Sept. 3: US says its mediated talks led to Israeli handover of Lebanese detainees

US House advances bill to withhold federal funds from universities that boycott Israel

The US House of Representatives has advanced legislation blocking federal funding from universities that boycott Israel, with 33 moderate Democrats joining almost every one of their Republican colleagues in backing the measure.

After passing by a margin of 237 to 169, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act still needs to be passed by the Senate before becoming law.

House Democratic leadership opposed the bill over free speech concerns in addition to arguing that it broadly defined boycotts to include Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, which much of the international community deems illegal.

Explaining his opposition to the bill, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says, “Our Jewish brothers and sisters deserve safety and security on campuses across the nation, and I continue to oppose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Unfortunately, H.R. 4795 is a poorly written Republican bill that does not achieve that goal.”

“Instead, it would provide Donald Trump with the power to punitively launch political attacks on our colleges and universities, which are already under tremendous stress due to the toxic actions of this extreme Republican administration. When we are in the majority, House Democrats will advance unifying legislation to aggressively combat the rise of antisemitism and protect the Jewish community in America,” he adds.

Defending the bill, its Democratic cosponsor Rep. Josh Gottheimer told lawmakers during a speech before the vote that it “simply says that if your university takes federal taxpayer dollars, it can’t discriminate against academic partnerships or investments with one country.”

Vance rejects calls to cut ties with Tucker Carlson amid antisemitism allegations

US Vice President JD Vance rejects calls for him to sever his relationship with right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson as the latter is increasingly accused of antisemitism.

“Tucker is a friend, despite the fact that we disagree on a number of things, and I’m not going to play the game where I throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements with them,” Vance says in response to a question on the matter during a White House press briefing.

Netanyahu: Toppling Iranian regime is Israel’s ‘central mission,’ goal ‘within reach’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel’s “central mission” is to topple the Iranian regime, declaring that the goal is “within reach,” during a Rosh Hashanah toast with the IDF General Staff Forum in Tel Aviv.

“The regime is now faltering. It is weaker than ever. It is fighting for its survival,” he says, crediting Israel’s military operations since October 7, 2023, with ebbing the Iranian threat.

“I am confident in our ability to remove this threat once and for all – in other words, to topple this regime,” Netanyahu says. “That is the central mission that still lies ahead of us, but it is close. It is not impossible. It is within reach.”

“It is no coincidence that they are not attacking us. They are attacking everyone except us. They know our strength, the force of our blows and our determination,” he adds.

In a warning to Israel’s enemies, Netanyahu says, “Don’t mess with us. If you have learned anything, don’t mess with us. We have the strength, the determination and the internal unity to defeat you.”

Netanyahu’s remarks come after Defense Minister Israel Katz warned earlier today that if Iran attacks Israel, the military will target all of the regime’s infrastructure, “including energy infrastructure.”

High Court annuls law banning arrest of Haredi draft-dodgers as unconstitutional injury to equality

The High Court of Justice rules unanimously to annul a law passed in July that banned the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers for seven months on procedural grounds, and also finds that the law did severe harm to the principle of equality.

Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, writing for all nine justices presiding over the case, highlights a severe procedural flaw in the legislation as one cause for annulling the law, noting that the version of the bill passed in its first reading provided for enforcement measures against ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, whereas the bill passed in its final readings removed enforcement against draft dodging.

Such a contradiction between the different versions of the legislation violates Knesset procedure and is therefore invalid, the court determined.

And an eight to one majority of justices also determined that the law — which banned law enforcement agencies from arresting Haredi yeshiva students who failed to report for conscription while non-Haredi draft dodgers were still subject to arrest — was unconstitutional since it did severe harm to the principle of equality.

Four arrested, including an IDF conscript, on suspicion of settler violence

Police announce the arrest of four more people suspected of Jewish extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, including two settlers set to depart from Ben Gurion Airport to Ukraine’s Uman ahead of the Hasidic pilgrimage there on Rosh Hashanah, next week.

Another of the suspects is an IDF conscript who was arrested in cooperation with military police on suspicion of “involvement in these incidents,” police say in a statement.

A 29-year-old settler suspected of violence was also arrested in northern Israel following a court order for repeatedly violating an IDF decree that required him to report to a police station on a daily basis, police say.

He was interrogated and will be brought before a judge tomorrow to have his detention extended, police add.

The two settlers arrested at the airport include a 16-year-old suspected of nationalist crimes in the northern West Bank, and an 18-year-old suspected of “involvement in a number of incidents of violence in arson,” according to police.

Following their respective interrogations, the 16-year-old was released under restrictive conditions, and the 18-year-old will be brought before a judge tomorrow to have his detention extended, police say.

