July 9: Netanyahu speaks with Trump about US strikes on Iran, Erdogan

Israeli soldiers drive in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The withdrawal of Israeli troops from the first of two pilot zones in southern Lebanon is slated to move ahead in the coming days, a US official tells The Times of Israel, as Washington aims to advance negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

As part of a framework agreement Israel and Lebanon signed last month in Washington, Jerusalem agreed to withdraw its troops from two small areas in southern Lebanon that have been cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure, to be replaced by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

However, two weeks have passed since that agreement and Israeli forces still remain in both of the areas that have been deemed the pilot zones.

While the US scheduled the next round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon for next week in Rome, where the sides would build on the framework deal, Beirut stated that it would not attend until Israel completed the agreed-upon withdrawal, an Arab official familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.

US pressure has led to some, albeit limited, progress in coaxing Israel to move ahead with withdrawing from the pilot zones.

“The first pilot zone will launch in a matter of days, and further pilot zones are being mapped out and planned. CENTCOM is coordinating with both countries to move forward,” the US official says.

The Arab official says CENTCOM will begin by declaring the first pilot zone ready for LAF deployment, after which the IDF will pull out.

No exact timeline is given for when that first withdrawal will take place beyond “the coming days.” The timeline for the withdrawal from the second pilot zone is even less clear.

Nonetheless, progress toward the first withdrawal is thought to be enough to convince Lebanon to send a negotiating team to Rome next Wednesday and Thursday.

“Rome is a closed discussion that will enable the governments to hand off to technical teams, which will work on all issues outlined in the framework,” the US official says.

“We will soon begin outreach to international partners to help the Lebanese government effectively restore sovereignty in these (pilot) zones and across their country more broadly,” the US official adds, suggesting that the international community will be called on to help stabilize Lebanon either through money or the deployment of peacekeeping troops.

10:27 pm

Cell behind Damascus bombings in custody, Syria says

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab says the cell responsible for what he called “terrorist” bombings that targeted Damascus on Tuesday was now in custody, Syrian TV reports.

Khattab says authorities will reveal the identities of the cell’s members, their roles and all their links after investigations are completed, the report adds.

Two bombs exploded on Tuesday near a hotel in Damascus where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, wounding 18 people and overshadowing the first visit to Syria by a European Union head of state since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in late 2024.

10:19 pm

Explosions heard in areas in southern Iran

By Reuters and ToI Staff

Several explosions are heard in southern parts of Iran including Bushehr, where one of Iran’s nuclear plants is located, Konarak and Choghadak, Iran’s Mehr news agency reports.

An American official tells CNN that the US military is not currently striking the country.

10:07 pm

Andy Burnham, likely next British PM, says UK must pressure Israel, restrict arms sales

Britain's Labour party then-candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, on June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Andy Burnham, who is all but certain to be the UK’s next prime minister, says Britain must do more to pressure Israel over its treatment of the Gaza Palestinians, and that it must bar the sale of weapons that Israel will use in the West Bank and Gaza.

Burnham, who until recently was mayor of Manchester, also repeatedly condemns antisemitism, citing the deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue last Yom Kippur. He also condemns the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that launched the Gaza war.

“It’s completely unacceptable that innocent Palestinians, including children, continue to be killed,” he says in a video he posts to social media. “That there’s still a humanitarian crisis with too little aid getting in, and that the Israeli military continues to expand the area it controls in Gaza. We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.”

Burnham, who recently entered Parliament, is expected to be the only candidate who will run in internal Labour Party elections to replace outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently announced that he would step down. Burnham apologized for his party’s initial response to the Gaza war, saying many feel “my party didn’t get it right and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”

He adds, “The UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire and we must now do more to strengthen our approach.” He condemns settler violence in the West Bank and chides the Israeli government for “clearly attempting to make a two-state solution impossible.”

He says the UK must intensify sanctions to combat those developments, and adds, “I also fully support the restrictions on arms licenses to make sure that no British bombs or bullets can be used by the IDF in Gaza or in the West Bank.” He also mentions banning trade with “illegal settlements.”

Labour’s initial response to the treatment of Gaza caused huge hurt. We got it wrong and I am sorry for that. pic.twitter.com/MtQxhp71J3

— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) July 9, 2026

Burnham stops short of calling Israel’s conduct in Gaza a genocide, which many international left-wing politicians have done, but says, “I have been absolutely appalled by what I’ve seen and read about the destruction of Gaza. There’s increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed.”

Regarding antisemitism, he says, “I also condemn the increase in appalling antisemitic attacks here in the UK and those who seek to divide our communities by targeting Jewish people. Following the Heaton Park synagogue attack in Manchester, I felt first hand the anxiety in our Jewish community and the very real threat they face. This is unacceptable and we must continue to stamp out antisemitism across the UK.”

9:44 pm

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense says Israeli attacks kill six, Hamas spokesman survives attack

By AFP

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency and health officials say Israeli attacks killed six people across the territory today.

A ceasefire is in place in the Israel-Hamas war, but it has not ended the violence in Gaza and progress towards a final deal to end the war has stalled.

Gaza’s civil defense says six people were killed in Israeli drone strikes and gunfire. Hamas’s figures are unverified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Two people were killed and several others injured when an Israeli drone struck central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp, the agency says, and four other people were killed in other attacks.

Gaza hospitals confirm receiving the bodies of six individuals killed in the attacks.

A security source in Gaza says an Israeli drone strike targeted the vehicle of Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for Hamas.

Qassem was not in the vehicle but the strike killed his bodyguard, the source says.

The bodyguard was among the six fatalities reported by the civil defense agency.

The IDF does not immediately respond when asked about the attacks.

9:34 pm

PM hails Israeli aid team for ‘rebuilding relations’ with Venezuela after 17 years of severed ties

Elad Edri of the IDF's Home Front Command, right, and Israel's ambassador-designate to Mexico, Yoed Magen. (Roi Avraham/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hails the Israeli delegation providing aid following the major earthquake in Venezuela, saying it is not only helping the country recover from last month’s devastating earthquakes, but also “rebuilding relations” with Caracas nearly two decades after it severed ties with Israel.

“You are rebuilding ruins, and you are also rebuilding relations. You are showing the people of Venezuela, as well as the Venezuelan government, the true face of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu says in a video message to the delegation’s head and chief of staff of the Home Front Command, Elad Edri, and Israel’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Yoed Magen, who is leading the civilian component of the delegation.

The delegation has been operating in several earthquake-hit areas for the past 10 days at the request of the Venezuelan government, assessing and classifying damaged buildings and assisting with reconstruction efforts following the earthquakes that killed thousands.

Following talks with Venezuela’s infrastructure minister, the Israeli team also prepared a national reconstruction plan that was approved by Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, according to Israel.

“What you are doing now is coming to a country that severed relations nearly 20 years ago, and you are proving how beneficial it is to have ties with Israel,” Netanyahu says.

Venezuela broke off diplomatic ties with Israel over the 2008-2009 war in Gaza, and under then-leader Hugo Chavez, it was one of the world’s most vocal critics of Israel during the war in Gaza that was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror invasion.

However, Israel has expressed hope for better ties with Caracas since the US captured Venezuela’s then-president Nicolas Maduro in January and supported Rodriguez taking power.

“We are very proud to represent the country here… We are operating here day and night together with the local government and the Venezuelan government’s Infrastructure Ministry. We have also connected here with the Jewish community,” Edri says in the video, adding that “both official representatives and the Venezuelan people have been very warm toward the delegation.”

9:24 pm

Police: 2 Hariri crime family leaders detained amid campaign against Arab crime wave

By Noam Lehmann

Police announce the arrest of two leaders of the Hariri crime family, one of the biggest criminal syndicates in Israel, amid “the struggle against criminal organizations and blood feuds in Arab society.”

Police say the unnamed Hariri figures were arrested by the Lahav 433 major crimes unit on charges of illegal firearm possession, as well as violating administrative restrictions that included house arrest and bans on traveling abroad and contacting other members of the crime family.

The suspects will remain in custody until at least Tuesday, according to police.

8:47 pm

Report: US braces for prolonged Iran escalation; no current push for Israeli involvement

The White House is preparing for the possibility of a prolonged escalation in its conflict with Iran, and US President Donald Trump is convening senior advisers and national security officials to discuss Washington’s next steps, Channel 12 reports, citing US officials.

A US official tells Channel 12 that the ongoing fighting could last anywhere between a couple of days and a month, depending on whether Iran continues attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’re going to slap them a bit so they understand we’re not fucking around,” the official says.

