked the visits.
Patten confirms at the news briefing that there had been an invitation from Israel, but referred also to disagreements about the scope of the visit and related issues of access and cooperation, and said it ultimately had to be suspended due to the war in Gaza.
EU says it expanded sanctions against Hamas, Islamic Jihad
PARIS, France — The European Union has adopted further sanctions against Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the EU says.
“The EU decided to expand the scope of the EU’s restrictive measures regarding Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to also target members of the Political Bureau of Hamas (Politburo), who promote, defend and justify violent actions. The EU also listed 10 individual members of the Politburo,” it adds in a statement.
The move comes a day after the EU had also imposed sanctions against some Israeli settlers.
Countering Trump claims, Iran claims ‘no negotiations’ taking place on nuclear program
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Foreign Ministry says that there were “no negotiations” taking place on its nuclear program, after US President Donald Trump suggested it would relinquish its enriched uranium under a deal to end the Middle East war.
“At this stage, we are focused on ending the war, and there are no negotiations on the nuclear issue,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei tells state TV.
Opposition voters prefer Eisenkot as bloc leader over Bennett — poll
Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, speaks during a conference at Tel Aviv University, May 12, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Voters of parties currently in the Knesset opposition prefer that Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot over former prime minister and Together chair Naftali Bennett, according to a Channel 12 poll aired this evening.
According to the poll, 45% of respondents prefer Eisenkot compared to 36% who choose Bennett. Both figures are aiming to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.
Voters of all parties were separately asked their preference when Eisenkot and Bennett were separately pited against Netanyahu.
Netanyahu fared better against each of them, with 38% of respondents saying they preferred him, compared to 34% who said they preferred Eisenkot. Twenty-one percent said they preferred neither of them, and 7% said they don’t know.
Bennett fared slightly better than Eisenkot, but still only say 34% of respondents say they preferred the Together chairman as premeir, compared to 39% who preferred Netanyahu, while 21% said neither is suited and 6% who didn’t know.
Iran says talks still ongoing, final deal with US not yet reached
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Foreign Ministry says that there was still “no final agreement” with the United States to end the Middle East war, after US President Donald Trump said he was making his decision on a potential deal.
“Regarding the understanding, as I said while speaking to you, exchanges of messages are continuing, but no final agreement has been reached yet,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei tells state media.
UAE conducted dozens of strikes on Iran during war and after truce, with US and Israel intel — report
Footage shows the aftermath of an IDF strike on the South Pars gas field on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf, in Asaluyeh, Iran, on March 18, 2026. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The United Arab Emirates launched dozens of airstrikes in Iran in the first days of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and after the ceasefire in April was announced, people familiar with the matter tell the Wall Street Journal.
Reports have said the UAE carried out attacks on Iran during the war, but the report by the WSJ indicated a much larger role than previously reported.
Israel and the US provided intelligence on the strikes, which targeted Qeshm and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz, the port city of Bandar Abbas, Lavan Island’s oil refinery, and the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex, the sources tell the WSJ.
Israel also struck Asaluyeh, which prompted the US to ask Israel to stop attacks on energy facilities, and sparked international backlash.
Attacks on Iranian energy facilities came in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on the UAE’s facilities.
US-Iran understanding reached, but not finalized, senior Iranian source says
A police officer walks past posters of US and Iran talks near a possible venue in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
A political understanding has been reached between Iran and the United States over the Iran war, but it has not yet been finalized, a senior Iranian source tells Reuters.
The source says Donald Trump’s claim that uranium would be unearthed by the US was not true, adding that the possible memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington does not include any nuclear-related issues.
Teen given just 9 months community service for attacks on Arab bus drivers
Benjamin Yehuda Gutfreund, 19, one of two teens who attacked two Arab bus drivers and a municipal worker in December in Jerusalem, will be sentenced to perform nine months of community service as part of a plea deal, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The suspects, then aged 17 and 18, rode around the Ramot neighborhood on an electric bike and attacked innocent passersby, including a bus driver who suffered a broken arm and a sanitation worker who suffered broken teeth and a fractured rib. Police said that two buses were also damaged.
Police say that the punishment will deter the suspect, and says he will be put on probation and pay compensation to the victims.
“The arrangement was formulated in accordance with the defendant’s part in the incident compared to another defendant, the absence of a criminal record, and his young age, and it balances the severity of the acts and the concrete circumstances,” police say.
The Transportation Workers Union slams the “lenient sentence,” saying that it “makes it clear that the spilling of bus drivers’ blood is permitted.”
Footage shows fields ablaze in West Bank village after reported settler arson attack
Israeli settlers set fields on fire in the West Bank village of Khirbet Abu Falah, footage shows, according to Palestinian media.
Footage shows residents trying to extinguish the fires with blankets.
BREAKING: Israeli settlers attacked the village of Abu Falah in the West Bank, setting fields on fire. When fire trucks arrived to extinguish the blaze, the Israeli army blocked them and prevented them.