The police statement does not provide any more details about the incidents the suspects are accused of taking part in.

Earlier today, police announced the first arrest of a suspect, a 19-year-old settler, in a Saturday attack on Palestinians in the Nablus-area town of Qusra, when settlers took over a Palestinian home with a family inside, weeks into a settler siege on several homes in Qusra.

Iran, Hamas believed to be stepping up efforts to attack Israelis abroad ahead of Jewish holidays – report

Israeli officials believe Iran’s Quds Force and Hamas have intensified efforts to carry out attacks against Israelis abroad, raising concerns that they could seek to exploit the upcoming Jewish holidays and the third anniversary of the October 7 onslaught, Channel 12 reports.

According to the network, Israel’s political and defense leadership believes Tehran may seek to stage a high-profile attack overseas, shifting its retaliation against Israel to another arena in the hope of achieving a greater impact.

Report: Defense firms warn Netanyahu that budget delay threatens arms production, national security

The heads of Israel’s major defense companies have warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that production lines for some munitions could close within the next month unless the government takes immediate action, Channel 12 reports.

In a letter reportedly delivered to Netanyahu in recent days, the defense industry leaders say the Finance Ministry’s failure to transfer NIS 40 billion ($13.3 billion) promised for defense spending is endangering national security.

“In the absence of orders and given the government’s unwillingness to make commitments, we face the closure of production lines for some munitions within the coming month, in a manner that will impair the IDF’s ability to carry out its missions,” they are quoted as writing, calling for “immediate emergency action” to maintain production.

The IDF is also reportedly preparing spending cuts to avoid exceeding its budget, including an immediate reduction in reserve duty days and a halt to repairs of tanks and armored personnel carriers damaged during the war.

Purchases of fighter jets, attack helicopters and other aircraft could also be delayed by years, the report says.

PM publishes what he says is his full schedule from morning of Oct. 7, confirming he only spoke to IDF chief 3 hours after attack began

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirms that on the morning of October 7, 2023, the premier spoke with the military chief only about three hours after he woke up, while thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded from Gaza and rampaged through Israeli border communities.

Kan news reported earlier that Netanyahu did not request to talk to then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi until a situation assessment around 9:45 a.m.

Netanyahu’s office publishes what it says is the premier’s full schedule that morning, which confirms the first talk with Halevi took place during an assessment that began just before 10 a.m.

The Prime Minister’s Office says it is publishing the schedule “following incorrect reports that were recently published.”

The full schedule reads as follows:

“06:29 — The military secretary informs the prime minister for the first time that there is an attack from the Gaza Strip.

06:44 — Second update call with the military secretary. The prime minister asks why nothing had appeared in the intelligence conveyed to him, asks to check whether a large-scale reserve mobilization is required and whether it is possible to carry out an assassination of the Hamas leadership.

07:30 — The prime minister leaves for the Kirya (IDF headquarters) after the prime minister’s convoy has been prepared.

During the ride — The prime minister speaks with the defense minister (Yoav Gallant), who updates him that there is no clear situational picture. The prime minister instructs that a situational assessment be convened in the pit (the IDF’s underground command center) under his leadership.

Around 08:00 — The prime minister arrives at the Kirya (according to Shin Bet records, 08:22).

08:40 — The defense minister convenes the IDF chief of staff and the head of the Shin Bet to formulate a situational picture ahead of the discussion with the prime minister.

08:30–09:30 — The prime minister requests and receives intelligence updates and ongoing updates from the field from the military secretary’s staff.

09:47 — The prime minister’s military secretary receives for the first time the situational assessment document that the head of the Shin Bet had at 05:15 that morning.

09:55 — The prime minister holds a situational assessment in the pit with the participation of the defense minister, chief of staff, director of the Mossad, head of the Shin Bet, national security adviser and head of the Operations Directorate. The prime minister instructs that the border line be hermetically sealed to prevent hostages from being taken to Gaza and to prevent the continued entry of terrorists, rejects the IDF’s recommendation for partial reserve mobilization and instructs a full mobilization, and orders the issuance of a war order and preparations for the northern front.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the prime minister holds a limited security consultation with the defense minister and the chief of staff.”

Firebrand MK Tally Gotliv to leave Likud, run with Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud announces that firebrand MK Tally Gotliv will leave the party to run on far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit slate in the October 27 election, after days of speculation over her political future.

Under the agreement, Likud will allow Gotliv to run with Otzma Yehudit without formally designating her as a breakaway lawmaker, which can restrict an MK’s ability to run with another existing party in the subsequent election. Gotliv will also remain bound by Likud faction discipline in parliamentary votes until the next Knesset is sworn in, the party says.

