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The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they unfolded.
Eurovision viewing figures dropped this year amid boycott of competition, but digital engagement rose
Noam Bettan from Israel performs the song 'Michelle' during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, May 16, 2026. (AP/Martin Meissner)
Viewing figures of this year’s Eurovision were down significantly compared to last year, after five countries boycotted the 2026 contest due to Israel’s participation.
The European Broadcasting Union releases viewership figures showing that 131 million people watched as Bulgaria took the win in Vienna, Austria, last month, compared to 166 million viewers who tuned into the 2025 contest. However, this year’s figure was still higher than all of the competitions that aired between 2009 and 2023, the EBU says.
“While some of our figures are naturally lower without those of our five members who chose not to participate this year, we remain committed to doing everything possible to find pathways back for them in 2027,” says Martin Green, the director of the Eurovision song contest.
Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain all dropped out of this year’s contest to protest Israel’s ongoing inclusion. Only the Netherlands and Iceland still aired the competition.
The EBU says that in 14 of the participating countries, more than 50 percent of all TV viewers tuned into the competition, with the highest market share in Finland, where 92.8% watched, and then Sweden, where 85.5% of viewers were tuned in.
Despite the decline in viewers, the EBU says that digital engagement with Eurovision content soared, with views on TikTok during the week of the show up 33% compared to 2025, engagement on Instagram 3.25% higher than last year and content on Facebook seeing a 23% increase.
Despite boycotting the contest and not airing the show, voters from the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland were among the top 10 countries participating in the “rest of the world” vote during the semifinals and grand final, along with the US, Canada and others.
Israel finished second at this year’s competition with Noam Bettan’s “Michelle,” and next year’s competition is slated to be held in Bulgaria.
IDF ‘expresses deep sorrow’ after troops fired at vehicle in Hebron, killing Palestinian baby and wounding his parents
The grandmother of 7-month-old Sam Fahd Abou Haikal holds up a phone showing him, after he was killed by Israeli troops who fired on the car in which he and his parents were traveling in the West Bank on June 5, 2026. The IDF expressed 'deep sorrow' over the incident, saying troops in Hebron opened fire when they 'perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them'. It said an initial investigation had shown that 'those injured were uninvolved civilians'. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The IDF says it “expresses deep sorrow” for harm caused to civilians after troops opened fire on a vehicle in the West Bank city of Hebron this evening, killing a seven-month-old baby and lightly wounding his parents.
According to the military, during operational activity in Hebron, troops “perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them.” The soldiers then fired “single shots toward the vehicle.”
“An initial inquiry found that those injured were uninvolved civilians,” the IDF says, adding that the incident is under investigation, the findings of which will be “submitted for review by the relevant authorities.”
“The IDF expresses deep sorrow for any harm caused to uninvolved individuals,” the army adds.
The Palestinian Authority identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abou Haikal. According to the Wafa news agency, the family lives in Bethlehem and was traveling to visit family in Hebron.
IDF troops fired at vehicle in Hebron, killing 7-month-old baby and wounding his parents, PA says
Israeli troops opened fire on a vehicle in Hebron, killing a seven-month-old baby and lightly wounding his parents, the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry says.
The Wafa news agency says the incident happened in the Palestinian neighborhood of Tel Rumeida.
Sam Fahd Abou Haikal died and his parents were lightly injured “after the occupation forces opened fire on them on Friday evening” in the south of the city of Hebron, the ministry says.
According to Wafa, the family lives in Bethlehem and was traveling to visit family in Hebron.
It is unclear if there was any incident that preceded the shooting.
The Israel Defense Forces does not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US official defends Israel-Lebanon agreement, says Iran wanted to prolong conflict in ‘cynical strategy’
The Trump administration is defending this week’s agreement to extend an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and create Hezbollah-free zones in southern Lebanon as the best chance for peace between the two countries in years.
A US official says that Wednesday’s agreement is the first step in a process that must end with the demilitarization of Hezbollah, full security control south of the Litani River by the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the restoration of complete sovereignty to the Lebanese government.
The official, who speaks on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly, claims that Iran had wanted to prolong the conflict and “claim credit for saving the day” by trying to undermine the talks, but that the June 3 agreement had “exposed that cynical strategy.”
IDF says sirens triggered by Hezbollah surface-to-air missiles launched at Israeli Air Force aircraft; no injuries
The IDF says the sirens that sounded in Kiryat Shmona and several other border communities were triggered by surface-to-air missiles launched by Hezbollah at an Israeli Air Force aircraft.
“The incident ended without casualties or damage to the aircraft,” the military says.
Witkoff, Kushner met nuclear experts at US national laboratory – report
White House envoys Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, listen as US Vice President JD Vance (not in picture) speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee on Thursday to consult with experts who could play a role in nuclear negotiations with Iran, Axios reports.
“This meeting in Oak Ridge doesn’t mean that a deal is going to happen, but it is a sign that the negotiations are in a very serious phase and that there is a good chance to get it done and we want to be prepared,” a US official tells the outlet.
Axios notes that in the past, nuclear materials and equipment from places including Kazakhstan and Libya were routed through Tennessee.
Sirens sound in north amid apparent Hezbollah rocket attack from Lebanon
Sirens sound in the Upper Galilee amid an apparent Hezbollah rocket attack from Lebanon.
The IDF says the details are under review.
It marks the first time sirens sound in Israel in over a day.
Poll: 58% of Israelis do not believe Netanyahu should be PM after the election
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves the plenum after voting for the next state comptroller at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, June 3, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
A majority of Israelis do not believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should remain as premier after the elections, a Channel 12 poll finds.
According to the survey, 58 percent of respondents believe another candidate should be premier, with just 32% saying it should be Netanyahu and 10% saying they don’t know.
When asked who they believe is the most trustworthy party leader, 38% say Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot, 27% say Netanyahu and 12% say former prime minister Naftali Bennett, with 23% saying they do not know.
