Israeli politician and lawyer, minister since 2022
The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court as the court faces sweeping U.S. financial sanctions announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The prize recognizes the ICC's work while the United States has banned transactions with the court, frozen ICC assets in U.S. jurisdictions and given U.S. companies six months to wind down business.
The Times of Israel, BBC Business, France 24 and Bloomberg report that Israel has opened tenders for about 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 corridor, east of Jerusalem. The move draws international condemnation and raises concerns about a two-state solution. France, Germany, Italy and the UK join in urging reconsideration, while the EU and UN caution on the broader implications for regional stability.
The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), Balad and Ta'al announce a three-party Joint List to confront Israeli political challenges. They say unity is essential to defend Palestinian rights, rebuild trust, and push for ten seats in the Knesset, aimed at countering a fascist right-wing government.
The Altalena, a wartime Irgun cargo ship sunk in June 1948, has been located off Tel Aviv. Israel has been salvaging the wreckage for years. Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu calls the find a deep national wound and notes it underscores Menachem Begin’s order to prevent civil war. Netanyahu’s government now leans on the episode to frame right-wing strength.
A far-right Israeli lawmaker and aides have destroyed a Palestinian monument in Madama under Israeli escort. The move draws widespread condemnation from international observers, Palestinian leaders, and Israeli officials, who say it undermines security and current attempts to defuse tensions.
Israel faces a potential reduction in the excise tax on gasoline as prices surge amid global tensions with Iran and a volatile oil market. Government officials weigh legality and fiscal feasibility ahead of the October 27 election; experts warn of budget strains even as prices at the pump were raised recently.
Israel has secured a nearly €3 billion defense export deal with Greece, delivering a multi-layered air‑defense array including David’s Sling, SPYDER and BARAK MX, plus radars and a national command system. A supplementary €26 million deal covers Rafael’s Drone Dome. The package elevates relations amid regional tensions and Europe’s security recalibration.
A former Israeli police official will run on Raam's election list, making him the first Jewish Israeli to stand for an explicitly Arab party. Mansour Abbas announces the anti-crime platform and Yoav Segalovitz joins, highlighting cross-communal cooperation as polls project Raam to win five or six seats in the Knesset.
Defence Minister Katz has stated that there is no real solution for Gaza without migration, saying Israel is prepared to relocate Gazans by sea, air, and other means. The idea is being discussed as part of a broader debate over displacement, with international concern growing over humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel’s parties have submitted candidate lists ahead of the 2026 elections. Likud and Religious Zionist Party are among the last to file, while the Joint List also appears on the slate. Polls suggest no single party will secure a majority, and democracy concerns are rising among Israelis amid a shifting political landscape.
The Israeli ministers have floated plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza, while seeking U.S. approval on departures. Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian and other foreign ministers condemn the move as a risk to peace. The proposals follow earlier statements by Israeli officials and come amid a wider war in Gaza.
Israel’s ministers have signalled plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza, while distant allies condemn the approach. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and others warn of grave consequences as the United States denies backing such displacement. The issue has intensified debate over Gaza’s future and the path to peace.
Haaretz has published book excerpts saying UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was planning a major operation. Haaretz says Netanyahu reacted calmly and did not inform Israel's security chiefs; Netanyahu has denied the call, instructed lawyers to sue Haaretz, and rivals have seized the story ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
Two Palestinian teenagers have been shot dead during a settler operation near Ramallah and a 33-year-old Palestinian has been killed by Israeli police in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities say forces fired at "instigators" and a border guard "neutralised" a suspected attacker; Palestinian witnesses and local agencies report settlers and soldiers attacked villages and blocked supplies.
Israeli hard-liner Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged publicly recognizing Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, triggering UK pushback and a flurry of diplomatic reactions. Britain rebuffs the claim and reaffirms Falkland islanders’ self-determination, while lawmakers scrutinize sanctions and trade implications tied to the dispute.
The UK has announced a ban on imports and services linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and has coordinated measures with several allies. Israel has closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem and imposed retaliatory diplomatic steps. British Jewish leaders are split and ministers are defending the move as necessary to protect the two‑state prospect.