The move comes after Gotliv, known for her inflammatory statements and conduct, publicly floated leaving Likud following a disappointing result in the party’s primary last month. Gotliv came 12th in the primary but was pushed down to the 20th spot on Likud’s electoral slate due to the large number of slots reserved for Netanyahu’s picks.

According to Hebrew media reports, the premier’s push for reserved slots was based on concerns that the primary could elevate controversial candidates who are highly popular among the Likud base, such as Gotliv.

Following the primary, Gotliv alleged fraud, claiming that her name had been left off ballots at some polling stations.

Security officials said to call captured Hamas commander ‘intelligence gold mine’

Israeli security officials describe commander of Hamas’s internal security apparatus Muein al-Arabid — who was captured by special forces in Gaza City on Tuesday morning — as an “intelligence gold mine,” Channel 12 reports.

According to the report, al-Arabid is cooperating with interrogators and providing what is described as valuable information on the terror group’s weapons, personnel and infrastructure in Gaza.

His arrest has reportedly sent shockwaves through Hamas, security officials tell Channel 12, prompting the group to heighten its defensive readiness amid fears of further Israeli operations.

“Hamas commanders feel they are being hunted. They do not know whether the next strike will come from the air or through a ground operation,” security officials say.

High Court extends freeze on implementation of controversial police investigations unit legislation

The High Court of Justice issues an interim order freezing the appointment of two key officials to the Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI), which was recently restructured by contentious Knesset legislation.

The court issued a temporary injunction against the appointments last month, but the interim order will freeze the appointment process and, in practice, the implementation of the new law until a further decision by the court.

Specifically, the interim order freezes the appointment process for the new DIPI director and the investigation disputes arbitrator established by the new law, and also bars the justice minister from preparing the budget for the agency.

The new law controversially gives the justice minister control over the appointment of DIPI’s director, sparking concerns about the politicization of law enforcement. It also creates the post of a new, politically appointed official within the department to arbitrate disputes over investigations between the agency and the State Attorney’s Office.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which petitioned the High Court against the legislation, says the interim order is important in “protecting the independence of the law-enforcement system” while the court considers the petitions.

“The Department for Internal Police Investigations must be a professional, independent body free from political influence. The solution must not be to place the body responsible for investigating police officers under the authority of the political echelon,” the organization says.

Smotrich says Finance Ministry preparing ‘very painful’ measures against countries that sanction Israel

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says his office is preparing retaliatory measures to impose on any countries that are threatening to impose sanctions on Israel.

His remarks at a meeting of industrialists in the settlement city of Ma’ale Adumim come after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced earlier this week that the UK was planning a “comprehensive set of measures” against Israeli settlements over the controversial E1 settlement project.

“The idea that we could be forced to commit suicide and establish a terrorist state here in the heart of the land of Israel, through criminalization…or through economic sanctions, is unacceptable,” Smotrich says in remarks carried by Hebrew-language news outlets.

“Nobody can try and force us to commit suicide through sanctions and economic pressure,” the Religious Zionism chair continues. “We are done being passive actors.”

He says his office is “currently preparing a package of very painful responses in political and economic fields against countries that think they will be imposing sanctions.”

Netanyahu, Eisenkot neck and neck in new ToI poll, but both blocs still short of 61-seat majority

A new poll by Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language sister site, finds that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and ex-IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar are once again neck and neck, after Eisenkot had pulled ahead in recent weeks.

The result is markedly different from the previous week’s Zman Yisrael poll, which put Eisenkot’s Yashar at 26 seats. The change appears to be due to the Zionist Home party, led by Yoaz Hendel and Chili Tropper, which passes the minimum voter threshold in the polls for the first time this week, and is predicted to win four seats.

Also enjoying a small boost in this week’s poll is Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism, which is now predicted to win five seats following his merger with Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut.

Smotrich’s boost appears to come at the expense of right-wing ex-general Ofer Winter, whose new party is now predicted to fall below the threshold and miss out on entering the Knesset.

Despite the shift, neither side was forecast to be close to attaining a Knesset majority, with the two majority-Arab parties holding the balance of power.

The poll finds that if elections were to be held today, the pro-Netanyahu bloc would receive 50 seats out of a possible 120, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc would receive 55 seats, six short of a 61-seat majority.

The majority Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, are forecast to win 11 seats between them; six for the Joint List and five for Ra’am.

Another four seats would go to the center-right Zionist Home, which is not strictly aligned with either the pro- or anti-Netanyahu blocs.