Questioned as to who would deal best with the country’s internal divisions, 27% say Eisenkot, 21% say Bennett, 20% say Netanyahu and 32% say they do not know.
Asked who is the most trustworthy, 38% name Eisenkot, 27% say Netanyahu, 12% say Bennett and 23% don’t know.
When asked who would deal best with the economy and cost of living, 28% say Bennett, 23% say Netanyahu and 16% say Eisenkot, with 33% saying they do not know.
When asked if they were concerned for Israel’s democratic future “after the events of this week,” 53% say they worry, 38% say they do not and 9% say they do not.
Elections must be held by the end of October.
The outlet does not detail the margin of error for the survey.
Hundreds of Haredi rioters try to break into Jerusalem police station, attack officers in Beit Shemesh
Haredi men protest the arrest of draft dodgers on June 5, 2026, at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men are rioting in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh in a protest against the arrest of draft dodgers, days after a group of Haredi men carried out a violent attack on the home of deputy chief justice Noam Sohlberg.
Police say rioters tried to approach the police station in Jerusalem’s Russian Compound, but were repelled by police.
Law enforcement is still working to disperse the crowd using force, the statement says.
According to the Ynet news site, the crowd tried to break down the gate at the police station and is also protesting the detention of those arrested over the riot at Sohlberg’s home.
Additionally, police say rioters are throwing stones and other objects at officers in Beit Shemesh, who in turn are using force and means to disperse them.
While there have been multiple Haredi protests and riots on the issue of the military draft, it is rare for such action to take place on a Friday night, the Jewish Sabbath.
בירושלים ובבית שמש: עימותים בין שוטרים למאות חרדים שיצאו להפגין על מעצר עריקים | תיעוד@yollancohen pic.twitter.com/bSscywqvQP
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) June 5, 2026
Dozens of Haredim protesting against the military draft gathered at Sohlberg’s home in the Alon Shvut settlement Wednesday evening and shattered windows, broke flowerpots by the front door of the house, smashed the windshield of a car in the garage and displayed a small Israeli flag with a swastika in place of the Star of David. Police arrested 62 people in connection with the incident.
The violence at Sohlberg’s house came days after a group of Haredi protesters broke into a police station compound in Beit Shemesh, rioting and clashing with officers, and after members of the radical Jerusalem Faction in April broke into the home of the Military Police chief while his family was inside.
IDF says troops killed 2 Hezbollah operatives who wounded 2 officers in Lebanon this morning
The IDF says two Hezbollah operatives who opened fire on troops of the Givati Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit this morning were killed.
During the exchange of fire at around 8 a.m., one officer was severely hurt and the unit’s commander, a lieutenant colonel, was lightly hurt.
Immediately after the encounter, the Givati troops carried out scans in the area, during which they “located and eliminated two terrorists from the incident,” the IDF says.
IDF says it killed Hezbollah operative operating at UNIFIL base, ‘endangering UN personnel’
The IDF says it killed a Hezbollah operative who “exploited” a United Nations base in southern Lebanon.
Yesterday, troops identified the Hezbollah operative while he was “operating inside a UNIFIL site in Burj Qalaouiyah area in southern Lebanon, exploiting the site for military purposes and endangering UN personnel operating in the area,” says Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokeswoman.
A short while later, the operative left the UNIFIL site in his vehicle and approached Israeli forces “in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” she says.
“Following his identification, the IDF carried out a precise strike and eliminated the terrorist, while avoiding damage to the adjacent site and taking steps to minimize the risk of harm to uninvolved individuals,” Waweya says.
Report: Source close to Netanyahu admits lawmakers were told to record state comptroller votes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu votes for the next state comptroller at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, June 3, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Channel 13 reveals a recording of an individual close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitting that lawmakers were instructed to record their votes in the contentious election of the state comptroller.
“What do you mean? Everyone recorded themselves in Likud, that’s the only way we won. Very simple,” the individual says in the recording, which has been manipulated so as not to reveal their identity.
The person they are speaking to replies: “Everyone says ‘there is no directive,'” to which the source responds: “It’s a lie, there was a directive.”
Lawmakers voted 61-57 on Wednesday to elect Netanyahu’s personal lawyer, Michael Rabello, as state comptroller in a controversial do-over vote marred by accusations that illegal pressure tainted the election.
The eventual win came after the second round of voting was halted and rerun amid allegations that Likud lawmakers were pressured and ordered to photograph — and even film — their ballots to prove they had voted for Rabello and not “betrayed” Netanyahu, despite the law requiring a secret ballot.
A Likud lawmaker claimed yesterday that they had filmed the vote of their own “free choice.”
Report: Eisenkot refused to give on-camera statement with Bennett amid tainted state comptroller election
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett (right) meets with former MK Gadi Eisenkot to discuss their political futures, September 7, 2025. (Courtesy Naftali Bennett's office)
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett approached Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot with the suggestion that they issue a joint statement in the wake of the tainted state comptroller election at the Knesset, but was rebuked, Channel 12 reports.
It was suggested instead that a written statement be put out in the name of all of the opposition leaders, but the report says that Bennett wanted an on-camera statement instead.
The reported incident appears to be the latest in an increasingly publicly fractious relationship between the opposition party leaders, and comes as Eisenkot increasingly strengthens in polls.
A Channel 12 survey published yesterday showed the former minister and IDF chief of staff preferred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as premier for the first time. Israel does not directly elect its prime ministers.
Reports: Zamir told ministers better a Lebanon ceasefire now than in a month under same terms
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 10, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has told Israeli officials that it if a ceasefire with Lebanon is reached, it is better that it is now than in the near future under the same terms, reports say.
“If we have to reach a ceasefire now on the terms agreed in Washington, better that it is now and not in a few months,” Zamir is reported to have told officials, according to Channel 12.
