Nov. 16: Ministers advance bill to expedite rehabilitation of urban areas hit by Iranian missiles

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is traveling to southern Israel following reports of heavy gunfire, heard coming from two Bedouin locales in the Negev.

In a video recorded late at night, Ben Gvir says that he will first head to Carmit, whose residents reported the gunfire, then south to Lakiya, an adjacent Bedouin town.

The far-right minister alleges that the gunfire in Lakiya is retaliation for the police’s seizure of mosque loudspeakers earlier this month.

“Police enforced the law on noise from mosques, and in response, some criminals there began to fire in the air — they think they will deter us,” he claims in the video from his car.

Shots were also heard further south in Retamim, coming from the Bedouin town Bir Hadaj. He is set to travel there after touring Karmit and Lakiya.

In his video, he touts home demolitions carried out in Bedouin areas on his watch, saying that over five thousand illegally-built houses have been destroyed this year.

He says police are also cracking down on gunfire at weddings. “We brought in the national guard… we are not allowing these sorts of weddings to go on, and taking many other actions that are aggravating the rioters,” he adds.

Weapons trafficking in the Negev has been fueling violent crime in the region for years now, particularly in Bedouin locales. Earlier this evening in Bir Hadaj, an 18-year-old resident of the town was seriously wounded in a shooting.

השר בן גביר בדרכו לנגב לאחר הירי המאסיבי https://t.co/6Qe3Bretcf pic.twitter.com/xzX2JRj2OQ

— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) November 16, 2025

12:46 am

Lebanese health ministry says one killed in alleged Israeli strike

By AFP

The Lebanese health ministry says one person was killed in an alleged Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Sunday night.

The Israeli military does not immediately comment on the strike, which the Lebanese health ministry says hit a car in the town of Mansouri, south of Tyre and just over 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Israeli border, and “resulted in the martyrdom of a citizen.”

A report from Lebanon’s National News Agency identifies the deceased as Mohammed Shoueikh and says he was a school principal in Mansouri.

10:03 pm

Israeli drone strike reported on car near Lebanon’s Tyre

Lebanese media reports an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the southern town of Mansouri, near Tyre.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

صورة للسيارة المستهدفة في بلدة #المنصوري pic.twitter.com/aycPBmdUf4

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) November 16, 2025

8:55 pm

After illicit payments to prisoners, PA says stipends must go through new system

By Nurit Yohanan and Jacob Magid

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attends a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not in picture) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 11, 2025. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s office issues a statement reiterating that a recently revamped welfare foundation is the only body certified to issue welfare stipends to Palestinians, after The Times of Israel revealed that recent payments had been made through an old mechanism that critics dub “pay-to-slay,” since it rewards prisoners, including convicted terrorists, and families of dead assailants.

“The Palestinian National Economic Empowerment Institution (PNEEI) is the sole entity responsible” for paying financial allocations to welfare recipients in line with the reform signed by Abbas in February, the statement from his office says.

The statement adds that no welfare stipend will be transferred to any group under the new system unless they have submitted an application through PNEEI.

The announcement does not explicitly mention Palestinian security prisoners or the families of those killed in confrontations with Israel (“martyrs”), though they are a significant group that, until earlier this year, received fixed monthly payments from the Palestinian Authority.

The presidency calls on “all eligible beneficiaries to fully cooperate” with PNEEI to ensure stipends reach those entitled to them.”

The statement comes several days after Abbas announced that he had replaced PA finance minister Omar Bitar without providing a reason.

The Times of Israel revealed that Bitar had signed off on payments to prisoners, including new ones, through an old mechanism that rewarded recipients based on the length of their service.

Abbas signed a decree in February purportedly ending that old system in place of a new one run by PNEEI that allocates stipends strictly based on a recipient’s financial status.

The PA came under massive pressure from Western and Arab backers to carry out the reform, and its continued financial support from many of those countries is conditioned on its ability to actually implement it.

In revealing the reason behind Bitar’s firing, a PA official told The Times of Israel that it demonstrated Abbas’s commitment to the reform.

But the incident also revealed the immense domestic pressure the PA is facing from prisoners’ families to continue with the old system.

8:43 pm

Report: PM wants Oct. 7 probe’s mandate to appear broad, but actually be comfortable to him

By Nava Freiberg

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to fast-track the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, Channel 12 news reports, citing unnamed sources close to the premier.

Earlier today, the government reportedly decided to set up its own investigative committee rather than the state commission of inquiry traditionally formed to investigate such events and supported by a majority of Israelis.

According to the network, Netanyahu has been holding ongoing consultations in recent weeks and months, including with senior legal experts, aimed at crafting a mandate that “appears broad, but is in practice comfortable for the political leadership.”

Ministers who have spoken with Netanyahu reportedly believe he is aware that the public will not accept anything less than a full state commission, the report says. As a result, he is said to be pushing for his current government to establish the committee now, creating a “fait accompli” that would supposedly prevent a future government from forming a state commission of inquiry of its own.

According to the Channel 12 report, Netanyahu has remarked in recent closed conversations: “I haven’t established even one state commission of inquiry during my tenure — only governmental or parliamentary committees.”

While this is factually correct, the network notes the comment is striking given the gravity of October 7.

8:37 pm

Ministers advance bill to expedite rehabilitation of urban areas hit by Iranian missiles

The scene of an Iranian ballistic missile impact at an apartment building in Beersheba, days after the attack, on June 28, 2025 (Courtesy of Elior Cohen)

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approves a government draft law that would establish a committee to oversee the rehabilitation of urban areas damaged by missile strikes during this past summer’s conflict with Iran.

The bill, formulated by a joint team representing the finance, justice and housing ministries, as well as the Israeli Authority for Urban Renewal and Israel Planning Administration, regulates the determination of eligibility of areas and structures affected by the war for urban renewal efforts.

To pass into law, the bill still has to go through a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum and then three more readings.

“The law offers a comprehensive, tailored and effective mechanism for the restoration of damaged urban spaces, while significantly shortening the timeframe of the urban renewal process, strengthening the role of the local authority in the process, strictly protecting property rights and ensuring an equitable and timely process,” the government says in a statement.

“The law guarantees comprehensive protection for residents’ rights through an unprecedented mechanism, including compensation and restitution options such as a ‘buy-out’ track, where apartment owners can choose between participating in the urban renewal project or receiving an immediate alternative new apartment,” it adds.

In July, the Knesset voted 55-2 to pass the government’s plan to compensate those affected financially by the conflict with Iran into law, including grants for businesses whose income streams were reduced and workers who were furloughed.

Overall, the war caused economic damage of at least NIS 4.5 billion ($1.2 billion), officials said in June.

