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The Times of Israel liveblogged Thursday’s events as they unfolded.
Gaza technocratic committee holds 1st meet in Cairo, but diplomat says Israel hobbling it out of the gate
Members of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) held their first meeting today in Cairo, an Arab diplomat tells The Times of Israel.
The 15-member committee of Palestinian technocrats, headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, was joined by Nikolay Mladenov, who will be overseeing their work on behalf of the Board of Peace headed by US President Donald Trump.
The Arab diplomat says Mladenov is working with various stakeholders in the region to help secure a package of steps aimed at alleviating the Gaza humanitarian crisis in order to boost NCAG’s legitimacy coming out of the gate.
However, the diplomat says that the effort has been marred by Israeli opposition.
“The technocratic committee is just a group of 15 people. They need civil servants, but right now Israel is blocking both those on the Hamas payroll as well as those on the PA payroll,” the Arab diplomat says.
“The same is the case for the police. If Israel doesn’t want those tied to the PA, what’s left are the ones on the Hamas payroll,” the Arab diplomat says.
A US official confirms the Israeli opposition to even lower-level PA involvement in the management of Gaza, but says that the issue will be addressed in the coming weeks, adding that today’s meeting in Cairo was more aimed at “setting the tone for the work that lies ahead.”
The US official says that if the Gaza plan’s mediators can make progress regarding the disarmament of Hamas — which Washington thinks is possible — then Israel will be more flexible regarding a role for the PA in Gaza.
But talks with Hamas on disarmament are still in their initial stages, US officials acknowledged during a briefing yesterday.
The Arab diplomat says that NCAG will have more room to work once the Board of Peace, responsible for overseeing the technocratic body, is unveiled — something the US is aiming to do next week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
US judge to restrict Trump efforts to deport anti-Israel campus activists
A US federal judge says he will issue an order designed to prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from exacting “retribution” against academics who challenged its arresting, detaining and deporting non-citizen, pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists on US college campuses.
US District Judge William Young speaks at a hearing in Boston federal court, after finding in September that the US departments of State and Homeland Security violated the US Constitution’s First Amendment by chilling the free speech of non-citizen academics on college campuses.
“The big problem in this case is that the cabinet secretaries, and ostensibly, the president of the United States, are not honoring the First Amendment,” Young says.
Young, who was appointed by Republican former president Ronald Reagan and has criticized Trump’s other actions in the past, calls the administration’s actions “appalling,” and says it has “a fearful approach to freedom.”
The judge says he will limit the reach of his order to members of academic associations, including the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association, which challenged the administration’s actions.
Those groups had sought an order blocking the administration’s practices nationally. Young calls their proposal “overbroad,” but says a “sanction” is needed to remedy what he concludes was a conspiracy by top officials under Trump.
“We cast around the word ‘authoritarian,'” Young says. “I don’t, in this context, treat that in a pejorative sense, and I use it carefully, but it’s fairly clear that this president believes, as an authoritarian, that when he speaks, everyone, everyone in Article II is going to toe the line absolutely.”
Young says he will instead issue an order establishing a presumption that any change to the immigration status of those groups’ members is in retribution for their participation in the case and require the government to prove in court it is seeking to deport them for other, “appropriate” reasons.
The White House does not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After meeting Trump, Venezuela’s Machado says she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal
This combination of pictures created on January 14, 2026, shows US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2025, left, and Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2025. (Mandel NGAN and Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she presented US President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during their meeting today.
She does not answer reporters’ questions as to whether he accepted it.
UK welcomes Gaza peace plan progress and new Palestinian committee
British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper says she welcomes the commitment to move to phase two of the peace plan in Gaza, including the announcement of a Palestinian technocratic committee for the administration of the Strip.
“It’s critical we build momentum to sustain the ceasefire, address the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza with increased aid, remove the threat from Hamas, and deliver long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians,” she says in a statement.
“All parties must deliver on their commitments under President Trump’s 20 Point Peace Plan.”
UN chief: Military strikes on Iran would add ‘volatility to an already combustible situation’
General view of a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran at United Nations headquarters in New York on January 15, 2026. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
The UN warns that possible military strikes on Iran would add “volatility to an already combustible situation,” in an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres “urges maximum restraint at this sensitive moment and calls on all actors to refrain from any actions that could lead to further loss of life or ignite a wider regional escalation,” Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee says at the meeting.
Guterres urges maximum restraint and remains convinced that all issues regarding Iran, including its nuclear program, should be addressed through diplomacy and dialogue, she says.
The UN chief reaffirms the UN Charter’s principles that disputes must be settled peacefully and prohibit the threat or use of force, Pobee says.
US envoy to UN: US stands by Iranian people, all options on table
Members of the United Nations Security Council listen as Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN, speaks during a meeting on the situation in Iran at the United Nations headquarters on January 15, 2026, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/AFP)
The United States stands by the “brave people of Iran” and President Donald Trump “has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz tells the UN Security Council during a discussion on Iran’s brutal repression of anti-regime protests.
IDF says it struck Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon
The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah operative in the area of southern Lebanon’s Zawtar al-Sharqiyah a short while ago.
It is the latest in a series of strikes today on Hezbollah targets.
At Security Council, Iranian dissident accuses UN of failing to adequately respond to protest crackdown
Masih Alinejad, journalist and political dissident, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran at the United Nations headquarters on January 15, 2026, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/AFP)
Masih Alinejad, one of the most vocal Iranian dissidents in the US, accuses the United Nations and the Security Council of failing “to respond with the urgency this moment demands,” at an emergency UN Security Council meeting called to discuss Tehran’s brutal repression of the anti-regime protests.
In October, two purported Russian mobsters were each sentenced to 25 years behind bars for hiring a hitman to kill Alinejad at her Brooklyn home on behalf of the Iranian government.
Sitting across the table from the Iranian ambassador to the UN, Alinejad, who came after an invitation from the US, says that “the members of this body have forgotten the privilege and responsibility of sitting in this room.”
Iranian foreign minister calls on UN to condemn ‘illegal US interventions’
Ahead of an emergency UN Security Council meeting called to discuss Iran’s deadly protests at the request of the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Secretary-General António Guterres have spoken by phone to discuss the protests and Iran’s request for the world body to do more to condemn what they call foreign influence in the Islamic Republic, according to a readout of the call posted on Iranian state TV.
The semiofficial Tasnim news agency reports that Araghchi implored the top UN official to live up to the “serious expectation” that Iran’s government and its people have of the UN’s role in condemning what the officials called “illegal US interventions against Iran.”
Israeli and PA forces extract Jewish man seen wandering in West Bank city of Qalqilya
Israeli and Palestinian Authority security forces have extracted a Jewish Israeli man who was seen wandering the streets in the middle of the West Bank city of Qalqilya earlier tonight, the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration says.
An initial investigation has found that the man entered the city to go to a car repair shop. He has been transferred to the police for further questioning, given that Israeli entry into PA-controlled Area A is illegal.
PA security forces have assisted in such extractions roughly a dozen times in recent months.
Report: Israeli soldiers smuggled herd of 250 goats from Syria to West Bank farms; IDF took punitive action
A group of IDF soldiers operating in Syria two weeks ago stole a herd of some 250 goats and smuggled them into West Bank farmlands, Channel 12 reports, citing information obtained from law enforcement authorities.
A battalion from the Golan Brigade, operating in the Golan Heights, was conducting a mission inside Syrian territory when it identified the herd — belonging to Syrian farmers — and brought it into Israeli territory, according to the report. The goats were then reportedly loaded onto trucks that were apparently prepared in advance, and transported to several farms in illegal outposts in the West Bank.
The IDF says in a statement to the network that as a result of the incident — which was not authorized in real time — the team commander was dismissed from service, the company commander received a reprimand, and the team itself was suspended for a significant period.
The incident came to light the morning after the herd was smuggled, when farmers in the Golan Heights spotted dozens of goats wandering along the road and reported it to the army, prompting an investigation. The goats are reportedly still being searched for — around 200 of them are believed to be roaming in Israel, unmarked and unvaccinated, while the remainder of the herd is scattered inside Syrian territory.
The IDF adds that “the incident is known and is being handled by the relevant commanders.”
Levin claims AG’s objection to his complaint against Supreme Court chief is part of illicit deal between the two
Justice Minister Yariv Levin lambastes Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara after the latter said his disciplinary complaint against Supreme Court President Isaac Amit is factually baseless and “legally invalid,” alleging without evidence that the attorney general’s letter is part of an illicit quid-pro-quo deal with Amit.