Several Western governments have moved to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while Palestinians question enforcement and impact on everyday life. The move follows rising settlement activity and calls for broader measures against settlement support.
Britain has announced a comprehensive sanctions regime targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Senior Masorti and Liberal Jewish leaders have voiced support, while Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has condemned the move. The policy aims to push for a two-state solution amid rising tensions over settlement expansion and violence.
Israel has demolished more than 2km of Hezbollah tunnel infrastructure beneath the Ali al‑Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, using over 1,000 tonnes of explosives and creating a blast that registered as a 4.1‑magnitude tremor. The Israeli military says it has established operational control above and below ground and will hold a security zone while continuing strikes when necessary.
A new wave of polls shows no bloc winning a clear 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Surveys indicate tightening odds for coalitions and room for potential cross-bloc deals, depending on small party performances ahead of the October vote.
B'Tselem reports describe a five-front strategy — violence, movement restrictions, economic strangulation, social destruction, and ethnic cleansing — aimed at dismantling Palestinian life in the West Bank, with a rise in checkpoints, land seizures, and unemployment since 2022 and the Gaza war of 2023.
Britain has announced sanctions in response to West Bank settlement activity, with measures targeting imports from settlements and discretionary sanctions on entities supporting settlement expansion. The move comes ahead of Israel's looming election and amid international coordination with France and Canada.
Israel has ordered the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem after Britain announced sanctions on settlement goods and firms. London has said the building will remain a UK Mission and has warned it may expel Israeli diplomats if Israel forces the consulate to close. Talks and a quiet UK security adviser visit have not resolved the dispute ahead of Thursday's deadline.
Netanyahu has a brief US visit to address the UN General Assembly. He is not spending the night in the US, cancelling a Texas stop, and flights are being redirected amid security concerns and protests. The ICC warrants and political tensions frame the trip, with protests anticipated in New York.
Ireland has requested that UEFA separate it from Israel in future Nations League draws. UEFA has said requests are evaluated case by case and this is unlikely to be approved given no direct conflict. The Republic of Ireland and Israel are scheduled to meet in September fixtures, with one match to be played behind closed doors in Serbia.
Israeli and Palestinian sources have reported two deadly incidents in the occupied West Bank on 20 September 2026: a shooter opened fire at people at a spring near the Neve Tzuf settlement, killing an Israeli settler who later died in hospital; and Israeli forces have shot dead a driver who allegedly attempted a ramming attack near the Ganim settlement. Security forces have arrested a suspected shooter at a Ramallah hospital and have imposed closures and raids across multiple West Bank villages.
Israel's Netanyahu is seeking reelection as world leaders gather at the UN. Mamdani continues to clash with Israeli policy, calling for accountability and criticizing genocide accusations, while Trump remains a key ally on some fronts. Protests and counter-demonstrations surround Netanyahu's UN appearance.
Israeli settler attacks and Israeli military raids have intensified across the occupied West Bank since August 2026, leaving Palestinians injured, homes seized and families besieged in villages such as Qusra, Silwad and Biddu. Authorities have detained suspects, imposed checkpoints and carried out arrests while humanitarian agencies report unprecedented levels of settler violence this year.
A US-backed Board of Peace has presented a six-month, $2.45bn, 66-project recovery plan for Gaza but implementation has not started. Israel has expanded control over much of the Strip, Hamas has not fully disarmed, donor pledges remain largely unpaid and international forces and Palestinian technocrats have not entered to begin reconstruction.
A string of congressional actions signals renewed congressional scrutiny of Israel's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Democrats push for human rights reporting and accountability, while Republican support for Israel persists ahead of midterms.
UNCTAD says Gaza’s economy has collapsed under war and blockade, with 92% of economic establishments damaged, daily per capita GDP at $0.58, prices up 274% since 2022, and unemployment above 90% of working-age people; West Bank also faces severe constraints from settlement expansion and withheld revenues.
Palestinian communities face encroachment as Israeli settlers, backed by a hard‑line government, move to seize springs and designate heritage sites. Water diversions near Fasayil contribute to a new “Herod’s Pool,” while funding for archaeology signals a broader push to consolidate control over land and memory in the West Bank.