8:23 pm

Netanyahu’s office said he spoke to Germany’s Merz about ‘regional matters’

By Nava Freiberg

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held “a good and friendly conversation” over the phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this evening, during which the two discussed “diplomatic and regional matters,” the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.

There is no immediate German readout of the call.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited Israel and other regional countries earlier this month as Berlin continues to express its support for the implementation of the US plan to end the Gaza war.

8:21 pm

Amid talk of its disarmament, Hamas said stockpiling advanced arms abroad

Amid growing talk that the United States may forgo the demand for the disarmament of Hamas for now, the Kan public broadcaster reports that the Palestinian terror group has begun amassing advanced weapons abroad, in hopes of smuggling them in the future.

According to the unsourced report, Hamas has, in recent weeks, been stockpiling arms in unspecified African states, Yemen and other countries.

They are meant to be moved at a later time to “strategic locations,” including the Gaza Strip.

7:52 pm

IDF says it killed terror operative who crossed Gaza’s Yellow Line

The IDF says it killed a terror operative who crossed the Yellow Line that demarcates the area still held by the military after its withdrawal and approached troops in the northern Gaza Strip today.

The military says the operative “posed an immediate threat” to the troops, who then directed an airstrike that “eliminated the terrorist.”

The IDF says it remains deployed in Gaza “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.”

7:51 pm

Members of Syria’s security forces detained over July’s mass killings of Druze in Sweida

By AP

A Druze militiaman carrying a machine gun walks past a burned-out car following sectarian clashes in the Druze-majority town of Sweida, Syria, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Members of Syria’s security and military services have been detained as part of an investigation into sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida in July that left hundreds of people dead, investigators say.

The head of a Syrian committee investigating the violence in Sweida holds a news conference in the capital, Damascus, to talk about progress made but does not release a death toll, saying this will come in the final report that is expected by the end of the year.

In mid-July, armed groups affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri clashed with local Bedouin clans, spurring intervention by government forces who effectively sided with the Bedouins, which in turn prompted Israeli military intervention in favor of the Druze, a community that has a notable presence in Israel as well. Hundreds of civilians, mostly Druze, were killed, many by government fighters.

Judge Hatem Naasan, head of the investigative committee, says they have listened to people affected by the violence, including “witnesses and victims.”

“We have achieved positive results,” Naasan tells reporters in Damascus, adding that members of security services and the military “who were proven to have committed violations based on investigations of the committee and videos posted on social media platforms” have been detained. He does not say how many have been held, adding that after they were questioned they were referred to judicial authorities.

Naasan downplays suggestions that foreign fighters took part in the violence in Sweida. He says that some foreign fighters have been detained and questioned, adding they acted on their own by entering the city and none of them are members of the Syrian armed or security forces.

“What became clear to us is that some foreign fighters randomly and individually entered the city of Sweida,” Naasan says.

After the acts of violence in July, many in Sweida now want some form of autonomy in a federal system. A smaller group is calling for total partition.

7:38 pm

IDF says it raided several Hezbollah targets in past week, razing buildings and seizing arms

The IDF says it conducted several overnight raids in southern Lebanon in the past week, as part of efforts to prevent Hezbollah from rearming.

In one raid in the southern Lebanon town of Aitaroun, the IDF says reservists of the Alon Brigade demolished several buildings that had been used by Hezbollah, including recently to restore its capabilities in the area.

In another raid in the town of Ramyeh, the IDF says troops of the 300th “Baram” Regional Brigade seized and destroyed several weapons, including assault rifles.

Also in the past week, the Israeli Air Force carried out five strikes in Lebanon, killing three members of the terror group who, according to the IDF, were violating the terms of the ceasefire.

The IDF says it conducted several overnight raids in southern Lebanon in the past week, as part of efforts to prevent Hezbollah from re-arming.

In one raid in the southern Lebanon town of Aitaroun, the IDF says reservists of the Alon Brigade demolished several buildings that had… pic.twitter.com/WOmUDFBCjW

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 16, 2025

7:05 pm

Group representing some 2,000 families affected by Oct. 7 rejects government’s planned ‘cover-up’ inquiry

The October Council — a group that says it represents around 2,000 bereaved families, including relatives of hostages, residents of border communities, and survivors of Hamas’s onslaught of October 7, 2023 — slams the government’s intention to form its own commission of inquiry into the invasion and massacre, rather than a state commission of inquiry as demanded by the organization.

“After trying every cheap trick in the book… the prime minister is now trying to establish facts on the ground,” the October Council says in a statement. “We want to again clarify that the prime minister of Israel will be the first investigatee in the state commission of inquiry that will be formed, just as the State of Israel’s law states.”

Referring to the government’s inquiry as a “cover-up commission,” the group says that “again, the defendants are trying to appoint their own investigators, determine what the inquiry will focus on, and absolve themselves of punishment,” vowing that it won’t allow that to happen.

The October Council urges the public to step up its weekly Saturday evening protests demanding a state inquiry, after some 2,000 people took part in such a rally last night.

6:41 pm

Police bust major drug ring in Ashdod area, arrest 9, seize millions of dollars

Large amounts of cash, both US dollars and Israeli shekels, stored in suitcases that were seized by police during a raid on a drug lab in the Ashdod area on November 16, 2025. (Israel Police)

Police arrested nine suspects and seized millions of dollars in cash this morning during a sweeping raid on several locations in the Ashdod area targeting a powerful drug trafficking ring, law enforcement announces.

The raids were carried out after a months-long undercover investigation into the ring, whose members distributed large quantities of “doctor,” a synthetic stimulant drug often used at raves.

Cdr. Zion Amedi, who heads the Tel Aviv District’s investigations and intelligence division, says the raids “led to the shutdown of one of the largest drug labs we have seen in recent years,” adding that the arrests and seizure of evidence would “directly impact the drug market in the immediate term.”

Officers found dozens of kilograms of the substance while raiding the ring’s drug lab, as well as bundles of cash stuffed into suitcases during their search of a home tied to one of the suspects. Police seized a total of $3 million and NIS 1 million ($310,000) in the operation.

According to Hebrew media reports, police also seized an illicit drug called “tusi” — a pink-dyed powder that consists of stimulants and psychoactive drugs, typically ketamine and MDMA. Police say the suspects arrested had likely been producing the drugs and selling them to criminals, who in turn flooded the market with the substance.

The nine suspects were detained for interrogation at the Tel Aviv District station and will be brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, where the police will request an extension of their remand.

6:21 pm

IDF says it shot dead Palestinian who attempted to harm soldiers in northern West Bank

The military says it shot dead a Palestinian “terrorist who attempted to harm troops” during a raid in the al-Faraa refugee camp in the northern West Bank this evening.

The soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade’s reconnaissance unit opened fire on the suspect, killing him, the IDF says, adding that no troops were injured.