In a statement, Levin says he “categirically rejects” Baharav-Miara’s letter, calling it “one big criminal offense.”
“The letter is a grave and extreme example of conflict of interest,” he charges, claiming that Baharav-Miara only objects to the complaint — and didn’t look into allegations regarding Amit’s construction offenses — as a personal favor to the Supreme Court chief, after the latter previously backed a High Court of Justice ruling that nullified the government’s firing of her.
The court made that ruling after the government failed to oust Baharav-Miara using the legally established procedure, and legislated a new method in order to fire her.
Levin also claims that Baharav-Miara is beholden to Amit since the latter refused to tap an official to oversee the investigation into the leak by the military advocate general of a video of IDF soldiers allegedly abusing a Palestinian detainee, to “prevent the search for truth” regarding her own alleged part in the saga.
Levin vows to continue pursuing his disciplinary complaint.
AG tells Levin his disciplinary complaint against Supreme Court chief is baseless and ‘legally invalid’
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)
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara tells Justice Minister Yariv Levin that his effort to file a disciplinary complaint against Supreme Court President Isaac Amit does not meet the criteria for a justice minister to take such action, and is “legally invalid.”
Levin is preparing to file a disciplinary complaint to the Disciplinary Court for Judges after State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula found that Amit had had a conflict of interest in a case in which he made several decisions before handing it off to a panel of three judges, which could have potentially benefited his brother.
Kula did not recommend disciplinary proceedings, however, and he dismissed nine other complaints against Amit, including one in which it was alleged he had violated construction laws in his home, allegations which Kula said had done “a significant injustice” to Amit and his family.
“The clear decision of the ombudsman… shows that there is no basis for advancing a disciplinary process, and does not provide [any] basis for continued clarifications on the disciplinary level. The opposite is true.”
She also states that the authority of the justice minister to file a disciplinary complaint against a judge is extremely limited and must be a case where there is the possibility of “real harm to judicial independence” and “infiltration of political considerations.”
Since there is no factual basis for such concerns in Levin’s complaint against Amit, Baharav-Miara tells the justice minister that it is legally invalid.
White House: Iran called off 800 executions following threats from Trump
Eight-hundred executions that had been supposed to take place yesterday were called off following US President Donald Trump’s warnings to the Islamic Republic not to kill protesters, the White House says.
“The president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be consequences. The president [then] received a message… that the killing and the executions will stop,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says during a press briefing.
“The president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” she adds.
Iran had not publicized plans to execute 800 protesters.
“The president and his team are closely monitoring the situation and all options remain on the table,” Leavitt says.
Asked to confirm a report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged Trump in a call last night to hold off on striking Iran, Leavitt confirms that they spoke but declines to provide details on what was discussed.
Senior Hamas official confirms death of commander in armed wing, condemns ‘dangerous escalation’
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan confirms the assassination earlier this evening of Muhammad al-Hawli, a commander in the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing.
The attack in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, which reportedly killed at least five other people, including Hawli’s wife and daughter, “is a dangerous escalation and reveals Israel’s intent to undermine the ceasefire agreement,” says Hamdan.
He calls on US President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to hold Israel to account.
“The ball is now in Trump’s and Witkoff’s court, and Washington must demonstrate Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement,” he says.
The IDF has not commented on the strike.
Netanyahu said to have asked Trump to hold off on Iran strike
US President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump over the past day to delay potential plans for an American strike on Iran, a senior US official tells The New York Times.
According to the report, Trump and Netanyahu spoke yesterday about the issue, on the same day that Trump announced he had heard “on good authority” that the killing of protesters in Iran had stopped — appearing to back away from his recent threats to attack.
Following The New York Times report, Channel 12 reports that after a series of overnight consultations at the Kirya military headquarters, Israel informed the US that while it supports any US decision, it is not currently pushing for a strike.
The Hebrew network adds that a US attack remains on the table as Washington continues to assess the situation, citing five sources involved in or familiar with White House discussions on the matter.
Jerusalem and Washington are holding daily consultations, the report continues, adding that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Netanyahu yesterday for reportedly the third conversation within six days.
While military options remain on the table for Trump, the current pause is also being viewed as an opening for diplomacy, the network continues, citing a US official as saying that the regime will collapse unless Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei agrees to speak directly with Trump.
Senior officials from American allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have also been urging the Trump administration not to attack Iran over the past several days, a Gulf Arab official says in the Times report, warning that such a move could trigger a wider regional conflict. Earlier reports indicated that leaders of the four Arab states led a coordinated effort to dissuade Trump from launching a strike.
Channel 12 adds that Israeli officials believe the protests are being suppressed and have declined dramatically, and there is a dispute within Israel’s top leadership regarding the approach toward Iran.
Former strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, who played a central role in the Iran file before leaving his position last year, is advocating for a more hawkish approach and conveying this to the Americans, the network says.
IDF says its strikes hit Hezbollah weapons depots across Lebanon
The IDF says it carried out strikes on Hezbollah weapons depots and other military infrastructure in southern Lebanon and deeper within the country earlier today, targeting sites allegedly used to support the terror group’s efforts to rebuild and prepare attacks against Israel.
According to the military, the strikes hit several weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure in southern Lebanon, as well as an underground arms depot deeper within Lebanese territory.
The IDF says it took steps to minimize civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions, advance warnings and aerial surveillance, adding that Hezbollah’s activity at the targeted sites violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Shortly before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for the towns of Machghara in the Western Beqaa District and south Lebanon’s Sohmor.
בעומק ובדרום לבנון: צה"ל תקף מחסני אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה
מוקדם יותר היום, צה"ל תקף תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום ובעומק לבנון.
במספר מרחבים בדרום לבנון, צה"ל תקף מספר מחסני אמצעי לחימה ותשתיות טרור נוספות ששימשו את ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה לקידום מתווי טרור נגד… pic.twitter.com/BvdEGOIwLA
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 15, 2026
IDF hunts suspects after explosive device, Molotov cocktail thrown near West Bank base
The IDF says troops have been deployed to the area of the West Bank village of Kafr Malik after assailants threw an explosive device and a Molotov cocktail at a road leading to a military base at Mount Hatzor.
According to the military, neither device detonated and there were no injuries.
Forces have cordoned off the village as they search for the suspects.
Zamir inspects Arrow air defenses amid heightened alert in light of Iranian threats
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits an Arrow missile defense battery and takes part in an aerial defense drill, January 15, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits an Arrow missile defense battery as Israel stays on heightened alert amid growing tensions with Iran, which has warned it would retaliate against Israel if attacked by the United States.
During the visit, Zamir took part in a drill simulating a missile attack and reviewed the unit’s operational readiness alongside the head of the Aerial Defense Array and other senior officers.
“It is important that every citizen of Israel knows that the IDF is constantly prepared to defend the country,” Zamir says, adding that the military “adjusts its readiness based on a responsible and measured situational assessment.”
He also stresses the central role of the air force and air defense units, saying “the Air Force, together with the rest of the IDF, constitutes a protective wall for our citizens and a guarantee of our security.”
The IDF says it remains on high alert and will continue to act to thwart threats across all fronts.
Houthi leader blames Iran protest on ‘American-Israeli scheme’
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group, claims “criminal gangs” are responsible for the situation in Iran, accusing them of carrying out an “American-Israeli” scheme.
“Criminal gangs in Iran killed Iranian citizens, security forces and burned mosques,” he says without providing evidence. “What’s being committed by criminal gangs in Iran is horrific, bearing an American stamp as it includes slaughter and burning some people alive.”
He also says that the US imposed economic sanctions on Iran to create a crisis, leading to the current issues in the country, with the end goal of controlling Iran.
Yet he said the US has “failed in Iran” and that Iranians “will not yield to America.”
EU says it’s considering stronger sanctions against Iran
The president of the European Union’s executive arm says the 27-member bloc is looking to strengthen sanctions against Iran as ordinary Iranians continue their protests against Iran’s theocratic government.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says, following a meeting of the EU’s commissioners in Limassol, Cyprus, that current sanctions against Iran are “weakening the regime.”
Von der Leyen says that the EU is looking to sanction individual Iranians — apart from those who belong to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard — who “are responsible for the atrocities.”