Trump is expected to meet with his national security team in the Oval Office shortly to discuss possible further action against Iran, according to the report, which adds that there is currently little appetite in Washington for Jerusalem to enter the fighting.

One option under consideration is reimposing a US naval blockade on Iranian ports — a step Trump has publicly floated — though no decision has been made, the report says, adding that many officials around the president believe such a move would be the right course of action. The US first imposed a blockade after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz following the launch of the war.

In the meantime, Israel is preparing for the possibility that the campaign could expand, including the possibility of Iran targeting Israeli bases from which American aircraft have operated, such as Nevatim and Ramon, Channel 12 adds, saying that there is ongoing coordination between the IDF and CENTCOM.

8:37 pm

Rioters in Haredi area of Jerusalem assault cops during minor’s arrest — police

By Noam Lehmann

About 200 rioters in a Haredi area of Jerusalem this afternoon attacked police officers who were arresting a minor suspected of attempted carjacking, police say.

The rioters in the Bar Ilan area hurled stones and other items at the cops and tried to pull away the detained suspect, according to police, who report an officer was lightly wounded and a police car was damaged.

Officers restored public order and took the carjacking suspect for interrogation, police say.

8:33 pm

No major damage from dozens of missiles, drones fired by Iran: US official

By AFP

Dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran caused no significant damage or injuries to American personnel, a US defense official says.

The Iranian missiles and drones “were intercepted or failed to cause major damage,” the official says on condition of anonymity, adding that there were “no US injuries.”

8:31 pm

Knesset panel advances quasi-constitutional bill enshrining Torah study as national value

Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky (right) attends a meeting of the Special Committee for the Communications Bill at the Knesset, December 23, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Knesset House Committee votes 6-4 to advance a controversial quasi-constitutional Basic Law bill enshrining Torah study as a national value.

The bill will now move to the plenum for its final votes, which are expected to take place next week. It is being advanced amid a fierce debate over whether Haredi yeshiva students should continue to receive blanket exemptions from Israel’s military draft. Those exemptions were struck down in court in 2024.

Sponsored by ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism lawmakers MKs Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Asher, and backed by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, the measure is intended to shield yeshiva students who evade the draft from sanctions and prosecution. Absent a constitution, Basic Laws in Israel have supreme legal status in the country.

“The Jewish state is restoring the honor of Torah and those who study it to its rightful place,” says Gafni upon the bill’s advancement.

Prior to the vote, coalition whip and committee chair Ofir Katz announced that the Haredi parties agreed to remove a clause from the bill that would have explicitly placed Torah study on par with service in the Israel Defense Forces. Legal officials warned that the clause could have entitled yeshiva students to financial and other benefits equal to or even exceeding those granted to soldiers.

While Shas and the Degel HaTorah faction of United Torah Judaism agreed to remove the clause, UTJ chairman and Agudat Yisrael leader Yitzhak Goldknopf says he was not consulted and opposes the move.

“No one spoke to me about removing it, and I do not agree,” he says. “I ask that the clause remain, and I oppose its removal.”

At the same time, opposition lawmakers and legal advisers argue that removing the clause doesn’t change the purpose of the legislation.

Yesh Atid MK and committee member Naor Shiri argues that even without the clause in question, the bill would make Torah study the only value explicitly enshrined in a Basic Law — as opposed to military service, caring for soldiers with PTSD or other national values — effectively elevating it above all others.

“Priority will have to be given to those who study Torah, while all other values become secondary,” he says. “This law is not [merely] declarative.”

Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky also argues that removing the clause does not necessarily make the bill merely declarative, saying the committee must explain what legal effect recognizing Torah study as a fundamental value is intended to have.

“If, as [Shas] MKs Yossi Taieb and [Yinon] Azoulay argued throughout the discussions, the intention is still to give the court a tool it did not previously have, then deleting the clause changes nothing,” she says.

8:11 pm

London mayor visits Nova exhibit: ‘It’s really important that they’re not forgotten’

By Shira Silkoff

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (L) speaks to British-Israeli Nova festival survivor Sean Burns at the Nova Exhibition London, on July 9, 2026. (Nova Exhibition London)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan visits the Nova Exhibition in London, where he meets with survivors of the Hamas attack on the Gaza border-area music festival during the October 7, 2023, onslaught. He also meets with relatives of victims.

The exhibit, which opened in May and will close next week after its original run was extended, is an immersive experience that recreates scenes from the massacre that unfolded at the music festival, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists poured into Israel on the morning of October 7. In total, 364 people out of the roughly 1,200 who were killed that day were murdered at the festival, or while trying to flee the grounds to safety. Dozens were taken hostage there as well.

While touring the exhibit, Khan meets with British-Israeli survivor Sean Burns, whom Khan describes as “inspiring,” and with Nova festival co-founder Ofir Amir, who was injured while escaping the attack.

Amir, Khan says, “wants us to remember his friends and those who were there at the festival as human beings.”

“As time goes on, the concern is that we’ll forget them, they’ll be forgotten, and it’s really important that they’re not forgotten,” Khan says, stressing that it is “worth reminding ourselves of the horrors of that awful day.”

The London mayor also draws comparisons between the deadly slaughter at the music festival and the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017, when 22 people were killed in a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in the northern England city.

“When you look at the photographs of those who lost their lives, you’ll see the diversity of ages — from kids as young as 19, their 20s, their 30s, and their 40s, even in their 50s, whose common theme was their love of trance music, their love of rave,” Khan says. “And they left home, leaving their loved ones behind, expecting to see them the next day, never to return.”

“There are too many people around the world trying to divide people, divide communities, and music, fun, congregation are the things we all share,” he remarks.

Khan has harshly criticized Israel’s fight against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 attack, describing it as a genocide. He has also demonstrated solidarity with London Jews amid a string of antisemitic attacks there.

7:55 pm

Likud backs down after attempting to double candidate registration fees for party primaries

Candidate advertisements at Likud primaries in Rishon Lezion, August 10, 2022. (Carrie Keller-Lynn/Times of Israel)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party backtracks after briefly attempting to double registration fees for candidates in next month’s party primaries, in a move that would have violated party financing law, according to Hebrew media reports.

In a letter sent to prospective candidates earlier today, acting party director David Sharan informed incumbent ministers and MKs that the candidate registration fee had been doubled from NIS 10,000 ($3,310) to NIS 20,000 ($6,630), and fees for those running for slots on the list that are reserved for candidates from specific regions of the country were doubled from NIS 5,000 ($1,660) to NIS 10,000 ($3,310). New candidates were told they would have to pay NIS 15,000 ($4,975), up from NIS 10,000.

Such an increase violates the law governing party financing, which caps candidate registration fees at NIS 10,000. Violations of that law can carry fines of more than NIS 500,000 ($165,820).

Following immediate criticism, Likud issued a clarification rescinding the increase, stating simply: “Clarification regarding the registration fee for candidates: NIS 10,000.” That may indicate that the fees for regional spots will increase to that number.

The episode comes as the party prepares for its August 4 primaries, with internal tensions mounting over concerns that Netanyahu may attempt to cancel them and instead establish a selection committee to handpick the party’s slate for the coming national elections in a bid for greater control.

7:46 pm

Netanyahu: IDF will remain in Lebanon as long as needed, we’ll maintain regional air superiority

By Lazar Berman

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a cornerstone laying ceremony for the Atarot Heritage Center at an abandoned airport in East Jerusalem on July 5, 2026. (ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)

Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon for as long as they need to, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to guarantee the security of our communities in the north,” he says, speaking at a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots.

Lebanon is demanding that Israel fulfill its pledge to withdraw from two “pilot zones” in the nation’s south and hand them over to the Lebanese military before it agrees to participate in the next round of direct talks, scheduled for next week in Rome. Israeli forces would still retain a buffer zone in south Lebanon.

Turning to the campaign against Iran, Netanyahu repeats his oft-stated pledge that “with or without an agreement, Iran will not possess nuclear weapons.”

He notes that the US military was “a tremendous force multiplier” for Israel.

Without mentioning it directly, Netanyahu makes an oblique reference to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to sell F-35 fighters jets to Turkey, one of Israel’s most vocal critics and a NATO member state.

“The war is not over,” says Netanyahu. “Alongside old challenges, new ones continue to emerge. Old axes collapse, and new ones arise. We are preparing for every scenario. We know one thing: we must always remain stronger than our enemies.”