6:20 pm

Katz says IDF has reported progress on destroying Hamas’s remaining tunnels

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the IDF’s effort to demolish Hamas’s tunnels on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip is “progressing well.”

“I was just updated by the deputy chief of staff that the operation to destroy Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza is progressing well. The IDF is working to destroy the tunnels through explosions, or by filling and pumping liquid concrete into the tunnels in all areas under its control,” Katz says in a statement.

Last month, Katz and the IDF said that around 60% of Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza were still intact.

Katz adds that a “multinational force led by the United States is supposed to handle the demilitarization and disarmament of Hamas in old Gaza,” referring to the Hamas-held areas of the Strip.

6:08 pm

Sa’ar says politicians should not determine composition of Oct. 7 inquiry panel

By Nava Freiberg

During today’s cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar voiced concerns regarding plans to set up an inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, saying that the government has yet to define the scope or mandate of the probe and stressing that the political echelon should not select the panel that will investigate it, his office says.

Earlier today, Hebrew media reports indicated that the government has decided to establish a commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7 onslaught, though it will not be a state commission of inquiry and its mandate will be determined by cabinet ministers.

“We need to decide whether the investigation will focus only on October 7 and what led to it, or on the entire two years of the war and how it has been conducted,” Sa’ar says in comments from the meeting released by his office. “This will certainly be a commission that works for a very long time. I propose that we begin by defining its mandate.”

“The second question is: Who appoints it?” he continues, adding that “it is important to preserve the principle that the political echelon does not determine the composition” of the investigators.

“On this matter, there is no real difference between the composition being decided by the government alone or by the government together with the opposition, since the opposition leaders have previously served as prime ministers, defense ministers and IDF chiefs of staff. They, too, are not neutral parties,” he adds.

The government has long resisted creating a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 disaster, first arguing that such a probe could not operate during wartime, and later due to accusations by several cabinet ministers that Supreme Court President Isaac Amit could not be trusted to appoint a fair-minded judge or retired judge to head the panel.

Sa’ar reiterates his suggestion to reach a compromise through an amendment to the Commissions of Inquiry Law that would allow a former Supreme Court president or deputy president, not only Amit, to appoint the commission, saying this would keep the process independent while giving the government additional options.

5:52 pm

Hamas commander’s diary found in Gaza details use of schools, hospitals, UNRWA equipment – report

By Stav Levaton

The IDF has uncovered a Hamas platoon commander’s diary in Beit Hanoun that sheds light on the terror group’s routine use of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure for military activity, Channel 12 reports, without citing a source.

According to the report, the diary – written by Khaled Abu Akram, a Hamas platoon commander – was found in August in the northern Gaza town. Its entries detail how Hamas embeds its operations in schools, hospitals and UN facilities, and how its fighters repurpose unexploded IDF munitions.

In one entry from May 30, 2024, Abu Akram reportedly described preparing an ambush inside a Beit Hanoun school: “I went with Abu Salah [a company commander in another platoon]… to prepare a new ambush at the Hani Naim School, after the shafts located there were bombed and the previous ambush was destroyed.”

Three months later, he wrote of burying an “F-16 missile and charges” in multiple locations and noted the removal of “batteries from the [UNRWA] agency clinic” as well as taking “the solar panels” and preparing a water well.

In another entry from July, he described how an unexploded missile fired from an F-16 warplane had been hidden inside a school as IDF troops advanced: “The [IDF] bulldozer began to destroy the school building… An F-16 missile was buried in the school, but the cameras were broken.”

The diary also details Hamas’s use of hospital infrastructure.

In a November entry, Abu Akram wrote: “We laid an electrical cable from the hospital… to our house – to operate our well.” He added that when the power supply proved too weak, the operatives instead used the hospital’s electricity and later “brought a motor… and the water rose properly.”

Channel 12 says the diary provides rare, firsthand documentation of how Hamas exploits civilian and humanitarian facilities across Gaza to sustain its military capabilities – a claim the IDF has repeatedly made in defense of its widespread bombardment of the Strip throughout more than two years of war.

5:45 pm

Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball game in Bologna to stay put despite security fears

By Zev Stub

A basketball game in Italy between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Virtus Bologna is set to go ahead as scheduled Friday evening at the city’s PalaDozza arena, despite the Bologna mayor’s request to have the game moved to a different venue, though in the same city, due to security concerns.

Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore told local media last week he was concerned that pro-Palestinian protesters would stir up violence in the center of the historic city, where the game will be played. He had suggested earlier that the game be moved to the city’s Unipol Arena, which is located less centrally than PalaDozza. However, that arena was already booked over the weekend with events including a Radiohead concert.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has ruled out a schedule change, saying: “It’s not the usual troublemakers who can dictate the agenda of events in Italy.”

“It’s a dangerous game, but it will be played,” Lepore tells local media. He called on protesters “not to come and destroy the city, because it’s not good for the Palestinian cause or for peace.”

Anti-Israel protesters have disrupted numerous sports competitions in recent months, including a soccer World Cup qualifier in Udine, Italy, last month and the Vuelta a España cycling race in Spain in September.

Two weeks ago, a soccer match in Birmingham banned Israeli fans from attending out of fear of fan violence.

5:19 pm

Health Ministry says measles patient was at Bnei Brak event last week

By Diana Bletter

The Health Ministry warns the public that a person infected with measles was present at an event last week in Bnei Brak, urging anyone who may have been there to check if they are vaccinated amid a deadly outbreak of the disease.

The ministry said the person was at the Keter HaRimon catering hall on 10 Aharonovich Street from 11 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11.

Guests who were in the hall during this time are asked to ensure that they are vaccinated in accordance with the ministry’s recommendations.

The current outbreak, which began in May, is active throughout the country.

At least eight children have died since the start of the outbreak. All were healthy, younger than two and a half, with no underlying diseases, who had not received the measles vaccine.

The areas currently defined as having an outbreak are Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modiin Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, Haifa, Tiberias, Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and the West Bank settlement of Tekoa.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, malaise, runny nose and rash, and it can cause severe and even life-threatening complications.

5:18 pm

IDF chief tours Gaza, says army must be ready to conquer more of Strip if needed

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks with officers in southern Gaza's Rafah, November 16, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the military must be ready to seize additional territory in the Gaza Strip, beyond the current ceasefire lines, if necessary.

“In the Gaza Strip, we control more than 50% of the territory, without controlling the population. The Yellow Line serves as a line of encirclement and control, and we continue to act to prevent Hamas’s build-up by holding the [strategic] terrain and the gateways to Gaza,” Zamir says during a visit to the Rafah area of southern Gaza today.

“If required, we must be prepared for a rapid transition to a broad offensive to seize territory in the Gaza Strip on the other side of the Yellow Line,” he is quoted by the IDF as saying.