US Jewish community spending on security passes $1 billion, JFNA says

Security spending for US Jewish communities has surpassed an estimated $1.05 billion per year, a record, the Jewish Federations of North America says.

The group’s previous estimate, in 2024, put yearly security spending at $765 million, a difference of $285 million.

JFNA says it carried out a study of 4,500 Jewish communal institutions, including synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, summer camps and nonprofits.

The average annual security cost for a Jewish institution is around $225,000.

The organization says the total expense could provide day school tuition to 44,000 children.

“Every dollar our community spends on guards and cameras is a dollar not spent on Jewish education, on caring for our elderly, on taking care of those in need,” says Eric D. Fingerhut, the head of JFNA.

JFNA urges full funding for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help cover the costs.

The study did not include privately owned businesses like kosher restaurants, groceries and shops, it says.

Most of the expenditures go to security personnel such as guards and security directors, and around $150 million is spent on security technology and hardening buildings.

US says its mediated talks led to Israeli handover of Lebanese detainees

The US State Department says the Israeli handover of five Lebanese detainees is the result of US-brokered talks between the two governments.

“Israel is releasing detainees and Lebanon is helping Israel recover the lost remains of Lebanese Jews,” a State Department official says in a statement to reporters.

The agreement on the detainee handover was finalized during US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa’s Tuesday meeting in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

The first handover took place today, and Lebanese reports indicate that the other four detainees will be handed over to Lebanon tomorrow morning.

The State Department touts the two governments for “demonstrating good faith through these initial steps, and hopes this will serve as the basis for expanded discussions on other civilian issues.”

Another round of US-mediated talks is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

Handover of four additional Lebanese detainees by Israel delayed until Friday morning — report

The handover of four Lebanese detainees who had been held in Israeli prisons has been delayed until tomorrow morning, according to Lebanese broadcaster LBCI.

The four men are due to be returned to Lebanon as part of an agreement between Jerusalem and Beirut to release five Lebanese civilian prisoners in exchange for Beirut’s assistance with locating and returning the remains of Lebanese Jewish community figures.

The first of the five men, Malek Ghazi, was handed over to the Lebanese army earlier today with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The four other men were expected to be released this evening, but LBCI reports that this has now been pushed off and is expected to take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

The report does not give a reason for this delay.

Syria has started destroying Assad-era chemical weapon materials, UN envoy says

Syria has begun the process of destroying materials identified by the world’s chemical weapons watchdog, the country’s UN envoy says, signaling a major step since the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

“This is the very first destruction process since we have been liberated from the previous regime,” Ibrahim Olabi tells the UN Security Council. “It’s also the first of its kind to destroy chemical materials on Syrian territory for over a decade.”

Antisemitic incidents up 14.5% in Spain in 2025, Jewish group says

Antisemitic incidents in Spain rose 14.5% in 2025, according to a new report, as Jewish community leaders warned that anti-Jewish hatred is becoming increasingly normalized in daily life.

The report by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain and the Movement Against Intolerance documented 221 antisemitic incidents last year, up from 193 in 2024.

The sustained rise in hostility that began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack has spread into the country’s social, educational, cultural and online spaces, the report finds. It also warns that antisemitism can become entrenched when it is tolerated or downplayed.

“Spanish Jews have had to attend our gathering places under special security measures,” FCJE president David Obadía says. “Our children are the only ones who go to school with a police presence, and insults and discrimination are part of everyday life.”

The country is home to an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 Jews who identify as Jewish or have Jewish parents, as well as tens of thousands of people with Jewish ancestry, the report says.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has become one of Europe’s sharpest critics of Israel and its military action in Gaza, which he says constitutes genocide — a charge that Israel vehemently denies. Spain imposed a total arms embargo on Israel in 2025 and permanently withdrew its ambassador in March 2026, following Israel’s withdrawal of its ambassador to Spain in 2024.

In June, Spain’s government reported lower numbers of antisemitic hate crimes using different criteria. Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded 69 such crimes in 2025, up from 37 in 2024 and 23 in 2023.

Yesh Atid’s Karine Elharrar says she won’t seek reelection, amid wave of departures from party

Yesh Atid MK Karine Elharrar announces that she will not run in the October 27 election, becoming the latest in a wave of Yesh Atid lawmakers to bow out of the race.

“I have decided, following consultations with my family, to move on to a new challenge. I will therefore not run on the Yesh Atid slate for the next Knesset,” says Elharrar.

A founding member of Yesh Atid who has served in the Knesset since 2013, including as energy minister under the Bennett-Lapid government in 2021, the lawmaker stresses that she is not leaving the party.