She adds that the people of Iran who are “bravely fighting for a change” have the EU’s “full political support.”
New financial adviser to IDF chief sworn in following record defense budget approval
Brig. Gen. Nir Weingold takes office as financial adviser to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and as head of the Budgeting Directorate in the Defense Ministry, replacing Brig. Gen. Gil Pinchas, in a handover ceremony at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Weingold’s appointment comes after the government approved a NIS 350 billion ($111 billion) budget for the defense establishment over the coming decade.
At the ceremony, Defense Minister Israel Katz says the funding – the largest in Israel’s history – is aimed at ensuring “absolute military, technological and operational superiority” in the face of enemies that “openly declare their desire to destroy us.”
Zamir says that amid multifront fighting, budget management has become a key element of military strength, noting that “optimal use of the IDF budget is a core part of the army’s operational capability, ensuring that every need is met with the required resources.”
Pinchas, who oversaw defense spending through the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the ensuing war, says the military failed that day but stresses that the financial corps helped drive Israel’s response.
“We failed profoundly and did not fulfill our duty to defend the State of Israel,” he says, adding that the system later enabled “extraordinary military achievements” while managing “the longest and most expensive war budget in Israel’s history in a professional, responsible and transparent manner.”
“No soldier – on the front line or in support roles – should ever lack what they need,” Weingold says.
He adds that those managing the defense budget must remember they are handling public money and act “with professionalism, integrity, fairness and humility.”
Top Hamas officer, at least 5 others said killed in Israeli strike in central Gaza; no IDF comment
At least six people, including a senior member of Hamas’s armed wing, have been killed in an Israeli strike on a home in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, Palestinian media reports.
The strike reportedly targeted the home of top al-Qassam Brigades officer Muhammad al-Hawli, killing him, his wife, his daughter and others.
The IDF does not immediately comment on the reports.
الجيش الإسرائيلي ينتهك اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار وينفذ عملية اغتيال للقائد محمد الحولي أبو فوائد، مسؤول حماة الثغور في كتائب القسام، حيث استشهد برفقة زوجته وأبنته .
ستة شهداء في القصف الإسرائيلي بغارتين على المنزل غرب دير البلح . pic.twitter.com/jbqQNCiLIs
— Tamer | تامر (@tamerqdh) January 15, 2026
Israel’s annual inflation increases; housing prices rise
Israel’s annual inflation in 2025 increased by 2.6% and remained within the government’s target range, as housing prices are showing signs of picking up, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Annual inflation over the past 12 months accelerated from 2.4% in November and 2.5% in October. In August, the inflation rate moved to within the government’s annual target range of between 1% to 3% for the first time since June 2024.
On a monthly basis, the December consumer price index (CPI), a measure of inflation that tracks the average cost of household goods, was little changed from the reading in November.
In December, notable increases were seen in the prices of clothing, which were up 1%, fresh fruit and vegetables rose 0.9%, and housing and transportation costs 0.7% each. Expenses for travel abroad were up 4.1%.
The housing price index was up 0.7%, rents on renewal of contracts soared 3%, and rents on contracts for new tenants jumped 4.6%.
These were offset by declines in the costs of entertainment and culture, which fell 2.6%, and furniture and home equipment slipped by 0.6%.
Lebanon charges 4 alleged Mossad agents accused of kidnapping official with ties to capture of Ron Arad
A handout photo from Israeli television made available on July 13, 2008, shows a photograph of Ron Arad, an Israeli Air Force navigator who was captured after his fighter jet was shot down in Lebanon in 1986. (HO / AFP)
Four people accused of an alleged kidnapping in Lebanon for Israel’s Mossad spy agency last month have been charged, a judicial official says, after a retired security officer whose brother was linked to an Israeli airman’s disappearance went missing.
Israel has apprehended suspects in Lebanon before and Mossad is accused of regularly attempting to contact Lebanese people to facilitate its operations, while Lebanon has arrested dozens of people on suspicion of collaborating with Israel over the years.
Lebanese authorities believe the agency known for espionage operations outside of Israel’s borders is behind the disappearance of retired security officer Ahmad Shukr last month.
Shukr, whose brother Hassan is suspected of involvement in the 1986 capture of Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad, disappeared in the Beqaa region of eastern Lebanon.
Authorities have arrested and charged one Lebanese man and charged three more who remain at large.
The four are charged with “communicating with and working for Mossad within Lebanon in exchange for money, and carrying out the kidnapping of Ahmad Shukr,” a judicial official tells AFP on condition of anonymity.
The three are “a Lebanese woman, a Lebanese-French man, and a Syrian-Swedish man,” the official said.
The Israeli airman Ron Arad, whose plane went down in southern Lebanon during the country’s civil war between 1975 and 1990, is now presumed dead and his remains were never returned.
Hassan Shukr was killed in 1988 in a battle between Israeli forces and local fighters, including from the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, a source close to the family told AFP last month, requesting anonymity.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Israel designates Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli a terror organization
An Iranian woman walks past a branch of the state-owned Melli Bank, which absorbed the assets of the now-defunct Ayandeh Bank, with signage on its facade reading in Farsi "This former Ayandeh Bank branch is now part of Melli Bank," in the capital Tehran on October 25, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Defense Minister Israel Katz signs an order designating Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli as a terrorist organization, accusing it of serving as a key financial arm of the Islamic Republic’s terror network.
According to a statement from Katz’s office, the bank plays a central role in transferring funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force, as well as to Iran-backed terror groups across the Middle East, allegedly helping to bankroll attacks against Israel and other targets.
The designation, made at the request of Israel’s security agencies, is intended to disrupt what the statement describes as one of the “main financial pipelines used by Iran’s proxy terror groups.”
Bank Melli was already designated a terror organization by the United States in 2018. Israel previously designated the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Bank Mellat and Bank Shahr as terror organizations.
“The Iranian regime is the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism and uses state-owned banks as full-fledged terror arms,” Katz says. “We will not allow Iran and its proxies to hide behind fake financial systems – and we will act by every means, everywhere, to dry up the sources of terror financing and thwart Iran’s attempts to spread terror around the world.”
The move comes amid Tehran’s bloody crackdown against nationwide protests that activists say killed thousands.
Poll: Most Israelis concerned by calls to defy High Court rulings, as Gantz passes electoral threshold
Most Israelis are concerned by growing calls by senior coalition officials to defy High Court of Justice rulings, according to a new survey conducted this week for Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language sister site.
The survey shows that 47% of the public are “very concerned” and 6% are “a little concerned,” while 42% said they aren’t concerned.
Meanwhile, as artificial intelligence is increasingly used for election campaigns, 37% says this use of AI should be banned, and 39% believe AI content must be labeled as such, with only 9% saying they have no problem with it.
And in the weekly Knesset election survey, the deadlock between the pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs persists, but the main change is that after recently polling consistently below the 3.25% electoral threshold, Benny Gantz’s embattled Blue and White party passes it and gets four seats after saying he’s not beholden to any bloc and ruling out a coalition with Arab parties.
The full results give 27 seats to Likud, 19 to Bennett 2026, 10 each to Yisrael Beytenu and Shas, 9 to Yesh Atid, 8 each to the Democrats and United Torah Judaism, 7 each to Otzma Yehudit and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, 6 to Ra’am, 5 to Hadash-Ta’al, and 4 to Blue and White. Balad, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism and Yoaz Hendel’s Hamiluimnikim fail to pass the electoral threshold.
The pro-Netanyahu bloc gets 52 seats, the anti-Netanyahu bloc gets 53 seats, while the Arab parties get 11, and the non-aligned Blue and White stands at 4.
The survey was conducted on January 14-15, by Tatika Research and Media in collaboration with the Adgenda panel, and included 500 Jewish and Arab respondents. The margin of error is 4.4%.
US says its new sanctions target Iranian officials accused of repressing anti-regime protests
The US is imposing a new round of sanctions against Iranian officials accused of repressing nationwide protests that challenge Iran’s theocratic government.
Included in the sanctions is the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury Department accuses of being one of the first officials to call for violence against Iranian protesters.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also designates 18 people and companies that the US says have participated in laundering money from sales of Iranian oil to foreign markets as part of a shadow banking network of sanctioned Iranian financial institutions Bank Melli and Shahr Bank.