Zamir says troops continue to operate on the Israeli side of the line “to clear the area [of Hamas infrastructure] and enemy pockets.”

“We will continue to insist that Hamas’s rule will not exist on the other side of the border. Even if it takes time, we will persist in the mission of dismantling Hamas and demilitarizing the Strip, achieving this either through an agreement or through military means,” he adds.

4:31 pm

Opposition blasts government’s Oct. 7 probe as an attempt at ‘whitewashing’ its failures

Opposition politicians slam the government’s reported decision to establish its own probe into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught rather than a state commission of inquiry.

“The government is doing everything it can to escape the truth and evade responsibility,” says Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. “There is a broad public consensus on a state commission of inquiry. This is what the country needs, this is what the public demands and this is what will happen.”

Lapid insists that the government’s “refusal to investigate its failures endangers national security, constitutes an insult, and is an evasion of responsibility toward the soldiers and families who have sacrificed so much since October 7.”

“He who is being investigated does not appoint his own investigators,” tweets The Democrats party chairman Yair Golan. “The events of October 7 will be investigated by a state commission of inquiry. That is a promise.”

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the “Yashar! With Eisenkot” party, derides the proposed panel as a “whitewashing” committee established by “the only ones refusing to take responsibility for the worst disaster in Israel’s history.”

“It is unacceptable that those responsible for the failure are the ones determining its composition and true areas of responsibility under the pretext of broad agreement; it is clear that everything stems from fear and hysteria regarding the outcomes of a genuine and independent investigation,” he tweets.

4:09 pm

Dodging state probe, government said to okay Oct. 7 inquiry whose powers it will set

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, October 26, 2025 (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

The government has decided to establish a commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, though it will not be a state commission of inquiry and its mandate will be determined by cabinet ministers, according to multiple Hebrew media reports.

According to the reported resolution, the panel will be “independent,” will have full investigative authority, and the government will strive for its makeup to receive “as broad public approval as possible.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will form a special ministerial panel that will be in charge of determining the commission’s mandate, including the topics and timeframes that will be probed. This ministerial panel will have 45 days to submit its recommendations to the government.

The government has long opposed the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 catastrophe, originally on the grounds that such an inquiry could not be conducted while Israel was at war, but later due to accusations by several cabinet ministers that Supreme Court President Isaac Amit could not be trusted to appoint a fair-minded judge or retired judge to head the panel.

The High Court of Justice told the government on October 15 that there is “no real argument” against the need to establish a state commission of inquiry in its decision over petitions demanding the establishment of such an inquiry. It gave the government 30 days to submit a new update about “the fate” of such a commission.

Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that it is the security establishment — not political leaders — that failed to prevent the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

Critics claim Netanyahu — who, unlike other senior officials, has not publicly taken responsibility for the failures surrounding October 7 — wishes to establish a governmental committee over whose makeup he will have greater control, and with lesser powers than a state commission, which they argue would hinder its ability to reach the truth and enforce accountability.

3:31 pm

IDF says ‘warning shots’ toward UN forces in Lebanon were accident caused by bad weather

The IDF says it misidentified United Nations forces in southern Lebanon earlier today due to weather conditions, and it had no intention of firing on the observers.

UNIFIL said earlier that its observers came under fire from an Israeli military post in southern Lebanon, with no injuries.

The IDF says that it spotted two suspects in southern Lebanon, just north of Metula, and fired “warning shots” to disperse them.

“After a review, it was determined that the suspects were UN soldiers who were conducting a patrol in the area and were classified as suspects due to poor weather conditions,” the military says, adding that the incident is under further examination.

“The IDF emphasizes that no deliberate fire was directed toward UNIFIL soldiers, and the matter is being handled through official military liaison channels,” the military adds.

3:30 pm

Police say 3 Jewish settlers detained while apparently heading to attack Palestinians

Police say they detained three Jewish settlers yesterday who, armed with makeshift weapons, had entered a closed military zone en route to a Palestinian village.

The suspects had left their outpost of Esh Yehuda and set out toward Surif, north of Hebron, carrying “improvised items,” police say. Wooden clubs were later found in the suspects’ vehicle.

When police approached them, the group tried to evade arrest. Several climbed a tree, refusing orders to come down and throwing pinecones at police officers.

Security forces’ vehicles sustained damage during the incident, police add. Officers detained three suspects and brought them in for interrogation at the Etzion police station.

Illustrative: A masked Jewish extremist swings a slingshot while hurling stones at Palestinians who had gathered for the annual olive harvest season, during an attack by Israeli settlers on the Palestinian village of Beita, south of Nablus in the West Bank, on October 10, 2025. (Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

One of the detainees, a minor, was freed to house arrest under restrictive conditions. The two others — an adult and a minor — remain in custody, and were ordered by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court to remain in custody another two days.

2:17 pm

Abramovich claims Jersey criminal probe ‘baseless,’ files conspiracy claims

By Reuters

Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich’s spokesperson says that a criminal investigation launched by the Jersey authorities against him in 2022 was baseless and that he has been allowed to introduce “claims of conspiracy” against the government.

In April 2022, the Royal Court of Jersey imposed a formal freezing order on $7 billion worth of assets in trusts which Jersey said were linked to Abramovich and the attorney general of Jersey said that Abramovich was a suspect in a criminal investigation.

“No charges have been brought against Mr Abramovich in the 3.5 years since the investigation was commenced, and, to our knowledge, in fact no progress has been made on this case,” his spokesperson says. “Mr Abramovich was allowed earlier this year to introduce claims of Conspiracy against the Government of Jersey.”

Jersey does not immediately respond to a request for comment on the statement.

Abramovich’s spokesperson says that the conspiracy claim relates to the government of Jersey admitting to having deleted data relating to the case as well as their overall failure to disclose data held on Abramovich.

Abramovich was one of the most powerful businessmen who earned fabulous fortunes after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. Forbes has put his net worth at $9.2 billion.

2:12 pm

Netanyahu criticizes MKs and ministers who he claims are already campaigning for elections

Defense Minister Israel Katz attends the state ceremony marking 52 years since the Yom Kippur War, held at the military cemetery at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, on October 5, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired a shot across the bow of MKs and ministers who he insinuates are looking to improve their electoral prospects through public statements.

“We are in an election year,” said Netanyahu. “The elections will be held by the end of [next] year — we know that — and I assume it will be at the end of the year. But during this election year, we are witnessing a barrage of [campaigning], both from within Likud and from outside.”

Some interpreted his remarks as focused on Defense Minister Israel Katz, who regularly posts about top security and diplomatic issues, seeming to take credit for a tough Israeli line. Netanyahu did not single out any ministers by name.