Residents were attempting to put out the fires with blankets. pic.twitter.com/dJFxsratwA
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 29, 2026
Contrary to Trump claims, deal does not obligate Iran to open Hormuz, destroy uranium, Iranian media says
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Fars news agency cites informed sources as saying the latest comments by US President Donald Trump about a potential deal to end the Middle East war were a “mixture of truth and lies.”
“Trump claimed that Iran was obligated to open the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, even though no such clause appears in the text of the agreement,” the agency says. On Trump’s assertion that Washington and Tehran would coordinate on destroying Iran’s enriched uranium, it adds: “Well-informed sources emphasized that not only does this not appear in the memorandum of understanding, but this claim is fundamentally baseless.”
Four Hamas gunmen killed after posing threat to troops, IDF says
Palestinians walk along a street surrounded by buildings destroyed by Israeli military strikes during the Israel-Hamas war in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Four Hamas gunmen who “posed an immediate threat to troops” were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip yesterday, the military says.
In one incident in the Strip’s south, the IDF says, three armed Hamas operatives were struck after being identified near troops. In another incident, a Hamas operative planning a sniper attack was struck and killed, according to the IDF.
“The four terrorists posed an immediate threat to the troops and were eliminated in a targeted manner to remove the threat,” the military says.
Greek man allegedly planted ‘camera hidden in a sock’ to spy on Iran International journalist
Illustrative: A presenter for dissident Persian-language TV station Iran International prepares for a news broadcast at the network's studio in London on January 20, 2026. (Carlos Jasso / AFP)
LONDON (AP) — A Greek national traveled to Britain on behalf of a foreign intelligence service to conduct surveillance on a journalist critical of the Iranian regime, prosecutors allege as the man appears in a London courtroom to face espionage charges.
Prosecutor Lee Ingham alleges that Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, visited addresses linked to the journalist while he was in Britain, photographing and filming homes and car license plates. During the second visit, he “installed a covert camera hidden in a sock” that was “able to send data to persons unknown abroad,” Ingham says during a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.
Aidinidis is charged with assisting the intelligence service of a foreign country, believed to be Iran, when he targeted the journalist, who works for Iran International, a Persian-language media outlet critical of the country’s Islamic government. He is alleged to have travelled to the UK from April 16-21 and May 12-14.
Aidinidis, who was born in Georgia and lives in Munich, confirmed his identity through a Russian interpreter, but didn’t enter a plea. He was ordered to remain in custody until his next court appearance on June 19 at Central London Criminal Court.
London-based media organizations opposed to the Islamic Republic have been under threat for years.
Iran International temporarily moved its headquarters to Washington, DC, in February 2023 to “protect the safety of journalists” who had been targeted by the Iranian government. The station resumed operations at a new location in London months later.
Kazakhstan willing to store Iran’s enriched uranium if deal reached, IAEA chief says
Centrifuges line a hall at the Uranium Enrichment Facility in Natanz, Iran, in a still image from a video aired by the Islamic Republic Iran Broadcasting company on April 17, 2021, six days after the hall had been damaged in a mysterious attack. (IRIB via AP)
Kazakhstan has signaled it is willing to take Tehran’s stockpile of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels if the US reaches a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog tells the Financial Times.
The central Asian state expressed its openness to keeping the stockpile when Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in Astana this week, Grossi tells the newspaper in an interview published today.
Kazakhstan hosts an internationally-controlled bank of low-enriched uranium to ensure fuel supplies for power stations in IAEA member states and prevent nuclear proliferation. The storage facility was opened in 2017 in collaboration with the IAEA.
US must drop ‘excessive demands’ for deal to end war, Iran’s FM tells Omani counterpart
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi told his Omani counterpart that reaching a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war depended on Washington dropping its “excessive demands,” Tehran’s Foreign Ministry says.
“The Iranian minister of foreign affairs… indicated that arriving at a final agreement depended on ending the American party’s attitude based on excessive demands and shifting and contradictory positions,” the ministry says in a summary of a call between the ministers.
Trump says he’s entering Situation Room to make final decision on Iran deal
Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) speaks as US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth listen during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on May 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (WIN MCNAMEE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
US President Donald Trump says he is entering the White House Situation Room to make a “final determination,” ostensibly referring to the memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House said yesterday that US and Iran negotiators had reached an agreement on an MoU but that Trump still needed to provide his final approval. Iran denied that it had given its final okay, and Israel is said to believe that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not signed off on the MoU either.
“Iran must agree that they will never have a nuclear weapon or bomb. The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions,” Trump says in a Truth Social post, referencing reported terms of the MoU, which were confirmed by the White House yesterday.
“All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left, which will not be many!)” he continues.
“Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented naval blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!'” Trump adds, notably suggesting that he has already made a decision to lift the blockade, even though that was only supposed to happen once the MoU was signed, according to the terms leaked to the press and confirmed by the White House.
It wasn’t clear if Iran had since demanded that the blockade be lifted in advance in order to move forward, or if Trump’s statement was just poorly worded.
While the MoU stipulates that the sides will hold subsequent negotiations during the 60-day ceasefire extension on Iran’s nuclear program, including its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, Trump again insists that this “nuclear dust” will be “unearthed” and destroyed by the US in close coordination with Iran and the UN’s nuclear energy agency. Tehran has yet to show any indication that it is prepared to accept these terms.