Shadow banking refers to financial activities and institutions that act like banks but operate outside the regulations of the traditional banking system.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that the US “stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice” and that the Treasury ”will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”
Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and firms access to any property or financial assets held in the US and prevent US companies and citizens from doing business with them. However, they are largely symbolic since many of them do not hold funds with US institutions.
IDF says troops killed several suspects who crossed Yellow Line today and yesterday
The IDF says troops from the 7th Armored Brigade killed a suspect in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today after he crossed into the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line and approached soldiers in a manner that posed an “immediate threat.”
The military does not specify what the suspect did to be identified as a threat.
In a statement, the military adds that in several separate incidents yesterday in both southern and northern Gaza, additional suspects were killed after crossing the Yellow Line and moving toward troops. The IDF does not specify how many were killed during these incidents.
The IDF says its Southern Command forces remain deployed in Gaza in accordance with the October ceasefire agreement and will continue to act against any immediate threats.
After probe into Betar, Jewish legal group demands similar investigation of anti-Zionist groups
After the New York State attorney general probed the far-right Jewish group Betar, a US Jewish legal group demands investigations into anti-Zionist activist groups.
Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement in an investigation into Betar on Tuesday. She said the group had harassed people due to their Arab, Muslim and Jewish identities, had agreed to halt those activities, and would be ceasing operations in New York.
In a letter to James, the National Jewish Advocacy Center requests a similar investigation into Within Our Lifetime and Pal-Awda, two of the leading hardline anti-Zionist activist groups in New York.
The letter cites antisemitic hate crimes committed by an activist affiliated with Within Our Lifetime, Pal-Awda chanting for Hamas outside a synagogue, the destruction of public property during protests, confrontations with police, intimidation of Jews, and disruptions of public life.
“This is not merely disruptive expression. Leadership of these organizations has repeatedly and brazenly described an intent to use ‘any means necessary’ to target those who support and feel a connection to Israel — an identity commitment that is inseparable for many Jews from Jewish faith,” the letter says.
“In your recent enforcement action involving Betar US, your Office emphasized that New York will not tolerate organizations that use harassment, intimidation, and fear to silence others,” the letter says. “The conduct attributed to WOL and Al-Awda reflects the very things you have publicly committed to take on.”
The letter requests a formal investigation into the two groups, to evaluate their compliance with state laws on funding for nonprofits, and probing communication by the groups’ leaders.
“If violent extremist organizations targeting Jews and Zionists are permitted to operate with impunity, while enforcement is deployed only against those accused of ‘Zionist’ intent, the disparity will increasingly evidence discriminatory intent,” the letter says.
IDF arrests suspect allegedly planning to traffic weapons in Nablus
A handgun and magazine seized by IDF troops in the West Bank city of Nablus, January 15, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says troops arrested a suspect in the West Bank city of Nablus overnight on suspicion of planning to traffic weapons.
According to the military, forces from the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion detained the suspect during a counterterrorism operation in the city and seized a handgun, a magazine and additional weapons found in his possession.
Houthi leader says Yemeni rebels ‘serious’ about targeting any Israeli presence in Somaliland
Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, says the group is “serious” about attacking any Israeli target in Somaliland after Israel last month became the first country to recognize the separatist Somali region, which lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen.
“We will work to strengthen operations to monitor Israeli movements in Somaliland,” says al-Houthi in a video statement marking the Muslim calendar anniversary of the death of his elder brother and Houthi movement founder Hussein al-Houthi.
“We’re serious about targeting any Israeli presence in Somaliland — military base and the like,” he says. “We won’t hesitate to target any fixed Zionist presence that is accessible to us.”
He similarly said last month that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a “military target.”
US issues new Iran-related sanctions, US Treasury website shows
US President Donald Trump’s administration has issued new Iran-related sanctions, targeting more than a dozen individuals and entities, according to a new post on the US Department of Treasury website.
Canadian national has died in Iran at the hands of the authorities, says Ottawa
A Canadian citizen has died in Iran at the hands of the Iranian authorities, Ottawa’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand says in a social media post, without giving details of how or when.
“Peaceful protests by the Iranian people — asking that their voices be heard in the face of the Iranian regime’s repression and ongoing human rights violations — has led the regime to flagrantly disregard human life,” she says.
Over 1,000 activists marching to Knesset to demand ultra-Orthodox military service
Neta Rosenberg participates in a march against blanket military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox, in Jerusalem, January 15, 2026. (Jeremy Sharon/Times of Israel)
Over a thousand activists are staging a march and rally in Jerusalem demanding that ultra-Orthodox men be required to perform military service, against the background of the government’s efforts to pass a law that would reinstate blanket exemptions for most Haredi yeshiva students.
The demonstrators are marching from the Chords Bridge at the city entrance to the Knesset, where a rally will be held.
They include former prime minister Naftali Bennett, former minister Gadi Eisenkot and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, all rivals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in this year’s Knesset election.
“We need legislation for an enlistment law that is fair to those who serve and does not allow the ultra-Orthodox to continue to evade the draft,” says Neta Rosenberg, 19, who is currently in the Aderet pre-military academy.
“I’m enlisting next year, but there are many people my age who will be sitting in air-conditioned rooms and studying Torah while others contribute to the country, endanger their lives, and enlist,” continues Rosenberg.
He says that the state should cease all funding to ultra-Orthodox yeshivas and institutions if the community refuses to send its men to military service, although he says some proposals, such as Lapid’s suggestion to deny the evaders the right to vote, are not acceptable.
“If there are people not taking an active part in the country then they are creating a divide in the nation and creating animosity as well.”
Dvir Even Chen, 18, who is also in a pre-military academy and is enlisting next year, says that all sectors of the country need to share the burden of military service equally.
“It’s our country, we have to take care of it, and if we don’t, no one else will,” she says.
Even Chen rejects arguments from the ultra-Orthodox that they have to study Torah to protect the country, noting that young religious Zionist men and women both study Torah and enlist, and that she herself is in a religious pre-military academy with many other young religious women.
“You can study and enlist, and protect the country at the same time. The two are not contradictory.”
False alarm triggers sirens in Gaza border community
The IDF says red alert sirens were activated in the Gaza border community of Nahal Oz a short while ago, but the alert has quickly been determined to be a false identification.
Israeli military issues another evacuation order ahead of further strikes on Hezbollah
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee issues another urgent evacuation warning to Lebanese civilians, this time to residents of Machghara in the Western Beqaa District, saying Israeli forces will soon strike Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area.
In a post on X, Adraee says the IDF is planning to target the Hezbollah sites due to the terror group’s “illegal attempts to restore its activity in the area” and urges civilians in buildings marked on accompanying maps, and those nearby, to leave immediately and move at least 300 meters away.
A short while ago, the military announced that it was striking separate targets in Lebanon, following a similar evacuation warning for the town of Sohmor.
#عاجل ‼️ إنذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان وتحديدًا في قرية مشغرة
????سيهاجم جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب بنى تحتية عسكرية تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي وذلك للتعامل مع محاولاته المحظورة لإعادة إعمار أنشطته في المنطقة
????نحث سكان المبنييْن المحدديْن بالأحمر في الخريطتيْن المرفقتيْن… pic.twitter.com/pv8pMqYoyv— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 15, 2026
IDF launches strikes on Hezbollah targets following evacuation warning
The IDF says it has begun carrying out strikes on Hezbollah targets in multiple areas of Lebanon, following an earlier evacuation warning issued to residents in the southern town of Sohmor.
More details are expected to follow.
BREAKING: The IDF is striking Hezbollah terrorist targets in multiple areas across Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/dJqd6tkFDE
— נועה מגיד | Noa magid (@NoaMagid) January 15, 2026
US court rules judge had no jurisdiction to free pro-Palestinian activist Khalil, in win for Trump administration
Anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian US activist Mahmoud Khalil carries a Palestinian flag during a rally celebrating his return from immigration detention, June 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)
A US federal appeals court rules that a judge had no jurisdiction to order the release of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, delivering US President Donald Trump’s administration a victory in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist.
A 2-1 panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals orders the dismissal of a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention after finding that federal immigration law strips the lower court of jurisdiction over his claims.
Khalil, an Algerian citizen who was born in Syria to a Palestinian family, became a high-profile figure after his arrest by the Trump administration in March, part of the government’s crackdown on anti-Israel activism and antisemitism on college campuses.