Katz wrote on X this morning. “Israel’s policy is clear: A Palestinian state will not be established. The IDF will remain on Mount Hermon and in the security zone [in Syria]. Gaza will be demilitarized down to the last tunnel, and Hamas will be disarmed.”

Last week he wrote that he had ordered the IDF to destroy all tunnels in Gaza, and warned Hezbollah that it was “playing with fire” in Lebanon.

“The issues being discussed constantly in this barrage of tweets — which I don’t recall happening in the past about security matters — are all about: ‘I said, I did, I updated,’ including topics related to our national security,” said Netanyahu. “I remind you that these matters are determined in coordination with the prime minister, who is responsible for them.”

1:53 pm

Lapid: Sale of F-35s to Saudis was never part of normalization talks

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on July 28, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid lashes out against the government’s “weakness,” following media reports that Israel does not object to the United States supplying Saudi Arabia with F-35 stealth fighter jets.

“As someone who participated in dozens of discussions on a normalization arrangement with Saudi Arabia, an F-35 deal was never part of a normalization agreement, because it was clear that Israel’s security requires maintaining its qualitative military edge,” states Lapid.

“It is unacceptable that due to the weakness of the government, we are giving up on Israeli security interests and allowing the F-35 deal.”

Israel has insisted that any transfer of such advanced aircraft be conditioned on the normalization of relations between Riyadh and Jerusalem, Channel 12 and Axios reported on Saturday.

1:40 pm

UNIFIL says forces came under Israeli fire in southern Lebanon

United Nations peacekeepers drive in vehicles of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) past destroyed buildings while patroling in Lebanon's southern village of Kfar Kila close to the border with Israel on April 6, 2025. (Rabih DAHER / AFP)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon claims that the Israeli military fired on its observers from an IDF post inside southern Lebanon this morning.

According to UNIFIL, machine gun rounds fired from an IDF tank “hit approximately five meters from the peacekeepers, who were on foot and had to take shelter in the terrain.”

“Peacekeepers asked for the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL’s liaison channels. They were able to leave safely thirty minutes later, when the Merkava tank withdrew inside the IDF position,” the observer force says, adding that nobody was injured.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the incident.

In recent weeks, UNIFIL has made an increasing number of complaints against the IDF.

Israel has long argued that the observer force has failed in its mission, doing little to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border over decades.

1:35 pm

GDP rebounds sharply in July–September quarter as consumer spending and investment surge

By Sharon Wrobel

Israel’s economy rebounded in the July-September quarter, with gross domestic product jumping by an annualized 12.4%, driven by consumer spending as well as business sector and investment growth, according to a preliminary estimate by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

The GDP figure for the period came above analysts’ expectations of an expansion of 6%-8%. Economic growth contracted in the previous April-to-June quarter, shrinking 4.3% as the war with Iran led to a shutdown of many businesses and hurt consumer spending.

In the reported third quarter of 2025, consumer spending increased by 23%, while exports of goods and services rose 18.9%, and government spending was up 4.4%, according to an initial estimate by the statistics bureau. Investment in fixed assets leaped 36.1% and business output grew 14.9%.

1:30 pm

Iran’s FM says nation currently not enriching uranium due to attacks

By AP

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, September 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi)

Iran’s foreign minister says that Tehran is currently not enriching uranium.

Answering a question from an Associated Press journalist visiting Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offers the most direct response yet from the Iranian government regarding its nuclear program following the bombing of its enrichment sites by Israel and the United States in June.

“There is no undeclared nuclear enrichment in Iran. All of our facilities are under the safeguards and monitoring” of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Araghchi says. “There is no enrichment right now because our facilities — our enrichment facilities — have been attacked.”

Asked what it would take for Iran to continue negotiations with the US and others, Araghchi says that Iran’s message on its nuclear program remains “clear.”

“Iran’s right for enrichment, for peaceful use of nuclear technology, including enrichment, is undeniable,” the foreign minister continued. “We have this right and we continue to exercise that and we hope that the international community, including the United States, recognize our rights and understand that this is an inalienable right of Iran and we would never give up our rights.”

1:25 pm

Reports: Bill expanding rabbinical court powers set for final readings this week

Illustrative: The Rabbinical Court in Tel Aviv on August 3, 2017. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90/File)

A controversial bill expanding the authority of rabbinical courts will advance to the final two readings needed for it to pass into law this week, according to Hebrew media reports.

The legislation, sponsored by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, passed its first reading earlier this month with the support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. Its backing was reportedly part of a quid pro quo in which UTJ voted in favor of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s bill giving the government significant control over broadcast media, news sites and other media.

If passed into law, the religious bill would allow rabbinic courts to arbitrate civil disputes — including relating to child custody — with the consent of both parties.

Rabbinical courts were allowed to act as arbitrators in financial disputes until 2006, when a court determined that they had no standing to do so.

Supporters argue that expanding the courts’ authority would bring them in line with private rabbinical courts and arbiters, while critics assert that the bill would create a power imbalance that’s harmful to weaker segments of society.

A survey released by the religious rights organization ITIM earlier this year found that more than half of Israelis who appeared before a rabbinical court in the past five years felt they were wronged during the procedure.

1:10 pm

Crackdown on cabinet tardiness leaves four ministers in timeout

By Lazar Berman and Sam Sokol

Economy Minister Nir Barkat attends an Economic Committee meeting at the Knesset, Jerusalem, on January 3, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

After issuing warnings last week against absences and late arrivals to cabinet meetings, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept four ministers outside for the start of the weekly meeting, a Prime Minister’s Office official tells The Times of Israel.

Economy Minister Nir Barkat, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, and Social Equality Minister May Golan fumed as they were left outside for the first 10 minutes of the meeting, Ynet reports.

Last week, due to growing frustration on the part of Netanyahu over sparsely attended cabinet meetings, his cabinet secretary, Yossi Fuchs, issued a series of measures to punish latecomers and absentees. A minister who shows up late or misses a cabinet meeting without being excused will be barred from presenting proposals related to their ministry at the next meeting, Fuchs told government ministers.

A minister who is late or absent from two meetings without prior approval will not be granted funds for work travel abroad.

1:03 pm

PM says Israel will ‘act with full force against riots against Palestinians and soldiers’

Speaking to his cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasts violence carried out by Jewish extremists in the West Bank.

Israel, he says, “will act with full force against the riots against IDF soldiers — against Palestinians, and against IDF soldiers — because we are a state of law, and a state of law acts according to the law.”

Netanyahu calls the extremists “a minority that goes into Judea and Samaria and does not represent the large community of law-abiding, loyal settlers.”

Settler violence has been occurring on a near-daily basis in the West Bank with little to no law enforcement to stop attacks on Palestinians.

Netanyahu also rejects violence against elected officials.

