July 27: Netanyahu lands in Washington ahead of Tuesday meeting with Trump

Netanyahu lands in Washington ahead of Tuesday meeting with Trump

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has landed in Washington ahead of his White House meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

After meeting Trump, Netanyahu is slated to attend a memorial service for the late pro-Israel Republican senator Lindsey Graham.

US embassy extends order banning American officials from personal travel in the West Bank

The US Embassy in Jerusalem has extended a ban on all American officials and their families from personal travel in the West Bank “due to heightened security concerns and increased volatility” in the territory.

The directive has been in place since last week, when settlers raided a Palestinian village, sparking a clash in which two Israelis were killed and four Palestinians were killed. The days that followed have seen an uptick in settler reprisal attacks.

However, the US has avoided calling out settler violence, including in the embassy’s statement.

Sources: Mediators believe US-Iran breakthrough near; Trump waiting until after Netanyahu meeting to make decision

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while on Air Force One en route to Oakland County International Airport, July 27, 2026, in Waterford Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — Mediators believe they are close to a breakthrough that would revive the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran last month, but await a final decision from President Donald Trump after his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, an Arab official and a second source familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.

Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar have been discussing a proposal that would clarify disagreements regarding operations of the Strait of Hormuz, the two sources say. Iran maintains that the MOU granted it a level of control over the strait, while the US has argued otherwise.

The proposal being advanced by the mediators aims to bridge those gaps so that the US and Iran can begin talks through the MOU, whose 60-day timeline is already set to expire next month.

Iran and Oman — which both are situated along the strait — have given a green light to the mediators’ proposal, and it now awaits approval from Trump, the two sources say, adding that the White House is holding off on making a decision until after the president’s meeting with Netanyahu.

Likud MK criticizes Central Elections Committee in Knesset, while sitting next to CEC chief

Likud MK Boaz Bismuth earlier today launched an attack on the Central Election Committee while sitting next to the committee’s chairman.

Bismuth organized a public portion of a normally classified meeting of the Knesset Subcommittee for Intelligence and Secret Services, inviting camera teams.

“The puzzling series of appointments made at the Central Elections Committee raises questions and necessitates explanations,” Bismuth said, referring to appointments that irked right-wingers over alleged political biases or direct connections to opposition figures.

Sitting next to Bismuth was Central Election Committee Chair Noam Sohlberg, who is also the deputy Supreme Court president, and who replied that he was “a little surprised by the remarks.”

“The appointments made at the committee have each been perfectly professional,” he said. “We are aware of certain reports, concerning reports; we are checking ourselves. All the recent appointments to key positions have been continuously proving themselves in the committee’s work, excellent people one by one.”

Bismuth answered: “I’m surprised you are surprised. During the discussion, we will go over a series of appointments, and you will see the remarks weren’t made for no reason. Everything is backed up and documented.”

The left-wing Haaretz daily claims that the document he referred to is actually a list of questions written by Bismuth himself.

Bismuth added during the meeting, dedicated to threats to the election integrity: “We won’t enable harm to the voters’ will, neither external nor internal. Not via Iranian bots, not via millions funneled by foreign funds and organizations, and not via a bureaucrat who seeks to put their judgment above the voters’ choice.”

The latter part was a reference to the government’s judicial overhaul agenda, seeking to curb the powers of what many right-wingers view as an overreaching judiciary but which others view as vital democratic checks and balances.

Bismuth also warned of a potential targeting by Iran, Russia, and others of public officials, chiefly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and government ministers: “The writing is on the wall.”

IDF ends brief ban on Palestinians working in West Bank settlements

The IDF says it has lifted a short ban on Palestinians being allowed to work in Israeli West Bank settlements.

Following Friday’s gunfight in the West Bank village of Tell, IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth announced that Palestinians who have permits to enter settlements for work would not be able to do so. Some exceptions were given.

“In accordance with the situational assessment, beginning tomorrow, Palestinian workers will be permitted to return to communities in Judea and Samaria, in accordance with the worker security procedures for industrial zones and communities,” the military says.

Likud approves Netanyahu plan expanding control over party slate

People at polling station during a Likud party internal vote in Tel Aviv, July 27, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Likud’s roughly 4,500-member Central Committee approves a proposal significantly expanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s control over the party’s Knesset slate, granting him eight reserved slots in the top 29 places on the list ahead of the October 27 election.

After some 73 percent of the Central Committee members voted, three Netanyahu-backed changes to the party primaries pass.

One of them is a measure allowing sitting lawmakers for the first time to compete for spots reserved for districts, which until now had always been reserved for new candidates. That proposal passed by only six votes, which will likely prompt legal challenges to the vote.

The main measure gives Netanyahu unprecedented influence over more than a third of the party’s expected spots in the next Knesset, with Likud currently polling at 21-23 seats.

It passes despite rare public dissent from within Likud, led by MK David Bitan, who argued it would push incumbent lawmakers down the list in favor of Netanyahu’s handpicked candidates.

Bitan has said several of the reserved slots are expected to go to politicians outside Likud, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, whose New Hope faction merged with Likud last year, members of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, and members of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit faction.

The identities of the candidates Netanyahu intends to place in the reserved slots have not been announced.

The vote comes a day after Likud’s internal court struck down Netanyahu’s bid to allow the party to cancel its August 17 primary in the event of a “wartime situation” and instead select candidates through an appointed committee controlled by the premier.

Yemen’s FM says Houthis using Bab al-Mandeb strait to mirror Iran’s Hormuz pressure

Afrah al-Zouba, the foreign minister designate of Yemen’s internationally recognized Saudi-backed government, says the Houthis are seeking to replicate Iran’s model of trying to impose control on international shipping around the Strait of Hormuz in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

The group has been emboldened by what she calls an insufficiently serious international response to attacks on commercial shipping over the past years, al-Zouba tells a small group of journalists, including Reuters.

Trump says ‘very friendly’ talks are happening with Iran

US President Donald Trump says the US has been having “very friendly” talks with Iran.

“You can’t bribe them. You’ve got to beat them, and we’ll beat the hell out of them. But we’ll see how it turns out,” he says at a rally in Michigan. “Right now, there are very friendly negotiations going on.”

In rare interview, outgoing defense chief pans war’s strategic ‘resounding failure’

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dror Shalom speaks during an interview at a conference organized by the Institute for National Security Studies, July 27, 2026. (Screenshot: YouTube/INSS)

A outgoing senior Defense Ministry official launches a broadside against the government’s strategic conduct throughout the multifront war, accusing the leadership of squandering a series of military achievements.

“Strategically, this war is a resounding failure,” says Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dror Shalom, who, until several months ago, headed the Defense Ministry’s Political-Military Bureau, during an interview at a conference organized by the Institute for National Security Studies.

“We didn’t bring a decisive result on all the fronts. Hamas is still on its feet; Hezbollah is far from disarming; Iran — we moved back the nuclear program a bit, but it still exists; and Israel’s [international] status is at a record low and relations with the United States are also not at their best,” he argues.

It is the first-ever on-camera interview for Shalom, who currently serves as a senior adviser at JPMorgan Chase.

“The whole strategic standing in Israel today is weak,” Shalom says, arguing that the next government must create an alternative to Hamas and reach diplomatic breakthroughs with Syria and Lebanon.