Khalil was held in custody for several months until he secured a court-ordered release in June. He has waged a legal battle against deportation since then as authorities continued to seek his removal from the US.
He was the head of Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a coalition of anti-Israel campus activists, while he was a graduate student at Columbia.
CUAD led disruptive protests at Columbia as the campus became an epicenter of anti-Israel activism following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Israelis and Jews at Columbia, and a university antisemitism task force, reported widespread antisemitism during the turmoil.
CUAD has endorsed violence, called for “the total eradication of Western civilization,” backed the October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel, applauded US-designated terror groups, distributed Hamas propaganda at a university library, and supported an activist imprisoned for assaulting Jewish Columbia students.
During his release, Khalil resumed his activism, appearing at protests and in the media. He has recently defended the Hamas invasion of Israel, denied any antisemitism at Columbia, met with Sen. Bernie Sanders, called for the “collapse” of the “Zionist genocidal project,” and applauded anti-Zionist Jews.
Israel held chair of Gaza technocratic committee at border for over 6 hours — Palestinian official
Ali Shaath. (Courtesy)
Israeli authorities held up the head of the new Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with managing Gaza at the Allenby Crossing for over six hours yesterday, a Palestinian official familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.
Ali Shaath eventually made it out of the West Bank en route to Egypt, where the first meeting of the technocratic committee is slated to be held today.
Delaying Shaath’s travel demonstrates Israel’s desire to sabotage the technocratic committee’s work, the Palestinian official alleges, adding that it also highlights the extent to which Israel controls the lives of Palestinians.
A spokesperson for Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority declined a request for comment.
Red Crescent says one of its employees was killed in Iran
One Red Crescent member of staff has been killed and five other colleagues wounded while on duty in northwestern Iran, the aid group’s parent organization says, without giving the circumstances.
“The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is deeply saddened by the killing of Amir Ali Latifi, an Iranian Red Crescent Society staff member, and the wounding of five other IRCS colleagues, who were all in the line of duty in Gilan province, on January 10,” the IFRC says in a statement from its headquarters in Geneva.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of slain hostage Hersh, to publish book about family’s ordeal
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, wears a strip of masking tape indicating the number of days that had passed since her son and over 200 people in Israel were taken hostage, May 29, 2024. (Ahikam Seri/AFP via Getty Images via JTA)
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, bereaved mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin who was abducted from the Nova rave on October 7, 2023, and killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza in August 2024, has written a book about her family’s saga, titled “When We See You Again.”
The 272-page book will be published in the US in hardcover and ebook on April 21 by Random House. An audiobook edition will be released simultaneously and will be read by Goldberg-Polin.
In the book, Goldberg-Polin shares her family’s saga, as she and her husband Jon Polin worked in public and behind the scenes for the hostages’ release.
Goldberg-Polin became a prominent voice advocating for the hostages following the October 7 onslaught, speaking to world leaders and in global forums.
She is known for placing a piece of masking tape on her clothing marked with the number of days since October 7, which she wore daily, even after her son’s death, to continue advocating for the remaining hostages.
Rejecting police request, court rules Braverman can return to PMO but can’t contact Feldstein
Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman in the Knesset, Jerusalem, November 11, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court rejects police requests for restrictive conditions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, on Omer Mansour, a spokesperson in the Prime Minister’s Office, and on ex-spokesman Jonatan Urich who is a key suspect in the Qatargate and Bild affairs.
Judge Menachem Mizrahi says there is “no evidentiary, substantive, proportionate and practical justification” to accept the police requests to ban the suspects from contacting each other and restricting where they can work, apart from several exceptions.
The judge rejects the police request for restrictive conditions on Braverman, only okaying a ban on him contacting the premier’s former aide Eli Feldstein, who has been indicted over the leaked documents affair, for 30 days and a NIS 5,000 ($1,600) bond.
The police requested that Braverman be barred from entering the Prime Minister’s Office for 15 days, but the court rejects this request.
Mizrahi also rules that Urich can contact anyone, except for Feldstein and Yisrael Einhorn, another suspect in the Qatargate and leaked documents affairs, for 60 more days.
And no restrictive conditions are issued for Mansour, other than a NIS 5,000 bond.
The ruling will go into effect this coming Sunday to give the police time to appeal the decision.
Mizrahi has issued numerous rulings rejecting police requests for measures against the premier’s former aides, and most of them have been overturned after appeals to a district court.
Braverman was interrogated at length on Sunday about his alleged attempt to obstruct a probe into the leak of classified documents to German tabloid Bild.
Braverman and Mansour were detained for interrogation after Feldstein, a former spokesman for Netanyahu, alleged last month that Braverman had known of a covert investigation into the leak months before it was publicized, and had assured Feldstein that he’d be able to quash the probe.
Gulf states led efforts to talk Trump out of attacking Iran, fearing ‘grave blowbacks’ if he did — official
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk US President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region,” a senior Saudi official tells AFP.
The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention,” the official says, on condition of anonymity.
“Communication is still underway to consolidate gained trust and current good spirit,” he adds.
IDF issues evacuation warning ahead of planned strike on Hezbollah in south Lebanon
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee issues an urgent evacuation warning to residents of south Lebanon’s Sohmor, saying Israeli forces will soon strike Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area.
In a post on X, Adraee says the IDF is planning to target the Hezbollah sites “due to its illegal attempts to restore its activity in the area” and urges civilians in buildings marked on an accompanying map, and those nearby, to leave immediately and move at least 300 meters away.
#عاجل ‼️ إنذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان وتحديدًا في قرية سحمر
????سيهاجم جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب بنى تحتية عسكرية تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي وذلك للتعامل مع محاولاته المحظورة لإعادة إعمار أنشطته في المنطقة
????نحث سكان المبنى المحدد بالأحمر في الخريطة المرفقة والمباني… pic.twitter.com/udKqxyMLLz— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 15, 2026
US lowers security alert at Qatar air base, sources say
In this handout photo from the U.S. Air Force, an airman guides an F-16 Fighting Falcon during training at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, January 24, 2022. (US Air Force/Capt. Mahalia Frost, via AP)
The security warning level at the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar has been lowered after a heightened alert triggered on Wednesday, three sources briefed on the situation tell Reuters.
US aircraft that were moved out of Al Udeid on Wednesday are gradually returning to the base, one of the sources adds. The other two sources, both diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity, say that some personnel who were advised to leave the base yesterday have also been permitted to return.
The US embassy in Qatar did not comment when contacted by Reuters.
The move comes after an Iranian official said Trump had informed Iran he did not intend to authorize strikes against the Islamic Republic at this stage.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Trump said to tell Iran he’s not planning to authorize strikes, isn’t interested in war
US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, January 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump informed Tehran that he does not intend to strike Iran despite his repeated threats in recent days, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports.
The report cites Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, as saying that he received an indication overnight that Trump had communicated to the Islamic Republic that he did not want war.
He says the US president requested that Iran likewise refrain from attacking “US interests” in the region.
PA President Abbas to visit Moscow next week
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Moscow on January 21-22, Russian news agency TASS reports, citing the Palestinian embassy.
Abbas last visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May 2025.
UN Security Council to meet on Iran this afternoon
The UN Security Council is slated to meet this afternoon for “a briefing on the situation in Iran,” according to a spokesperson for the Somali presidency.
The scheduling note says the briefing was requested by the United States.
Opposition leaders accuse PM of betraying IDF soldiers over reshuffle aimed at passing Haredi draft law
Opposition leader and Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of betraying IDF soldiers by appointing United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler as Deputy Communications Minister in a bid to pass his government’s draft regulation law for yeshiva students.
“Netanyahu is advancing draft evasion together with Knesset members who do not believe in the existence of the State of Israel,” says Lapid in a post on X, adding that the prime minister is “once again betraying IDF soldiers and reservists.”
“The appointment of Eichler as a deputy minister – a man who has called Israel an ‘enemy state,’ a historic national disaster, and said there is a ‘Hebrew ghetto’ here – solely to pass the draft-evasion law is a disgrace that cannot be erased,” he continues.
Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman condemns the appointment as a bribe.
“Government ministries are not a gift or a bribe; there is actually a country here to run,” Liberman writes in a post on X, calling the appointment “disgraceful” and “absurd.”
“Eichler is someone who opposes the very existence of the state and, broadly speaking, is also quite opposed to the very existence of the media,” he continues.