“I am staying in Yesh Atid because Yesh Atid is my party and my political home,” Elharrar says, adding that she will campaign for the party ahead of the election.

Her announcement follows a wave of Yesh Atid lawmakers who announced in the last week that they would not seek reelection, including fellow founding members Meir Cohen and Mickey Levy, as well as Debbie Biton and Tatiana Mazarsky.

Other former Yesh Atid lawmakers have moved to rival parties, including Elazar Stern, who joined Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar last month, and Yoav Segalovitz, who announced this week that he will run with Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am.

The departures come as Yesh Atid prepares to receive a reduced share of realistic slots on its joint B’Yachad slate with Naftali Bennett’s party, which has been polling for months at around 13-15 seats. The slate will unveil its candidate list on Sunday, two days before the deadline for parties to submit their final electoral slates.

Katz holds ‘multifront’ security assessment with IDF chief, senior officials

Defense Minister Israel Katz is holding a “multifront” security assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military and security officials, his office says.

No further details are given.

Earlier, Katz warned that if Iran attacks Israel, the military will target all of the regime’s infrastructure, “including energy infrastructure.”

Iran’s IRGC chief vows says deadly US strike on wedding ‘will not go unanswered’

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi vows to avenge the four people killed at a wedding ceremony in the south, which Iran has blamed on the US.

“The pure blood of these oppressed martyrs… will not go unanswered and will definitely be avenged,” Vahidi says in a statement carried by state television.

Iranian media says 6 navy personnel were killed in US attacks on Tuesday

Iran’s Tasnim news agency says six members of the Iranian army’s naval forces were killed by US attacks on Tuesday as part of this week’s renewed fighting.

“During the criminal attacks carried out by the US terrorist army two nights ago on September 1 on the south of the country, six members of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Navy were martyred,” the report says, without specifying where exactly they were killed.

IDF: Soldiers killed 2 Palestinians who approached Israeli troops in north Gaza

IDF troops killed two Palestinians who crossed the Yellow Line in the Strip’s north earlier today, the military says.

The IDF says troops spotted “two terrorists crossing the Yellow Line and approaching forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

The soldiers then “eliminated the terrorists to remove the threat,” the military adds.

Earlier, the IDF said another Palestinian who crossed the Yellow Line was killed in an airstrike.

Jerusalem’s Cafe Basimta decides to close Saturdays after pressure by Haredi protests

Cafe Basimta, a coffeehouse in central Jerusalem that has been targeted by ultra-Orthodox protesters for two months for being open on Shabbat, says it will now close on Saturdays.

The decision to close, beginning this Shabbat, “was made after prolonged deliberation and with a heavy heart, out of a desire to prevent and calm the anger and restore peace to the cafe,” it says in a statement.

Since early July, dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators, many of them minors, have been protesting outside the cafe every Shabbat. In some cases, protesters have banged on the cafe’s windows, overturned tables, and even tried to force their way inside. Last month, a woman put glue in the cafe’s lock, causing a brief delay in its opening.

Counter-protests in favor of the cafe remaining open on Shabbat have also been held, with police on the scene to minimize confrontation between the groups.

The issue is complicated by the fact that the cafe is an official project of Jews for Jesus, a Christian missionary organization that seeks to convert Jews to believe in Jesus.

“This is a difficult and painful decision that stems from a deep responsibility to our customers, to our faith, and to Israeli society as a whole,” says Jews for Jesus CEO Eli Birnbaum. “The cafe has become a focus of friction and danger in recent months, a reality that contradicts our identity as Jews who believe in Jesus and our belief in loving others, in respect, and in bringing people closer together. We seek to restore Cafe Basimta to what it was intended to be: a calm, pleasant, and open place for coffee, culture and conversation.”

Red Cross confirms operation to return man detained by Israel to Lebanon

A Lebanese man who had been held prisoner in Israel was released today, the first such handover since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war six months ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross and two Lebanese security officials say.

The man, identified as Malek Ghazi, was handed over to the Lebanese army via the ICRC, one of the Lebanese security officials says. The other official says they are anticipating the release of another prisoner. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Hebrew media reports earlier today said Israel is slated to return a total of five Lebanese prisoners to Lebanon today as a “goodwill gesture.”

A committee following up on the issue estimates that more than 30 people have been detained by Israel since its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in 2024, and Lebanon last month demanded the release of a first batch of people during its most recent negotiations with Israel, a Lebanese official told AFP at the time.

13 Yemen government forces killed in clashes with Houthis, says military source

Thirteen Yemeni government forces were killed today in clashes with Houthi fighters, a military source tells AFP, accusing the group of launching an assault to take areas bordering the key Bab al-Mandab strait.