Supporters mark the death of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah amid renewed calls for Hezbollah disarmament. Leaders stress Israel must withdraw before any talks, while authorities push to extend state control in the south amid stalled frameworks.
Israel’s attorney general has ordered a one-month postponement of bids for housing in the E1 corridor between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim to avoid the tender being used in the election. Rights groups warn the move would fracture West Bank contiguity and threaten the two-state solution; critics say the timing seeks to shape the vote.
Israel has imposed countermeasures after the Netherlands banned settlement goods, ordering seven-day deadlines for Dutch diplomats to deliver Israeli papers and expiring immunity. France, Britain and Canada have taken similar steps. The moves reflect growing Western pressure over settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights.
Israel’s prime minister has warned of potential attacks ahead of the elections, while opposition leaders say the warnings are political. Netanyahu’s office says a security briefing has been provided to opposition leader Lapid as polls show a tight race.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv has made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a co‑pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane. The injured captain, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, has been taken to hospital in Tabuk. Passengers and on‑duty crew have overpowered and restrained the attacker; all passengers have returned to Tel Aviv.
Birzeit University in the West Bank has been raided by Israeli forces, who demolished a memorial bearing the names of students killed in Israeli attacks. The raid followed earlier measurements of the monument and comes amid ongoing Israeli incursions into campuses in the occupied territories. The university notes this is part of a broader pattern and may escalate tensions around higher education.
Three years after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Israel faces a pivotal election that could determine the future of Benjamin Netanyahu’s premiership. Voters weigh accountability for security failures against a demand for stability as regional dynamics remain volatile and Gaza’s humanitarian toll persists.
A video shows Rabbi Dov Lando, 96, the spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah, condemning Zionism and questioning Israel’s state, while also saying ultra-Orthodox service exemptions are tied to politics. The remarks come three weeks before the October 27 election and add fuel to debates over Haredi military exemptions and the government’s stability.
Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem has been renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem, with a skeleton staff remaining after a last‑minute agreement with Israel. London says East Jerusalem remains occupied; Israel says the move is a response to sanctions on West Bank settlements. A wider standoff between the allies continues as talks proceed.
Since Monday, Israeli authorities have demolished homes in Umm Numaila and Abu Quraynat, reflecting a wider pattern of home demolitions in unrecognized Bedouin villages across the Negev as authorities press for building permits. The moves are part of a broader legal and political struggle over land and recognition in Israel’s southern desert.
Arab citizens of Israel may hold the pivotal balance in post-election governance as polls show neither bloc reaching a majority. Arab lists seek influence while Gaza and settlements shape the campaign, with turnout seen as the key to forming a government.
Palestinian olive farmers face escalating violence as Israeli settlers attack villages across the northern West Bank during the harvest. Dozens are injured, properties damaged, and crops looted amid heightened tensions ahead of elections. Journalists have been assaulted while covering the clashes, prompting condemnations and calls for accountability.
Nachala’s outpost near the Gaza border has drawn international attention, with activists claiming to relocate settlements into Gaza and police enforcing a closed zone. Leaders from the far right advocate a permanent return to Gaza, while authorities guard the border amid tension.
Israel has approved budget cuts totaling around NIS 4.9 billion affecting education, health, welfare, and other ministries, while defense procurement proceeds with AH-64E Apache helicopters. The government argues the measures fund urgent projects and security needs, though opponents criticize the impact on public services and welfare programs. The debate centers on funding sources and the balance between defense and social spending.
Trump has publicly endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s elections, calling him a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and a “Partner for Peace” in confronting Iran. The endorsement follows months of strain over the Iran war, with Netanyahu seeking to maintain a right-wing coalition as polls suggest a tight race.
The Israeli security forces have launched a broader operation in Hebron in response to Friday’s attack, aiming to locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructure and demolish structures posing a security risk. Netanyahu has pledged a hard line and is overseeing unprecedented steps, including a potential large-scale offensive in the West Bank. International concerns and Palestinian calls for protection accompany the on-ground actions.