“No money will be exchanged, until further notice,” he adds, ostensibly referring to the sanctions relief Iran is supposed to receive from the US as part of the MoU once it is signed.
“Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to. I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination,” Trump adds.
Lebanon’s Aoun tells Rubio ceasefire with Israel ‘essential’ for advancing talks
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun tells US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a ceasefire with Israel was crucial, as Israeli and Lebanese military delegations meet at the Pentagon.
A statement from Aoun’s office says that during a phone call, the president “emphasized the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire, considering it an essential gateway to moving on to any other step.”
A ceasefire reached in April has almost completely eroded after repeated attacks by Hezbollah on troops operating in southern Lebanon and at northern border communities, prompting Israel to advance its forces across the Litani River.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Iranian FM discusses plans to control Hormuz with Omani counterpart
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says he had discussed the Strait of Hormuz and its future administration with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in line with their sovereign responsibilities and international law.
In a post on X, Araghchi says he also expressed Iran’s solidarity with Oman in the face of any threat.
Iran launched dozens of drone strikes on Oman, a US ally, during the course of the recent war.
Although originally dismissing the idea of partnering with Tehran to charge fees from ships that traverse the Strait of Hormuz, Muscat has more recently realized the scheme could be beneficial to it and expressed willingness to push the plan with Gulf neighbors and with the US, The New York Times reported last week.
In very productive call with FM @badralbusaidi, expressed Iran's solidarity with Oman in face of any threat.
We discussed Hormuz and its future administration in line with our sovereign responsibilities and international law.
We welcome consultation with all neighboring states. pic.twitter.com/MB6EVYNkNn— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 29, 2026
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
IDF troops take hundreds in cash, credit cards from Palestinian at checkpoint; IDF says it was error, items returned
IDF soldiers took hundreds of dollars in cash and credit cards from a Palestinian who was stopped for a search at a checkpoint in the Ramallah area of the West Bank, then returned them after a military probe, the Haaretz daily reports.
The military denies that the soldiers took the items on purpose, claiming the incident, which occurred during a routine search, has been portrayed incorrectly. The IDF has not punished the soldiers for the incident.
According to Haaretz, the Palestinian man reported the incident to the Palestinian Authority’s liaison office with Israel, which passed along information to the Israel Defense Forces.
Following a military probe, the IDF soldiers confessed to their commanders that they had taken the money and cards, and the army returned the items to the man, the report says.
“During the search of one of the vehicles, forces took an identity card [case], inside which were credit cards and cash. At the end of the activities, all the possessions were returned to the owner, but the ID was accidentally forgotten in the hands of the forces,” the IDF tells Haaretz.
The IDF says that after the request by the PA, the ID case and its contents were immediately returned to the owner.
Emerging US-Iran MoU said to reference possible $300B postwar ‘investment fund’ to aid Tehran’s reconstruction
Pedetrians walk by a destroyed building within the Grand Hosseiniyeh, with the mosque visible in the background, which officials at the site say was hit by US-Israeli airstrikes in Zanjan, Iran, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The draft memorandum of understanding being discussed by Iran and the US references a postwar investment fund to support Tehran’s postwar reconstruction and economic growth if a final deal is reached, the New York Times reports, citing an Iranian official and a diplomat involved in the talks.
The two sources put the fund at $300 billion, though other officials involved in mediation would not confirm the amount, according to the report.
Two diplomats briefed on the latest draft called it “an international ‘investment fund,’ which the United States would help facilitate in the event of a final deal,” and plans for which would be discussed during the initial 60-day negotiations period that the memorandum would kick off, the report says.
The report notes that the proposal appears to reflect an earlier idea floated by US Mideast envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are both real estate investors, and, according to some mediators, had suggested promoting real estate projects and an investment fund in Iran if a final deal were reached.
Iranian officials said they had proposed during talks that American companies, including major oil and energy corporations, could pursue investment and joint venture deals with Iran, the report adds.
Israeli, Lebanese military officials set to hold talks in Washington today
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) speaks during a meeting with Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad (2R) and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter (2L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Oliver Contreras / AFP)
Israel and Lebanon will reconvene for negotiations today at the Pentagon, with military officials from both sides set to discuss steps aimed at combating Hezbollah.
While negotiators have held three rounds of talks in recent weeks at the State Department, this will be the first meeting of strictly military personnel after the sides agreed to split the process into security and diplomatic tracks.
Accordingly, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter will not be participating in the Friday talks at the Pentagon, an embassy official said yesterday.
The first meeting of the diplomatic track will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday next week at the State Department.
The Israeli embassy official said no major announcements are expected following Friday’s meeting, and the sides still face an uphill battle to reach a deal that would see the countries normalize ties and successfully disarm Hezbollah, which is adamantly opposed to the process.
Israel issued sweeping evacuation orders to residents in seven towns and villages today ahead of airstrikes on southern Lebanon, adding to evacuation orders across the region on Wednesday. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group has launched a surge of drones on northern Israel in recent days, including one that killed Israeli soldier Rotem Yanai on Wednesday in a hit on a military zone on the Israeli side of the border.