“Preserving Israel’s air superiority is a cornerstone of our national security doctrine. It is equally essential for maintaining stability in the turbulent Middle East,” he says, echoing arguments he made this week against the sale. “We achieve this by continually improving both our people and our technology.”

7:43 pm

Eisenkot: I’ll partner with Shas if it accepts my principles, my mom voted for them for 30 years

Gadi Eisenkot, chair of the Yashar party, attends a conference in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, July 9, 2026. (Sharon Leibel/Flash90)

Gadi Eisenkot, the leading candidate running to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says he is open to forming a coalition with the Sephardi Haredi Shas party if it accepts his party’s three core principles.

Eisenkot, who, like Shas’s voter base, is of Mizrahi heritage, adds that his mother voted for Shas for 30 years, and quips that it “wasn’t simple” to convince her to switch her allegiance to his centrist party, Yashar.

Eisenkot demands that any potential coalition partners recognize Israel as a Jewish and Democratic state, endorse the values of the Declaration of Independence and commit to all Israelis performing national service. Shas, along with the Ashkenazi Haredi party United Torah Judaism, have pushed for a law enshrining blanket exemptions to IDF service for Haredi men. That insistence has led many opposition politicians to rule out partnering with them.

In an interview with the Haredi publication Kikar Hashabbat yesterday, Eisenkot expresses openness to partnering with Shas if it accepts those principles.

“Many Shas voters serve” in the IDF, he says.

“I see Shas as a partner on the condition that it accepts the three foundational principles,” he adds. “Shas is the party that is meant to send a positive message.”

He continues, “I know Shas voters, I meet them, I grew up with some of them.”

He also says that Shas chair Aryeh Deri has “security understanding” and has made “significant contributions” during his time in office.

7:03 pm

Maine rabbi: We’re relieved Platner dropped out, but ‘damage has been done’

By Luke Tress

Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination, June 9, 2026, in Blue Hill, Maine. (AP Photo/ Robert F. Bukaty)

Rabbi Bill Siemers of Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor, Maine, says his community is relieved that Democratic candidate Graham Platner dropped out of his Senate race following an allegation of sexual assault, but that his candidacy has unnerved many Jews in Maine.

Platner dropped out of the race yesterday after Politico reported that he sexually assaulted a former girlfriend. The development came after a series of scandals, including Platner’s sporting a Nazi Totenkopf tattoo for years that he has since covered.

Platner was harshly anti-Israel and repeatedly attacked the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC and accused Israel of genocide during the campaign.

While he was fending off a sexting scandal last month, for example, Platner attacked AIPAC and said his opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, was “bought and paid for by Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Siemers notes that the Nazi tattoo and Platner’s demonization of Israel did not sink his campaign.

“People have been following this and have seen their neighbors excited about this man’s candidacy. That still happened, and going forward, yes, it’s obviously positive that he will not be the nominee, but the damage has sort of been done,” Siemers, a Conservative rabbi, says.

“That he made it as far as he did, and was popular, that still happened, and the Jewish community is still going to have to deal with that,” Siemers says. “It makes us wonder how they look at us.”

He adds that his community is mostly Democrats, but that Collins is relatively popular because she has been an effective senator for constituents during her nearly three decades in the office.

6:53 pm

IDF chief says Iran fight ‘not over,’ jokes that captivity training prepared soliders for leaders’ speeches

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks at a pilots' graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim Airbase, July 9, 2026. (Screenshot: Israel Defense Forces)

Speaking at a pilots’ graduation ceremony, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the campaign in Iran is “not over.”

“On the drawing board are new plans. Major operations are still expected to lie ahead of us. Be prepared,” he says in brief remarks.

Zamir says he would not be delivering his planned remarks after the president, prime minister, and defense minister gave long speeches at the ceremony.

“You’ve been through captivity training, which also prepared you for this ceremony,” he quips to the pilots.

In his planned speech, Zamir was supposed to say that hundreds of Israeli Air Force planes were on standby for “immediate takeoff” in recent weeks, as the military remains on high alert for developments across the Middle East.

“Even at this moment, we are closely monitoring developments in Iran and Lebanon and remain on high alert for immediate action,” the prepared text of the speech read.

6:44 pm

Reports: Israel tries, fails to assassinate Hamas spokesman in Gaza

By Nurit Yohanan

Hamas-affiliated media in the Gaza Strip report that Israel attempted to assassinate the terror group’s spokesman, Hazem Qassem, in a strike on a vehicle in Gaza City. According to the reports, the assassination attempt failed.

It is not yet clear whether Qassem was inside the vehicle or in its immediate vicinity at the time of the strike.

مراسل شبكة قدس : فشل محاولة إسرائيلية لاغتيال الناطق باسم حركة حماس "حازم قاسم" بقصف مركبة في مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/biWZeO3gUc

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) July 9, 2026

6:37 pm

France returns 23 Syrian treasures after 15 years as Macron visits Damascus

By AP

A museum employee opens a crate containing Palmyrene funerary reliefs that once adorned the walls of tombs and date to the second and third centuries AD after Syrian authorities unveiled antiquities returned from France at the National Museum in Damascus, Syria, July 8, 2026.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

France returns 23 Syrian archaeological treasures that remained in the country for about 15 years after being loaned for an exhibition. Their return coincides with French President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark visit to Damascus — the first by a major Western leader since the ouster of Bashar Assad in late 2024.

The artifacts, flown aboard Macron’s presidential aircraft on Tuesday and returned to Syria’s National Museum, include Roman bronze objects, Byzantine and Islamic-era pieces and a richly colored mosaic panel that once adorned the Umayyad Mosque. The collection was loaned in 2011 to an exhibition of Syrian antiquities at the Arab World Institute in Paris.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry says that the artifacts belong to museums in Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia and Palmyra and remained in France after diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed under Assad’s rule. It describes France as the first country to cooperate with Syria under a national campaign to recover antiquities held abroad.

“Today we are unveiling a selection of archaeological artifacts that have been returned to Syria,” says Ayman al-Nabo, deputy director-general of Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, at the opening of an exhibition at the National Museum in Damascus featuring two of the returned pieces.

At the National Museum, curator Nivine Saadeddine says the returned collection spans some of the most significant periods of Syrian civilization.

“They date from the ninth millennium BC to the 14th and 15th centuries AD. Every object represents a distinct chapter in Syria’s history,” she says.

6:24 pm

Katz: IDF ‘alert and prepared’ to resume campaign in Iran ‘with even greater force’

Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a pilots' graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim Airbase, July 9, 2026. (Screenshot: Israel Defense Forces)

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the IDF is “alert and prepared for the resumption of the campaign” in Iran.

Speaking at a pilots’ graduation ceremony, he says the military is prepared to “regain air superiority and carry out ‘blue-and-white’ [independent Israeli] strikes in Iran to remove threats — even for a third time.”

“If we need to return, we will return with even greater force,” Katz adds.

6:14 pm

Iran warns against more US military ‘adventurism’ as FM discusses Hormuz with Oman, Turkey

By Reuters and ToI Staff

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein after their meeting at the foreign ministry in Baghdad, Iraq, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warns against any further US military “adventurism” after condemning US attacks on Iran in recent days as a violation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding in a phone call with Pakistan’s army chief, Iran’s foreign ministry says.

Iran and the US have exchanged fire for days, in the largest flare-up of violence since the countries agreed to an MoU last month.

Araghchi held separate phone calls with his Omani and Turkish counterparts and discussed the latest developments in the region, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian foreign ministry says.

The parties stressed the need to use diplomatic channels to prevent escalation, a ministry statement says.

6:03 pm

Islamic Jihad commander, Hamas sniper killed in separate Gaza strikes, IDF says

A commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s weapon production division was killed in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, the military announces.

The IDF says the strike killed Rashid al-Qadhi, who “played a central role in various processes within the organization’s production array, which is responsible for manufacturing and supplying all weapons to the group’s military wing.”

A separate strike in northern Gaza yesterday killed Abdullah Baha al-Din Razak al-Souti, a Hamas sniper, according to the military.

The IDF says the activities of both terror operatives “posed a threat to our forces,” and they were therefore targeted.

The IDF in recent months has been ramping up strikes on terror operatives in Gaza, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces.

בדרום רצועת עזה: צה"ל חיסל מפקד במערך הייצור של ארגון הטרור גא"פ

צה"ל תקף אתמול בדרום רצועת עזה וחיסל את המחבל רשיד אלקאצ'י, ראש מדור במערך הייצור של ארגון הטרור גא"פ.