Regarding Iran, Shalom claims that “whoever thought the regime can be toppled with airstrikes and the Kurds — delusional, simply delusional.” He is referring to a botched plan for Kurdish militias to invade Iran during the US-Israeli war, which aimed to “create the conditions” for the Islamic Republic’s fall. The plan was abandoned after it was leaked before the invasion happened.

Turning to Gaza, Shalom says “one of the only achievements is that we returned the hostages,” though he credits anti-government protests for pushing the US to act on the matter, and asserts that the abductees could have been returned earlier and in greater numbers.

He also argues that relations with Egypt and Jordan are being “neglected.”

He says he is waiting for a state commission of inquiry to be formed into Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, saying he would be “the first” to come and testify.

Iraq says it opened probe into Saudi drone attack claim

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi calls for an investigation into Saudi Arabia’s claim that drones targeting its territory were launched by pro-Iran groups in Iraq, his spokesman says.

Zaidi directed “the competent security authorities to investigate the statement issued by the defense ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the targeting of the kingdom with drones launched from Iraqi territory,” spokesman Sabah al-Numan says in a statement.

Visiting Lebanon, UN human rights chief says IDF must leave country, stop house demolitions

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaks to the media during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/ Hassan Ammar)

The United Nations’ human rights chief argues that Israel must end its occupation of large areas of southern Lebanon and halt the demolition of homes.

Volker Türk speaks to The Associated Press as he wraps up a visit to Lebanon, his second in just over a year. He met with government officials, civil society representatives and Lebanese people displaced by the war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.

Türk claims some Israeli actions in Lebanon could amount to war crimes, echoing criticism from other human rights groups over the widespread destruction of towns and villages, and the dozens of medical workers and journalists allegedly killed.

“Demolition of this type raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law,” Türk says, describing what has happened as a “wholesale destruction” of civilian homes.

Israel has said that its attacks target Hezbollah personnel and infrastructure. It accuses the Iranian proxy of hiding among civilians, and says its troops in parts of southern Lebanon have revealed weapons warehouses and tunnel networks belonging to the group, often hidden in civilian homes.

Türk, who is based in Geneva, also met with a visiting team from his office investigating attacks in Lebanon during the war.

Türk, who has also criticized Hezbollah for its attacks on northern Israeli towns, calls for an end to Israel’s occupation in southern Lebanon, and for displaced people to return safely to their homes.

“I met yesterday a man who told me that he returned to his village in this zone… south of this so-called yellow line,” he says. “The Israelis were there, they prevented him from going anywhere close to it, and he saw how the village was demolished.”

Türk says he contacted Israeli authorities hoping to conduct a similar visit, but received no reply. Israel was among 10 countries that recently voted against appointing Türk to a second term, alongside the United States and Russia, at the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump administration official reportedly says Iran talks are at a ‘serious stage’

The indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran are at a “serious stage,” according to an unnamed official in US President Donald Trump’s administration quoted by the Kan public broadcaster.

The official reportedly says both sides have passed proposals, in a sign of progress, but there are no agreements yet.

Report: Trump initially refused to meet Netanyahu, agreed after Israeli concession on Gaza

US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Trump listens to a question from a reporter at the end of a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, on December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/File)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed the security cabinet to approve the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza in order to secure his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump, Channel 12 reports.

According to the report, the White House had shown little interest in scheduling a meeting with Netanyahu, instead conveying through diplomatic channels that he would need to arrive in Washington with a tangible diplomatic achievement.

Following reported consultations with Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and advisers close to Trump, Netanyahu chose Gaza as the arena in which to demonstrate progress.

Channel 12 says Netanyahu subsequently brought forward the cabinet discussion on approving the initial deployment of the ISF under the Board of Peace-led Gaza plan, despite Hamas not having disarmed.

An Israeli official familiar with the cabinet deliberations tells the network that Netanyahu pushed the decision “without batting an eye,” describing it as “a gesture to Trump” that amounts to backing away from the cabinet’s previous stipulation that Hamas must first be disarmed before such a force could enter Gaza.

Yesterday, the security cabinet approved the initial entry of 200 ISF troops from “friendly countries” to secure the perimeter of a pilot humanitarian zone planned in the Rafah area under the Board of Peace initiative, Israeli officials told The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu departed from Israel earlier today without publicizing his departure in advance, and left from an Air Force base rather than Ben Gurion Airport, reportedly for security reasons. He is set to meet with Trump tomorrow.

Trump on Netanyahu opposing F-35 sale to Turkey: ‘Nobody tells me what we should be selling’

US President Donald Trump waves as he walks from Marine One to board Air Force One, July 27, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump dismisses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public cautioning against Washington selling F-35s to Turkey.

“Nobody tells me what we should be selling,” Trump tells reporters aboard Air Force One.

“Turkey’s not a big fan of Israel, not a great fan of Bibi. But they’ve been great for me,” he adds, offering a window into how he makes foreign policy decisions.

Trump indicated earlier this month that he would approve the F-35 sale, but the State Department informed Congress last week that Ankara still does not qualify for the purchase.

Trump says he and Netanyahu have some disagreements, but are largely aligned on the issue of Iran.

“We have a little difference but [are] pretty close,” Trump tells reporters, amid speculation that Netanyahu will use his meeting tomorrow with the president to caution against reaching a diplomatic agreement with Tehran.

Trump goes on to reiterate that he agreed to hold off on striking Iran over the weekend because mediators told him that progress was being made in negotiations.

“They want to meet, and we’re meeting. There’s a chance we can make a deal. But without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us,” Trump says.

Last week, Trump claimed that Iran wanted to meet but that he was not interested in meeting.

Trump reportedly agreed to hold off on striking Iran in recent days after his generals told him they had not been effective and that the US was running out of missile interceptors.

Trump insists that the US has more than enough ammunition before acknowledging that he would “like to have more,” especially of the “more sophisticated stuff.”

Asked if Saudi Arabia has reached out to express concern about him retroactively conditioning a civilian nuclear deal on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords, Trump reveals that he has not even discussed the matter with the Saudis.

“We haven’t talked about that,” Trump says.

Israel releases 60 Gazan detainees nabbed during the war

Palestinian media reports that Israel has released 60 Gazan detainees back to the Gaza Strip in recent hours. The detainees were apparently arrested during the war.

Throughout the war, and especially during the past year under the ceasefire, Israel has periodically released Gazans who were detained during the fighting, typically in groups of 10 to 20 every few weeks. Israel has not publicly explained the releases, though the detainees are believed to be individuals against whom there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

This is the largest group of Gazan detainees released in a single batch so far.

خرج اليوم 60 أسير ومختطف فلسطيني من معسكرات التعذيب الإسرائيلية؛ أحدهم نزل بعكازه، وآخر حمله رفاقه الأسرى، وأحدهم انهار بكاءً وصراخاً عندما وطئت قدمه أرض خانيونس جنوب قطاع غزة.

مشهد جديد يذكرنا بحال ثمانية آلاف أسير ومختطف يعانون أشد ويلات العذاب داخل معسكرات التعذيب… pic.twitter.com/bNzAeHxYMt

— Tamer | تامر (@tamerqdh) July 27, 2026

Senior rabbi in Islamic countries meets Qatari emir

Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States chairman Rabbi Mendy Chitrik met earlier today with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the latter’s palace in Doha.

