Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Wednesday’s events as they unfolded.
US official claims Iran asked to withhold text of MOU until after signing on Friday
Attempting to explain why the US has refrained from releasing the text of the MOU if it was purportedly already signed on Sunday, a senior US official briefing reporters claims Tehran asked that it not be released until the Friday signing ceremony.
“The motto that we want to have with this deal is no side-deals and full transparency, so it was unfortunate we weren’t able to put it out right away,” the US official says.
“We were trying to accommodate their domestic messaging and their domestic politics, and we’re trying to build trust with them, and that’s what they asked us to do,” the US official says.
The briefing call began with a second senior US official reading out the text of the MOU, as the White House apparently decided that it did not want to wait any longer in publicizing the text.
US official denies Israel had requested to see US-Iran deal text but wasn’t allowed
A senior US official denies Hebrew media reports claiming that Israel had requested access to the memorandum of understanding inked this week between Washington and Tehran but was denied.
“Nothing has been requested of us. We’ve always shared with them some of the concepts of what it was. We’ve had consultations with [the Israelis] along the way,” a senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has not asked us for a copy of (the MOU). Maybe he hasn’t seen the final document, but he can’t say that he’s not up to speed on what’s occurring,” the US official insists.
“What (Netanyahu) said to us is that if we can get all of these concessions out of Iran the way that we’re thinking about it, he thinks that would be a historic deal,” the US official continues. “He remains skeptical that we’ll do it, but we remain skeptical as well. That’s why we’re going to go forward to the next negotiations, and see what we’re able to accomplish.”
US getting as much oil as it can out of Hormuz to restock global supply in case Trump decides to resume war, official says
The US is working to get as much oil out of the Strait of Hormuz as possible so that the global supply can be restocked in case President Donald Trump decides to resume the war against Iran, a senior American official says.
The official argues that the US is not risking very much by agreeing to an MOU this week with Iran because the bulk of the sanctions relief it may provide will only be given if Tehran makes concessions in the subsequent nuclear negotiations that will be held over the next two months.
“In the meantime… we’re working to get as much oil out of there as possible and to let everyone restock global supplies and help everyone get into position for if Iran misbehaves and there has to be another round of efforts,” the senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.
The official says negotiators from both sides will be meeting over the weekend in Switzerland, where the MOU is set to be formally signed on Friday. That sit-down “will be quite critical in order to see how we get to the next phase.”
The official notes that the meeting will be held at a Swiss hotel owned by the Qataris, who share a gas field with Iran.
“It will be a very good illustration to show that with the money that comes out of this gas field, [it] can either be used to buy great properties that give you cash flow and returns to reinvest in your population… or you could fund terrorism, which basically has led to destruction and devastation that makes them much worse off,” the senior US official says.
The US official insists that the US is in a better negotiating position following the war, whereas Iran has been dramatically weakened by it.
“If we think that they’re just dragging us along and bullshitting us, then we’ll be very quick to pull the plug on it and go back to tightening the screws on them very, very aggressively,” the US official says.
The US official says personal relationships and direct lines of contact have been established between top Trump officials and counterparts in Iran, including IRGC leaders and religious figures, “who have opened up channels of communication expressing the desire to do something different than what they’ve done before.”
While US officials had previously discussed direct talks held with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, this appears to be the first time that a Trump aide has said that they were in contact with IRGC officials or religious clerics in Iran.
Asked to clarify US President Donald Trump’s claim from earlier today that the MOU is not final, the senior US official briefing reporters insists that it is, while suggesting that Trump was maybe referring to the subsequent nuclear deal that still has to be negotiated.
US official: Iran oil export sanctions to be lifted as it was selling the oil anyway
A senior US official explains the US decision to issue a waiver of its sanctions on Iran oil exports.
The official briefing reporters claims that Iran had still been able to sell oil regardless and was “giving China a massive discount… regardless of whether we left a single other sanction.”
The administration “agreed that it’s absurd to sanction Iranian oil in such a way that they are still allowed to sell that oil,” he says.
The US had previously insisted that Iran would not receive any sanctions relief unless Tehran made concessions in the subsequent nuclear talks that the MOU is kicking off.
But in going over the text of the MOU on the briefing call, the senior US official reveals that the sanctions waiver is actually in the text itself and states that it will be “immediately” applied.
A second senior US official on the phone briefing argues that the war caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damages to Iran, while the relief from the sanctions waiver will only be in the “single digit billions of dollars.”