אלקאצ'י לקח חלק מרכזי בתהליכים שונים במערך הייצור של הארגון, האחראי על ייצור ואספקת כלל אמצעי הלחימה לזרוע… pic.twitter.com/wUSuUL6sqQ

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 9, 2026

6:02 pm

Haredi parties back down: Quasi-constitutional bill won’t put Torah study on par with IDF service

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri speaks with United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni in the Knesset, December 14, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A controversial Basic Law bill will no longer explicitly place Torah study on par with military service, as ultra-Orthodox parties appear to have capitulated to demands to remove the key section from the quasi-constitutional legislation.

The bill would still declare Torah study to be a “foundational value” of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. If passed, it will be added to Israel’s Basic Laws, which act as the country’s supreme laws in place of a constitution. Haredi parties have pushed to pass the law amid an ongoing debate over whether yeshiva students should continue to receive blanket exemptions from IDF conscription.

According to a statement from coalition whip and Likud MK Ofir Katz, Haredi parties have agreed to remove a clause from the bill stating that the law seeks to “create a balance of justice” between this Basic Law “relative to other fundamental values in the state.” Legal officials warned that the clause could have entitled yeshiva students to financial and other benefits equal to or even exceeding those granted to soldiers.

In a joint statement, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party and Degel HaTorah faction say they ultimately agreed, “under the instruction of the leading Torah sages,” to remove the clause.

Likud MK Dan Illouz, who broke coalition discipline to vote against the bill in its first reading last week, dismisses the compromise as “window dressing.”

Arguing that removing the key clause “does not change the essence of the law,” he warns that enshrining Torah study as a quasi-constitutional value without explicitly stating that it cannot be used to justify draft exemptions would still “serve in practice to legitimize draft evasion and continued funding and benefits” for yeshiva students.

The agreement follows several explosive committee sessions this week, during which reservists, combat veterans suffering from PTSD and opposition lawmakers opposed the legislation, arguing that it would elevate the status of yeshiva students while failing to provide comparable recognition or support for those who perform military service.

It also follows repeated warnings this week from Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik and representatives of the National Insurance Institute that the bill, as originally drafted, could have significant legal consequences, including granting yeshiva students a wide range of financial benefits, including when for housing, at great additional cost to the taxpayer.

5:43 pm

Trump denies switching planes due to security concerns, but says he faces threats from ‘sleazebags’

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in flight on Air Force One after landing at US Air Force Base at RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, Eastern England, July 8, 2026. (AP/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump was asked again last night if a security concern was what led to the decision to use the old Air Force One, rather than the new plane gifted from Qatar, for his trip back from Turkey.

“No, no,” he responded during a gaggle with reporters aboard the old Air Force One plane. The Qatari-gifted one was used for the trip to Ankara.

Trump insisted the Qatari-gifted plane was only being left in Europe so it could be taken to US bases there for soldiers to marvel at.

Apparently unconvinced, reporters asked Trump why they were ordered to close their window blinds on the plane if there really aren’t any security concerns.

“You’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with,” Trump quipped, referring to purported threats on his life from Iran.

“They asked you to close your windows. They didn’t ask me to close mine, but if they did, I would’ve done it,” he said.

Asked again if he was aware of any credible Iranian threats against Air Force One, Trump dodged.

“Well, I have a threat all the time. I’m number one on their list… But if I go, you go. Right? Perhaps someday you’ll want to change professions,” he joked to reporters on board.

The New York Times reported that the change of planes was a security precaution recommended by the Security Service, not a concrete threat.

5:21 pm

IDF says it demolished two more Hezbollah tunnels containing arms in Lebanon

Two more Hezbollah tunnels in the southern Lebanon town of Majdal Zoun were recently demolished, the IDF announces.

The tunnels spanned a total of some 200 meters, and reached depths of around 20 meters (65 feet) underground, according to the military.

Inside the tunnels, troops found several rooms where operatives would reside, three launch shafts, and dozens of weapons, the IDF says.

These tunnels are in addition to a major underground drone facility that the IDF uncovered and demolished last month.

5:20 pm

Knesset debate on Torah study Basic Law bill erupts into shouting match between IDF vets and MKs

A Knesset House Committee discussion to advance the controversial proposed Basic Law for Torah study is interrupted by combat veterans suffering from PTSD, who protest the legislation and demand that the status of combat soldiers and the needs of those dealing with trauma be prioritized.

Several veterans climb over the tables to directly appeal to Likud MK Ofir Katz, the committee chair, and United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf, one of the bill’s sponsors and a member of the committee, urging them to halt the bill, which would have the effect of shielding draft evaders from sanctions and prosecution, until their demands are met.

“You’ve all exploited us for political gain,” they say. “This is a national emergency. We are not protected by law.”

Goldknopf says to the protesters: “I hear you, and my heart aches. Bring me a bill and I will lead it. I will fight for it with my last drop of blood. We need to give up many things for your sake.”

Yesh Atid MK Meirav Ben-Ari responds to Goldknopf, “But the Knesset is ending. You should have brought it forward two years ago.”

כאוס בדיון על חוק יסוד לימוד התורה. – הלומי קרב דורשים לא לחוקק את החוק עד שדואגים להם pic.twitter.com/qECNwLm3i6

— דפנה ליאל (@DaphnaLiel) July 9, 2026

Einav Danino, the mother of slain hostage Ori Danino, voices support during the committee for the veterans and calls on lawmakers to prioritize them.

“My Ori was murdered after eleven months in captivity, and I live with that pain thanks to those who brought him back to me, and they carry that burden with them. I would never have gotten Ori back without them,” she says, adding, “I saw Ori before I buried him – a beautiful young man with 11 gunshot wounds. But what did those who rescued him see? That their bodies survived, but their souls died.”

The proposed Basic Law passed its first reading last week and is now being prepared for its final two readings, which are expected to take place next week before the Knesset is set to dissolve on July 17.

5:02 pm

Police respond to suspected kidnapping of soldier by Palestinian who turns out to be her boyfriend

Police officers were dispatched to the Gush Etzion area in the West Bank following a suspected kidnapping of an IDF servicewoman by a Palestinian man, who was later revealed to have been her boyfriend.

Police say that officers rushed to the area after receiving reports of an armed female Israeli soldier entering a car with Palestinian license plates.

Officers intercepted the car a short while later on Route 375 near the settlement of Beitar Illit, with the Israeli servicewoman “sitting inside the vehicle safe and unharmed.”

“A preliminary investigation found that the two are a couple,” police say in a statement, adding that a report was forwarded to the Military Police, who sent officers to the scene to investigate.

The servicewoman’s weapon was confiscated, and both the soldier and the Palestinian man were taken to a nearby police station, police add.

A romantic relationship between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian is not explicitly illegal under Israeli law, but is prohibited by the IDF’s protocols. In the past, soldiers have faced disciplinary action for such relationships.

4:49 pm

Iran says it fired 10 ballistic missiles on Jordan’s Azraq military base

Iran fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base today, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say in a statement carried by state media.

Jordan said earlier today that it had intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran, with no casualties or damage reported, according to the state news agency.

The Revolutionary Guards say US bases in the region will be targeted if “US aggression” is repeated.

4:46 pm

Settler activists again try to cross into Syria, are detained

Illustration: Settler activists film themselves after illegally crossing the border into Syria, May 17, 2026. (Screenshot: X/Bashan Pioneers)

Overnight, several Israeli settler activists attempted to illegally cross the border into Syria in the Mount Hermon area.

The military says troops stationed in the area prevented the civilians from crossing the border and detained them. They were then handed over to police for further questioning.

“The IDF strongly condemns this incident, which follows several similar incidents in recent days, and emphasizes that such actions constitute a criminal offense that endangers civilians,” the military says.

The IDF says the actions of the settler activists “disrupt IDF operational activities and the security in the area, and divert the attention of commanders and soldiers from their mission.”

“The IDF expects law enforcement authorities to bring those involved to justice and to act decisively to prevent such incidents,” the army adds.

The activists, who called themselves the Bashan Pioneers, have attempted to enter Syria multiple times in the past year while calling to establish settlements in the area. They have received support from coalition lawmakers.

4:43 pm

Terrorist who invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and took hostages killed in strike, IDF says

Another Palestinian terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip this week, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.

The Tuesday strike in southern Gaza killed Wahid Abu Salam, who served as a company commander in the Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, a terror faction.

On October 7, Abu Salam invaded Israeli territory, took part in abducting civilians, and held hostages in captivity in southern Gaza, the military says.