Chitrik led a delegation of rabbis offering their condolences over the recent death of Sheikh Tamim’s father and former Qatari emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

“I am grateful for his highness’s support in ensuring that Jewish life can flourish in Qatar and for enabling my son, Rabbi Eliyahu Chitrik, to serve the Jewish community and the many Jewish visitors to the country,” Chitrik tweets after the meeting.

My sincere thanks to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for warmly receiving our delegation of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States today at Lusail Palace, together with HE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

I am grateful for His Highness's… https://t.co/4baTAPHeEr

— Rabbi Mendy Chitrik (@mchitrik) July 27, 2026

Mamdani refuses to answer question about timeline of Netanyahu arrest statement

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers a speech to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States at City Hall in New York, July 3, 2026. (Anna Connors/ The New York Times via AP, Pool)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani refuses to answer a question about the timeline of his statement last week acknowledging that the US city does not have the authority to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mamdani had promised to arrest Netanyahu while he was a candidate for mayor more than a year ago.

He told The New York Times on July 18 that he was in “an active conversation” with the city’s legal department about options for potentially arresting Netanyahu.

Days later, Mamdani released a video statement acknowledging that the city could not arrest the premier. The video included a litany of allegations against Israeli forces in Gaza.

Further reporting from The New York Times found that when Mamdani said he was in a conversation with the legal department about the arrest, he had already been told by his lawyers that he had no authority to arrest Netanyahu.

Asked about the discrepancy during a press conference, Mamdani refuses to answer.

“I’ve said all I have to say on that topic,” Mamdani says.

Mamdani also declines to engage with Netanyahu’s accusation that he was “fomenting hate” by calling for the arrest.

“I’m not interested in getting into a back-and-forth with Prime Minister Netanyahu. What I will say is that here in New York City, one of my top priorities is keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe, keeping every single New Yorker safe,” Mamdani says.

He declines to say if he spoke to US President Donald Trump about the threat to arrest Netanyahu. Trump had publicly opposed the arrest.

IDF says it killed several Gaza terror officials, include Islamic Jihad member involved in hostage handover

A Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist who was involved in the release ceremony for an Israeli hostage was killed in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip over the weekend, the military announces.

The IDF says the strike on Saturday killed Amro Abu Alrish, a member of Islamic Jihad’s elite forces.

“Abu Alrish took part in the handing over and release of an Israeli civilian from Islamic Jihad captivity,” the army says, without detailing who the hostage was.

During the war, Abu Alrish took part in fighting IDF troops in the Strip’s south. Recently, he advanced attacks, trained terrorists and acted to rebuild Islamic Jihad’s capabilities, the army says.

The IDF says a separate strike in northern Gaza on Saturday killed Abd Al-Nasser Al-Aziz Maqadmeh, a commander in the Hamas-run police, and a deputy platoon commander in Hamas’s military wing.

Maqadmeh also advanced attacks on Israeli troops and civilians recently, according to the IDF.

The IDF says both terror operatives “posed a threat to the troops and were eliminated in precise aerial strikes.”

‘Significant’ progress made in indirect US-Iran talks on resuming truce, official says

Iranian Shi'ite pilgrims carrying Iranian flags arrive at the Al-Mundheriya border crossing to join millions of Muslims heading to the holy city of Karbala for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, in Diyala, Iraq, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Mediators have achieved progress in getting the United States and Iran back to negotiations, regional officials say, after both sides paused attacks following a period of rapidly escalating tensions.

Neither the US nor Iran has reported carrying out any attacks for three days — a respite after about two weeks of sustained bombardments that had led to increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

The two regional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, say mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan are working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran to return to an interim ceasefire deal that collapsed after the exchanges of fire.

One of the regional officials describes the progress made in mediation efforts as “significant.” He says mediators are working with Iran and Oman on a mechanism for managing vessels’ transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the flashpoint for the latest strikes and counterstrikes.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said during a news conference in Tehran earlier that “mediators may convey messages to us from the American side” but that there are no direct negotiations.

12 Torah scrolls stolen from synagogue in Paris suburb

At least twelve Torah scrolls were stolen overnight Sunday-Monday from the Grand Synagogue of Levallois, located on the outskirts of Paris, local media reports.

The synagogue’s rabbi, Chalom Lellouche, discovered the theft Monday morning while preparing to host a bar mitzvah ceremony at the synagogue, according to Le Parisien.

Police were immediately notified and are currently investigating the case.

The synagogue is said to be protected by cameras and extensive surveillance systems. Initial reports indicate that two individuals broke into the building and removed the scrolls in what was likely a well-planned operation.

The community was targeted “at what is most sacred and precious to it,” says Levallois mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas.

Levallois : des rouleaux de la Torah d’une « valeur inestimable » dérobés de nuit à la synagogue
➡️ https://t.co/F03JvydtAg pic.twitter.com/LXdO770w35

— Le Parisien | 92 (@leparisien_92) July 27, 2026

AG urges High Court to freeze implementation of controversial internal police investigations law

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on June 9, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara says that the High Court of Justice should freeze implementation of a controversial law, passed by the coalition in June, giving the justice minister control over the Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI), which is in charge of probing suspected cases of police wrongdoing.

In the attorney general’s response to High Court petitions against the law, she argues that the legislation will create a parallel prosecution service to that of the existing law enforcement agencies that will be politically dependent on the justice minister and have heavy influence over police behavior, and therefore over Israeli citizens more broadly.

She adds that an interim order is necessary also due to what she claims is the “expected irreversible damage” the law will have in the immediate term.

“The law creates a separate and highly powerful criminal investigation and prosecution unit, operating in parallel to the existing law enforcement system, without any professional oversight,” writes Baharav-Miara.

She says the provisions of the law make two key figures in the revamped DIPI dependent on politicians, in particular the manner in which the government controls their appointment and the unit’s direct subordination to the justice minister and the director general of the ministry, a political appointee.

“The law is intended to realize the political objective of ‘investigating the investigators’ through the establishment of a new investigative and law enforcement body that in practice is subject to the authority of the government and has been granted unprecedented powers,” Baharav-Miara adds, saying that state prosecutors, Shin Bet officials, lawyers and journalists could all be subject to the new department’s authority as well.

Trump: ‘Very deep’ talks with Iran will be done quickly, if they fail we’ll resume ‘very strong military action’

Pedestrians walk past a billboard depicting US President Donald Trump being grabbed by the neck alongside the message, 'Revenge is inevitable' in English and Farsi, in Tehran, Iran, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

US President Donald Trump says he paused military strikes on Iran to give diplomacy another chance but is prepared to authorize another major attack if the talks fail.

“We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action,” Trump tells the Axios news site.

Trump insists that he’s not giving much time to talks, even though he has said that before and has allowed them to drag out an additional week.

“Either it goes fast or not at all,” he claims.

Explaining his decision to hold off on strikes — which was widely reported to have been made due to warnings from his generals that they were no longer effective and because the US is running out of missile interceptors — Trump says: “All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: ‘Don’t fire.'”