Kan reports that Zamir made the comments at a cabinet meeting and told ministers that if it is possible to reach a ceasefire “under conditions acceptable to us,” then it is better now than in a month under the same conditions.
Additionally, Channel 12 reports that at a meeting with the mayors and leaders of local councils on the northern border yesterday, Zamir said that “Hezbollah has not been destroyed but is weaker now than ever” and told the officials that the threat of invasion from Lebanon had been removed.
“Having achieved very high military achievements, I very much hope this will lead to political achievements,” Zamir reportedly said. “This is a time for leadership, determination and perseverance.”
French opens preliminary probe into alleged torture, war crimes over Israel’s treatment of flotilla activists
French anti-terrorism prosecutors say they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected torture and war crimes over the alleged mistreatment by Israeli authorities of French nationals who were part of an activist flotilla bound for Gaza.
The anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office say they opened the preliminary investigation after a referral from the French foreign ministry on May 28.
Israeli authorities have denied the allegations of abuse and dismissed the flotilla as “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas.”
Iran ex-PM Mousavi hospitalized amid health deterioration after 15 years under house arrest, aide says
Mir Hossein Mousavi waves to his supporters as he arrives at a campaign gathering in downtown Tehran, Iran, June 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iran’s former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, who was the focus of a 2009 mass protest movement and has spent the last 15 years under house arrest, has been hospitalized after his health deteriorated, an adviser says.
Mousavi, the last person to serve as Iran’s premier before the post was abolished, had claimed to be the rightful victor of the disputed 2009 presidential elections.
Most recently, he urged Iran’s clerical leadership to step down because of its deadly crackdown on protesters in January in which many thousands were killed.
Last week, “he suffered a health crisis and was transferred to a hospital,” his adviser Ardeshir Amir Arjomand, who is based outside Iran, tells BBC Persian.
“He is now hospitalized, although his condition has improved since today,” he adds.
Arjomand claims Mousavi’s condition had been affected by being moved to a new location when his previous residence in central Tehran was damaged in the US-Israeli strike on February 28 that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
British associate of Manchester synagogue attacker admits terrorism offense
A British man pleads guilty to helping the perpetrator of a deadly terror attack on a Manchester synagogue in October to carry out earlier reconnaissance on a UK defense site.
Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, appeared at London’s Old Bailey court and admitted driving Jihad Al-Shamie to the UK Defence Academy in Oxfordshire, central England, in August 2025.
Less than two months later, Al-Shamie drove a car into pedestrians before attacking people with a knife at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Yom Kippur. One man died from stab wounds and another was accidentally shot dead by the police.
Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, told police he was acting for Islamic State before officers shot him dead.
Police said when Bashir was charged that the offense was not directly linked to the synagogue attack.
Potential US-Iran deal hinges on releasing frozen assets, senior Iranian official says
Former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei casts his ballot during the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections at a polling station in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A potential agreement between Washington and Tehran hinges on US President Donald Trump’s administration agreeing to release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, CNN quotes Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, as saying.
“The negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock,” he says.
“If [Trump] wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump – this is a test that America must pass and the path will be opened,” he says. “This is our own money, not America’s money.”
Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo ahead of fresh round of talks on ceasefire
Hamas's Khalil al-Hayya speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
Hamas announces that a delegation headed by the terror group’s leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, has arrived in Cairo for another round of negotiations, set to begin tomorrow.
According to the statement, the delegation will hold meetings with Egyptian officials and mediators in order to complete the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, stop the “repeated Zionist attacks,” on the Strip, and find suitable mechanisms for moving to the second phase of the agreement.
The talks were initially set to take place on Thursday, but were reportedly delayed due to Hamas anger over repeated Israeli strikes throughout Gaza.
Discussions have largely hit a wall, with Hamas refusing to accept the Board of Peace’s disarmament proposal, arguing that Israel should first be held to the terms of the first phase.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated violations of the ceasefire that ended two years of war. Hamas is refusing to disarm, while Israel has continued carrying out near-daily strikes throughout Gaza since the ceasefire, saying it is striking “imminent” threats to its forces.
US issues new Iran-related sanctions targeting entities, individuals and tankers
The United States imposed new Iran-related sanctions, targeting several entities, individuals and LPG tankers, the US Treasury Department’s website showes.
Among 12 entities designated are five that are based in the Marshall Islands, four in the UAE, and one in China, according to details posted to the department’s website. Six vessels are targeted, including four Panama-flagged tankers.
NASA instructs crew to return to planned operations on International Space Station
This still image from a NASA livestream shows Crew-12 answering questions during a livestream aboard the International Space Station on February 14, 2026. (HANDOUT / NASA / AFP)
NASA has instructed crew members aboard the International Space Station to return to planned operations after Russia’s space agency Roscosmos paused structural repair efforts inside the Zvezda service module, the space agency’s spokesperson says in a post on X.
“Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens says in a post on X.
NASA looks forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to address the leaks, she adds.
2 Romanians convicted of stabbing Iran International journalist in UK; prosecutors say they acted for Tehran
Screen capture from video of Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati, 2023. (YouTube)
Two Romanian men whom British prosecutors say were acting as proxies for the Iranian government are found guilty of stabbing a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization in London.
Pouria Zaratifoukolaei, known as Pouria Zeraati, a British journalist of Iranian origin who works for Iran International, was stabbed three times in the leg near his home in southwest London in March 2024.
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told jurors at the start of the trial last month that three men had targeted Zeraati, whose Saudi-funded TV employer is critical of Iran’s government and has been designated a terrorist organization by Tehran.
Atkinson said they had carried out “a planned attack preceded by reconnaissance and which was ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state.”
Iran denied any involvement. Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, both pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding with intent, but were convicted at London’s Woolwich Crown Court.
The third man accused of involvement, David Andrei, was arrested in Romania but was not involved in the trial.