The IDF says that recently, Abu Salam worked to advance attacks on Israeli soldiers, and therefore he “posed an immediate threat to the troops and was eliminated in a precise aerial strike.”

The IDF in recent months has been ramping up strikes on terror operatives in Gaza, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces.

4:43 pm

‘Even worse’ than Hamas: Likud MK Vaturi says left-wing lawmaker Lazimi is ‘enemy’

MK Nissim Vaturi speaks (left) during a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, Jerusalem, July 9, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90); MK Naama Lazimi attends a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, July 8, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Likud MK Nissim Vaturi lashes out at Naama Lazimi, a lawmaker for the left-wing Democrats, calling her an enemy and saying she’s worse than Hamas.

“I don’t see a difference between her and them,” he says in a radio interview in reference to Lazimi and the terror group, according to Hebrew media reports. “Whoever hurts the State of Israel from within is even worse. Our enemies are among us, in the soft underbelly, in the Knesset.”

The remarks from Vaturi, a lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling party, come less than two weeks after United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Pindrus said Lazimi should be shot in the legs for protesting.

MK Naama Lazimi speaks during a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, in Jerusalem, April 27, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Lazimi responds to Vaturi, “Netanyahu and his people have put a target on my back.”

She continues, “It isn’t me they’re trying to scare, but the whole liberal camp and anyone who opposes the government. Likud has become a bankrupt mafia. They have nothing to sell so they’re turning to incitement and violence against the people whom the Israeli public wants to replace them with.”

4:15 pm

US approves sale of Tomahawk missiles to Germany, Merz says

By AFP

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks to media at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, April 9, 2026. (AP/Ebrahim Noroozi)

The United States has approved the sale of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says, despite previous doubts over a planned deployment.

“On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the American government that American Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany,” Merz tells MPs in a statement to parliament.

The move will “close an important strategic gap in our defenses,” he says.

“At the same time, we will work on developing our own European systems and stationing them in Europe.”

Merz does not say when he expected the Tomahawks to be delivered.

The missiles are mainly launched from submarines and warships and can travel more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles).

Yesterday, the United Kingdom announced that a dozen European NATO allies — including Germany — would jointly spend about $50 billion over the next decade to develop new long-range precision strike weapons.

A German government source says that Berlin plans to contribute roughly half of the cost of the project.

4:09 pm

Egypt’s soccer coach gets contract extension; appears to spit toward fan holding Israeli flag

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Hossam Hassan, the coach of Egypt’s soccer team who has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians, appeared to spit toward a fan holding an Israeli flag at the team’s recent loss to Argentina at the World Cup.

The video shows Hassan appearing angry as he passes by the fan waving the flag, and then appearing to spit.

Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan spits on Argentina fans after they waved an Israeli flag in front of him ???? pic.twitter.com/stjJ3yTbSb

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) July 7, 2026

Hassan previously waved a Palestinian flag after Egypt’s victory over Australia, and spoke for more than four minutes on the Palestinians ahead of the match with Argentina.

“If there is anyone in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they are not human — whether they are Arab, European, or American,” Hassan said at the time.

Yesterday, the Egyptian Football Association said it had approved a contract extension for Hassan.

3:52 pm

Syria regains its voting rights at chemical weapons watchdog

The main entrance of the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is seen in The Hague, Netherlands on May 5, 2017. (Peter Dejong/AP)

Member states hand back Syria’s voting rights at the global chemical weapons watchdog, following what they describe as “a significant change in circumstances” since the fall of the Assad regime.

Syria was stripped of its rights at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2021, after its forces were found to have repeatedly used poison gas during the country’s civil war.

Although largely symbolic, this sent a political signal to Syria that breaches of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, prohibiting all use of chemicals on the battlefield, would not be accepted.

“Following the fall of the Assad regime, the new Syrian authorities committed to fulfilling Syria’s obligations under the Convention and have since taken concrete steps,” the OPCW says.

Syria has vowed to work with the international community to rid itself of legacy weapons of mass destruction that pose a proliferation risk.

A Syrian official told Reuters in May that the country’s transitional leadership had located remnants of former President Bashar al-Assad’s clandestine chemical weapons program, including raw materials and munitions similar to those used to carry out deadly gas attacks during the country’s civil war.

Repeated investigations by the United Nations and the OPCW’s special Investigation and Identification Team concluded that Syrian government forces used the nerve agent sarin and chlorine barrel bombs in attacks that investigators said killed or injured thousands.

At the time, Syria and its military ally Russia repeatedly denied the use of chemical weapons.

The OPCW’s executive council says it will continue to monitor Syria’s progress and take decisions necessary to eliminate the remaining chemical weapons inherited from the former regime.

3:29 pm

IRGC accuses US of hindering Hormuz reopening, threatens ‘crushing response’ if it continues

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Navy says US attacks on Iran and intervention in redirecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupting the strategic waterway’s gradual reopening and jeopardizing the interests of countries benefiting from it.

The Guards add that transit capacity under Iran’s supervision has recovered to about 50% of prewar levels over the past two weeks, and that transit capacity is only being expanded for vessels granted permits to use routes designated by Iran.

They warn that any further US intervention would draw a “crushing response.”

3:26 pm

Under government pressure, Zini said seeking AG approval to probe alleged Channel 12 leak on Iran war’s start

Shin Bet director David Zini at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem during Memorial Day on April 21, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Shin Bet chief David Zini recently asked the Justice Ministry to seek Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s approval for an investigation into an alleged leak to Channel 12 regarding the date on which the war with Iran would begin earlier this year, Haaretz reports, citing a security source.

According to the source, the request came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and government ministers pressured Zini on the matter during a security cabinet meeting, despite the latter’s assessment that approval for such an investigation would not be granted.

According to Ynet, Transportation Minister Miri Regev pressed Zini in the meeting on why the Shin Bet was not investigating the purported leak, and Zini responded that there was no point in doing so given the circumstances, telling ministers: “The incident happened a long time ago; they asked to investigate it several months later. More than 4,500 people were privy to the secret [war plans], and there is no lead. An investigation of this kind, involving media outlets, requires the attorney general’s approval, and she is not expected to grant such approval.”

Hebrew media reported last month that Netanyahu had asked Zini to open an investigation into the matter, following similar efforts by Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi called in early March for a probe, after Channel 14 commentator Yaakov Bardugo, who is close to Netanyahu, alleged that Channel 12 appeared unusually prepared to go on air early Saturday on February 28 — the first day of the war — with presenter Yonit Levy and commentators already “in full makeup” minutes after the opening strikes were carried out.

Channel 14 previously quoted the premier as saying the alleged leak was a “criminal leak” that jeopardized the success of the operation, and Bardugo recently stated on a radio show that he met with Zini in the Shin Bet chief’s office to press for the investigation.

The Shin Bet declines to respond to Haaretz’s request for comment on the report.

3:22 pm

‘We will kill Trump’ banners seen at Khamenei funeral; Iranian president, FM attacked as not hardline enough

A large sign saying "We will kill Trump" is carried by funeral-goers in Mashhad, Iran, where supreme leader Ali Khamenei was being buried on July 9, 2026. (via X, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Banners calling for the assassination of US President Donald Trump continue to be widely displayed during the funeral of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

A large sign saying “We will kill Trump” is carried by funeral-goers in Mashhad, where Khamenei will be buried today after processions that began six days ago.

از مشهد به کل دنیا:

✊we will kill trump#باید_برخاست #منادی_بعثت pic.twitter.com/FjKspie7bV

— بچه سیرجونی (@samsafi264) July 9, 2026

Another banner with the same message was hung overnight from a hotel building in Mashhad.

????في مدينة مشهد في إيران، تم تعليق لافتة باللغة الإنجليزية تقول:

"سنقتل ترامب"#IranWar‌ pic.twitter.com/FN5c15hYCx

— ديوان (@DiwanDaily) July 8, 2026

Mourners in Tehran carried a banner saying the same on Monday.

A massive banner reading “We will kill Trump” was held aloft by mourners during the funeral procession of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday, as participants vowed retribution for the assassination of their beloved Leader. pic.twitter.com/EX3ujdPTEu

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) July 6, 2026

Also on Monday, members of the public heckled, insulted and physically attacked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, casting them as insufficiently hardline.