“Just yesterday there was violence of this sort against our colleague, MK [Yoav] Ben Tzur,” he says, referring to attacks last night by Haredi youths. “This is a very small minority; it does not represent the ultra-Orthodox public. But we must fight these violations of the law with full force, and that is what we will do.”

Netanyahu says that he expects elections to be held at the end of the coming year, amid speculation that his government could collapse before the end of its term or that he could call early elections.

1:03 pm

Netanyahu vows Hamas will be disarmed, reiterates opposition to Palestinian statehood

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, November 16, 2025. (Screenshot/GPO)

Amid reports that the US is considering moving ahead with rebuilding parts of Gaza before a plan is in place to disarm Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises that the terror group will be disarmed.

Addressing the “so-called non-demilitarization” of the Hamas-controlled parts of Gaza, Netanyahu says at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting that “there will be no such thing.”

“In the 20-point plan, and in any other case,” he says, “this area will be demilitarized and Hamas will be disarmed — either the easy way or the hard way. That is what I have said, and that is what President Trump has also said.”

Netanyahu’s comments come a day before the United Nations Security Council votes on a resolution backing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. The resolution would also endorse the creation of a “credible pathway” toward a Palestinian state.

“Our opposition to a Palestinian state anywhere west of the Jordan River exists, is firm, and has not changed whatsoever,” Netanyahu says. “I have been pushing back against these attempts for decades, and I do so against external pressure and internal pressure as well. I don’t need reinforcement, tweets, or lectures from anyone.”

Two of Netanyahu’s far-right allies called on him last night to make a clear public statement that Israel will never accept the establishment of a Palestinian state, following the release of a US-organized joint statement by several nations asserting that Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war offers a pathway to Palestinian statehood.

1:01 pm

Yisrael Beytenu MK moves to force Knesset committee to debate West Bank sovereignty bills

MK Oded Forer speaks ahead of a vote on the expulsion of MK Ofer Cassif from the Knesset, February 19, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90/ File)

Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer announces that he is collecting signatures of members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in order to force a debate on legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

He raps committee chairman Boaz Bismuth for taking no steps to advance the bill

“It’s been almost a month since MK Avigdor Liberman’s bill to apply sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim passed its preliminary reading in the plenum, together with the bill to apply sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, and the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee still hasn’t scheduled a discussion on the proposals,” says Forer.

He calls on “every committee member who believes there should be Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria to sign this request, regardless of coalition or opposition considerations.”

Lawmakers approved Yisrael Beytenu’s bill, as well as a measure that would apply sovereignty to all West Bank settlements sponsored by Noam MK Avi Maoz, in preliminary readings in late October despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition. The passage of those bills was met with anger in Washington.

Both bills were referred to Bismuth’s committee for further work ahead of the first of three readings needed for them to be passed into law, but neither has yet been placed on its agenda.

In a tweet last night, Maoz accused Netanyahu’s government of working to halt the advancement of his bill, several days after appealing directly to Bismuth not to delay its advancement further.

Despite opposing the bills, Netanyahu’s government has taken steps to significantly expand Ma’ale Adumim.

12:40 pm

Yair Golan criticizes High Court for allowing Levin to appoint Sde Teiman investigator

Democrats leader Yair Golan leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on October 27, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan criticizes the High Court of Justice for upholding Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s right to appoint an official to supervise the Sde Teiman investigation outside the prosecution bodies.

“The High Court chose to stick to the dry letter of the law while facing a dangerous justice minister who sees the destruction of democracy, the judicial system, and the rule of law as his life’s mission,” he charges in a post on X. “We must stand up to Levin and the gang of destroyers of democracy and the rule of law.”

12:40 pm

The IDF holding ‘international seminar’ on lessons learned from war

The IDF says it is holding an “international seminar” this week on lessons learned from the two-year war against Hamas in Gaza.

“The seminar is being attended by commanders and officers from various armies around the world, who came to learn from the IDF’s experience over the past two years,” the military says.

The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, India, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia are participating.

“The purpose of the seminar is to strengthen cooperation, enhance familiarity with diverse operational approaches, exchange professional knowledge and experience between the participating militaries, and reinforce understanding of the IDF’s activity,” the military says, adding that “the IDF continues to initiate and promote international cooperation with leading militaries worldwide as part of its ongoing effort to strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration, and foster shared learning in the face of evolving security challenges.”

12:26 pm

High Court restricts who Levin can appoint to oversee Sde Teiman leak probe

By Jeremy Sharon

Justice Minister Yariv Levin speaks a ceremony for outgoing Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, September 18, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice places strict limits on Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s discretion in selecting a public official to oversee the investigation into the Sde Teiman video leak, due to concerns about the involvement of a politician in the criminal investigation process.

In a unanimous ruling, Justice Yael Willner says that when transferring the attorney general’s authority to oversee a criminal investigation to an external public official, that official must have a senior rank, be an expert in legal affairs, and have professional work closely connected to criminal investigations or prosecutions.

This authority cannot be transferred to a public official who has any political affiliations, either in the past or present, writes Willner, adding that the minister cannot transfer these authorities at all when the subject of the investigation is a political figure.

The ruling also implies that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara may be able to return to manage the Sde Teiman leak case once her potential conflict of interest in the case is resolved, saying its decision is in effect “until the [legal] restriction is removed.”

Likud MK Avichai Boaron, who petitioned the court against Baharav-Miara’s involvement in the investigation, describes the ruling as “a great victory for everyone for whom the truth and justice are important,” and says that the court upheld his contention that the justice minister was the only authority empowered to appoint a supervisor for the investigation in the current situation.

Levin has not yet responded to the ruling.

11:14 am

Former partner of fallen soldier Goldin: ‘I am still his fiancé, even if I have a new life too’

Edna Sarussi, the fiancé of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin, speaks to Channel 13 news (Channel 13 screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Edna Sarussi, the fiancé of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin, says she will forever remain his betrothed, despite also having moved on, married and had a child.

Months after proposing to Sarussi in 2014, Goldin was killed in that year’s Gaza war and his body was abducted, along with that of soldier Oron Shaul. Goldin’s body was handed over to Israel last week under the terms of the ceasefire with Hamas and a funeral was held for him. Shaul’s was previously recovered from Gaza in an IDF operation.

Sarussi married in 2021 and now has a young child. She spoke at Goldin’s service last week.

“I am still his fiancé,” she tells Channel 13 in an interview. “And it’s true I have a new life too, but he’s part of them and he’s part of me. The love is eternal. Love does not end at some point.”

Sarussi says there is a great sense of relief at Goldin’s return. “Hadar needed to come home, and he came back. He can rest now. He’s not in their hands anymore, he’s with us,” she says.

She adds that he has continued to have a great effect on her life in the past decade. “I feel like there’s even a responsibility, in being his choice — I can’t let him down. It’s part of who I am today. I carry this loss with me,” she says.