“According to an initial toll, 13 government troops — including two officers — were killed,” the source says, requesting anonymity.

Another source says most of those killed were on the frontlines between the port city of Mokha and the inland city of Taiz, while the others were killed in clashes near the Red Sea coast.

Omri Casspi raises $250m for his venture capital firm

Former NBA player turned venture capitalist Omri Casspi raises $250 million in fresh capital to invest in early-stage startups and companies developing technologies in the areas of cybersecurity, defense and artificial intelligence.

The fresh financing is for the third fund of Casspi’s Swish Ventures, taking total assets under management to $800 million. With the third fund, Casspi plans to invest about $20 million in 12 startups each, that develop solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, technology infrastructure, Physical AI, defense, AI for industrial applications, and government technology.

Among Swish’s investors are venture capital fund Sequoia, Israeli institutional investors, US institutional investors, such as pension funds, American universities and family offices.

Since its founding in early 2025, Swish Ventures has invested in 20 companies with a combined valuation of over $60 billion. Eight of the portfolio companies have become unicorns. Notable companies include Cognition AI, Applied Compute, EON, Wonderful, Upwind, Long Lake, Glow, Tenzai, PointFive, Irregular and Turnout.

Israel said set to return 5 prisoners to Lebanon today as a ‘goodwill gesture’

Israel is reportedly set to return five Lebanese prisoners to Lebanon today as a result of ongoing US-brokered talks between Jerusalem and Beirut.

Hebrew news outlets report that the move is considered a “goodwill gesture” by Israel amid the ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group. The next round of talks is scheduled for later this month in Rome.

An official told the Times of Israel last month that Israel and Lebanon were holding side negotiations on the identification and return of remains of Lebanese and Israeli Jews in exchange for Lebanese detainees.

The Saudi Al-Hadath news outlet reports that one of the citizens slated to be returned by Israel to Lebanon today is named as Malek Kamal Razi.

The report says the exchange is slated to take place through the Naqoura Crossing along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The purported move comes two days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who have been involved in the direct Israel-Lebanon talks mediated by Washington.

Feminist icon and journalist Gloria Steinem dead at 92

Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the US women’s movement and a fierce advocate for feminist causes throughout her life, has died at age 92.

With her trademark streaked hair parted down the middle and large aviator glasses, Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine, was a hugely recognizable presence wherever she went. And she went everywhere: Much of her life as an advocate was spent on the road, speaking at college campuses and community centers, at rallies and marches.

She died yesterday at her home in New York City, according to her and her foundation’s social media pages.

King Charles to host state visit by Oman’s sultan next month

Britain’s King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will host Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq at Windsor Castle for a state visit next month, Buckingham Palace says.

The visit from October 20 to 22 will come against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East since US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February, which prompted retaliatory strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases.

US President Donald Trump has also threatened to bomb Oman — which has been in talks with Iran aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — if it “gets in the way.”

So far this year, the British royals have hosted state visits by Trump in April and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in March.

Katz: If Iran attacks, Israel will be ‘free from all constraints’ and strike energy infrastructure

Defense Minister Israel Katz warns that if Iran attacks Israel, the military will target all of the regime’s infrastructure, “including energy infrastructure.”

“There are signs we are seeing that indicate that the heavy economic pressure Iran is under and the fear of an uprising and the fall of the regime could push them to desperate measures,” Katz says at a Jewish New Year toast with Defense Ministry employees.

“An Iranian attack on Israel will free us from all constraints. We will strike all infrastructure — including energy infrastructure — and return Iran to the Stone Age and darkness,” he says.

Katz adds that “Israel is well prepared, defensively and offensively, for every possibility — and the IDF is ready to carry out the mission.”

Deri: IDF ‘doesn’t want’ Haredi soldiers, they’re ‘a big headache’

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri dismisses the suggestion that he should call on army-age Haredi men who don’t study Torah to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.

“The army, with all due respect, that knows how to bomb Iran – that army knows how to cope. Let them cope,” he tells the ultra-Orthodox Kol Berama radio station.

The party leader also asserts that “the army doesn’t want Haredi soldiers. It’s a big headache for them.”

He says he does not feel obliged to urge Haredim to enlist “until there are real tracks” that will allow them to maintain their strictly observant lifestyle.

Asked about the Hasmonean Brigade, recently created for that purpose, he says, “I haven’t looked into it,” asserting that it’s a matter for rabbis, not lawmakers, to examine.

Responding to the comments, Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot says: “Aryeh, it’s over. This time, you’ll cope.”

And B’Yachad leader Naftali Bennett comments that the IDF “is crying out for soldiers and Deri is lying and making excuses.”