همه ناراحتی نفوذی های دشمن که دنبال تفرقه و فحش دادن هستند از نیامدن روحانی و خاتمی و ظریف این بود که نتوانستند درست و حسابی فحش دهند و یک مراسم ملی را خراب کنند.کاری که با رییس جمهور و عراقچی کردند. آنها عاشق فحش و تفرقه هستند و نانشان در این کارهاست. pic.twitter.com/CiP1CiChbB

— hadi mohammadi (@m_h_mohammadi) July 6, 2026

یک بار دیگر فیلم حمله‌ور شدن اوباش انقلابی به وزیرخارجه جمهوری اسلامی ایران را ببینید،
سنگی که به طرف ایشان پرت شد می‌توانست باعث شهادت ایشان شود،
این دیگر فقط توهین و فحاشی نیست،
یک عملیات تروریستی است.

منتظر شناسایی و برخورد جدی قوه قضائیه با این تروریست‌ها هستیم. pic.twitter.com/HZ7mWLVP2J

— مش ممد???????? (@mhmdhsyn__) July 7, 2026

2:38 pm

Palestinian Authority sets legislative election for November 28

By AFP

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, December 22, 2025. (AP/ Nasser Nasser, Pool)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issues a decree setting legislative elections for November 28, which, if they take place, would mark the first such vote in two decades.

“The presidential decree calls on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to participate in free and direct legislative elections to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council on the date specified,” the official WAFA news agency reports, citing the decree.

2:34 pm

Drone attack hits Iranian Kurdish opposition group camp near Iraq’s Erbil, security sources say

A drone attack has hit a camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group northeast of Iraq’s Erbil, security sources tell Reuters.

No casualties are immediately reported in the attack.

2:29 pm

Jordan says 8 Iranian missiles intercepted; no casualties or damage caused

Jordan has inteercepted eight missiles launched from Tehran at the country, the Jordanian state news agency reports, after alarms sounded.

No casualties or damages have been caused, the report says.

2:04 pm

Sirens sound in Jordan amid Iranian missile attack, reportedly targeting US base

By Agencies and ToI Staff

Illustrative: Domestically built Iranian missiles are displayed as part of a permanent exhibition in a recreational area of northern Tehran, Iran, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Sirens sound in Jordan amid an Iranian attack, signaling an expansion of current hostilities.

Reports say the target is a US base in the country.

State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka adds: “Alarm sirens sounded in Jordan on Thursday to alert citizens and urge them to follow instructions.”

The state news agency later reports, citing the government spokesperson, that missiles launched from Iran were detected in Jordanian airspace.

The spokesperson says the Jordanian Armed Forces are on high alert and ready to deal with any threat targeting the kingdom’s security.

The sirens are reportedly heard in some Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley.

1:54 pm

US projectile hit perimeter area of Bushehr nuclear plant, Iran says

This October 26, 2010, photo shows the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. (AP Photo/Mehr News Agency, Majid Asgaripour)

A US projectile has struck the area surrounding Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s deputy governor of Bushehr province tells state media.

The official says several locations in Bushehr province, including the perimeter area of the nuclear facility, were hit in US attacks.

1:40 pm

Eisenkot’s party adds Dvora Sharifian Bachar, former Shin Bet and Mossad operative smuggled from Iran as child

Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot, right, welcomes former Shin Bet and Mossad official Dvora Sharifian Bachar to the party in a handout photo released on July 9, 2026. (Courtesy Yashar)

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party announces that former Shin Bet and Mossad official Dvora Sharifian Bachar is joining the party ahead of the upcoming election.

Sharifian Bachar, 44, a resident of Kibbutz Eilot in the south, was born in Tehran shortly after the Islamic Revolution and, at age 7, was smuggled with her family to Israel in a covert Mossad operation, according to a statement from Yashar.

She began her career in the Shin Bet as a field fighter in an elite counterterror force made up of Shin Bet fighters and members of the police’s elite Yamam unit, known as a Tequila team, and afterwards joined the Mossad.

In the Mossad, she served in operational roles and a range of intelligence positions before moving into data and cyber, and later advanced to head an intelligence branch in the operational department.

Sharifian Bachar, whose mother tongue is Persian, holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and political science from Bar-Ilan University, a teaching certificate in civics and Persian, and a master’s degree specializing in educational leadership, teaching and learning.

“For years, I worked behind the scenes as a fighter and manager for the security of the state, and I saw up close how fateful decisions are made. Today, our internal challenges require us not to remain on the sidelines, but to take responsibility and influence matters from within the centers of decision-making,” Sharifian Bachar says in the statement, stressing the “obligation to give every boy and girl in [Israel’s] periphery the tools to lead and excel” – a key component of Eisenkot’s campaign.

Eisenkot hails Sharifian Bachar as a “fighter for the periphery,” saying her experience “will lead the repair the country needs.”

Sharifian Bachar joins other figures who have teamed up with Eisenkot, including former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen, former Finance Ministry budget chief Shaul Meridor, and former ministers and MKs Matan Kahana and Orit Farkash-Hacohen.

1:12 pm

Explosions heard in Iran’s Bushehr, Mehr news reports

Several explosions are heard in Iran’s Bushehr ‌province, the semi-official Mehr news reports.

Bushehr ‌is where an Iranian nuclear power plant is located.

1:12 pm

US strike hit bridge on China-Iran rail corridor also used by Russia, Iran’s Fars news says

Overnight US strikes on Iran hit the Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge in northern Iran’s Golestan province, Fars news agency says, a trade link to Tehran’s strategic partners China and Russia.

Fars says the route that goes on to pass through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan has been an important land link to China that gained further relevance during this year’s blockade of Iran’s Gulf ports by the US.

It adds that the route has also been used by Russia for cargo shipments to Iran since late 2025.

The agency says repairs to the bridge are expected to be completed quickly.

1:02 pm

UN: 5,900 West Bank residents displaced from their homes by settler violence over past 3 years

By Nurit Yohanan

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that 5,900 people in the West Bank were displaced from their homes due to attacks by extremist settlers between January 2023 and April 2026.

The agency also says it documented 5,336 settler attacks during that period that resulted in damage to people or property.

Accompanying the announcement, the UN publishes a map showing the geographic distribution of the incidents. According to the map, most of the displacement occurred in the Jordan Valley, particularly in the area between Ramallah and Jericho, and in the South Hebron Hills. Those displaced are primarily Palestinians and Bedouins living in small communities consisting of several dozen families, rather than in villages or towns.

According to the UN, 45 communities were completely displaced and 72 were partially displaced.

The figures do not include the tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced after the IDF took control of the refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem in counterterror operations since the beginning of 2025. In March, the UN said that a total of 36,000 Palestinians were displaced due to either settler violence or Israeli military operations in the West Bank since 2024.

12:53 pm

Shin Bet head says agency subordinate to Elections Committee on electoral matters, after backlash over ‘loyalty’ remarks

(L-R) Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg, President Isaac Herzog and Shin Bet chief David Zini hold a meeting at the President's Residence, July 9, 2026. (Haim Zach/GPO)

President Isaac Herzog, Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg and Shin Bet chief David Zini hold a meeting to emphasize their commitment to “ensuring the integrity of the elections,” with Zini clarifying that he is subordinate to Sohlberg on all election-related matters, after he said this week that he had taken his position out of “loyalty to the elected leadership” sparked backlash.

During the meeting, which came at Zini’s initiative, the three officials “emphasized their shared commitment to safeguarding the purity of the elections, strengthening public trust and upholding the status of the Central Elections Committee,” according to a readout from Herzog’s office.

The meeting comes after comments from Zini drew criticism from current and former officials. Speaking Tuesday, Zini said he had accepted the position because of his ability to be “loyal to the elected leadership,” while also declaring that he brings his own agenda to the role. Zini also clarified during the speech that his loyalty would be to any elected leadership. Under the law, the Shin Bet is subordinate to the government.

“With regard to elections, the Shin Bet is directly subordinate to the chair of the Elections Committee, in order to do everything in our power to preserve the state-like, nonpartisan character and integrity of the elections,” Zini says in the readout.

Herzog adds: “Elections are not a civil war. Elections are a social, democratic and political process.”

“There are many hostile foreign digital influences, and there are many elements seeking to sabotage from within, and especially from without,” the president continues, without elaborating, adding: “We will do everything in our power, and I am confident that the Central Elections Committee and its personnel, with the backing and support of the Shin Bet, will prevent such disruptions.”