11:04 am

Sa’ar says Israel ‘will not agree to establishment of Palestinian terror state’

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on October 27, 2025. (Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

With the United Nations Security Council set to vote tomorrow on a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive Gaza ceasefire plan, which also envisions a potential pathway to a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stresses that Israel will not allow such an entity to be created.

“Israel will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian terror state in the heart of the Land of Israel, at a negligible distance from all its population centers and with topographical control over them,” he writes on X.

The resolution would deliver Gaza to an International Stabilization Force (ISF) and an apolitical Palestinian administration overseen by a Trump-chaired Board of Peace.

10:47 am

High Court annuls Levin’s pick in Sde Teiman probe, but upholds his right to select supervisor

By Jeremy Sharon and ToI Staff

A hearing on who will have authority over the Sde Teiman leak probe, at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, November 11, 2025. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

The High Court of Justice annuls Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s decision to appoint State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula to oversee the criminal investigation into the Sde Teiman video leak affair, but upholds his right to appoint an official to supervise the investigation outside the prosecution agencies.

The court says Kula cannot be granted authority to oversee the investigation due to explicit limitations in the law for the ombudsman banning the officeholder from serving in any other position or carrying out any other function.

The court says that Levin did, however, have the authority to appoint an official outside the Attorney General’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, due to the “highly irregular and extreme circumstances” of the situation. Liberal government watchdog groups had argued that Levin’s appointment violated democratic principles by which politicians should not be involved in the criminal investigation process.

In the case, former military advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has admitted that she authorized the leak of a video last year purporting to show the abuse of a Palestinian security detainee by IDF soldiers at the Sde Teiman military facility. She then lied about the matter while ostensibly leading the investigation to find the leaker.

Levin, who has for months sought to push Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara out of office, then moved to install State Ombudsman Kula to oversee the criminal investigation, arguing that Baharav-Miara had a conflict of interest because she previously oversaw what appears to have been a compromised investigation by the Military Advocate General’s Office.

Baharav-Miara eventually agreed to step away from the case but insisted that it should be run by State Attorney Amit Aisman. Levin rejected this arrangement, arguing that, as her subordinate, Aisman too was compromised.

The court says that any new appointment by Levin must abide by all relevant laws and court decisions.

10:32 am

Four girls injured when ceiling collapses at Beit Shemesh disability daycare

Four young girls have been injured in Beit Shemesh after a ceiling collapsed at a daycare center for girls with disabilities.

A 9-year-old was moderately injured and three 11-year-olds were lightly hurt.

All were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.

10:15 am

Man charged with selling Iranian agents info on Israeli strategic sites

Prosecutors have filed charges against a man who allegedly passed Iranian agents information on strategic sites in Israel, including army and air force bases, with information he received from his girlfriend in the reserves.

The defendant, 27-year-old Shimon Azarzar, was arrested with his girlfriend in October on suspicion of security offenses. He allegedly extracted information from her while she was on reserve duty at an Air Force base. They both reside in Kiryat Yam, just north of Haifa.

Police say that Azarzar “transferred photos and locations of sensitive sites in Israel, and even offered to send vital information to his handlers from within IDF bases.”

He was in contact with Iranian intelligence agents for over a year, and received digital payment in return for carrying out the espionage tasks, police add. Officials have not made clear whether his partner is also to be charged.

He was indicted this morning in the Haifa District Court.

9:24 am

IDF: Palestinian throws explosive device at soldiers, is shot dead

A Palestinian who allegedly hurled an explosive device at Israeli soldiers during a raid in the Nablus area of the northern West Bank earlier this morning was shot dead, the military says.

The IDF says the reservists of the Samaria Regional Brigade were not hurt by the bomb.

8:47 am

Speaker of Lebanese Parliament: Hezbollah has the right to rebuild itself

By Nurit Yohanan

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri chairs a parliamentary session to elect a president, in Beirut, January 9, 2025. (Anwar Amro / AFP)

The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, has said Hezbollah has the right to rebuild itself like any other organization, and that the organization has not fired a single shot for 11 months, since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon was signed.

His remarks were quoted yesterday in Lebanese media after being made during a meeting with newspaper editors in Lebanon.

Berri added that Lebanon is fulfilling its commitments under the ceasefire south of the Litani River, in contrast to Israel, which is not upholding the agreement. Israel says Hezbollah is in constant violation of the ceasefire by quietly attempting to restore its capabilities near the border, leading to its repeated strikes on the terror group.

Berri denied reports that Hezbollah is smuggling weapons into Lebanon by sea, land, or air.

Berri is head of the Amal movement, an ally of Hezbollah that fought alongside it against Israel.

8:38 am

Levin says blocking judicial ombudsman from leading Sde Teiman probe would allow ‘cover-up’

Preempting the High Court’s ruling on the Sde Teiman leak affair, Justice Minister Yariv Levin says in a statement that “any ruling that blocks the appointment of the State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula” as the lead investigator of the case “would mean that the court has allowed the investigation to be covered up.”

Court justices indicated last week that Kula’s appointment was unlikely to pass muster, noting two concerns: the impropriety of a political figure selecting the person to lead a criminal probe, and the fact that Israeli law expressly prohibits the ombudsman from taking on any other position or professional role.

Justice Yael Wilner asserted that the ombudsman has an apparent conflict of interest in overseeing a criminal investigation and prosecution, since he could potentially file an indictment which would be dealt with by judges over whom he has authority as ombudsman.

8:29 am

Netanyahu ‘strongly condemns violent attack’ on Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur

In a statement, Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he “strongly condemn(s) the violent attack” on Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur “carried out in Jerusalem yesterday by a small, radical group of protesters.”

He adds, “Even when there are disagreements, there is absolutely no place for violence. Law-enforcement authorities must act firmly against any attempt to intimidate or harm elected officials.”

Ben-Tzur was assaulted by Haredi protesters for his part in advancing a bill to regulate the conscription for yeshiva students. While Shas is seeking to exempt most students from military service, some Haredi groups oppose any framework that would subject yeshiva students to the draft.

8:23 am

High Court expected to rule today on who will oversee probe into Sde Teiman scandal

Left: Justice Minister Yariv Levin speaks during a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, January 11, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90); Right: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a conference at the University of Haifa, December 15, 2022. (Shir Torem/ Flash90)

The High Court of Justice is expected to rule today on who will oversee the criminal investigation into the Sde Teiman video leak scandal, a case that has roiled the country and the justice system.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin has insisted that the Attorney General’s Office and State Attorney’s Office cannot be allowed to run the probe, asserting that they are compromised in the case. The latter have rejected his effort to appoint his preferred candidate — the state ombudsman for judges — to run the investigation, calling it improper political intervention in a criminal process.