JTA contributed to this report.
Visiting border, Netanyahu confirms troops advancing across south Lebanon’s Litani River
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen with troops on the northern border, May 29, 2026. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms that troops of the IDF’s 36th Division have crossed the Litani River and have advanced toward strategic points in southern Lebanon.
“Our forces crossed the Litani, and they advanced to the dominating terrain. We are operating in Beirut as well, in the Beqaa as well, across the entire front, and striking Hezbollah hard,” he says during a visit to the northern border today.
GOP New York governor candidate attends Israeli real estate expo, as protesters rally outside
The Jerusalem Real Estate Expo, hosted at the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan, New York, May 28, 2026. (Joseph Strauss)
New York Jewish Week — The Republican candidate for governor of New York tells the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he attended yesterday’s Israeli real estate expo in Midtown Manhattan to show that he was an Israel supporter and investor.
Bruce Blakeman, who has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump, was among the hundreds of people at the day-long event. In the evening, as has become routine at similar events in the five boroughs, scores of protesters gathered.
Asked if he was worried that the New Yorkers who accompanied him at the Jerusalem Real Estate Expo were fixing to leave for Israel, Blakeman answers cheekily: “Not when I’m governor.”
He adds, “They’ll have two places. They’ll want to live in both.”
Throughout the day, representatives from dozens of Israeli real estate companies handed out pamphlets and shared information about properties for sale. Some of the properties being shown were in Jewish neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem, which many countries consider illegal.
Across the street, more than 100 demonstrators gathered to protest the event. They were organized by Pal-Awda, the same group that has led protests outside events facilitating immigration to Israel at various New York City synagogues. Thursday’s event was larger than similar events at synagogues, filling up a convention space in midtown Manhattan’s Hilton hotel and drawing several public figures.
Anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace denounced the event, which was organized by the Israeli Building Center and the municipality of Jerusalem. It said the municipality “is directly involved in imposing and administering discriminatory apartheid policies, and should not be hosted anywhere in the city.”
Iran’s Ghalibaf says Tehran will ‘achieve its rights not through dialogue, but with missiles’
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Prime Minister Office via AP)
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf says in a post on X that the Islamic Republic will “achieve its rights not through dialogue, but with missiles.”
Ghalibaf says that Tehran does not trust guarantees and words, and would judge by actions, adding that Iran would not act unless the other side did first.
“The victor in any agreement is the one who plans better for the war on the day after,” he writes.
The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Thursday to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Reuters, though US President Donald Trump has yet to approve it, and Iranian state media says it has not been finalized.
The deal has also changed in recent days, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports.
۱-ما امتیازات را نه با گفتگو، بلکه با موشکها میگیریم، در مذاکره فقط آنها را تفهیم میکنیم.
۲- هیچ اعتمادی به تضمینها و حرفها نداریم، فقط رفتارها معیار است. اقدامی پیش از اقدام طرف مقابل انجام نخواهد شد.
۳-پیروز هر توافق، کسی است که از فردای آن بهتر برای جنگ آماده شود.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) May 29, 2026
Correction: This item initially stated that Ghalibaf posted in Hebrew. He did not.
Gazan journalists to receive Golden Pen press freedom award on Monday
Palestinian journalists march at the funeral of colleagues killed in Gaza City on August 11, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
PARIS, France — Professional photo and video journalists working in Gaza are to receive an annual press freedom award on Monday for risking their lives to report on the war, an association of publishers has said.
The 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom will be handed to representatives of global news agencies still operating in Gaza — Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press, and Reuters — “whose local journalists continue to provide consistent, professional coverage under extremely challenging conditions,” the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) says.
“For over two and a half years, journalists in Gaza have recorded death, destruction, and human suffering in unparalleled terms,” reads the citation of the award.
“They are as much victims of the conflict as they are chroniclers of a war that erupted — and continues — around them.”
War broke out in Gaza after the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Israeli forces have killed more than 220 journalists, at least 70 of whom were killed in the context of their professional duties.
The Israeli army says it never deliberately targets journalists. But since October 2023, it has claimed to have killed several people who it says were Palestinian terrorists working under the guise of being media professionals.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Kanye West cleared to play in Netherlands despite past antisemitic remarks
The rapper Ye, also known as Kanye West, meets with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto in a video posted online on November 6, 2025. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
US rapper Kanye West, whose concerts have been banned in several European venues over antisemitic remarks, may perform in the Netherlands for two concerts in June, officials say.
The 48-year-old, also known as “Ye,” has sparked widespread anger over remarks glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and antisemitic rants, which he has blamed on having bipolar disorder.
He has since apologized on several occasions.
The mayor of the eastern city of Arnhem, Ahmed Marcouch, has granted a permit for the June concerts to go ahead despite what he described as “reprehensible statements made by the artist in the past.”
The majority of the Dutch House of Representatives had called for the rapper to be denied entry to the country. But Asylum and Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said there were no formal legal grounds to bar him from the Netherlands.
West is scheduled to play in Arnhem on June 6 and 8 — the latter date being the rapper’s birthday.