12:12 pm

US military delegation headed to Beirut to work out details of IDF handover of pilot areas to Lebanon

By Lazar Berman

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun posing with US ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa (L) at the presidential palace of Baabda, east of Beirut, on November 17, 2025. (HANDOUT / Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

A US military delegation will land in Beirut in the coming days to determine how carry out the pilot program involving the handover of territory from the IDF to the Lebanese Armed Forces, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa tells Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

According to the Lebanese readout, “preparations are underway to implement what was agreed upon with respect to the pilot areas,” and “it is essential to avoid any vacuum upon the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the designated area, and based on the outcomes of the coordination meetings, the timeline for on-the-ground implementation will be determined.”

A Lebanese diplomatic source told AFP yesterday that Lebanon is demanding that Israel fulfill its pledge to withdraw from two “pilot zones” in the nation’s south and hand them over to the Lebanese military before it agrees to participate in next week’s talks in Rome.

Issa tells Aoun that the next round of talks was moved to Rome “due solely to technical reasons related to facilitating the travel of ambassadors and delegation members,” and that working groups with specialists will be formed in order to implement the three-way agreement signed in Washington last month.

Issa also tells Aoun that the Lebanese president’s is upcoming visit to Washington “reflects the extent of attention that President Trump accords to Lebanon and his efforts to achieve security and stability there and end the suffering of its people.”

According to his office, Aoun stresses the importance of pressuring Israel to stop its military operations.

11:30 am

Iran: ‘Evil and psychopathic’ US hit civilian railway bridges, in ‘gross war crime’

By AFP

Iran’s foreign ministry denounces US strikes against the country, which it says targeted civilian infrastructure including railway bridges, as a “gross war crime.”

The ministry, in a statement, says it “condemns in the strongest terms the aggressive attacks by the US terrorist army on several points in the southern coastal provinces and two bridges in the eastern provinces on the railway route to the holy city of Mashhad,” and calls the US administration “evil and psychopathic.”

11:29 am

Explosions, sirens heard in Bahrain’s Manama

By AFP

An AFP correspondent in the Bahraini capital Manama hears explosions as air-raid sirens are activated for a third time, hours after Iranian attacks in the night.

“The siren has been sounded… Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” the interior ministry says in a post on X.

11:28 am

Khamenei coffin lands in Mashhad ahead of burial there

By AFP

A plane carrying the coffin of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei has landed in the eastern holy city of Mashhad, ahead of his burial there, state media reports.

Official news agency IRNA shares footage of the Mahan Air flight taxiing at the airport after landing in Khamenei’s home city. He has been transferred from Iraq, where ceremonies took place in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.

10:49 am

Iran summons British ambassador over ‘baseless’ claim it is behind journalist’s 2024 stabbing

By AFP

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Britain’s ambassador in Tehran to protest against what it calls “baseless accusations” that Tehran is involved in security-related activities in Britain, state media reports.

The move follows Britain’s decision to summon Iran’s charge d’affaires in London on Tuesday after two Romanian nationals were jailed over the 2024 stabbing of a British-Iranian journalist. Britain said the attack was carried out on behalf of the Iranian state, an assertion Tehran has rejected.

The ministry’s Director General for Western Europe Alireza Yousefi hands the ambassador a written protest note, accusing London of “deflection” and urging it to stop hosting what Tehran described as “terrorist networks” targeting Iran.

10:37 am

Qatar tells Iran all parties should commit to diplomacy, following escalation with US

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani tells Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that Iran and the United States should commit to diplomacy.

Al-Thani adds that Washington and Tehran should implement the signed memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, according to the Qatari foreign ministry.

Iran launched drones towards a site in Qatar earlier today and a Qatari tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. Al-Thani condemned the attack in the call, the foreign ministry says.

10:34 am

Iran’s health ministry says 14 killed, 78 injured in two days of US strikes

By AFP

Two days of US strikes against Iran have killed 14 people and left 78 injured, Tehran’s health ministry says.

“Of the injured, 47 are still hospitalized, and the rest have been discharged after receiving medical care,” Hossein Kermanpour, the ministry’s head of public relations, posted on X.

10:15 am

Amnesty accuses Israel of ‘wiping out families’ in Lebanon strikes, claims they’re ‘war crimes’

By AFP and ToI Staff

A man with a Hezbollah flag drives past a damaged building following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in the town of Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, June 22, 2026. (AP/ Mohammed Zaatari)

Amnesty International accuses Israel of wiping out families in its strikes on Lebanon during its war with Hezbollah, calling for these attacks to be investigated as war crimes.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by launching rockets at Israel in support of its backer Iran.

Israel responded with major airstrikes and a ground invasion, killing more than 4,300 people according to Lebanese authorities, including more than 250 children. The IDF has said that as of late June, it had killed over 2,500 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds of members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, since early March.

Amnesty says it analyzed three strikes on civilian homes between March 6 and 13, in which 24 civilians were killed, 12 of them children.

Its findings in the investigation are based on interviews with 15 people, including survivors, relatives, paramedics, journalists who visited attack sites and local officials.

“Based on the evidence gathered, in each of these air strikes, Amnesty International has reasonable basis to conclude that Israeli forces violated international humanitarian law, including by failing to distinguish between civilians and military objectives, by carrying out attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects, or by failing to take all feasible precautions to minimise harm to civilians,” the report reads.

The London-based rights group, which has lobbed numerous grave allegations at Israel in recent years, accuses the Jewish state of “wiping out families” in those strikes and calls for them to be treated as “war crimes.”

The group says it reached out to Israeli authorities, who said that some of the attacks were carried out against Hezbollah military targets, while others were “referred for examination.”

The authorities told Amnesty they were “committed to mitigating harm to civilians during operational activity.”

“Despite follow up, the Israeli military did not provide specific information regarding the three attacks… including what the targets may have been,” Amnesty adds.

10:08 am

Israel extends stay of Venezuela aid team, as quake death toll passes 3,800

Relatives and search workers search through the rubble of buildings collapsed during the earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Israel is extending the stay of aid teams in Venezuela following last month’s catastrophic earthquakes, in which at least 3,811 people have been confirmed dead and tens of thousands have been missing for over two weeks.

The delegation had been expected to return to Israel on Sunday.

The IDF and the Foreign Ministry say in a joint statement that the extension comes at the request of Caracas and at the instruction of the government.

The statement says additional Home Front Command officials departed Israel yesterday and will land today in the South American country to continue the rehabilitation efforts.

The Israeli team is assisting with engineering assessments of damaged buildings rather than search-and-rescue operations, the head of the team said this week.

Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.

9:27 am

Iran says it targeted sites in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain in response to US strikes

By AFP

Iran’s military has said it targeted sites in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain with one-way attack drones, state media reports, in retaliation for overnight US strikes.

The army says that “in continuation of the attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s army on US bases in the region,” it targeted a Patriot missile interceptor system in Kuwait, an early warning system in Qatar and fuel tanks in Bahrain with “a large number of various types of army kamikaze drones.”

9:23 am

Responding to Trump, Katz says ‘we don’t need approval to stay in Lebanon’

Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a cadets' graduation ceremony at the Bahad 1 officers' school in southern Israel, June 25, 2026. (Screenshot/Israel Defense Forces)

Defense Minister Israel Katz dismisses US President Donald Trump’s assertion yesterday that Israel will pull out of Lebanon.

“We didn’t ask for anyone’s approval to enter Lebanon, and we don’t need approval to stay in Lebanon,” Katz says in a statement.

“It is our right and duty to defend the residents of the Galilee and Israeli citizens from the threats of the jihadist terror group Hezbollah, which aims to destroy the State of Israel,” he says.

“As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have clarified, we will continue to stay in the security zone in Lebanon and to act from it as needed, until Hezbollah is disarmed in all of Lebanon and the threat to the residents of the north is removed,” adds Katz.

Trump said yesterday that he thinks Israel will withdraw from Lebanon, even as Netanyahu and others have insisted that the IDF will remain there until Hezbollah has been completely disarmed.

“I talked to Bibi about that. I think they’re going to. I think they want to. They’re getting along with Lebanon, they’re signing deals with Lebanon,” Trump said in response to a question from a reporter during his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara.

8:41 am

Iran says Tehran-Mashhad railway suspended after US strikes, hours before Khamenei burial in Mashhad

By AFP and ToI Staff

The train service between Tehran and Mashhad has been suspended after US strikes, state TV reports, hours before late supreme leader Ali Khamenei is due to be buried in the eastern Iranian holy city.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways blames “a criminal attack by the US-Israeli enemy” on the route and says it has dispatched teams to repair the damage, according to the state broadcaster, which adds that road transportation is being arranged for stranded passengers.