High Court judges had indicated last week that they believed a possible solution was to appoint a retired Supreme Court judge to lead the probe. They urged the sides to reach a compromise but this did not happen.

Levin, who has for months sought to push Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara out of office, then moved to install State Ombudsman Asher Kula to oversee the criminal investigation, arguing that Baharav-Miara had a conflict of interest because she oversaw what appears to have been a compromised investigation by the Military Advocate General’s Office.

Baharav-Miara eventually agreed to step away from the case but insisted that it should be run by State Attorney Amit Aisman. Levin rejected this arrangement, arguing that as her subordinate, Aisman too was compromised. Opposition figures suspect Levin’s insistence on sidelining Israel’s top legal officials is aimed less at safeguarding the investigation and more at weakening their institutions.

5:03 am

Clashes injure 120, mostly police officers, at protest against Mexican president

By AFP

Demonstrators clash with riot police at a rally against the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at Zocalo Square in Mexico City on November 15, 2025. (Eva FONSECA / AFP)

At least 120 people, mostly police officers, were injured on Saturday as thousands marched through Mexico City to protest against Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, local authorities say.

The demonstration against drug violence and Sheinbaum’s security policies was organized on social media by representatives of “Generation Z,” though AFP saw protesters of various ages.

Hundreds of young people threw projectiles at the police, who responded by deploying their shields and also threw objects at the protesters.

Sheinbaum, in power since October 2024, maintains approval ratings above 70 percent in her first year in office but has faced criticism of her security policy due to several high-profile murders.

“For many hours, this mobilization proceeded and developed peacefully, until a group of hooded individuals began to commit acts of violence,” Pablo Vazquez, security chief for Mexico City, tells reporters.

He reports that 100 police officers were injured, of whom 40 required hospital treatment for bruises and cuts, while 20 protesters were also hurt.

Authorities arrested 20 people for crimes such as robbery and assault, including an alleged attack on a journalist, according to Vazquez.

Many of the protesters held banners and wore hats saluting Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in Michoacan state, who was assassinated on November 1, having led a crusade against drug-trafficking gangs in his town.

The assassinated mayor’s widow, however, distanced her husband’s movement from the demonstration.

Several of those attending the march also displayed the pirate flag emblematic of the Japanese manga “One Piece,” which has become a symbol of global youth protest.

Earlier this week, Sheinbaum questioned the motivations for the demonstration and said at her regular morning press conference that the protest call was “inorganic” and “paid for.”

“It is a movement promoted from abroad against the government,” the president said.

3:48 am

Mamdani condemns ‘F**k Jews’ graffiti on Brooklyn sidewalk

Graffiti reading ‘F**k Jews’ is spraypainted on a sidewalk in Brooklyn, drawing condemnation from New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani.

The graffiti was discovered on Friday night, according to New York City Council member Lincoln Restler, who is Jewish. Restler writes that city employees cleaned up the graffiti by Saturday morning.

“Anti-Semitic incidents are a majority of the hate crimes in NYC. All NYers – including Jewish NYers – must feel safe,” Restler posts on X.

Monthly police statistics in the city show that Jews are routinely the victims of the majority of hate crimes.

“There is no space or tolerance for hate in our community. I will continue to do whatever I can to condemn and combat anti-Semitism in every possible way,” Restler writes.

Mamdani also condemns the graffiti, writing, “Another horrific act of antisemitism on our streets. We cannot stand for this.”

Another horrific act of antisemitism on our streets. We cannot stand for this. Thank you to @LincolnRestler and @nycsanitation for your quick response. https://t.co/Xc6Y5p3l8N

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 15, 2025

Mamdani, a far-left, anti-Israel candidate, won the city’s mayoral election earlier this month following warnings from a chorus of Jewish leaders and organizations that his longtime harsh criticism of Israel could fuel a rise in antisemitism in New York City.

The mayor-elect has repeatedly pledged to fight antisemitism in the city, including by increasing funding for efforts to combat it. Immediately following his election, he condemned swastika graffiti on a Jewish day school in Brooklyn.

Restler endorsed Mamdani ahead of the election.

2:39 am

Dozens protest outside home of Haredi lawmaker after another’s car is smashed

Dozens of Haredi demonstrators protest outside the home of United Torah Judaism MK Ya’akov Asher, shortly after the windshield of a car belonging to another ultra-Orthodox lawmaker was smashed.

The protest outside Asher’s home in Bnei Brak appears to be disorganized, with participants flanked by police vehicles.

It takes place after ultra-Orthodox extremists smashed the front window of Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur’s vehicle as he left a weekly lesson in Jerusalem, according to footage. That incident drew outcry across the political spectrum.

The rioters appear to have targeted both lawmakers over their participation in discussions over the coalition’s bill regulating Haredi conscription. Haredi leaders have staunchly opposed any measures to draft masses of yeshiva students.

זה רק הפרומו למה שיקרה אם חוק הגיוס יעבור בקולות החרדים.
מישהו עדיין חושב שיהיה חוק?
כעת מתחת לביתו של חה״כ יעקב אשר
צילום:ידיעות בני ברק https://t.co/Vdk8vgaVoN pic.twitter.com/5ALAbQhgHC

— יעקב הרשקוביץ | Yaakov harshkovits (@yaakov_hershko) November 15, 2025

2:20 am

Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene blames him for threats against her after their split

By Reuters

US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, speaks during a town-hall style meeting in Acworth, Georgia, April 15, 2025. (AP/Mike Stewart)

Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene accuses US President Donald Trump of putting her life in danger, saying his online criticism has triggered a wave of threats against her.

Greene is a former longtime Trump loyalist who has more recently taken positions at odds with the president, including her harsh criticism of Israel, which she has accused of “genocide.”

She posted on X yesterday that she has been contacted by private security firms warning about her safety.

“Aggressive rhetoric attacking me has historically led to death threats and multiple convictions of men who were radicalized by the same type [of] rhetoric being directed at me right now,” Greene, a firebrand US House of Representatives member from Georgia, wrote in a post. “This time by the President of the United States.”

Trump broke with Greene on Friday night in a withering social media post in which he referred to Greene as “Wacky” and a “ranting lunatic” who complained he would not take her calls. He continued his criticism on Saturday with two more social media posts, calling her a “Lightweight Congresswoman,” “Traitor” and a “disgrace” to the Republican Party.

He withdrew his endorsement of Greene, writing that conservative voters in her district might consider a primary challenger and that he would support the right candidate against her in next year’s congressional election.

In her first response posted on Friday, Greene accused Trump of lying about her and trying to intimidate other Republicans before a House of Representatives vote next week on releasing files related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who was friendly with Trump in the 1990s and 2000s before they had a falling out.

11:43 pm

MKs across party lines slam Haredi extremist attack on Shas lawmaker