The move is reported to be a quid pro quo in which the prime minister appoints Eichler to the cabinet, and in exchange, he will resign from the Knesset under the Norwegian Law and thus lose his vote against the government’s bill exempting yeshiva students from military service, while allowing former UTJ MK Yitzhak Pindrus to return to the Knesset and vote in favor.
Meanwhile, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi congratulates Eichler in a post on X, writing that he “welcomes the move.”
“Together we will work resolutely to complete the government’s central tasks – the draft law, the communications reform, the budget, and other issues – for the sake of the people of Israel,” Karhi says.
UTJ’s Eichler appointed deputy communications minister, preventing him from voting against conscription bill
United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler chairs a Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee meeting in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler will be appointed deputy communications minister, according to Hebrew media reports, in a move by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that will prevent him from voting against the government’s draft regulation bill for yeshiva students, as he will no longer be a member of Knesset, and also will allow former UTJ MK Yitzhak Pindrus to reenter the Knesset and vote in favor.
Ministers are expected to approve the appointment today.
Under the agreement, Eichler, who is a member of UTJ party leader Yitzhak Goldknopf’s Agudat Yisrael faction, which opposes the current draft law, will resign from the Knesset and be appointed to the cabinet under the so-called Norwegian law.
This will allow Pindrus, from MK Moshe Gafni’s Degel Hatorah faction, which supports the bill in its current form, to reenter the Knesset and vote in support of the measure.
Pindrus was one of three UTJ MKs pushed out of the Knesset in July under the Norwegian Law, following the resignations of the party’s ministers when UTJ quit the government over the failure to pass a draft exemption bill.
That led Agudat Yisrael to hold four seats within the Knesset, while Degel HaTorah had only three, causing negotiations within the party over faction control. The new arrangement is a compromise that restores balance between the two, and more significantly allows Netanyahu to both neutralize an opponent of the bill and secure another vote in its favor.
As part of his role, Eichler will reportedly be given authority to oversee the Lag B’Omer pilgrimage to Mount Meron, which draws hundreds of thousands of participants largely from the ultra-Orthodox community.
Former lone soldier Joshua Boone to be buried in civilian ceremony as loved ones seek IDF recognition
Joshua Boone. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Friends and family of Joshua Boone, a US-born former lone soldier who was found dead earlier this week, announce that a civilian funeral will be held today at 2:30 p.m. at the New Be’er Sheva Cemetery.
In recent days, Boone’s loved ones have been campaigning for him to be recognized as a fallen soldier and receive a military burial, even though he was not on active duty at the time of his death.
The IDF said Monday that it “appears that the circumstances [of Boone’s death] may be connected” to his military service, though the cause of his death has yet to be determined.
Under Israeli policy, any soldier who dies while on active duty is automatically recognized as a fallen soldier and receives a military burial, while those who die off duty – even if their death is directly linked to their military service – are not granted that status.
“Josh gave hundreds of days of his life to defending Israel. He lived as a warrior, served as a warrior, and will be buried as one, even if the official bodies have failed to grant him the recognition he deserves,” Boone’s loved ones say in a statement posted on social media.
“Even as funeral times have been set, this miscarriage of justice is not over. The fight for Josh’s recognition will continue, before, during, and long after his burial,” the statement adds.
The funeral will be available to view via a livestream.
Over 1,000 doctors immigrated to Israel in past two years
More than 1,000 immigrant physicians have joined Israel’s healthcare system over the past two years, according to data presented at the National Conference for Immigrant Physicians yesterday.
These immigrants are invaluable additions to Israel’s medical sector, which suffers from continued workforce shortages, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry says. They come at a time when many have left the country, due in part to challenges related to Israel’s war in Gaza and political uncertainty.
Some 541 physicians moved to Israel in 2025, including 346 from the former Soviet Union, 93 from North America and 53 from France, the ministry says. Many came through the International Medical Aliyah Program, or IMAP, led by Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with multiple government ministries and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Immigrant physicians have been placed at the country’s largest medical centers, including Sheba, Hadassah, Rambam, Ichilov and Soroka.
About NIS 5 million ($1.6 million) in grants were given to 15 doctors who chose to live and work in Israel’s Negev and Galilee regions, where the need for doctors is highest, the ministry notes.
Cyclist to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day with 1,000-km bike ride spelling ‘Never Again’
Cyclist Lukáš Klement's 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) bike route in Poland spells the words "Never again" (Zaka Search and Rescue)
Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a Czech cyclist is embarking today on a 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) bike ride through Poland that will spell the phrase “Never again” on the trail map.
The cyclist, Lukáš Klement, will begin the ride in front of the infamous Gate of Death at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The entrance to the camp bears the slogan “Arbeit macht frei,” German for “Work makes one free.”
The ride, organized in cooperation with Israel’s ZAKA Search and Rescue organization, is expected to take some 50 hours. Klement invites the public to join him for the first kilometer of the ride, which will start at 3 p.m. local time today.
“After the attack in Sydney and just before Holocaust Remembrance Day, this is my answer to the terrorists: a cross-border, cross-cultural project that connects people regardless of race, gender, or religion,” Klement says.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held every year on January 27, the day Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.
The slogan “Never again” was used by liberated prisoners at the Buchenwald concentration camp to denounce fascism, and has become a call to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust.
Shin Bet, police foil attempt to move hundreds of M16 magazines into West Bank, arrest 3
The Shin Bet and Israel Police say they have arrested two Israeli citizens from Lod and a Palestinian from the West Bank over an alleged attempt to smuggle weapon parts to terror operatives.
In a joint statement, the agencies say the Israeli suspects, Hamdan Issam Hamdan Abu Labdeh and Mohammad Hassan Khalil Amsa’ed, both 25, were detained in recent weeks along with Ahmad Mohammad Saleh Awad, a 33-year-old Palestinian from the Nablus area, whom investigators believe was the intended recipient of the weapons components.
According to the security forces, the case came to light after Amsa’ed was caught attempting to enter the West Bank while carrying more than 500 M16 magazines. The agencies say the equipment was meant to be delivered to Awad, who is in contact with terror operatives in the West Bank and was helping them acquire weapons.
Security officials warn that smuggling weapons or weapon parts into the West Bank poses a direct threat, as they could end up in the hands of terrorist groups.
Prosecutors are expected to file indictments against the two Israeli suspects, while the Palestinian suspect’s case is being handled by the military prosecution.
4.2-magnitude earthquake recorded in southern Israel; no reports of injuries
The earthquake that set off alerts in the Dead Sea and southern Negev regions measured 4.2 on the Richter scale, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre says.
The epicenter of the quake was near Dimona, it says.
The Magen David Adom emergency service says it has not received any reports of injuries as a result of the earthquake.
Earthquake alerts activated in Dead Sea, southern Negev areas
The Home Front Command publishes an earthquake warning for the Dead Sea area and the southern Negev Desert.
Residents of the areas report feeling the earthquake.
Iran’s judiciary says Erfan Soltani will not be given death sentence — state media
Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old Iranian man arrested on January 10 during protests, has not been sentenced to death, the country’s judiciary is quoted as saying by state media.
The judiciary says Soltani, currently held in the central penitentiary of Karaj, is being charged with “colluding against the country’s internal security and propaganda activities against the regime,” but that the death penalty does not apply to such charges if they are confirmed by a court.
IDF demolishes Hebron home of terrorist in Gush Etzion Junction attack
The IDF says it demolished overnight the Hebron home of Imran al-Atrash, a terrorist who carried out a combined ramming and stabbing attack at Gush Etzion Junction in November, in which Israeli civilian Aharon Cohen, 71, was killed and three others were wounded.
According to the military, troops from the Judea Regional Brigade carried out the demolition of Al-Atrash’s home.
He and another attacker carried out the assault on November 18, 2025, at the busy West Bank junction south of Jerusalem.
The military also releases footage and photos from the demolition.
כוחות צה"ל מחטיבת יהודה הרסו את בית המחבל שביצע את הפיגוע המשולב בצומת הגוש בו נרצח אהרון כהן ז"ל ונפצעו אזרחים נוספים
במהלך הלילה, כוחות צה"ל פעלו בחברון שבחטיבת יהודה להריסת ביתו של המחבל עמראן אל-אטרש.
המחבל יחד עם מחבל נוסף, ביצע את פיגוע הדריסה והדקירה ב-18 בנובמבר 2025… pic.twitter.com/xufA0y8Z9v
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 15, 2026
As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.