Man charged in UK with assisting foreign intelligence service linked to Iran
A Greek national has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, believed to be Iran’s, over the targeting of a journalist working for the London-based television station Iran International, British police say.
Counter-terrorism police say Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, who resides in Munich, Germany, was arrested on Saturday and was charged under Britain’s National Security Act.
Aidinidis is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
Police say allegations are believed to relate to Iran and to the targeting of a British-based journalist at Iran International, which is critical of Tehran’s government.
Officers say they do not believe there to be any wider threat to the public.
In April, three people were charged over an attempted arson attack on premises linked to the broadcaster in northwest London, though the fire caused no damage or injuries.
IDF chief Eyal Zamir: Ground troops ‘advancing and operating’ in southern Lebanon
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits an IDF post on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov, May 29, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says ground troops are advancing in southern Lebanon.
“Even at these moments, our forces are advancing and operating,” he says during a visit to an army post on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov, according to remarks provided by the military.
“There is unprecedented cumulative damage here to Hezbollah, from thousands of terrorists to senior and mid-level commanders,” he says.
Zamir says that the IDF’s “forward defense line” in southern Lebanon, demarcating its security zone, “does not limit us.”
“Wherever we identify a threat and wherever we are required to remove a threat, we will act. Wherever there is an operational need to maneuver, we will maneuver,” he continues.
He says that “every strike against Hezbollah is also a strike against the Iranian axis and the Iranian investment in the region.”
“We are prepared for any development and remain at a high level of readiness against Iran as well,” Zamir adds.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards kill two Kurds in hiding after protests, rights groups say
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have killed two Kurdish activists in the west of the country who went into hiding following anti-government protests in January, two rights groups say.
Iranian media confirm the incident, which took place on Thursday, but say that the men were armed, had been instigators of “riots,” and were killed by security forces when they opened fire from their hideout in the western province of Kermanshah.
Brothers Meisam Visi and Mojtaba Visi, adherents of the Yarsan faith, had been living in hiding after the January protests, the Norway-based Hengaw rights group says.
The brothers were shot dead by Revolutionary Guards who surrounded their hideout early on Thursday in a village in the Dalahu district of the province and opened fire “without warning,” Hengaw adds.
The France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network publishes a similar report, saying the pair had gone into hiding because of “fear of arrest.”
But Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency describes them as “two of the main instigators of the January riots in the Kermanshah region,” and says they had opened fire on security forces.
“The security forces, acting within their legal mandate and in self-defense, returned fire, resulting in the deaths of the two armed terrorists,” it adds.
Israel extends well-wishes to Baha’is on group’s holy day, notes persecution in Iran
Israel extends well-wishes to the Baha’i community, as the religious group — which counts its gardens in Haifa as one of its major faith centers and pilgrimage sites — commemorates the ascension of their prophet, known as Baha’u’llah.
The country’s official X account, run by the Foreign Ministry, praises Baha’u’llah’s “message of unity, peace, and compassion,” adding that Jerusalem is “proud that the Bahá’í community thrives in Israel.”
The post notes: “Our hearts are with the Bahá’í community in Iran, who continue to face persecution and restrictions because of their faith.”
https://x.com/Israel/status/2060285024608411939?s=20
Average of 11 children wounded or killed every 24 hours in Lebanon, says UNICEF
An average of 11 children have been wounded or killed every 24 hours in Lebanon in the last week, UNICEF says.
Despite an ostensible ceasefire announced by the US on April 16, fighting has largely continued between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group, which attacked Israel on March 2 in support of Iran.
A total of 55 children have been killed, and 212 injured, since the announcement of the truce, according to the agency.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires describes the toll as “staggering.”
IDF intercepts Hezbollah drone over southern Lebanon, triggering sirens
A Hezbollah drone was intercepted over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating, the military says.
The drone and the attempts to shoot it down triggered sirens in the border community of Hanita.
Iraqi militia head charged for plotting attacks on Jewish targets in Europe and US
This photo from a criminal complaint unsealed Friday, May 15, 2026, by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, shows Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, right, with Qassem Soleimani, then-commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. (US District Court for the Southern District of New York via AP)
The US Justice Department is pressing terrorism-related charges against a senior Iraqi militia commander accused of targeting Jewish and American sites across Europe and the United States, after he was arrested earlier this month.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed yesterday an eight-count indictment against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a 32-year-old dual Iranian-Iraqi national and alleged operative of the Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Authorities allege he participated in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks in the name of the terror group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya.
Attacks linked to al-Saadi include arson against a synagogue in North Macedonia, the stabbing of two Jewish men last month in London’s Golders Green, the bombing of a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam in mid-March and a thwarted bomb attack on a Bank of America office in Paris on March 28.
If convicted on the most serious charges, Al-Saadi could face life in prison.
Authorities say evidence recovered from Al-Saadi’s phone includes communications with members of Kataeb Hezbollah, videos of attacks in Europe and images of meetings with senior Iranian-backed militia figures, including slain IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.
Al-Saadi worked closely with senior leaders of Kataeb Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC and helped coordinate what prosecutors described as a campaign of “psychological warfare” through propaganda videos and terror attacks in Europe, according to the indictment.