Asked what he will discuss during tomorrow’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he says: “I am going to talk to Bibi about the fact that if I weren’t president, Iran would have had nuclear weapons by now and Israel would have been destroyed.”

Top officials said to warn Iran may try to target Israeli election candidates

Senior political, security and professional officials have expressed alarm about potential Iranian efforts to disrupt the upcoming Knesset election, including possible targeting of candidates and public officials, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

At a classified meeting of the Knesset Subcommittee for Intelligence and Secret Services, committee chairman and Likud MK Boaz Bismuth reportedly said the election season “will be a central target for enemies of Israel, and there is a substantial fear that elected officials and candidates will be physically harmed.”

“Iran understands it can’t defeat us on the battlefield, so they will try to harm us from within, to foment civil war, to deepen the rift in Israeli society and to turn the election into another front,” Bismuth is said to have added.

Central Election Committee Chair Noam Sohlberg, who is also the deputy Supreme Court president, says there is constant collaboration with security bodies and professionals to “ensure a proper, fair and trustworthy election process.”

Reports said earlier today that Shin Bet Director David Zini warned top Israeli officials during the meeting that Iran and other countries are attempting to meddle in and undermine the upcoming elections, with sources who took part in the meeting telling Channel 13 that Zini looked “very disturbed” by the threat.

Kan says Zini also asked for the Shin Bet not to be dragged into political arguments.

IDF says small drone crashed in Israeli kibbutz near Gaza

A small drone belonging to Israeli soldiers crashed in Kibbutz Nahal Oz on the Gaza border a short while ago, the military says.

“There is no fear of a security incident,” the army says, adding that the incident is under further investigation.

רחפן עם מצלמה ומטען נפץ אותר בקיבוץ נחל עוז, ונבדק אם שייך לצה"ל@Itsik_zuarets pic.twitter.com/r1LhH3bzIF

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) July 27, 2026

Ex-IDF general Aviezer Yaari, scolded for issuing warning ahead of Yom Kippur War, dies aged 96

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Aviezer Yaari in an undated photo. (Israel Defense Forces)

Retired Israeli general Aviezer Yaari died today at the age of 96, the military announces.

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yaari, born in 1930, served in the IDF for nearly four decades, with his last role being head of the National Security College in 1986.

He joined the military in 1948, initially serving in the Golani Infantry Brigade.

In 1973, while serving as head of the Syria, Lebanon and Iraq desk in the Military Intelligence Directorate, Yaari was reprimanded for suggesting several days before the Yom Kippur War that the Egyptian and Syrian military exercises then underway might well be preparations for a combined strike.

He later served as the intelligence officer of the Northern Command and head of the Research Division in the Intelligence Directorate.

Yaari is survived by three daughters.

He is set to be buried on Wednesday in Kibbutz Merhavia.

IDF says it destroyed Hamas tunnel hundreds of meters long

A Hamas tunnel spanning hundreds of meters in the northern Gaza Strip was recently demolished by combat engineers, the IDF says.

Earlier this month, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military had demolished 83% of the Hamas tunnels in the IDF-held portion of the Gaza Strip.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias launch drone attack on Saudi oil facilities, says kingdom’s army

Saudi Arabia was attacked by drones launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, says the kingdom’s Defense Ministry spokesman, Major General Turki Al-Maliki.

He says that air defenses destroyed the drones, which were targeting oil facilities in the Eastern Province and in Riyadh.

Maliki stresses that Saudi Arabia has the right “to respond at the appropriate time and place.”

‘You never mention October 7’: New Boy George song is an overt defense of Israel’s Gaza war

Culture Club lead singer Boy George performs on stage at a November 7, 2017 concert in Tel Aviv. (Courtesy)

British singer Boy George releases an explicitly pro-Israel song about the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, titled “We will dance again” and featuring some lyrics in Hebrew — including as the song title — that are a direct translation of the title and the song’s first few lines.

Released directly on social media platform X with the hashtag “#Shalom” — thus bypassing streaming platforms — the reggae song specifically references the massacre of hundreds of people at the Nova festival that day, and says the ensuing war is not a genocide but a natural response to the mega-attack.

The 1980s star has long been a staunch defender of Israel.

#Shalom pic.twitter.com/0BfHIrThzO

— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) July 26, 2026

The full song lyrics are:

“You say genocide / I say war / When you’re attacked / That’s what the army is for / Does it get ugly? / You bet it does / When I know you want to kill / Every last one of us

You never mention October 7

Young girls raped against trees / Murdered brutally / For the crime of dancing / You condemn the Jews /With selective memory / Musicians holding flags / Mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fueled by the internet / Feels so weak

But trust me, we will dance again / We will dance again / We will dance again / And there will be no war / But if you’re ever confused / I stand with the Jews / I don’t feel brave / I just need to behave like a human.”

Yemen’s Houthis claim their drones targeted Saudi crude oil transportation infrastructure

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis say they targeted a number of sensitive crude oil supply and transportation sites linking eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea city of Yanbu. Riyadh has blamed Iran-backed Iraqi groups.

The group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree says the action is in response to what he describes as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.

“By the grace of God, a number of targets and sensitive points in the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu were struck using several drones, in response to the Saudi enemy’s drones breaching Yemeni airspace,” says Saree on X.

A tense, years-long ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia broke down earlier this month, with mutual strikes and the Houthis declaring a blockade on Saudi shipping.

Netanyahu-Trump meeting set for 11 a.m. DC time on Tuesday

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. local time in Washington, DC, on Tuesday (6 p.m. Israel time). Three hours later, he will attend the funeral ceremony for late US Senator Lindsey Graham in the Capitol.

Netanyahu is slated to fly home on Wednesday night and arrive in Israel on Thursday.

Security measures reportedly behind Netanyahu’s odd takeoff to US

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara board the Wing of Zion plane on their way to Washington, July 27, 2026 (Screenshot/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off for Washington, DC, in rather curious circumstances, many of which are reportedly the result of heightened security measures due to a potential Iranian attack.

Netanyahu took off from Nevatim Air Base in the Negev, not from Ben Gurion Airport. Additionally, he did not publicize the time of his takeoff beforehand.

According to Channel 12, the move to a military base was a security consideration taken in light of a potential threat from Iran. Netanyahu’s cabinet meeting yesterday was moved from his office to an undisclosed underground location for that reason.

The premier’s office is also not allowing Israel’s diplomatic media pool to travel with Netanyahu on the taxpayer-funded Wing of Zion plane. No explanation has been given for that move, though this is not the first time that the Prime Minister’s Office has forced reporters to find their own way to the US, and his relationship with the press has long been cold.

‘A mayor playing president’: NBA star lashes Mamdani for Netanyahu arrest video

NBA star Kyle Kuzma criticizes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for Mamdani’s video last week acknowledging that he could not arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“This is 2026. People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content. A mayor playing president. A founder playing operator,” Kuzma says on X in response to Mamdani’s video statement.

This is 2026. People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content.

A mayor playing president. A founder playing operator. A content creator playing one-on-one thinking he’s a pro. A 25yr old with a ring… https://t.co/e4aM17CzSC

— kuz (@kylekuzma) July 26, 2026

“Everyone auditioning. Nobody building,” says Kuzma, a forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. “The clip is the career. The pose is the product. The soundbite is the substitute for a life’s work. Don’t fall for distractions.”