Israel has not participated in recent US strikes on Iran.

8:06 am

Iran says 3 killed in US strikes in western Iran

By AFP

A photograph said to show a US strike in Chabahar, a city and port in southeastern Iran, posted by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account overnight July 8-9, 2026. "This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" Trump wrote. The photograph, which appears to have been enhanced, was posted a short time earlier by Open Source Intel on X; the account subsequently stated that the image was "not from tonight." (Via social media)

US strikes on Iran have killed three people and wounded several others in the country’s west, official news agency IRNA reports, quoting a local official.

Valiollah Hayati, the deputy governor of Khuzestan for security and law enforcement, tells reporters that three people were killed and several wounded in the American attack on the outskirts of the city of Ahvaz, the IRNA report says.

7:59 am

Secret Service recommendation said behind Trump’s use of older Air Force One out of Turkey

By ToI Staff and Reuters

US President Donald Trump switches planes at US Air Force Base, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, on his way back to Washington from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

After US President Donald Trump unexpectedly left Turkey last night aboard an older Air Force One rather than the newly renovated Qatari-donated jet that brought him there, The New York Times reports that this was done at the recommendation of the US Secret Service as a security precaution.

Trump later boarded the new plane in Britain for the flight to Washington.

The trip to Turkey for the NATO summit, the first international travel for the new plane, took place as hostilities escalated with Iran, a country that borders Turkey.

The unexpected plane switch follows months of scrutiny over the luxury gift intended to serve as a temporary replacement while Boeing struggles to deliver long-delayed next-generation Air Force One planes.

Critics have questioned the cost, security and pace of the retrofit.

Trump said on Truth Social that he would use an older baby blue Air Force One plane “for old time’s sake” to fly from Ankara to RAF Mildenhall in Britain while the new plane stopped at the same base so US service members stationed there could tour the aircraft.

The new plane, with red, white, dark blue and gold livery chosen by Trump, is a Boeing 747 gifted to the United States by Qatar last year and refitted by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies.

US President Donald Trump, center, switches planes at US Air Force Base, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, on his way back to Washington from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump, asked in Ankara if a threat of assassination prompted his decision to change planes for his departure from Turkey, does not answer directly but acknowledges the potential threat.

“I’m number one on the kill list for Iran,” he tells reporters at a news conference as the NATO summit concludes. “I don’t know. I can’t tell you that but I don’t really care.”

The upgrades to the jet from Qatar were completed so quickly that some experts expressed concern the plane may not be as secure as the existing Air Force One aircraft.

The New York Times report says, citing unnamed sources briefed on the matter, that the plane switch was a precaution and wasn’t prompted by a concrete threat.

It cites White House Communications Director Steven Cheung as commenting that “as the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal — including distraction and misdirection — to address those threats.”

6:28 am

US military says over 90 Iranian targets hit in latest strikes

The US military says it hit over 90 Iranian targets during a second straight night of strikes, with the attacks aimed at “further degrading Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.”

A statement from US Central Command says the latest strikes targeted “air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline,” while noting the 80 targets struck the previous day.

“US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the commander in chief,” CENTCOM says.

5:53 am

Iran’s IRGC says attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain targeted US bases, threatens to expand strikes

By AFP

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to fresh American strikes, in a statement carried by state television IRIB.

The IRGC says it struck “key infrastructure and facilities” at US bases in Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain with missiles and drones.

It also warns its responses will expand to other bases across the region if US attacks are repeated.

4:37 am

Following lead of ToI polls, first other survey shows Eisenkot’s Yashar as largest party

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot attends the Herzliya conference at the Reichman University, July 1, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Almost two weeks after election polls by Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language sister site, started putting former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, a new survey by another outlet shows Yashar would be the largest in the Knesset if the vote was held today.

The Channel 13 news poll has Yashar winning 23 seats, followed by Likud with 22 and Together with 15, while Yisrael Beytenu and The Democrats would pick up 10 apiece.

Shas, Otzma Yehudit and United Torah Judaism are all forecast to win eight seats, while Hadash-Ta’al would receive six and Religious Zionism and Ra’am each got five.

None of former minister Yoaz Hendel’s new alliance with Chili Tropper, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White or Balad clear the minimum vote threshold.

Combined, parties opposed to Netanyahu would have 58 seats without the support of majority Arab factions, short of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The current coalition parties would also fall short with 51.

A survey published two weeks ago by Zman Yisrael was the first to have Yashar as the largest party, but that poll also had him able to form a ruling majority together with other Zionist factions opposed to Netanyahu. Another Zman poll from a week ago similarly showed Eisenkot’s party as the largest, though without a clear path to a coalition.

4:17 am

Kuwait says it’s working to intercept ‘hostile missile and drone attacks’

By AFP

Kuwait’s air defenses are intercepting “hostile missile and drone attacks,” its military says.

“The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosions heard are a result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks,” the Kuwait military says in a post on X, without specifying their origin.

3:57 am

Air raid sirens sound in Bahrain after threats by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

By AFP

Air raid sirens are ringing out in Bahrain, the interior ministry says, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed to respond to US strikes on the Islamic Republic.

“The siren has been sounded,” the Bahraini interior ministry says in a post on X. “Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”

3:34 am

Anti-Israel Democrat in Maine suspends US Senate campaign after rape accusation

By Agencies and ToI Staff

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner sports a Totenkopf tattoo on his chest, in an archival video released by Platner himself. The skull-and-crossbones symbol is commonly associated with the Nazi SS. (YouTube screenshot via JTA)

Graham Platner, a scandal-plagued Democratic Senate nominee whose insurgent rise was fueled in large part by his opposition to Israel, ends his campaign after a rape allegation threatened to derail one of his party’s best chances of flipping a Republican-held seat.

“We are suspending campaign operations,” Platner, who prior to the rape accusation faced criticism for long having a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo and other allegations of mistreating women, says in a video posted on X. “This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not. We’re not doing it because of the allegations, we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”

2:43 am

Trump: Iran ‘called a little while ago, they want to make a deal so badly’

US President Donald Trump waves as he switches planes at US Air Force Base, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk Eastern England, on his way back to Washington from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump claims Iran “called a little while ago, they want to make a deal so badly.”

“I just don’t if they are worthy of making a deal. I don’t know if they are going to honor a deal, that’s the problem,” he tells reporters aboard Air Force One.

Asked why Iran would attack commercial ships if it wants to reach an agreement as he claims, Trump says, “they’re sort of a crazy. They’re a little bit out of control, but they want to make a deal — badly.”

Trump also warns Iran against attacking US targets, saying “every time they hit us we’re going to hit them twenty[fold].” He stresses he doesn’t know if the sides are heading toward a full resumption of activities.

12:46 am

Posting pictures of strikes, Trump warns Iran that they ‘will get much worse’ if attacks on Hormuz shipping continue

US President Donald Trump walks off the podium after a group photo of NATO heads of state and government during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

US President Donald Trump shares images of US military strikes on Iran, calling them “retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran.”

“If it happens again, it will get much worse!” he writes on Truth Social.

“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/TKKf8cIzCr

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 8, 2026

12:39 am

Iran media reports explosions in several ports along coast, city housing nuclear plant

By Agencies

Explosions have been heard in multiple locations along the Iranian coast as the United States launches new strikes on Iran, state media says.

Warplanes are heard over Kish Island and multiple explosions rock the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak and Chabahar, part of which have lost electricity, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reports.

Iranian state media reports that explosions also have been heard in Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex.

12:29 am

Mahmoud Abbas holds first publicized call with head of technocratic committee tasked with managing Gaza

Ali Shaath, head of Palestinian National committee for administering the Gaza Strip, speaks to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, during their meeting at the foreign ministry headquarters in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, January 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held his first publicized phone call with former PA deputy minister Ali Shaath since the latter was appointed to head the committee of Palestinian technocrats tasked with replacing Hamas rule in Gaza.

Abbas phoned Shaath the express condolences for the passing of Shaath’s uncle, but a source familiar with the matter says the pair also discussed political developments.

While the PA initially opposed the formation of the US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, hoping that it would immediately be given control of the Strip following the Gaza war, Ramallah has gradually agreed to cooperate with the NCAG, as it still seeks to replace the body upon completing necessary reforms.

12:20 am

US official says latest strikes on Iran will be more expansive than previous night

The ongoing US strikes against Iran will be greater in number than the ones carried out a day earlier, a US official tells Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

11:56 pm

Haredi rioters briefly breach base that houses military prison and courts