Michal Herzog condemns UN’s inclusion of Israel on sexual-violence blacklist
President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal Herzog attend a memorial site inauguration ceremony in memory of the victims of the October 7 massacre at Zikim Beach, May 26, 2026. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)
First Lady Michal Herzog decries Israel’s inclusion in a United Nations report on conflict-related sexual violence.
“Outrage. Disgrace. Disappointment. I cannot choose the right word for how I feel when reading the UN Secretary-General’s report on conflict-related sexual violence,” she says, in a statement posted to President Isaac Herzog’s account on X.
“As someone who has met with and seen the pain and suffering of the hostages who returned home from unbearable captivity in the dungeons of Gaza, I ask: how can one accept a one-sided report that begins with a paragraph claiming that their accounts of sexual violence cannot be verified?” the first lady writes.
The report says the hostages’ testimonies could not be verified due to “the continued denial of access by the Government of Israel to competent United Nations bodies to carry out investigations.”
The report says the UN has verified some of the claims of abuse by Israeli authorities, though it does not immediately detail how.
“To the brave hostages who endured the hell of sexual violence at the hands of terrorists and returned home: We believe you. We are here for you. And your voices will be heard,” Herzog writes.
The first lady has been a leading vocal advocate in a campaign to expose the Hamas terror group’s systematic use of sexual violence against women during and after its October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel from Gaza, which set off the subsequent war.
Nava Freiberg contributed to this report.
Germany says it’s concerned about Israeli plans to expand area of control in Gaza
Palestinians offer Eid al-Adha prayers beside the ruins of a mosque destroyed by Israeli bombardment, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The German government is concerned about Israeli plans to take control of more of the Gaza Strip, a foreign ministry spokesperson says, adding that Germany opposes a permanent division of the enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he ordered the army to take control of 70 percent of the Strip, noting Israel currently controls some 60 percent of it.
An October 2025 hostage-ceasefire deal, brokered by the US, left Israel in control of just over half the territory, with the Hamas terror group in de facto control of the rest.
IDF issues evacuation warnings for 7 south Lebanese towns, ahead of strikes on Hezbollah
The IDF issues evacuation warnings for seven villages and towns in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.
Residents of Ansariyeh, Kharayeb, Chabriha, Sarafand, Aadloun, and Baisariyeh are instructed to head north of the Zahrani River. Earlier, the IDF issued a similar warning for the village of Ain Qana, instructing residents to evacuate at least a kilometer away.
“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
#عاجل ‼️انذار عاجل الى سكان لبنان المتواجدين في البلدات والقرى التالية: انصارية, الخرايب, شبريحا, صرفند, عدلون, بيصرية
🔸في ضوء قيام حزب الله الارهابي بخرق اتفاق وقف اطلاق النار يضطر جيش الدفاع للعمل ضده بقوة. جيش الدفاع لا ينوي المساس بكم.
🔸حرصًا على سلامتكم عليكم إخلاء… pic.twitter.com/KWjgfkODI8
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 29, 2026
Lebanon warns IDF strikes on Hezbollah put heritage sites in ‘serious danger’
A man looks at the damages at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on May 28, 2026. (KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
Lebanon’s culture minister says Israeli strikes on the country’s south are putting heritage sites, including in the ancient city of Tyre, in “serious danger.”
“Bombings fell very close to the ruins of Tyre,” a UNESCO World Heritage site, Ghassan Salame says, adding that the medieval Beaufort castle overlooking Nabatieh was “directly hit.”
Despite an official ceasefire, fighting has largely continued between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, after the Iranian proxy attacked the Jewish state on March 2.
Watch: Blue Origin rocket explodes on Florida launch pad during engine-firing test
A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin explodes during a test on its launch pad in Florida, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange.
Blue Origin says its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine-firing test being conducted ahead of a satellite launch planned for next week.
No one is hurt, according to officials at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
“It’s too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos says via X. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
The rocket was supposed to blast off next week with internet satellites that are part of the Amazon Leo constellation in orbit.
IDF confirms it killed Hamas deputy commander for Gaza City Brigade in airstrike this week
Palestinians mourn over the bodies of Hamas commander Imad al-Salem, foreground, during a funeral for him, his wife, and his daughter at Al-Shafi'i Mosque in Gaza City, the day after the airstrike that killed him, on May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The deputy commander of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip this week, the IDF confirms.
Imad Aslim was killed in a strike on Wednesday, and a funeral was held for him in Gaza City on Thursday.
The IDF says Aslim was the deputy commander of the Gaza City Brigade and also the commander of the brigade’s Zeitoun Battalion.
Aslim commanded the battalion during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, when its terrorists invaded Israel, and recently, he worked to advance attacks on troops, “and therefore he was an immediate threat,” the military says.
Izz ad-Din Beck, the commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade, was also thought to be present at the site that was targeted in the strike. However, the military says “the results of the elimination are under review.”