“It’s not that significant in the scheme of things. They were able to (export oil) anyway by opening the strait, so we thought that was actually a fair concession to give them, as it also helps bring down global oil prices,” the US official adds.
Senior US official: Tuesday was first day Iran didn’t fire on vessels in Hormuz since start of war
A senior US official briefing reporters on the Iran deal claims that Iran did not fire on a single vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday for the first time since the start of the conflict.
This is the first time that a US official has revealed that Iran had been firing on ships every single day for the past three-plus months.
“Even before the formal signing ceremony on Friday, we see Iran actually ceasing its efforts to cut off traffic from the Strait of Hormuz,” the official says, chalking up that shift to why oil prices have fallen over the last 24 hours.
IDF says it destroyed launcher used by Hezbollah to fire rockets at troops
The IDF says it struck and destroyed the launcher used by Hezbollah to fire a barrage of rockets at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon earlier.
The military says the launcher was armed for an additional attack, and, as a result of the strike, rockets flew out and struck open areas.
No injuries were caused to Israeli troops in the incident.
תוך דקות בודדות: חיל-האוויר השמיד את המשגר ממנו חיזבאללה שיגר רקטות לעבר כוחות צה"ל
דקות בודדות לאחר שארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שיגר רקטות לעבר כוחות צה"ל, חיל-האוויר תקף את המשגר שהיה טעון ומוכן לשגר רקטות נוספות. בעקבות התקיפה, רקטות נוספות נפלטו מהמשגר ונפלו בשטח פתוח בדרום לבנון. pic.twitter.com/8EMY2Ssuke
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 17, 2026
Trump: US will ‘bomb the hell out of Iran’ if it doesn’t comply with commitment not to pursue nukes
US President Donald Trump is pressed to explain his claim that the deal he signed with Iran permanently prevents it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, given that the text of the MOU suffices with, “Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.”
“When I say permanently, it should be permanently, but if it’s not permanently, we will bomb them,” Trump says during a press conference.
“That’s with me as president. If you have a weak, pathetic president, maybe that doesn’t happen,” he adds, admitting that he cannot control what will happen after his term in office ends.
A reporter then pushes Trump again to clarify whether there is anything actually enforceable in the MOU itself to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“There doesn’t have to be” anything enforceable in the agreement, Trump responds, insisting his threat to bomb Iran if it does not comply is sufficient.
“What else am I going to do? Am I going to say, ‘I’m going to take you to court’? ‘Let me just sue you’? No. We’re gonna bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement,” Trump says.
Trump on controversial Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner: Democrats ‘have a Nazi running’
US President Donald Trump weighs in on the Maine Senate race, where Democrats have rallied behind embattled progressive Graham Platner who previously had a Nazi tattoo on his chest.
Speaking at a press conference in France, Trump mistakenly calls the Totenkopf tattoo a swastika before quipping, “For 10 years, they’ve been calling me a Nazi and now they have a Nazi running.”
US official knocks Israeli, Iranian press for ‘misrepresenting or misunderstanding’ MOU
A senior US official briefing reporters on the Iran deal knocks “the Iranian and Israeli press for misrepresenting or misunderstanding” the MOU inked by the US and Iran this week.
“This is fundamentally an agreement that allows us to open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, commits the Iranians to destroying the nuclear dust, and then gives us a dial where, if the Iranians dial up their good behavior, we respond by dialing up the kind of economic and sanctions relief that could make them a more prosperous country,” the senior US official says during the briefing.
“It commits us to quite literally nothing, but if Iranians do a lot of good, then we want to reward that good behavior and transform their relationship with the Middle East and the world,” the US official adds.
Trump suggests US would have run out of ammo if it had kept bombing Iran
US President Donald Trump suggests that the US would have run out of ammunition had it continued bombing Iran, rather than reaching a deal this week.
“If we keep bombing… You’re talking about $500, $600, $700 million a day. It’s a lot of money,” Trump says during a press conference.
“We run out of reserves in about four weeks… There are reserves all over the world, and we would really run out, and there’ll be a time when you wouldn’t be able to get it,” he stunningly reveals in a public forum.
“So, for all of those so-called geniuses that want to show me how smart they are, ask them why didn’t they blow up General Solemeini,” Trump says, almost certainly referring to Israel, given that just minutes earlier in the press conference, he hit out at Jerusalem for purportedly pulling out of a joint strike on the head of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force in 2020.
Trump says keeping the war going would have risked the lives of civilians in Iran.