Avigdor Liberman, who leads the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu party, suggests that the late chief rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who founded Shas, is “rolling in his grave at [Deri’s] conduct.”

Iran takes responsibility for striking US bases in Kuwait and UAE

Iran’s army says it targeted US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, despite threats of further strikes by US President Donald Trump.

“This morning, the army hit the satellite communication systems, equipment depots and fighter aircraft hangars of the terrorist US army at the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait with missiles and drones,” the army says in a statement carried by state TV.

It adds that “the location of forces and radar systems of the child-killing US army at the Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE were also attacked by missiles and drones of the army.”

IDF: Palestinian killed after crossing Yellow Line in northern Gaza

A Palestinian who crossed the IDF’s Yellow Line in the northern Gaza Strip this morning was killed in an airstrike, the military says.

The IDF says troops stationed in the area spotted “a terrorist crossing the Yellow Line and approaching forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

The Israeli Air Force then “struck the terrorist and eliminated him to remove the threat,” the military adds.

Israel makes first arrest of settler involved in recent Qusra attack, police say

An Israeli settler has been arrested on suspicion of participating in a violent attack on the West Bank Palestinian village of Qusra over the weekend, police announce.

The suspect, 19, from a settlement in the northern West Bank, was detained this morning by officers following a joint investigation by the Israel Police and Shin Bet, a statement says.

He was taken for questioning and will later be brought for a court hearing to extend his custody.

The suspect is the first to be arrested over Saturday’s attack on Qusra, which saw dozens of Israeli settlers raid the village, take over a home with a family inside, and attack residents, including throwing stones at Palestinians and others.

“The joint investigative team from the police and Shin Bet continues its efforts to collect evidence and gather testimony to locate and arrest everyone who took part in the serious incident,” the statement adds.

Police say 16 detained in northern town in crackdown on underage marriages

Police say that forces detained 16 people in a raid in the northern community of Yavne’el tied to illegal underage marriages.

In a statement, police say that a raid this morning in the Lower Galilee town resulted in the arrests of 16 adults and minors who are “suspected of having recently married or of having begun making actual preparations for an illegal wedding ceremony.”

Police say they have been waging an “ongoing battle” against the phenomenon taking place in a “small closed community” centered in the town. Yavne’el is home to a sizable Breslov Hasidic community.

Trump discusses Mideast developments with UAE president

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Donald Trump discussed Middle East developments and bilateral cooperation during a phone call, reports UAE state news agency WAM.

Some in Nepal hold symbolic funerals for those feared lost in flash floods

Tourists previously reported missing in Nepal have made contact with authorities, officials say, as families of locals still unaccounted for after last week’s catastrophic floods hold symbolic funerals for their loved ones.

Nepal’s Foreign Ministry says 324 foreign nationals have been rescued, while another 590 from 39 countries remain missing following the August 26 floods. At least 1,204 people have been killed and more than 4,200 are missing, according to the country’s disaster management agency.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the number of Australians missing in the disaster has fallen from 43 to 38 after five were confirmed safe overnight.

Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for the Nepal Tourism Board, says at least five other tourists who were previously reported missing had contacted authorities by email or telephone in recent days.

Two Israeli citizens have been reported missing in the floods, with no sign of them since the disaster unfolded.

Data shows Gulf shipping traffic via Hormuz below 10-day average

Six commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, down from 11 a day earlier and well below the 10-day average of around 13, preliminary shipping data shows.

The vessels included two very large gas carriers, two long range tankers, one Supramax tanker and one Panamax tanker, Kpler data shows as of 0405 GMT.

The number of vessels transiting the waterway could change as some ships typically switch off transponders during the voyage.

IDF: ‘Violent riot’ led to troops opening fire in West Bank village while securing return of Israeli livestock

The IDF says that a deadly incident last night in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir took place while troops were securing the return of livestock belonging to Israeli civilians.

Two Palestinians were killed by gunfire, according to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, after troops and settlers were seen in video clips entering the village in the Ramallah area.

Responding to a Times of Israel inquiry, the IDF says that troops “secured the entry of Judea and Samaria District Police officers and a civilian into the village. The entry was secured for the purpose of retrieving livestock belonging to Israeli civilians that had been located in the area of the village. The animals were identified based on distinguishing marks indicating that they belonged to Israeli civilians.”

While that was happening, the IDF says, “a violent riot developed in the area, during which terrorists hurled concrete blocks and stones at the troops. The troops responded by firing at key instigators in order to remove the threat. Hits were identified.”

The military adds that “the events leading up to the incident and the handling of the incident are being reviewed.”