Kuzma is a former teammate and friend of Israeli NBA star Deni Avdija.

Jewish wedding are a movie actually 🤣🤣🤣 Baruch Hashemmm https://t.co/jIAaCSWPWW

— kuz (@kylekuzma) May 28, 2026

IDF says it killed Hamas’s internal security forces head for central Gaza

The commander of Hamas’s internal security forces in the central Gaza Strip was killed in an Israeli strike yesterday, the military announces.

The strike targeting a car in Deir al-Balah killed Wael al-Ladawi, the commander of Hamas’s Internal Security Service in the central governorate. Hamas’s interior ministry announced his death yesterday.

The military says the security service under Ladawi “collected intelligence for senior Hamas officials, supporting their decision-making and facilitating the planning and execution of terrorist attacks against the State of Israel.”

IDF: 4 Palestinians detained for alleged involvement in stealing soldier’s gun in West Bank

Four Palestinians allegedly involved in an incident over the weekend in the southern West Bank, during which an off-duty soldier’s gun was snatched, have been apprehended, Israeli authorities say.

On Saturday, a clash erupted between Israelis and Palestinians in the Susya area. Amid the incident, a Palestinian allegedly snatched a soldier’s assault rifle and fled, dropping the gun in the process.

The military, Shin Bet and police say that immediately after the incident, forces scanned the area, located the gun and detained two suspects.

Overnight, soldiers of the Duvdevan Commando Unit raided the Palestinian city of Yatta and detained another suspect involved in the incident, the army says.

And early today, another suspect handed himself over to the Civil Administration, the statement adds.

The suspects were all taken for questioning by the Shin Bet.

‘Too hot for you softie’: Iran mocks US forces with Lego-style clip

After US President Donald Trump posted a hail of memes overnight threatening Iran’s energy infrastructure, Iran fires off its own bit of media: an apparently AI-made movie ridiculing US forces using Lego figures.

In the clip, a US soldier crawls out of a crashed helicopter on Kharg island, Iran’s central oil hub, and is struggling in the overbearing heat, when an Iranian soldier walks by smiling and drinking tea.

“Too hot for you softie. Go back to the AC,” the text reads.

It’s too hot on Kharg island stay in your AC room

Iran dropped a new lego pic.twitter.com/ANtC2DanfE

— Iran War Room (@IranWarRoom_) July 27, 2026

Police arrest man suspected of stealing thousands of archaeological artifacts

Authorities seized thousands of archaeological artifacts and arrested a suspect accused of conducting illegal excavations and stealing antiquities during an operation in the Jericho area of the West Bank, the Israel Police say in a statement.

The raid was carried out by inspectors from the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit, together with Border Police officers and Israel Defense Forces troops from the Jordan Valley Brigade.

Authorities say the suspect was initially apprehended while carrying metal detectors, excavation tools and archaeological objects. He was taken for questioning by the Archaeology Unit, where investigators concluded he had conducted unauthorized excavations in Area C of the West Bank and uncovered ancient coins.

צה"ל, המשטרה ומתפ"ש:

אלפי פריטים ארכיאולוגיים נתפסו: יחידת קמ״ט ארכיאולוגיה במנהל האזרחי בשיתוף לוחמי מג״ב איו״ש, לוחמי חטיבת הבקעה והעמקים סיכלו חשד לחפירות בלתי חוקיות ולגניבת עתיקות בבקעת הירדן

במסגרת פעילות יזומה בהובלת רכזי קמ״ט ארכיאולוגיה במנהל האזרחי יחד עם לוחמי מג״ב… pic.twitter.com/xZIpyo3VUf

— עברית NTD חדשות (@NTDHEBREW) July 27, 2026

Following the investigation, officers, assisted by IDF soldiers, searched the suspect’s home, where they said they found thousands of additional archaeological items from the Persian, Hellenistic, and Hasmonean periods. Metal detectors and excavation equipment were also found and seized.

The recovered artifacts were transferred to the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit for further investigation.

The operation was part of an ongoing effort to combat illegal excavations and disrupt the illicit antiquities trade in the West Bank, police say.

Eisenkot campaign targets vacationing Israelis in Cyprus, irking locals

Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot has courted some controversy in Cyprus by buying campaign ads on roadside billboards to target Israeli vacationers.

Two such large signs recently drew attention. One declared “Israelis, enjoy! You deserve it,” while another said: “Rest well? Enjoy yourselves? Now come back and win!”

איזנקוט הרים קמפיין שלטי חוצות בחו״ל לכבוד אוגוסט: ״תהנו״ – ״עכשיו חוזרים ומנצחים״ כרגע בקפריסין, מתכוונים לפרסם במדינות נוספות pic.twitter.com/SUCQ3zvJFT

— עמיאל ירחי (@amiel_y) July 26, 2026

The billboards have drawn criticism from some Cypriots, amid growing sensitivity over the large number of Israelis visiting and relocating to the island, with some also buying real estate and opening businesses there.

Member of Parliament Fidias Panayiotou says it is disturbing to see a party from a non-EU country campaigning in Cyprus, saying this is “unacceptable” and calling for a ban on such activities, according to the Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus does not currently have laws prohibiting such advertising.

Two Israeli settlement activists illegally cross into Syria

Two Israeli settlement activists illegally crossed the border into Syria today, before being returned to Israel by the IDF.

The military says the pair arrived in the Mount Hermon area and crossed the border.

“IDF troops who were dispatched to the scene located the civilians, returned them to Israeli territory, and detained them,” the military says, adding that they were handed over to the police for further handling.

The activists, who call themselves the Bashan Pioneers, call for the establishment of settlements in southern Syria. There has been an increase in attempts by the activists to cross the border into Syria in recent weeks.

שני פעילים של ״חלוצי הבשן״ הצליחו לחדור את הגבול בין ישראל לסוריה, ופרצו למרחב החרמון. כוח צה״ל קפץ לנקודה, החזיר אותם לשטח ישראל והעביר אותם למשטרה. pic.twitter.com/qsXbjiX6ly

— (((IsraelMatzav))) (@IsraelMatzav) July 27, 2026

“The IDF strongly condemns the incident, which constitutes another serious disruption of operational activity and poses a danger to the safety of IDF troops operating in the area,” the military says. The IDF adds that “law enforcement authorities are required to bring those involved to justice and to prevent those individuals from repeatedly engaging in this incident, which constitutes a criminal offense.”

There have been no charges filed against the Bashan Pioneers members, and despite their illegal actions, they have also received support from coalition lawmakers.

Netanyahu before takeoff: Iran will be focus of conversation with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara board the Wing of Zion plane on their way to Washington, July 27, 2026 (Screenshot/GPO)

Before taking off for Washington DC, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran will top the agenda in his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

“In these complex times one must act with both great determination and great wisdom,” he said in a Hebrew-language video statement alongside his wife Sara. “We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost Iran. Of course, our goal is to safeguard our security while also expanding the circle of peace around us.”

“I am embarking on this mission with one clear objective,” he said, “to ensure the security, strength, and future of our beloved State of Israel.”

He noted that he is also traveling to pay last respects to late senator Lindsey Graham, “one of Israel’s greatest friends of all time.”