“Are you going to let the 91 million people starve to death?” he asks rhetorically, adding that he purposefully did not bomb Iran’s desalination plants so as not to cause a humanitarian crisis.
He says he also did not target the oil facilities in Iran after repeatedly threatening to do so.
“I would have satisfied a group of 10 percent of the people, but it would have been the wrong thing to do. It could have caused an international depression,” Trump says.
As for the strike on the girls’ elementary school that reportedly killed over 100 young girls on the first day of the war, Trump knocks the reporter for asking him about the issue, but says it is under investigation.
“Nobody did that on purpose… Mistakes are made,” Trump says, adding that Iran has also been responsible for killing civilians.
California man charged with funding Hamas through fake charity
The US Department of Justice charges a suspect, Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, 38, with material support for Hamas.
Sabassi, from San Diego, California, was arrested yesterday and is charged with terrorism, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.
Sabassi allegedly raised money for Hamas using online donation platforms, including a charity front called The Arab Charity Foundation, Inc., prosecutors say.
Between December 2023 and early 2024, Sabassi raised around $600,000, sending around $116,000 to a Hamas member, and attempted to convert $382,000 to cryptocurrency to send to the terrorist group, the statement says.
Hamas is a US-designated terrorist group, so it is illegal to provide Hamas with material support in the US.
Trump repeatedly dodges questions about up-front sanctions relief for Iran
US President Donald Trump repeatedly dodges questions regarding whether Iran is receiving up-front sanctions relief upon the signing of the MOU.
He insists that Iran will only receive funds “if they’re doing things right,” in subsequent nuclear talks, but when he is asked specifically at a press conference about the US issuing a waiver to allow Iran to export oil, Trump does not address the issue directly.
As for Iranian funds that the US has frozen in accounts abroad, Trump indicates that he will allow Tehran to access them.
“We have taken a lot of their money — it’s their own money, and we froze it at a certain point in time,” Trump says. “I guess we’re going to have to give it back.”
“If we didn’t give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again,” Trump claims.
Pressed on his previous claim that Iran has never won a war or lost a negotiation, Trump insists that is not the case regarding the deal he is signing and that the media will criticize him no matter what he does.
Responding to a question about the roles of Russia and China in the Iran talks, Trump praises the two leaders for “staying neutral,” claiming they could have created more problems for the US had they done more to help Tehran.
US officials claim Netanyahu kept informed on Iran deal terms, said it would be a ‘home run’ if implemented — report
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, June 15, 2026. (Olivier Fitoussi/POOL)
Washington has been in constant contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the details of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, senior American officials tell Channel 12, claiming that the premier said the agreement would be a “home run” if implemented as it is outlined.
The officials reject reports in Israeli media that Jerusalem was denied knowledge of the agreement’s content, saying even if Netanyahu was not provided with the full text of the document over the past day or two, the premier knew throughout the process what it contained.
They claim that Netanyahu never requested to see the full document, and that while he was skeptical about how it would work out, he viewed it as potentially a major achievement if it were implemented as envisioned.
The Prime Minister’s Office declines to comment on the report.
Channel 12 reported yesterday that Israel had yet to be briefed on the agreement’s official terms, adding that Jerusalem had requested to review the memorandum, but Washington declined out of concern that the details would be leaked.
Trump says he told Netanyahu Israel should be happy about Iran deal, as ‘they’re not going to be nuked’
US President Donald Trump says he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should be thrilled by the deal that the US signed with Iran because it means “they’re not going to be nuked.”
“I told Bibi, ‘The biggest risk was that they drop a nuclear weapon into the middle of Israel,” Trump recalls during a press conference at the G7.
“‘Think of it, Bibi. The most important thing that you were asking for is that,'” Trump continues.
“So, I think they’re happy,” Trump says of Israel.
Israel is said to overwhelmingly oppose the deal, as it only includes an Iranian pledge not to obtain a nuclear weapon. Beyond that, all Iran has agreed to do is merely discuss making further concessions in follow-up negotiations over the next two months, during which they are slated to receive considerable sanctions relief.
Trump praises stalled US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, claims Hamas ‘has been very silent’ ever since
US President Donald Trump, center, speaks as United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stands right, during a press conference at the end of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
US President Donald Trump pivots in his press conference to tout the work his administration has done in Gaza.
The US brokered a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel last year, but that agreement has stalled, as Hamas has refused to implement the second phase requirement that it give up its weapons, while Israel has violated terms of the first phase pertaining to humanitarian aid, troop withdrawals and a halt on strikes in the Strip.