Atkinson told jurors that posters were put up in Tehran in 2022 featuring pictures of journalists including Zeraati, under the heading “Wanted: dead or alive.”
Iran International has been targeted several times in recent years.
2 officers, including senior commander, hurt in firefight with Hezbollah; another injured by explosive drone
Troops of the Givati Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit exchanged fire with Hezbollah operatives in the southern Lebanon town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah this morning, during which two officers were wounded, including one seriously, the IDF announces.
The incident took place at around 8 a.m. The IDF says one officer in the unit was severely hurt in the exchange of fire, and the unit’s commander, a lieutenant colonel, was lightly hurt.
According to the military, the troops opened fire on the Hezbollah gunmen and launched searches, as well as struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
The seriously wounded officer was immediately airlifted to a hospital. The reconnaissance unit commander was evacuated only several hours later, after medical officials decided he required hospitalization.
In a separate incident yesterday, an officer was seriously wounded by an apparent Hezbollah explosive drone in southern Lebanon, the IDF says.
International Space Station astronauts told to prepare for potential evacuation amid air leaks
This still image from a NASA livestream shows Crew-12 member US astronaut Jessica Meir aboard the International Space Station on February 14, 2026. (HANDOUT / NASA / AFP)
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are ordered by NASA to shelter in their spacecraft and prepare for potential evacuation as a Russian crew attempts to fix a worsening leak of air on its portion of the orbital laboratory, NASA says.
The four astronauts of NASA’s Crew-12 mission on the station – two US astronauts, a French astronaut and Russian cosmonaut – got orders from NASA mission control to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station and don their spacesuits in case the air leak warrants an emergency evacuation, a NASA official says.
Ireland bans Smotrich, Ben Gvir for anti-Palestinian statements, mocking of Gaza flotilla activists
Left: National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, January 16, 2025; Right: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, January 13, 2025. (Both photos by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Ireland announces it has banned National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, slamming their anti-Palestinian statements and behavior toward Gaza flotilla activists.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan “has instructed immigration officers to refuse entry to Itamar Ben Gvir — Minister for National Security of Israel, and Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance of Israel — should they seek to enter the state,” a justice ministry statement says.
After Ben Gvir mocked Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel last month, Irish taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin says Ireland will act to bar entry of Israeli officials seen as fomenting conflict in Gaza.
The two far-right ministers’ behavior “not just in the context of the flotilla, but their consistent statements… essentially amount to a desire to see the elimination of Palestinians from Palestine,” Martin tells reporters during a summit in Montenegro.
“In my view, their behavior justifies sanctions at the EU level as well,” he says.
US denies Iranian claim it fired at American warships: ‘Would be gross ceasefire violation’
The US military rejects Iran’s claim that it fired warning shots at American warships, saying it would have been a serious breach of the fragile ceasefire between the two countries.
“Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at US Navy warships. Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire,” US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, says in a post on X.
4 Jewish Israelis extracted from Bayt Jala, Qalqilya by Palestinian Authority security forces
Three Jewish Israeli women were extracted by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces from the West Bank Palestinian town of Bayt Jala overnight, while a man was escorted out of Qalqilya.
The Civil Administration, a branch of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator for Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT), says it received a report of three Israeli women wandering around Qalqilya, “while endangering their well-being.”
“Upon receiving the report, officers from the Etzion District Coordination and Liaison office acted to provide immediate protection to the Israelis and at the same time, to transfer them to the security forces through coordination channels,” the Civil Administration says, referring to the Palestinian Authority.
The Civil Administration says that, according to a preliminary investigation, the three were on their way to the nearby Rachel’s Tomb, but took a wrong turn.
In another incident overnight, the Civil Administration says its Ephraim District Coordination and Liaison office received a report of a Jewish Israeli man who was caught by a resident of Qalqilya after he tried to pay in a store in the Palestinian city with counterfeit money.
“Upon receiving the report, officers of the regional district coordination and liaison office acted to provide immediate protection to the Israeli and at the same time to transfer him to the security forces,” the Civil Administration says.
The four are set to be questioned by the police, as Israelis are barred from entering West Bank areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
Settlers injure Palestinian in West Bank attack, 2nd Palestinian shot by IDF troops – reports
Israeli security forces stand guard along a road while behind smoke billows from an area reportedly set ablaze by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian village of Idna, west of Hebron in the West Bank, on June 5, 2026. (HAZEM BADER / AFP)
Palestinian media outlets report that settlers attacked the village of Idhna in the southern West Bank, beating a resident, and set fire to Palestinian-owned fields in the area in the southern West Bank.
According to the reports, one Palestinian was beaten and injured in the attack, while another was wounded by gunfire from IDF troops that arrived in the area. There is no comment from the military.
Settlers are also said to have set fire to fields in the area. No injuries were reported in the arson attack.
Earlier, settlers were reported to have blocked a road leading to the same area, which was later reopened by Palestinians.
مستوطنون يحرقون محاصيل زراعية لعائلات فلسطينية قرب مدينة #الخليل pic.twitter.com/5VJCwDMLLC
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) June 5, 2026
📷 صور | في اعتداءات يومية.. مستوطنون يغلقون الطريق المؤدية إلى منطقة الجلاطية شرق بلدة إذنا غرب الخليل، لمنع وصول الأهالي إلى أراضيهم. pic.twitter.com/ykEUdj94b3
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) June 5, 2026
Lebanese president: Iran using Lebanon as ‘bargaining chip’ in negotiations with US
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, speaks during a joint press conference with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Chistodoulides , at the presidential palace in Baabda east of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun tells CNN that Iran is using Lebanon as a “bargaining chip” in its negotiations with the United States.
Aoun says in a message to the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that “it’s not your country, it’s our country.”
Aoun has repeatedly sought to distance Lebanon from regional conflicts and has said decisions concerning the country’s sovereignty and security must be made by the Lebanese state alone.