Man injured after truck overturns on Route 1 highway, hitting cars

A man has been moderately to seriously injured after a truck overturned at a gas station on the Route 1 highway, near the Sha’ar Hagai Interchange, hitting several cars.

Paramedics are at the scene of the accident.

המוקד: משאית התהפכה סמוך למחלף שער הגיא בכביש 1 ופגעה במספר כלי רכב. כוחות מד"א מעניקים במקום טיפול רפואי ל-2 פצועים, בהם פצוע בינוני-קשה pic.twitter.com/nqkdgrhP8Z

— חדשות המוקד (@hamoked_il) July 27, 2026

Incoming Colombian president says will nix Palestinian embassy plan, confirms Jerusalem mission

Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella speaks during an Independence Day military parade in Bogotá, July 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Angel Lopez)

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella says that he is suspending plans to open an embassy to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah — an initiative of the outgoing left-wing government — and confirms that Bogota is opening an embassy in Jerusalem.

He is also closing 14 embassies around the world.

Bogota’s relations with Jerusalem nosedived under Colombia’s first-ever leftist government led by outgoing President Gustavo Petro, an ardent critic of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

De la Espriella has said he will reverse the decision, and one of his main campaign pledges was to “renew a strategic alliance with the State of Israel,” open an embassy in Jerusalem, and “defend the Judeo-Christian principles that form the foundation of Western civilization.”

He holds dual Colombian and US citizenship. He’s a Trump supporter and a member of the US Republican Party. He has never held public office before and will take the reins from Petro in August.

Netanyahu takes off, unannounced, from an Air Force base ahead of Trump meeting; no journalists on board

File: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen by journalists aboard the official Wing of Zion plane during its flight to Washington, DC, on July 22, 2024. (Lazar Berman/ Times of Israel)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off for Washington, DC, shortly before 1 p.m., his office tells The Times of Israel after his departure.

According to flight tracking sites, he took off from the Nevatim Airbase near Beersheba.

נתניהו המריא לארה"ב על כנף ציון מבסיס נבטים pic.twitter.com/sNTmje26yw

— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) July 27, 2026

He is slated to meet US President Donald Trump tomorrow, as well as to attend a funeral service for late senator Lindsey Graham.

His flight, which was originally scheduled to take off at 11 a.m., was delayed by two hours. Netanyahu’s office did not offer an explanation, nor has it said why he took off from an Air Force base and not Ben Gurion Airport.

Netanyahu is not taking journalists with him on the state plane Wing of Zion.

German authorities criticized over recent leniency toward Pride killing suspect

A man wrapped in a security blanket stands next to emercency personnel near the scene where one person was killed and around 15 injured after a car rammed into a crowd on the outskirts of the Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade in Berlin, on July 25, 2026. (RALF HIRSCHBERGER/AFP)

German authorities are facing tough questions over why a man blamed for a deadly attack near Berlin’s Pride parade was at large despite his Islamist radicalization and recent conviction for “preparing an act of violence.”

Abdul Ballout, 21, is believed to have plowed a rented minivan into a crowd Saturday at the edge of Berlin’s Tiergarten park before attacking people with a machete, killing one woman and wounding 29.

Ballout was most recently convicted in May of “planning a serious act of subversive violence” and given a jail sentence of one year and 10 months in jail. However the sentence was suspended, partially in recognition of the time he had already spent in jail in Lebanon and his pre-trial detention, and because he had admitted to the crimes and claimed to have distanced himself from ISIS.

Marc Henrichmann, a lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right CDU who chairs the parliamentary committee supervising intelligence agencies, says that tougher measures are necessary in such cases.

“The freedoms of extremists and Islamists must not be given undue value, especially when people’s lives are at risk,” he tells the Handelsblatt newspaper.

The head of Germany’s police officers’ association, Dirk Peglow, also charges that the justice system was too lax with Ballout.

“With people who pose such a threat, the end of their time in detention must not be the end of state supervision,” he says, speaking to the same business daily.

The interior minister in the southern state of Bavaria, Joachim Herrmann, meanwhile labels the decision to suspend Ballout’s sentence “catastrophic.”

“The judges who have to take such decisions must know the responsibility they have for people’s security,” he tells public broadcaster BR.

Iran foreign ministry says no current negotiations with United States

Iran’s foreign ministry says it is not currently involved in negotiations with the United States, despite a halt in recent fighting between the two sides.

“At present, we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States,” the ministry’s spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says, denying reports that Iran had requested talks.

US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to daily strikes on Iran over the weekend, with UN ambassador Mike Waltz saying Washington remained “locked and loaded” for more attacks and that “more assets have gone into the region,” but that Trump was “giving talks some space — he’s giving it a little bit of room.”

Reports: Settlers graffitied, attempted to set fire to home south of Nablus

Palestinian media report that settlers attempted to set fire to a home in the village of Talfit, south of Nablus. According to footage from the scene, the entrance to the house sustained minor fire damage. No injuries have been reported.

Hebrew graffiti was sprayed on the wall at the entrance to the home reading “Benayahu, revenge” — apparently referring to Benayahu Mellet, who was killed in last week’s shooting incident near the village of Tell — and “Regards to Bluth,” apparently referring to Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth.

مصادر محلية: مستوطنون يخطّون شعارات عنصرية على جدارن منزل المواطن واجد مسلم من بلدة تلفيت قضاء نابلس، ويحاولون إحراقه. pic.twitter.com/BCA2EGwb35

— بوابة اللاجئين الفلسطينيين (@refugeesps) July 27, 2026

Jordanian army says it downed two drones without material damage

Jordan’s armed forces say they intercepted and downed two drones this morning, adding that there were no casualties or material damage.

The statement does not identify who launched the drones.

Bennett says he’ll declare Qatar an enemy state: ‘A violent antisemitic cancer’

Chairman of the “Together” party and former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, June 15, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Speaking at a conference of the Institute for National Security Studies, Together party leader Naftali Bennett says that in the next government, he intends to declare Qatar an enemy state.

“Qatar is a violent antisemitic cancer that is spreading metastases to the West and even to the office of Israel’s prime minister, with the aim of destroying the State of Israel,” Bennett says.

He adds that through its Al Jazeera news network, it is running “a global influence operation aimed at eliminating Israel.”

Bennett adds that as prime minister, “I was exposed to intelligence indicating that they funded [Iran’s] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

Second suspect in Berlin pride attack released, prosecutors say

People gather in front of the Brandenburg Gate illuminated with the message 'Berlin, city of freedom,' commemorating victims after a car rammed into a crowd at the Pride March in Berlin, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/ Ebrahim Noroozi)

A second suspect detained in connection with a deadly car-ramming attack on Berlin’s Pride celebrations over the weekend has been released, the German federal prosecutors’ office says.

“We continue to investigate broadly,” the prosecutors’ office tells Reuters and declines to comment further.

Spiegel cites sources as saying that authorities released the person because initial suspicion that he was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the attack could not be upheld.

The ramming attack, killing one person, happened in the Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate at about 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Saturday, not far from annual Christopher Street Day celebrations. The suspected driver, a 21-year-old man with a record of Islamist extremist activity, was shot dead in Berlin yesterday.

IDF confirms two drones shot down over Jordan’s border

The IDF confirms two drones were shot down over the Jordan border a short while ago.