Israeli officials have said the policy is intended to dissuade Palestinians from planning terror attacks, as doing so will harm their extended families’ livelihood. Critics have called it collective punishment.
No to nuclear missiles, yes to ties with Israel, US: Iran’s exiled crown prince lays out vision for the future
A protester holds a poster of Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, outside Iran's embassy in Santiago, Chile, January 13, 2026. (AP/Esteban Felix)
The exiled son of Iran’s last Shah, Reza Pahlavi, vows that the country’s nuclear program will be dismantled after the fall of the Islamic Republic, in a statement laying out his vision for the future.
The Iran of today, one identified with “terrorism, extremism and poverty,” will be gone, he writes on social media platform X, and be replaced with “a beautiful, peace-loving, and flourishing Iran.”
He says that once the regime collapses, “Iran’s nuclear military program will end.”
“Support for terrorist groups will cease immediately. A free Iran will work with regional and global partners to confront terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, and extremist Islamism,” he writes, asserting that the country will “act as a friend and stabilizing force in the region.”
It will normalize relations with the Islamic Republic regime’s greatest foes, the United States and Israel, and will “pursue the expansion of the Abraham Accords into the Cyrus accords bringing together a free Iran, Israel, and the Arab world.”
The Cyrus Accords are the exiled crown prince’s proposed peace agreement for Jerusalem and Tehran in a post-regime world.
“A new chapter will begin, grounded in mutual recognition, sovereignty, and national interest,” he writes.
He also lays out his vision for the future of Iran’s domestic affairs, including its economy, energy, and governance, and promises that the country will “adopt and enforce international standards.”
“A free Iran will be a force for peace. for prosperity. And for partnership,” he concludes.
To all of our friends around the world,
Under the yoke of the Islamic Republic, Iran is identified in your minds with terrorism, extremism, and poverty. The real Iran is a different Iran. A beautiful, peace-loving, and flourishing Iran.
It is the Iran that existed before the… pic.twitter.com/IhK6ZRYDY0
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) January 15, 2026
‘Rats fleeing the ship’: US treasury secretary says Iran’s leaders moving funds out of the country
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that his department has tracked the wiring of “tens of millions of dollars” out of the country by Iranian leaders.
“We are now seeing the rats fleeing the ship,” he says in an interview with Newsmax. “We are tracing these assets and they will not be able to keep them.”
India urges its citizens in Iran to leave the country
India’s foreign ministry has urged its citizens to leave Iran, where rights groups say a crackdown on mass protests has killed and arrested thousands of people.
India’s foreign ministry estimates there are usually around 10,000 citizens in Iran.
“Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport,” the Indian Embassy in Tehran says in a post on social media.
IDF says reservist serving in north Gaza seriously hurt by unintentional discharge
The Israel Defense Forces says that a reserve soldier serving in the northern Gaza Strip was seriously wounded by an unintentional discharge on Wednesday.
He was taken to the hospital and military officials notified his family, according to the IDF, which doesn’t immediately provide further details on the incident.
Iran reopens airspace after 5-hour closure
Iran has reopened its airspace after a near-five-hour closure amid concerns about possible military action between the US and Iran that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay some flights.
Iran closed its airspace to all flights except international ones to and from Iran with official permission at 5:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to a notice on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration website.
The notice was removed shortly before 10 p.m. local time, according to tracking service Flightradar24, which showed five flights from Iranian carriers Mahan Air, Yazd Airways and AVA Airlines were among the first to resume over the country.
At a similar time last week to the airspace closure there had been dozens of planes in the air over Iran, tracking service Flightradar24 says.
The temporary closure came as President Donald Trump has been weighing a response to the situation in Iran, which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.
Trump said to want an attack on Iran ‘to be definitive’ and not trigger sustained war
US President Donald Trump speaks before signing bills in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
US President Donald Trump has told his top national security aides that he wants any military action against Iran to deal a swift and decisive blow to the regime while not triggering an extended conflict that lasts for weeks or months, NBC News reports.
Citing a US official and people familiar with the matter, the broadcaster says that Trump’s advisers have not yet been able to guarantee that the Islamic Republic would swiftly fall if struck by the United States, and also are citing concerns that they don’t have the military assets in place across the Middle East to defend against an Iranian response.
Therefore, if Trump does decide to attack, he could initially green light more limited strikes on Iran while keeping open the possibility of later escalation, according to the report, which describes the situation as quickly evolving and stresses no decision has been made.
The sources quoted in the report emphasize, however, that Trump is prepared to follow through on his repeated pledge that the US is coming to the aid of anti-government protesters.
“If [Trump] does something, he wants it to be definitive,” one of the people tells NBC.
The report also says that Trump is supposed to be presented Wednesday with different military options designed to achieve the goals that he outlined during a briefing with his national security team a day earlier.
US Embassy in Kuwait orders ‘temporary halt’ on visits to military bases
The US Embassy in Kuwait says it has ordered a “temporary halt” to its personnel from going to multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country amid heightened tensions with Iran over a crackdown on nationwide protests there.
It says that it is “a temporary halt to movement into facilities at Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Patriot.”
Kuwait is home to US Army Central, the service’s Mideast command.
US official: Hamas figures say ‘they want peace,’ are signaling ‘real possibility’ of disarmament
Hamas gunmen search for the remains of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, January 7, 2026. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A US official briefing reporters acknowledges that Israel is heavily skeptical that Hamas will disarm, but he insists that the terror group has indicated that it is prepared to do so.
“The goal here is to create the alternative to Hamas that wants peace and to figure out how to empower them,” the US official says of the Palestinian technocratic committee for Gaza that was launched on Wednesday.
“We will be engaging in conversations with Hamas on the next phase, which is demilitarization and [we will be engaging] with Israel on what amnesty program can be given to Hamas [fighters] if they do this,” the US official says.
“There’s clearly not a lot of trust between both sides after decades of conflict, but… believe that there is a good chance that everyone will try to keep their word in the agreement, and we will be able to move things forward,” the US official says.
The official claims Hamas officials “are indicating that there’s a real possibility that [demilitarization] will happen, so we’re pushing very hard to make it happen.”
“We’ve talked to a number of Hamas people, and we’re hearing throughout the Arab world that people don’t want to be at war anymore. They want peace. They want a better economic future for their families. They want credible homes,” says a second US official on the briefing. “They want what everybody else in this world wants — just a good life, and a good life doesn’t occur through military means.”
Offering some more detail on what demilitarization might look like, the first senior US official says all terror infrastructure in Gaza will be destroyed and “heavy weaponry, like RPGs, rocket launchers and missiles” will “need to be put into a place where they’re not being used.”
He notably made no mention of light weapons, which Israel is also insisting be part of the disarmament program, arguing that AK-47s are what Hamas uses to maintain its control of Gazans in the Strip.
“Gaza needs to have basic policing so that they can keep control of their populations. People should be able to make sure that it’s a place free of crime, where people can live freely and safely,” the US official says.
The US has been in talks with Mideast mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have assured Washington that Hamas will agree to a gradual disarmament plan that would begin with the terror group giving up its heavy weaponry and the launch of a “buy-back” program for lighter weapons, according to the US official and two Arab diplomats told The Times of Israel last week, who said the goal is to begin implementing the program in the coming weeks.
It was not clear whether this framework will be sufficient for Israel. Hamas officials have publicly asserted that the organization will only agree to give up its weapons in a negotiated process that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Iran further extends closure of airspace to commercial planes
Iran further extends an order closing its airspace to commercial aircraft without explanation early Thursday as tensions remain high with the United States over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
A notice to pilot said the closure is estimated to last until 7:30 a.m. local time. A previous order had closed the airspace for just over two hours.
The Iranian government offers no explanation of the decision to shut its airspace.
Trump says Reza Pahlavi ‘seems very nice’ but questions if he can garner support in Iran
Members of the Iranian community hold posters of Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi and US President Donald Trump during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, outside the US Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, January 14, 2026. (AP/Andreea Alexandru)
US President Donald Trump says that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems very nice” but expresses uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.
In an exclusive Reuters interview in the Oval Office, Trump says there is a chance Iran’s clerical government could collapse, blames Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the stalemate in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine, and dismisses Republican criticism of a Justice Department probe of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have been reported killed in a crackdown on the unrest against clerical rule. But he is reluctant to lend his full support to Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, who was ousted from power in 1979.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump says. “And we really aren’t up to that point yet.