Report: Hegseth extending US troop deployments in Mideast as Trump weighs declaring Iran war over

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly been quietly extending the deployments of American troops in the Middle East through 2027, even as US President Donald Trump is said be considering declaring the Iran war over.

A Wall Street Journal report says Hegseth is keeping around 50,000 troops in the region and extending the deployments of warship crews, air defense units and paratroopers, citing “people familiar with the matter.”

At the same time, the newspaper says, Trump is in discussions with aides “about whether to declare the Iran war over,” even as some fighting was renewed this week with a number of tit-for-tat US and Iranian strikes.

Kuwait says it’s ‘engaging hostile missile and drone attacks’ by Iran

Kuwait’s army says it’s intercepting a missile and drone attack from Iran.

“Kuwaiti air defenses are currently engaging hostile missile and drone attacks following the heinous Iranian aggression,” the army writes on X.

George Clooney defends Mark Ruffalo as ‘a good man’ amid campaign against Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

George Clooney comes to the defense of fellow actor Mark Ruffalo as he campaigns against Paramount’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which has prompted accusations of antisemitism against the latter after he lashed out at Israel while protesting the deal.

“I worry when a big company swallows up another company,” Clooney says ahead of the Venice Film Festival, according to the Guardian. “I always worry whenever big companies are consolidating because it means a lot of people are going to lose their job.”

Clooney goes on to say that he “supports Mark Ruffalo’s ability to speak freely,” without addressing the allegations of antisemitism.

“I think that that’s ridiculous. We’re not going to ban speech,” Clooney continues. “I believe in free speech even when I completely disagree with it. That’s important, right? In fact, it’s part of how a democracy works.”

“There are going to be people tonight in the room that are going to disagree with most everything I say or stand for. Fair enough. That’s how it’s supposed to be. We’re supposed to argue these things out and come to a conclusion based on the information that we take in… I will always support Mark Ruffalo’s ability to speak freely. I like him. He’s a good man.”

US voters overwhelmingly reject anti-Israel figures Hasan Piker, Candace Owens — poll

A poll finds that most US voters reject “extremists” like commentators Hasan Piker and Candace Owens.

Piker is a prominent streamer on the far left, while Owens is more in line with the far right. Both have made opposition to Israel a central issue.

Asked if the Democratic party should “embrace or reject” Piker, 79% of Republicans, 72% of Democrats and 80% of Independents say he should be rejected, according to the Harvard Harris poll.

Asked if the Republican party should should embrace or reject “people like Candace Owens who have said things like the Jews are behind everything,” 73% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats and 76% of Independents say Owens should be rejected.

The survey finds that 70% of all voters favor Israel over Hamas, but young people and Democrats are more supportive of Hamas.

For 18-24 year olds, 54% favor Hamas in the conflict, in line with other surveys in recent years.

Three-quarters agree that there are terrorist groups on Israel’s borders, but a plurality of voters under 44 and Democrats say the groups on Israel’s borders are “fighting just to have more rights in their territory,” not to destroy Israel or expand their territory.

Seventy-four percent say that Israel “has a right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people.” For young people aged 18-24 around half say Israel should exist while half disagree.

Forty-three percent of Americans believe the US is winning the US-Iran conflict and 13% believe Iran is winning, while the remainder say neither side is winning or are unsure.

A majority of 72% say the US should use force, sanctions and blockades against Iran if it does not give up control of the Strait of Hormuz, while 28% say Iran should be allowed to control the waterway.

The poll finds that low favorability ratings for public figures such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (25%), Tucker Carlson (24%), and Abdul El-Sayed (18%), all three of whom are hostile to Israel.

Israel has a middling favorability rating, at 38% compared to 37% unfavorable. Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah are the bottom three out of 36 places or institutions in the survey’s favorability rating.

The survey queried 2,100 registered voters late last month and has a margin of error of 2.1 points.

IDF investigating after 2 Palestinians said shot dead amid clashes during pet retrieval operation

The Palestinian Authority reports that two young Palestinian men where shot dead in the West Bank town of al-Mughayyir, where the Israel Defense Forces says it was operating to retrieve pets owned by Israelis.

WAFA, the PA’s official news agency, says the two 19-year-olds were killed in what it describes as an attack by settlers and Israeli forces. The military however says troops were providing police and an Israeli civilian who entered the village to find the pets, which it adds were identified as belonging to Israelis, when the soldiers were attacked with bricks and stones.

According to the IDF, troops responded with live fire “toward the primary inciters to remove the threat. Hits were identified.”

The army says it’s investigating “the events that preceded the incident and the management of it.”