‘Shameful’: Ben Gvir denounces UN after Israel included on sexual violence blacklist
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir speaks with reporters ahead of his Otzma Yehudit party's weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, May 25, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir “completely and utterly condemns” the UN Secretary-General’s report listing Israel as a perpetrator of conflict-related sexual violence.
“The UN’s shameful report proves once again that this organization has lost all moral compass,” he writes on X.
At a time when Hamas, ISIS and the Taliban are committing war crimes, murder, rape and hostage-taking — the UN chooses to put these terrorists and the ones who are fighting them on the same list.”
Ben Gvir’s comments come after the Ynet news site publishes, in full, the UN report, which The Times of Israel confirmed yesterday included Israel. The Hamas terror group was added to the list last year.
UN Ambassador Danny Danon had already said he expected Israel to be added to the list, and — calling the decision “outrageous” — said Jerusalem was never given specific cases to respond to before the decision was made.
“We told them, if there are specific complaints, send us the cases so we can provide specific responses. But we didn’t receive a single specific case,” Danon told ToI yesterday.
In light of the decision, Israel has cut off ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose ten-year term is set to expire on December 31.
Woman in 40s shot dead in Kafr Qasim; police arrest two, including her teen son
Medics arrive at the scene of the lethal shooting of a woman outside her home in Kafr Qasim, central Israel on May 28, 2026. (Magen David Adom)
A woman in her 40s was shot dead in her car last night in Kafr Qasim, first responders say. Police arrested two relatives on suspicion of involvement.
Medics arrived in the central Arab city to find the victim without any signs of life in a car outside her house. They pronounced her dead at the scene.
The victim is identified by Arabic outlets as Nihaya Jawabra. One of the detained suspects is the woman’s 17-year-old son, Kan reports.
She is the second woman from Kafr Qasim to be killed this year in an apparent femicide, after the alleged murder of Marlene al-Touri by her ex-husband last month.
Ten Arab Israeli women and one young girl have been killed so far this year, as the homicide rate continues to soar in Arab townships.
They are among 117 members of the minority killed over the course of 2026, according to data from the Abraham Initiatives coexistence group.
France asks prosecutor to probe treatment of activists from intercepted Gaza flotilla
A video released by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showing detained flotilla activists at Ashdod Port on May 20, 2026. (Screenshot/Ben Gvir's X account)
France has asked for the public prosecutor to investigate the treatment of French nationals who were part of a recent activist flotilla heading for Gaza, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says.
“Based on a report I requested from our Consul General in Turkey, who informed me of sexual violence, exposure to the cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation of French nationals, all of these acts are likely to constitute criminal offenses (and) I decided yesterday to refer the matter to the public prosecutor,” Barrot tells France Inter radio.
Israel detained 430 people aboard the flotilla’s 50 ships last week.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video of himself taunting the activists, immediately sparking an international outcry as well as condemnation from within Israel, including from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the government.
Organizers have said several returning activists were hospitalized with injuries and at least 15 reported sexual assault, including rape. Israel denies the accusations and has accused the activists of faking their injuries, sharing photos that ostensibly contradict the accounts.
Spanish police were also filmed beating returning activists with batons and dragging them across the floor before detaining them.
It is not immediately clear whether the French minister’s comments referred to that incident or only the treatment of activists by Israeli authorities.
IDF says troops apparently fired at civilian plane, mistaking it for drone; no one hurt
The IDF says it will be investigating an incident in which troops apparently fired on a civilian plane over the West Bank last night, after mistaking it for a drone.
The incident began after residents of the settlement of Beit El reported several unidentified drones over the area.
IDF troops were dispatched to scan the area, and one force thought they identified a drone and opened fire at it.
It later emerged that the flight path for planes arriving at Ben Gurion Airport was shifted eastward, causing planes to fly relatively low over the Beit El area, which may have sparked the reports of drones.
The IDF is also checking the possibility that a police drone flew over the area at that time, prompting the reports.
There are no reports of damage or injuries in the incident, which the army says will be investigated.
In first for kosher dining, Israeli restaurant in Miami awarded Michelin star
The prestigious Michelin Guide recognized Miami’s “Mutra” restaurant with a star on Thursday, in a first for any kosher restaurant worldwide.
The eatery, opened a year ago under the leadership of chef Raz Shabtai, is inspired by the various immigrant food traditions of Jerusalem.
It is the first restaurant anywhere to receive a new Michelin star in 2026.
“We’ve always believed kosher dining deserves the same ambition and creativity as any great restaurant in the world,” Shabtai says in a statement.
“Growing up in Jerusalem, I was surrounded by incredible flavors, spices and food that told stories. I wanted to bring that same feeling here, not only for the local Jewish community, but for all of South Florida.”
“Growing up in Jerusalem, I was surrounded by incredible flavors, spices and food that told stories. I wanted to bring that same feeling here, not only for the local Jewish community, but for all of South Florida.”
Chef Raz Shabtai and his team celebrate as they learn that their… pic.twitter.com/Jdd1Bp6mIm
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) May 28, 2026
IDF intercepts apparent Hezbollah drone over south Lebanon, triggering sirens
An apparent Hezbollah drone was intercepted over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating, the military says.