“Our house is being destroyed. [Iran is] using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiations with the United States. It is unacceptable,” he says.
Celtic fan groups oppose potential Keane move over previous role at Maccabi Tel Aviv
Ferencvaros' head coach Robbie Keane gestures during the Europa League round of 16 second leg soccer match SC Braga and Ferencvaros TC, in Braga, Portugal, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira )
Celtic’s interest in appointing Robbie Keane as their new manager sparks anger among the club’s anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian fans after his previous role with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Keane is the leading contender to take charge of the Scottish champions after reportedly entering talks with the club’s principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond.
Keane, who is Ireland’s record goalscorer, enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Celtic in 2010.
He was appointed by Maccabi as manager in June 2023, prior to the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 that triggered the war.
Celtic supporters have long displayed Palestinian flags.
Now graffiti and banners opposing the prospect of Keane becoming manager have appeared outside Celtic’s stadium in Glasgow. Rhetoric and caricatures against Keane online have at times been antisemitic.
A statement from a group called ‘Celtic Fans for the Liberation of Palestine’ says hiring Keane “would be deeply divisive among the support.”
“Celtic supporters have a long and proud history of solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the statement says.
“For us, Robbie Keane’s decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv during the genocide in Gaza is impossible to ignore.
“To choose to manage a club in Israel while, less than 40 miles away, the same country was using indiscriminate weapons of mass murder against defenceless people is unconscionable.
“Celtic was founded by a community shaped by the legacy of genocide, displacement and famine. Our club’s roots lie in solidarity with those who suffered injustice and oppression.”
Israel strenuously denies all accusations of genocide.
Keane guided Maccabi to the league and cup double before resigning in 2024 and moving to Hungarian club Ferencvaros in 2025.
He has said he stayed for the full campaign, partly because of his responsibility to the staff he took with him to Israel.
Iran says it fired warning missiles, drones at US warships in Gulf of Oman
Iran’s navy says it fired warning missiles and drones at US warships in the Gulf of Oman, accusing the US Navy of harassing maritime traffic and seizing commercial vessels and oil tankers, Iranian state media reports.
Earlier, the US Indo-Pacific Command said US forces intercepted the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T DAVINA in the Indian Ocean overnight.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions over maritime security around Iran, as Washington enforces sanctions on Iranian oil shipments and Tehran has repeatedly threatened shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem asks Trump to guarantee access to holy sites across region
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theopholis III (Center) meets with US President Donald Trump (third right) in the Oval Office, on June 4, 2026. (White House)
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, one of the top figures in a communion of over 200 million adherents, asked US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office yesterday to ensure access to holy sites in the region, says the Patriarchate.
“Christian communities in the Middle East have in recent years faced a difficult reality of instability, growing threats and increasing pressure,” said Theopholis III.
“We are seeing ancient communities asking for something very basic: to continue living in safety, to preserve their faith and to maintain freedom of worship.”
In March, at the height of war with Iran, Israel was the target of global anger after police officers kept two top Catholic clergymen from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.
There has also been a series of incidents in recent years involving harassment of and attacks on Christians, especially in Jerusalem.
“Mr President, as a close friend and as someone who understands the importance of protecting Christian communities and the holy places, preserving freedom of religion and open access to the holy places is not only a religious matter – it is a condition for stability, coexistence and peace across the entire region,” said Theophilos, according to the Patriarchate.
IDF: Palestinian terror operative who planned attack on troops killed in northern Gaza
The IDF says it struck and killed a Palestinian terror operative in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday who planned attacks on soldiers.
The operative is not named, but the military says he planned attacks on troops “in the immediate time-frame” and worked to direct attacks in Israeli territory, and therefore “posed an imminent threat.”
US forces boarded sanctioned vessel in Indian Ocean overnight, Pentagon says
US forces overnight conducted an interdiction of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T DAVINA in the Indian Ocean, the Indo-Pacific Command says.
“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” it writes in an X post.
Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s trade by sea, while Iran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. US forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.
Activists try to erect statue of terror convict Marwan Barghouti in UK’s Parliament Square
Pro-Palestinian activists attempted to install a statue of imprisoned Palestinian political figure and terror convict Marwan Barghouti in London’s Parliament Square on Wednesday. Police intervened and blocked them before it could be erected.
The action was organized by the Free Marwan Now campaign, which advocates for Barghouti’s release from an Israeli prison, where he has been held since 2002. No arrests were immediately reported.
Barghouti, a prominent figure during the Second Intifada, was convicted by an Israeli court on five counts of murder and sentenced to multiple life terms for his role in terror attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He is seen by many Palestinians as a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
A statue of Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti was just put up by disgusting pro-Pals in Parliament Square. Right outside the centre of our democracy. He was one of the chief architects in suicide bombings and murders of dozens of innocents. Get him OUT of there NOW 🤮 pic.twitter.com/lf6pCI9k7n
— Heidi Bachram (@HeidiBachram) June 3, 2026
Lebanese parliament speaker backs simultaneous withdrawal of ally Hezbollah, IDF from southern Lebanon
Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri chairs a parliamentary session to elect a president, in Beirut, January 9, 2025. (Anwar Amro / AFP)
Lebanon’s parliament speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri says he would agree to the withdrawal of the Iran-backed terror group from southern Lebanon if Israeli troops simultaneously leave the territory they occupy in the country.
In written comments distributed by his office, Berri criticizes the US-mediated ceasefire framework announced this week as unfair, saying it should have included an “unconditional ceasefire by land, sea and air.”
He adds that he “agrees to… Hezbollah’s withdrawal from south of the Litani River, in parallel with the Israeli withdrawal from the areas it occupied.”