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me.”
Trump’s comments go further in questioning Pahlavi’s ability to lead Iran after saying last week that he had no plans to meet with him.
The US-based Pahlavi, 65, has lived outside Iran since before his father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has become a prominent voice in the protests. Iran’s opposition is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions — including the monarchists who back Pahlavi — and appears to have little organized presence inside the Islamic Republic.
Trump says it is possible the government in Tehran could fall due to the protests but that in truth “any regime can fail.”
“Whether or not it falls or not, it’s going to be an interesting period of time,” he says.
Invites went out to lots of world leaders who Trump wants on Board of Peace — US official
Seated at main table, L/R, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, US President Donald Trump, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attend a multilateral meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
Formal invitations to serve on the Board of Peace responsible for overseeing the postwar management of Gaza went out to world leaders on Wednesday, a US official tells reporters, while declining to divulge which countries were invited to take part.
The Times of Israel reported last month that the US had informed interlocutors that it secured commitments from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany to have their leaders join US President Donald Trump on the Board of Peace.
The US is hoping to more than double that number, but has had limited success to date, a senior Arab diplomat said last week, adding that Washington is considering filling spots on the panel with the heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Economic Forum.
But briefing reporters on Wednesday, a US official is bullish about the Board of Peace’s makeup, saying that Trump was personally involved in selecting who would receive an invitation to join him on the panel. According to the official, invitations were sent out earlier in the day to “a lot of countries” and “there has been a very overwhelming response.”
The Board of Peace will be tasked with overseeing the work of a Palestinian technocratic committee that will manage daily affairs in Gaza, which was also established on Wednesday.
“For the first time in Gaza in almost a long time, there’s no Palestinian Authority and there’s no Hamas governing it. This really has the potential to be the beginning of a new era,” the US official says, adding that the members of the technocratic committee will be publicly unveiled in the next 48 hours and have been carefully vetted in collaboration with Arab states.
“Our job at the Board of Peace is to be supporting them, giving them all the best practices of what’s being done in the region and find ways to give them every opportunity to be successful,” the US official says.
The Board of Peace will also have an executive committee that will effectively be headed by Nickolay Mladenov. The former UN envoy to the Mideast has been given the title of Board of Peace high representative. Also serving on the executive committee will be former UK prime minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s top aides Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, officials have told The Times of Israel.
The executive committee will work more closely with the technocratic committee than the Board of Peace, which will only meet a handful of times each year and largely play a symbolic role that offers legitimacy for the initiative as it needs to fundraise a significant amount of cash.
Also being established as part of phase two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan is an International Stabilization Force that will be tasked with providing security in the Strip.
The US has struggled to get countries on board amid heavy speculation that Hamas will disarm. One of the two countries Washington had publicly touted, Azerbaijan, announced earlier this month that it would not be participating.
But the US official briefing reporters downplayed the challenge, insisting that enough countries have volunteered to contribute troops to allow the initiative to move forward.
Moreover, he appears to confirm The Times of Israel’s reporting on the shrinking of the ISF mandate to more limited tasks such as securing borders and humanitarian aid, rather than kinetic activity to disarm Hamas.
“A lot of the work inside Gaza will be done by the local Palestinian police forces, which we think is the most important element of this plan, so we’ve been putting a lot of time into that,” the US official says.
He says more information regarding the ISF will be released in about two weeks, indicating that it is not at the top of the administration’s priorities.
Asked whether Turkey will take part in the ISF amid fierce Israeli pushback, the US official avoids answering directly, while touting Ankara’s productive role.
“Turkey has played a very integral role in getting to the ceasefire, and President Trump is very grateful to President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and (his team)…. They’ve done an incredible job really working with us, and we think it’s very important to have them involved, as they have influence with Hamas,” the US official says.
“We want to see Turkey and Israel start to rebuild their relationship,” he says, adding that sustained calm in Gaza will create more space for that to occur.
“President Erdogan has a big heart for the people of Gaza — hopefully we can get both sides to start deescalating their rhetoric, start focusing on their interests and seeing that there’s a lot of benefit that both countries can have in working together,” the US official says.
The first meeting of the Board of Peace is slated to take place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, and a second US official on the briefing says an announcement will likely be made at the gathering.
“People are in a celebratory mood. The fact that this coincides with Davos feels a little bit like it was meant to be,” the US official says.
US official: We won’t hold up phase two for last hostage’s body, but we’re committed to finding remains
A poster of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is seen at a rally calling for Hamas to return his remains from Gaza, in the southern Israeli community of Meitar, December 13, 2025. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)
A “very good channel of communication” is operating to find the body of the final deceased Israeli hostage still held in Gaza and there are several potential sites where his remains may be located, says a senior US official.
“We will not consider this mission completed until the last body is found. With that being said, we are not going to hold up going to phase two for that because both parties have agreed to continue working in good faith,” says the US official in a briefing with reporters, confirming The Times of Israel’s reporting from last week.
The US official also argues that Wednesday’s launch of the Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with running affairs in Gaza instead of Hamas, along with continued progress on President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, will boost chances of locating Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili’s body.
Israel had pushed back on advancing to phase two of Trump’s Gaza plan, which envisions the establishment of various bodies responsible for the postwar management of Gaza, before Hamas has handed over Gvili’s body along with its weapons. But top US officials informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Florida last month that they didn’t want to hold things up any longer and would continue the search for Gvili’s remains alongside simultaneous efforts to disarm Hamas with the operationalization of phase two, officials told The Times of Israel.
The US official briefing reporters also touts humanitarian operations since the ceasefire and phase one of Trump’s plan came into place in October, saying 53,120 trucks of aid — two million pallets worth — have entered the Strip since. The official adds that cooperation between Israel and the UN has increased.
While basic food supplies have indeed increased significantly, shelter has become a major issue, with aid organizations lamenting Israeli restrictions on metal polls necessary to stabilize tents that have been filmed falling apart amid peak winter conditions. Israel says those materials could be used by Hamas for weapons and has therefore not been allowing them into Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are living in tents.
The US official says that progress has also been made in destroying tunnels, with 50 kilometers worth already demolished and several tons of rubble cleared, making room for several square kilometers of space to build new temporary housing for Gazans. The first such project is planned to go up on the ruins of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, officials have told The Times of Israel.
Iranian FM says there won’t be ‘hanging today or tomorrow’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says there will not be any “hanging today or tomorrow,” despite earlier vows from Tehran to fast-track trials for protesters.
In an interview with US broadcaster Fox News, Araghchi insists that 10 days of peaceful demonstrations over Iran’s economic hardships were followed by three days of violence orchestrated by Israel, and calm had been restored.
“I can tell you, I’m confident that there is no plan for hanging,” Araghchi says.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Society, hangings are common in Iranian prisons.
US Embassy in Jerusalem advises Americans ‘to review any travel plans’ to Israel
The US Embassy in Jerusalem publishes a new security alert advising American citizens that “given ongoing regional tensions,” they should “review any travel plans in case of disruptions, and make appropriate decisions for themselves and their families.”
UK warns against ‘all but essential travel’ to Israel, citing ‘heightened risk of regional tension’
The UK Foreign Office issues a new travel advisory for Israel, warning British citizens to avoid visiting the country for “all but essential travel.”
“There is a heightened risk of regional tension. Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts,” the advisory says.
Rights group says execution of Iran protester postponed, warns his life still at risk
The execution of an Iranian man arrested during a wave of protests, which NGOs and Washington had warned risked taking place on Wednesday, has not been implemented and has been postponed, a rights group says, while warning his life is still in danger.
The execution of Erfan Soltani, 26, had been scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed, says the Norway-based Hengaw rights group, citing relatives, while adding there are “serious and ongoing concerns” regarding his right to life.
US President Donald Trump, who had warned of military action against Tehran over its crackdown on the protests, earlier said he had been told on “good authority” that “there’s no plan for executions,” without providing further details.
Just spoken to relatives of Erfan Soltani, the 26yr old protestor, due to be executed today in Iran. They told us the execution has been postponed. pic.twitter.com/poa2UiTWtA
— Paraic O'Brien (@paraicobrien) January 14, 2026
Iran shuts airspace for commercial flights — notice to pilots
The Islamic Republic of Iran shuts its airspace to commercial flights for several hours, without explanation, a notice to pilots says.
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