The military says the drones did not cross into Israeli territory, and their origin is under investigation.

Large fire erupts at Sderot industrial zone

Firefighters are working to contain a large fire that broke out in Sderot’s industrial zone and spread to two factories in the area, first responders say.

Authorities hurried to evacuate civilians from the area after the Fire and Rescue Service announced it had discovered what it believed to be an ammonia leak in one of the factories, but officials now rule out the possibility.

Twenty-five firefighting squads are currently working in the southern city to extinguish the blazes and prevent them from reaching facilities that do contain hazardous materials.

ענן עשן עצום מכסה את שמי שדרות ונצפה גם ביישובים הסובבים, בעקבות שריפה בשני מפעלים של שטראוס וטפוגן pic.twitter.com/xPMNfVfAAs

— רוני גרין שאולוב – Roni Green Shaulov (@Ronigreensha) July 27, 2026

The fire has so far affected two factories belonging to the Strauss and Tapugan food manufacturers.

A civilian and firefighter are lightly hurt after inhaling smoke from the massive fire, according to the Ynet news outlet, citing Magen David Adom medics.

Iran says neighboring countries carried out strikes against it

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei during a weekly press conference at the Foreign Ministry in the capital Tehran, on February 10, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Neighboring countries carried out strikes against Iran, says Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, confirming reports of strikes by Gulf countries against the Islamic Republic.

Iran has been regularly attacking Gulf nations since the outbreak of war in February, citing their cooperation with and hosting of US troops.

“Against all norms of international law and the principle of being a good neighbor, these countries opened their territory to parties attacking Iran,” Baghaei says.

“In some cases, we know that they independently participated in the military aggression against Iran.”

The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Bahrain and Kuwait, which came under daily attacks from Iran this month, carried out secret strikes on Iranian drone and missile depots, with the support of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE carried out its own attacks on Iran earlier in the war.

Iran says US not involved in talks with Oman over Hormuz strait

Commercial vessels are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, June 30, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)

Iran’s foreign ministry says the United States is not involved in recent talks with Oman over the administration of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

“These talks have no connection with the United States. They are a bilateral matter between Iran and Oman, and they are continuing,” the ministry’s spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says in a weekly press briefing, adding that the waterway “remains closed.”

Likud votes on Netanyahu bid to expand control over party slate

MK David Bitan leads an Economic Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on May 11, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Likud’s roughly 4,500-member Central Committee is voting today on a proposal to significantly expand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s control over the party’s Knesset slate, granting him eight reserved slots in the top 29 places on the list ahead of the October 27 election.

If approved, the proposal would give Netanyahu unprecedented influence over more than a third of the party’s realistic slate, with Likud currently polling at 21-23 seats.

The plan has sparked rare public dissent within Likud, with critics arguing it would push incumbent lawmakers down the list in favor of Netanyahu’s handpicked candidates.

In a video this morning, MK David Bitan, the proposal’s most outspoken opponent, urges Central Committee members to reject it, accusing Likud Constitution Committee chairman and minister Haim Katz of “building a faction within a faction” and suggesting that Katz had backed the premier’s proposal, first approved by his committee, in exchange for a reserved slot for himself or an ally.

Bitan has previously said several of the slots are expected to go to non-Likud lawmakers, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, whose New Hope faction merged with Likud last year. Media reports have also suggested New Hope MKs Ze’ev Elkin and Michel Buskila, as well as either Katz or his close ally MK Eti Atiya, could receive reserved spots.

The expectation that many of the reserved slots could go to politicians from outside Likud as part of the prime minister’s efforts to bolster his coalition has fueled anger among some party lawmakers, even as others have sought to curry favor with Netanyahu in hopes of securing one of the positions.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi urges activists in his own video to vote in favor of the proposal and “stand behind the prime minister until victory,” while Defense Minister Israel Katz and coalition whip Ofir Katz also call for its approval.

The long-delayed and repeatedly postponed vote comes a day after Likud’s internal court struck down Netanyahu’s bid to allow the party to cancel its August 17 primary in the event of a “wartime situation” and instead select candidates through an appointed committee controlled by the premier.

Iran warns of ‘unforeseen’ consequences after Ukraine attack on Caspian Sea ship

Iran’s foreign ministry warns of “unforeseen” consequences following Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend.

“This action by Ukraine was an absolutely illegal and unjustified act, contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, as well as a dangerous act of adventurism that will certainly not go unanswered by us,” the ministry’s spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says in a weekly press briefing, adding that the consequences of Ukraine’s action “will certainly be unforeseen.”

Throughout the war in Ukraine, Kyiv has had to counter Iranian-designed drones deployed by Moscow. Kyiv has offered its drone interception expertise to countries in the Middle East that have suffered strikes from Iran.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine’s forces had carried out “long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.”

Netanyahu’s flight to Washington delayed, reason unclear

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to Washington, which was supposed to take off at 11 a.m., is delayed, his office tells The Times of Israel.

The PMO does not give a new takeoff time, nor does it give a reason for the delay.

Hundreds of former defense officials warn Trump settler violence ‘endangers Israeli security, US interests’

Footage of a car burning in a reported settler attack in the Palestinian West Bank village of Turmus Ayya, April 18, 2026. (Screenshot/X, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Several hundred former top officials in the Israeli military, police, Shin Bet and Mossad have appealed to US President Donald Trump to pressure Jerusalem to crack down on burgeoning settler violence in the West Bank.

Trump is set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House tomorrow.

In a letter to Trump and other top administration officials, the group Commanders for Israel’s Security is warning of the potential for major escalation “due to the rise of Jewish terror, coupled with the weakening of the Palestinian Authority.”

The letter, signed by some 600 former commanders and directors, warns that the rising violence “endangers Israeli security, US interests and regional stability.”

They say that “the consequences may prove even more catastrophic than the October 7 Hamas atrocities and its multi-front fallout… It will foreclose any option of proceeding with your Gaza 20 Point Plan and admirable ambition to expand your great achievement — the Abraham Accords, while risking signatories walking away from it.”

IDF says it intercepted two suspected drones over Jordanian border

Two suspected drones were intercepted by the IDF over the border with Jordan, near the Dead Sea a short while ago, according to a military source.

Further details are under review by the IDF.

Shin Bet chief warning of Iranian efforts to meddle in Israeli election — report

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

Shin Bet Director David Zini has warned top Israeli officials that Iran and other countries are attempting to meddle in the upcoming Israeli elections, Channel 13’s Michael Shemesh reports.

According to the report, Zini told officials that foreign elements are attempting to undermine the election process. The report does not say how these efforts are manifesting.

Israel is set to hold national elections on October 27.

Zini says the effort is at the top of the agency’s agenda and the second “most concerning” after the threat of major terror attacks, according to the report.

Oil prices sink as US-Iran pause fuels fresh Hormuz hopes

Oil prices tumble as a pause in tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran boost market hopes for a return to their ceasefire and negotiations on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

After 13 days of attacks on sites in the Islamic Republic, the United States held fire over the weekend and Donald Trump’s UN envoy said the US president was “giving talks some space.”

Tehran in turn said it would stop its retaliatory attacks on regional neighbors, handing Gulf shipping and the oil industry a respite.