Berri is the senior-most Shiite politician in Lebanon, and his Amal Movement has historically had close ties to Hezbollah.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Lebanon sentences two anti-Hezbollah activists in abstentia for ‘inciting’ Israeli attacks
Lebanon’s judiciary has charged two anti-Hezbollah activists in absentia with inciting Israeli attacks against the Iran-backed terror group and sentenced them to 15 years in prison, a judicial official tells AFP.
It is the harshest sentence yet against activists expressing support for Israel, which has officially been at war with Lebanon since 1948.
The official, who requests anonymity, says the two individuals, Ahmed Yassine and Joumana Gebara, both living outside Lebanon, have been charged with “collaborating with Israel and inciting it to continue its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon” by the military tribunal in a trial that began in November 2024.
Yassine, a Paris-based university professor, is accused of “inciting the Israeli army to bomb the historic Baalbek Citadel by disseminating information claiming that the citadel housed Hezbollah weapons depots.”
Yassine also has a YouTube channel where he shares political commentary to more than 140,000 subscribers.
Gebara is accused of “praising Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee and thanking him for the bombings of Lebanon, as well as calling for normalization with Israel” during the previous Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024, the official says.
It has previously arrested people accused of spying for Israel.
British hotel chain investigating after Jewish guests find ‘Free Palestine’ message on TV
British hotel chain Travelodge is investigating after “Free Palestine” messages appeared on television screens in the rooms of two different Jewish guests at one of its London hotels, prompting allegations of antisemitism and a police report.
The incident occurred Wednesday at the Travelodge hotel in Manor House, north London. A Jewish guest reported finding the message displayed on the television in his room shortly after checking in.
Soon after, a second visibly Jewish guest — a friend of the first man who was staying at the same hotel — reported finding the same message displayed on the television in his room.
Both parties were visibly Jewish, and were part of a group visiting London for a wedding, according to reports.
Travelodge CEO Jo Boydell said that the company had apologized to the guests and condemned antisemitism, adding that such behavior would not be tolerated within the company or its hotels.
The chain is treating the matter with the “utmost seriousness,” and had launched an immediate investigation into the matter as well as reporting it to police, she said.
A visibly Jewish guest checks into Travelodge Manor House and finds “Free Palestine” displayed on his TV. His friend in another room receives the same message.
This is blatant antisemitism.
Absolutely disgraceful.Those responsible should be identified, & fired!@TravelodgeUK pic.twitter.com/3WzHUVKv2F
— In Stamford Hill (@instamfordhill) June 3, 2026
Millions pushed into hunger by Middle East conflict, UN says; Afghanistan, Somalia are worst off
Vendors sell potatoes at their stall in a street market in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
The Middle East conflict is pushing millions of people closer to hunger, as rising fuel and transport costs drive up food prices while funding shortfalls force aid agencies to scale back assistance, the UN World Food Programme says.
Joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered a regional conflict stretching across the Gulf and into Lebanon, disrupting key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, forcing vessels to reroute and sharply constraining global energy flows and supply chains.
In March, after the US-Israeli war with Iran triggered a regional conflict and disrupted key shipping routes, the WFP forecast that as many as 45 million people could fall into acute food insecurity if oil prices remained around $100 per barrel through June.
That scenario is now unfolding, the agency says, with benchmark crude prices staying above that level since early March.
Households in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are among the most seriously affected and face mounting pressure due to higher fuel costs, food price spikes, income losses and disrupted trade.
In Somalia, 6.5 million people – roughly a third of the population – are expected to face severe hunger in 2026, while Afghanistan could see 17.4 million people affected, the WFP says. The situation is projected to worsen, with an additional 2.5 million Somalis and 2.3 million Afghans at risk of falling into food insecurity if disruptions persist. Both countries are reliant on imported energy and food.
In Somalia, supplies of nutritious food for children under five suffering from moderate malnutrition will run out as soon as July, as the WFP faces an 89% funding gap in the country.
The situation is being worsened by supply chain issues, with fewer ships stopping in Somalia because of disruptions that have affected shipping in the Indian Ocean.
UN more than doubles Lebanon aid appeal to $640 million amid Israel-Hezbollah war
This picture show a view of blue tents set up by the Lebanese government for people who fled their homes and villages in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, on May 22, 2026. (Anwar AMRO/AFP)
The UN has more than doubled its aid appeal for Lebanon as the country reels from Israel’s war against Iran-backed Hezbollah, saying nearly $640 million was needed over six months.
“The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is severe and deteriorating,” the UN humanitarian agency OCHA says in a revised appeal for the country.
“Repeated displacements, insufficient shelter capacity and limited prospects for safe return are deepening vulnerability,” it says, warning that “affected people are rapidly exhausting their coping capacities, and essential services are under increasing strain.”
The UN had appealed for $308 million in March to support a massive emergency response led by Lebanon’s government through to the end of May.
It says now that another $331 million will be needed through the end of August.
Only $185 million has so far been received out of the initial appeal, says the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), adding that the amount has helped provide assistance to around 680,000 people between March 2 and May 31.
The aim now, it says, is to more than double that number to reach all of the 1.4 million people in Lebanon — around a quarter of the population — estimated to need humanitarian assistance in the country.
Nearly one million people have fled their homes while more than 1.2 million are facing acute food insecurity, the new appeal shows.
Price pressure is adding to the misery, with the cost of water, fuel and electricity up more than a third nationally, and as high as 70 percent in the conflict-affected areas, it says.
It also highlights the strain that the conflict is placing on healthcare in Lebanon, with 62 hospitals and other health facilities either damaged or closed.
OCHA says nearly 450 schools are being used to shelter displaced people, driving learning loss and drop-out risks.
Israel, US launch talks on new defense framework aimed at transition from aid to ‘reciprocal partnership’
The Defense Ministry and the US Trump administration have launched formal talks on a new security cooperation framework to replace the current ten-year memorandum of understanding signed under the Obama administration, which is set to expire in 2028, according to a statement from the ministry.