The “suspicious aerial target” and the attempts to shoot it down triggered sirens in the Israeli border communities of Misgav Am and Margaliot.
Katz unveils Israel Defense Prize winners tied to Iran war operations
From left to right: Maj. Gen. (res.) Meir Klifi, Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Turgeman, May 28, 2026. (Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Israel Katz announces the recipients of the 2026 Israel Defense Prize, highlighting projects tied to the ongoing war effort, including a unique weapons system used in the campaign against Iran, the Ofek satellite array, advanced electronic warfare systems used to preserve Israeli Air Force aerial superiority and other classified technological developments.
A ceremony to present the awards will be held with the attendance of Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence.
According to the Defense Ministry, one of the winning projects is an unspecified Israeli-developed weapons system that played a “central role” in operations against Iran and achieved “exceptional results” with significant strategic impact. The prize is awarded to the IAF, the Defense Ministry and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Other awarded projects include a classified Mossad operational system, the operational deployment of the Ofek-13 and Ofek-19 intelligence satellites, a technological development by Unit 81 and Unit 8200 in the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate, and electronic warfare systems credited with helping prevent the interception of manned Israeli aircraft during the war.
“The past year proved to the entire world the immense power of the State of Israel, the defense establishment and Israel’s defense industries,” Katz says in a statement.
“The capabilities, systems and groundbreaking developments that were demonstrated in the campaign against our enemies – and struck and eliminated our enemies in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and other arenas – gave the State of Israel unprecedented operational, intelligence and technological superiority,” Katz says.
NATO, FMs condemn Russia after drone hits Romania; Russian drones hit Turkish ship
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says an incident involving a Russian drone that struck an apartment building in a Romanian city is a “grave and irresponsible escalation from Russia.”
“Romania has informed allies and NATO’s secretary general about the circumstances and requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania,” the ministry says.
French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad also decries the incident, noting the presence of French troops in the country “as part of NATO’s reassurance operations, specifically to demonstrate our support for the sovereignty of our partners in Europe.”
“We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and NATO will continue to strengthen our defenses against all threats, including drones,” a NATO spokesperson says on X.
Separately, the Ukrainian navy says Russian drones hit a cargo ship sailing to Turkey from Ukraine’s Odesa region, forcing the evacuation of two crew.
The Vanuatu-flagged vessel was laden with cargo at the time, the navy adds on the Telegram messaging app, but does not provide additional details.
NATO-member Romania reports 2 wounded after Russian drone hits apartment building
A Russian drone struck an apartment building in NATO-member Romania, its defense ministry says.
“During the night of May 28-29, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania,” the Romanian defense ministry says.
“One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar as far as the southern part of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, with the impact triggering a fire,” it says, with emergency services adding two people are wounded.
US official denies Iranian claim that American aircraft downed near Bushehr
No US aircraft were shot down near Bushehr, Iran, despite a claim made on Iranian state TV, says a US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Iran’s state TV said that a US aircraft was destroyed in Iran’s Jam governorate in Bushehr, citing its governor Masoud Tangestani.
Toronto Jewish girl located after nearly 2-week disappearance
Missing Toronto teen Esther seen in security camera image from May 15, 2026 (Toronto Police)
A 14-year-old Jewish girl in Canada who went missing nearly two weeks ago has been found, according to Canadian police.
The police say that Esther, also known as Esti, is safe and believed to be in “good physical health,” though she has been taken to a local hospital to be assessed, according to CTV News.
Police also say they will look into “whether or not there is any evidence of criminality” in her “prolonged disappearance.”
Esther had missing since May 15, when she reportedly fled after a family argument near Earl Bales Park in the city’s North York district. Police said she left home without her cellphone, shoes or a coat.
She is on the autism spectrum, prompting police to activate a Level 1 search response, a relatively uncommon measure in missing-person cases. As part of the intensive search efforts, community members last weekend offered a $25,000 reward for information about her.
Vance says US ‘not there yet’ with Iran, but close: ‘We’ve made a lot of progress’
US Vice President JD Vance waves as he boards Air Force Two at Colorado Springs Airport, May 28, 2026, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, en route to Washington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)
US Vice President JD Vance tells reporters that Washington is “not there yet” with Iran but that the parties are close, saying the US is in a position where it can substantially set back Tehran’s nuclear program.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” Vance says, claiming “it’s very clear” that the Iranians “want a deal. They want to open the Strait of Hormuz, we want them to open the Strait of Hormuz.”
He acknowledges there are also “a couple of issues on the nuclear stuff — the highly enriched stockpile and also the question of enrichment.”
Vance adds: “So we’re going back and forth with them. We do think they are negotiating, at least so far, in good faith, and we’re making some progress. Hopefully we’ll continue to make progress and the president can be in a position where he can endorse the agreement but obviously that’s [still to be determined].”
Iran carries out missile launch from south of country, fires on ships in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media says
Iran’s armed forces carried out a missile launch operation from the southern region of the country toward specified targets, semi-official Fars news agency says, adding the destination of the missiles was not yet clear.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency says, meanwhile, that sounds coming from the sea are caused by an exchange of fire intended as a warning to ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
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