The two countries resumed hostilities this month, breaking a fragile truce, after Iran attacked ships passing through Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a pattern of escalation. Crude prices soared on the flare-up, with Brent breaking back above $100 a barrel last week for the first time since May. News that shipping continued in the Red Sea helped investors pare the gains Friday.

However, Trump’s decision to hold off on more strikes and Iran’s claims Sunday that it had made progress in talks with Oman on management of the Strait of Hormuz provided some much-needed relief.

Oil contracts are sinking today, with Brent shedding more than seven percent at one point to briefly drop back below $90.

Netanyahu set to depart for US trip, White House meeting with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take off for Washington, DC, at 11 a.m., his office tells The Times of Israel.

Tomorrow he is slated to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, and to attend a funeral service for the late senator Lindsey Graham.

Netanyahu is expected to fly home on Thursday.

Rabbi who founded program for Haredi enlistment dies at 32

A young rabbi who was a leading advocate for ultra-Orthodox enlistment in the IDF has died.

Rabbi Yaakov Farber, 32, passed away due to an unspecified illness. His condition suddenly deteriorated during a planned medical procedure.

Some two years ago, Farber, a member of the Belz Hasidic sect, founded the Ma’alot Tzur program, intended to encourage Haredi enlistment and which included vocational training in technology, electricity, construction and more, to help participants find employment after their service.

הלך לעולמו בגיל 32 הרב יעקב פרבר שהוביל בשנים האחרונות את מסלול "מעלות צור" המשלב חרדים בצה"ל. הוא נפטר לאחר שמצבו הידרדר במהלך טיפול רפואי מתוכנן, הוא הותיר אחריו אישה וחמישה ילדים @daniel_grovais pic.twitter.com/f5MROvscVz

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) July 26, 2026

The program sought to accommodate the specific needs of the Haredi population during their service, and according to Kan news, had seen some 500 men drafted since its inception.

Farber’s activism was unpopular among some segments of the ultra-Orthodox population vehemently opposed to enlistment, leading to several protests outside his home.

He leaves behind a wife and six children.

Settlers attack West Bank village overnight, set trucks on fire, Palestinians say

Palestinians report an attack on the West Bank village of Beita, south of Nablus, overnight.

Palestinian media alleges that extremist settlers raided an industrial zone and set trucks on fire near a factory.

#متداول | آثار حرائق المستوطنين في المنطقة الصناعية ببلدة بيتا جنوب نابلس pic.twitter.com/2WZU9DwFWH

— PaltodayTV (@Paltodaytv) July 26, 2026

Two killed, five wounded in shooting at Seattle food festival

Two people have been killed and five others were wounded in a shooting Sunday evening during a food festival at an events complex near the Space Needle in Seattle, a city fire department spokesperson says.

Police are investigating the shooting and urged people to avoid the area just northwest of downtown.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle festival.

Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg says the hospital admitted four victims, including a toddler, a 23-year-old man and two adult women.

One patient was in critical condition, she says.

The Seattle Center was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend.

Estan Wakonabo says he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and he turned to see a rush of people fleeing.

“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo says, adding that was when he heard gunshots.

“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he says.

After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo says.

The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website.

Report: Netanyahu tells cabinet US wants Israel to withdraw troops in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria; says he’s going to refuse

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly informed his cabinet ministers that the US wants Israel to withdraw troops from locations in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, and told them that he will not agree to this demand, according to Channel 13.

Citing unnamed security sources familiar with the matter, Channel 13 reports that Washington is keen to see IDF troops making a “series of withdrawals” on the three fronts, but does not specify whether these would be partial or full withdrawals.

It says that Netanyahu informed ministers that he “intends to stand on my own two feet and resist.”

“I will tell them no,” he reportedly told his ministers.

Oil prices drop more than 5% on renewed hopes for US-Iran deal

Oil prices drop sharply at Monday’s opening of Asian markets as investors breath cautious sighs of relief following two consecutive nights without US strikes on Iran, leaving the door open for new talks.

The price of a barrel of international benchmark North Sea Brent crude falls 5.58 percent to $91.38, while its US counterpart West Texas Intermediate slides $5.46 percent to $84.43.

Police probing gunfire at Jewish-owned bakery in Toronto as possible hate crime

Toronto police are investigating a shooting at a Jewish-owned bakery in the city as a potential hate crime, Canadian news outlets report.

According to the Toronto Star, a branch of Kiva’s Bagel Bar was targeted by gunfire overnight between Saturday and Sunday, and another branch elsewhere in Toronto had its windows smashed.

There were no injuries in either incident, reports add.

In a statement, the Toronto Police confirm that the hate crime unit and gun and gang task force are investigating the incidents, and examining whether they are connected to one another.

In a press conference covered by CBC, a police representative acknowledges that the incidents were “concerning” for “members of the Jewish community” in the area, and says that there will be increased police presence in the area as the investigation proceeds.

#NEW: Toronto police are investigating after two locations of Jewish-owned Kiva’s bagel bar were targeted in separate incidents Sunday morning, including one where a window was struck by gunfire.

Full story: https://t.co/bvmI4O7IbO pic.twitter.com/sNPnjoWdi6

— Jermaine Wilson | CP24/CTV News (@Jerrmainewilson) July 26, 2026

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says on X that he is “following with concern the worrying news from Toronto.”

“While thankfully none were injured, this is the latest attack in a long and horrifying line of violence and intimidation against the Canadian Jewish community,” he writes, calling for the Canadian government to “confront this antisemitic violent wave.”

Trump denies US running out of munitions, threatens Iran’s Kharg Island in string of social media posts

One in a series of AI-generated images against Iran posted by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, July 26, 2026. (Truth Social)

US President Donald Trump denies reports that the US is running out of munitions in its fight against Iran.

“We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need,” he tells the Wall Street Journal.

The US president also shares multiple images threatening Iran’s energy infrastructure on his Truth Social platform.

One of the images shared by Trump is an AI-generated photo of warplanes bombing an oil facility with the caption “STRIKE ON KHARG,” referring to Iran’s Kharg Island, the main oil export hub for the Islamic Republic.

Trump then posted several images in quick succession, all captioned “It’s Our Oil Tanker now!”

Each one shows an AI-generated image of Trump holding an American flag on an apparently Iranian ship. One version of the post features US soldiers in it as well, and another features both soldiers and what appears to be a depiction of Iranian religious leaders.

He follows up these posts with another captioned “NO MORE ENGINES,” featuring an Iranian ship being blown up.

Board of Peace Gaza rep praises cabinet decision to allow international force into Strip

The Board of Peace’s top representative to Gaza praises the cabinet’s vote earlier today approving the limited entry of the International Stabilization Force into Gaza.

“I welcome steps by Israel that enable the deployment of the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803,” says Nickolay Mladenov on X. “It is a critical part of the agreed framework for stabilizing Gaza, supporting demilitarization, and enabling the transition to effective Palestinian transitional administration under the NCAG.”

“The focus now in [sic] on ensuring that we move forward with the 20-point Plan for Gaza, including the implementation of the Roadmap as presented by the mediators,” he writes.

Hamas has so far refused to disarm as envisioned under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point framework for Gaza, and the Board has been struggling to get Israeli approval on certain key components of the plan.