An inaugural meeting between the sides was held this week, and further sessions are planned in both countries in the coming weeks, according to the statement, which says that Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter will lead the Israeli team. US State Department Counselor Daniel Holler and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will lead the American team.
The new framework “is designed to strengthen the IDF’s qualitative military edge through expanded joint investment in research, development and co-production, deepen the US-Israel partnership demonstrated during [the 2026 US-Israeli campaign against Iran] Operation Roaring Lion, and gradually transition from aid to a completely reciprocal partnership,” according to the statement.
The last MOU, a 10-year deal signed in 2016 that went into effect two years later, granted Israel $3.8 billion per year in military aid, much of it to purchase US-made arms.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said he seeks to end US military aid to Israel within a decade, amid division within the Republican voter base over the issue, and following frustrations during the Gaza war when several allies, including the Biden administration, halted arms supplies, which held up the transfer of some munitions.
Report: Israel carried out covert intel mission along Azerbaijan border during Iran war
Illustrative: An Iranian watchtower overlooks a section of the Aras river on the border with Azerbaijan, in Jolfa, northern Iran, on September 18, 2025. (Atta Kenare/AFP)
Elite Israeli troops were deployed to Azerbaijan in a secret mission during the recent war with Iran, CNN reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, several dozen elite troops and Mossad agents were stationed at various points along the Azerbaijan-Iran border, including some 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) from Tabriz, in northwestern Iran.
The troops deployed to Azerbaijan were initially intended to serve as an emergency rescue team in the event of Israeli planes being downed over Iran, CNN reports, but the mission was expanded to include intelligence-gathering and drone operations that allowed Israel to expand the reach and scope of its offensive.
One of the most significant operations launched by Israel from within Azerbaijan was the killing of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Special Operations Division, Rahman Moqadam, CNN reports.
Moqadam was responsible for recruiting and training operatives both inside and outside of Iran, and asked them to gather intelligence on Israeli political leaders, security officials, Israeli and Western military installations, ports, and Israeli ships around the world.
The Azerbaijani embassy in the US tells CNN that it rejects “unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan’s territory for operations against third countries.”
Meanwhile, the sources tell CNN that Israel also set up a military position in Somaliland that would allow Israeli aircraft to refuel while en route to Iran.
Israel recognized Somaliland in December and is the only country to date to have done so.
The report comes after The New York Times reported last month that Israel built two covert bases in Iraq to help in its wars against the Islamic Republic.
PM says cabinet won’t vote on US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon unless Hezbollah agrees to terms — report
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told government ministers in a cabinet meeting last night that he won’t call a vote on the latest iteration of the US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon until Hezbollah has accepted its terms, the Ynet news outlet reports.
According to the report, ministers criticized the fragile ceasefire — which Israeli and Lebanese delegations agreed to renew during a meeting in Washington on Wednesday — and demanded that it be brought to a vote in the cabinet before Israel accepts its terms.
Netanyahu refused to call a vote, however, telling the ministers that “at the moment, there is no deal” because Hezbollah has refused to accept its terms.
“Hezbollah is opposed, and therefore I am not making a decision,” he said, according to Ynet, adding that “if it agrees, I will bring it for your approval.”
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem appeared to reject the US-brokered ceasefire yesterday, saying that his group will keep bombarding northern Israel as long as strikes continue in Lebanon.
18-year-old said killed, more than a dozen others wounded in IDF strike in southern Gaza
Palestinian children look for salvageable items in the destroyed tents following an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2026. (Bashar Taleb/AFP)
Hamas-affiliated media in Gaza report that an 18-year-old was killed and 16 other people were wounded in an IDF strike earlier on a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza this morning.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
Hezbollah’s chief engineer killed in Israeli strike in Lebanon last week, IDF says
Hezbollah’s chief engineer was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon last week, the IDF announces.
The IDF says it struck Abed Harb, the commander of Hezbollah’s engineering unit, after he “attempted to harm” Israeli soldiers.
“Harb commanded the engineering unit that was responsible for assembling and deploying explosives intended to harm IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon,” the military says.
The IDF says Harb was a veteran commander in Hezbollah and was responsible for “numerous attacks against IDF soldiers” over the decades.
Additionally, the military says the Israeli Air Force struck last night a launcher used by Hezbollah to fire rockets at troops in southern Lebanon. It publishes footage of the strike.
לאחר שניסה לפגוע בכוחותינו: חוסל מפקד יחידת ההנדסה של חיזבאללה והושמד משגר שירה לעבר כוחותינו
צה"ל תקף בשבוע שעבר וחיסל את המחבל עבד חרב, מפקד יחידת ההנדסה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.
המחבל פיקד על יחידת ההנדסה של חיזבאללה שעסקה בהרכבה והפעלה של מטענים שנועדו לפגוע בכוחות צה"ל… pic.twitter.com/KEZsPOL7if
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 5, 2026
IDF issues evacuation warnings for three towns, villages in southern Lebanon
The IDF issues evacuation warnings for three villages and towns in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.
Residents of Aarnaya, Aanqoun, and Kfar Fila are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.
“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement and its targeting of Israel’s home front, the IDF is forced to act against it with force, especially in your areas. The IDF does not intend to harm you,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
Oman suspends oil loadings at Mina al Fahal terminal after explosion — report
An alleged drone attack has forced the suspension of oil loading at Oman’s Mina al Fahal terminal after an explosion, Reuters reports, citing two people familiar with the matter.
It is not clear when the alleged drone attack took place.
Traders who are speaking on condition of anonymity tell Bloomberg that scheduled oil loadings have been pushed back by several days due to the blast
Attempted stabbing attack thwarted outside police station in northern Israel
An attempted stabbing attack was thwarted this morning outside a police station in the Western Galilee and the suspect arrested, the Israel Police say.
According to a police statement, the suspect drove to the police station at around 5:30 a.m., got out of his vehicle and attempted to stab a Border Police soldier guarding the entrance.
The soldier overpowered the would-be attacker and disarmed him before arresting him, the police say.
The suspect is identified by the police as a 23-year-old resident of the Arab town of Jadeidi-Makr, in northern Israel.
IDF says troops shot dead a Palestinian throwing firebombs at Israeli cars in West Bank
The IDF says troops shot dead a Palestinian who was hurling firebombs on a major highway in the West Bank.
Troops of the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit operating near the village of Baytin spotted several Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails on Israeli motorists driving on the nearby Route 60 Highway, the military says.
The soldiers opened fire “on the terrorists, eliminating one of them,” the IDF says, adding that troops are searching for the other suspects.
The slain Palestinian is named by the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry as Haitham Ezzedine Omar Hmeida, 18.
According to the ministry, his body is being held by Israeli authorities.
NYC Jews protest outside New York Times for second time in weeks
Protesters outside The New York Times, in New York City, June 4, 2026. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)
New York City Jews protest outside The New York Times headquarters for the second time in weeks.
The protesters chant, “The New York Times lies,” “Shame on The New York Times,”and, “When you lie, Jews die.”
The activists argue that “libels” published by the newspaper will lead to violence against Jews.
They carry signs that say, “Resist the antizionist hate movement,” and, “Antizionism gets Jews killed.”
The protesters are demanding the retraction of a widely-criticized New York Times column that alleged systematic sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
The demands also include disclosing the column’s editorial timeline, retraining staff on anti-Zionism, and the dismissal of the column’s author, Nicholas Kristof.
“Fire Kristof,” the protesters chant.
One passerby shouts “Free Palestine,” another makes mock crying gestures at the activists. others take fliers from the protesters.
The activist groups held a similar rally last month. That event drew several hundred demonstrators, while today’s protest brings in a few dozen activists.
The protest is led by the EndJewHatred advocacy group, alongside several relatively new activist groups — the Movement Against Antizionism, Brooklyn BridgeBuilders, Hineni, Stop Antizionism and IMPACT.
Aside from EndJewHatred, the groups all launched in the wake of the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, to counter the ensuing surge in anti-Jewish discrimination in the US.
Jews in New York City have been increasingly protesting and holding solidarity rallies in recent weeks.
Knesset legal adviser says state comptroller vote should stand
Attorney Michael Rabello at a hearing on the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, April 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Knesset’s legal adviser Sagit Afik issues an opinion rejecting a call for a new vote to be held in parliament for the post of state comptroller, after issues arose over Likud members taking pictures of ballots they cast for Wednesday’s eventual winner Michael Rabello.
Afik says in the published opinion that Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana’s decision to hold a second vote while reminding MKs that the ballot was supposed to be secret, but not banning phones in the voting booth, was not illegal, even if it did not follow her recommendation to ban phones and continue the original vote.
She notes that Ohana’s decision appeared to be the result of a compromise between the coalition and opposition, which has legal weight.
“When the decision was presented to MKs upon his return from consultations in his office, from the plenum’s appearance, it seemed that it was acceptable to MKs from the opposition as well, who were in the plenum (and also the appeals to me from MKs stopped at that point),” she writes.
Trump says US can get uranium from Iran without a deal but doesn’t need to: ‘It’s entombed’; reveals rejecting plan to send US troops to get it
US President Donald Trump speaks on June 4, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
US President Donald Trump tells reporters that Washington does not need a deal with Iran to retrieve enriched uranium from the country, but adds that the US does not need to do so anyway.
He reveals that he thought about sending US troops to retrieve the buried stockpile at the very start of the war, but indicated he declined to do so because of the risks and potential complications. “I didn’t feel like being like Jimmy Carter,” he says, alluding to the former president’s failed effort to rescue 52 US Embassy staff held hostage by Iran in 1980.
He claims that a deal with Iran would ensure its removal or disposal, something Iran has denied. “As it stands right now, we will go in in the not too distant future” [to deal with it by agreement].
“We could get it right now. I don’t think they could stop us if we wanted, but there’s no reason to. It’s entombed,” Trump says.
“It’s very safe down there,” he adds. “We have cameras, every angle of those three sites are being watched at all times. If anybody went there, we’ll see exactly what’s happening and we’ll blow it up a little bit further….
“[It’s ] very hard to get that material, but I still nevertheless want it,” he says. “I don’t want to do it if we’re in conflict. I don’t want to put men in that kind of danger.
Trump details, for the first time, a plan he says he did not approve that would have sent American troops into Iran to collect what he commonly calls the “nuclear dust.” He says the operation would have taken two weeks or more, and would have required the airlifting in of “massive equipment.”
“I didn’t want to be in a position where you had…,” he says, then pauses, before resuming: “It’s not like Venezuela — like you go in, you’re there for a matter of minutes and you’re out. And everybody’s waving goodbye as you take off,” he elaborates. “This is different. You have to be there for two weeks. You’d need massive equipment. You’d have to airlift the equipment.”
“There was a time at the very beginning when we thought about doing that, because they would have not been watching, but they would have found out,” he adds.
Previously, Trump has insisted on the need to remove or destroy Iran’s stockpile of some 440 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium — a short step from weapons-grade. Nuclear experts have also urged the US to require the removal of all uranium enriched by Iran to lower levels, to better block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapons arsenal. Trump’s apparently shifting stance as regards the uranium stockpile follows his recent backing away from his previous demand for an end to all Iranian enrichment, saying on May 15 that he would accept a 20-year suspension of uranium enrichment. You know, you’re in a war zone.”
Trump also says that he did not want to meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but adds that “I’d be honored to meet him.”
He says if Washington and Tehran reached a deal, it was possible that the two would meet and adds, “If it happened… I’d be respectful.”
“In some circles he has a very good reputation actually,” he says of Khamenei.
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