But Trump is nonetheless impressed by what he has seen.
“Look at the job we’ve done in Gaza. Hamas has been very silent. You haven’t read anything about Hamas,” he says of the terror group, which Israel says has been reconstituting its power in the Strip.
“When they were born, they came out with a machine gun in their hand, so it’s not the easiest thing, but they’ve actually behaved pretty well, considering this was not the lifestyle that they were taught,” Trump says during a press conference at a G7 summit.
Another apparently off-the-cuff remark pertains to the UAE, which Trump says participated in the bombing against Iran. Abu Dhabi has not publicly confirmed that to date.
Trump praises UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, calling him an “incredible warrior.”
“He was dropping bombs last week. I said, ‘Who the hell’s dropping all those bombs?’ It was UAE,” Trump proclaims.
Despite Israel’s strained relationships with many of its neighbors due to disagreements over its policies in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, Trump again expresses his hope that countries in the region will join the Abraham Accords.
Last month, he threatened not to sign an agreement with Iran if countries did not join the Abraham Accords, though he appears to have come down from that demand.
Trump reportedly told Netanyahu in a phone call earlier this month that “everyone hates Israel” for the way it is going after Hezbollah in Lebanon.
But at the press conference in France, Trump says, “The expansion of the Abraham Accords is the other thing that we hope we’re going to get, and if [Saudi Arabia] leads the way, they’d be doing themselves a big favor.”
Saudi Arabia has conditioned normalization of relations with Israel on the latter establishing a pathway to a future Palestinian state — something Jerusalem has refused to do.
US, Iran said weighing second electronic signing of MOU today rather than in-person ceremony Friday
Washington, Tehran, and mediators are considering holding an electronic signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding as early as today, rather than at an in-person signing ceremony in Switzerland on Friday, a diplomat from one of the mediating countries and a second source familiar with the discussions tell the Axios news site.
Both sides are seeking to bring the signing up to have the Strait of Hormuz reopened sooner, the diplomatic source says.
Axios notes that a likely reason for the move is so the US is able to release the text of the agreement amid political pressure over its reported details, though the second source denies that that is Washington’s reasoning.
Although a senior administration official told reporters earlier this week that the deal was already signed electronically on Sunday by US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, one of the diplomatic sources claims that no such signing took place.
A second source disputes this, telling Axios that it would be a “second signing.”
The outlet notes that it is unclear why two digital signings would be necessary.
Even if the ceremony is cancelled in favor of a remote signing, the sources tell Axios that the planned meeting between the US and Iranian delegations headed by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf will take place in Switzerland on Friday as expected.
Trump says Iran should be allowed to keep some ballistic missiles: ‘They have to have some because other people have some’
Rescue workers and military personnel operate at the scene where nine people were killed in an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)
US President Donald Trump says he opposes calls to strip Iran of all of its ballistic missiles.
Speaking at a press conference, Trump says the US and Iran will discuss the latter’s missile program in the upcoming negotiations following this week’s MOU signing.
“They have to have some (missiles) because other people have some. You gotta have some,” Trump says.
“Somebody said, ‘You shouldn’t give [Iran] one,'” Trump says in a mocking tone.
“I have guys — I like some of these guys, but I don’t think they’re smart,” he says, appearing to refer to his hawkish advisers and supporters.
“‘They’re going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but [Iran] can’t have them?” Trump continues. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“And missiles aren’t the problem… They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet,” Trump says, downplaying yet another demand by Israel.
Despite his suggestion that the issues of Iran’s enriched uranium and missile program are not of tantamount importance to him, Trump says both of those issues, as well as Tehran’s support for its proxy groups will be discussed in the follow-up talks with Iran.
Apparently referencing some of the criticism he is facing from hawkish supporters over the Iran deal, Trump says, “There are some writers — some who I thought were friends of mine — but I don’t want them as friends anymore, because they’re either stupid or they’re bad people.”
Trump appears to be flipping the script he used when more isolationist supporters criticized him for launching the Iran war.
He made a habit of responding to those critics by claiming that they wanted Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
IDF: Several rockets fired by Hezbollah at troops in southern Lebanon
Several rockets were fired by Hezbollah at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon a short while ago.
The IDF says some of the rockets were intercepted while others struck near the forces.
No injuries were caused, the army adds.
Trump downplays need to reach Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, claiming it’s ‘not valuable,’ and Tehran can’t access it
US President Donald Trump addresses the media during a closing press conference at the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
US President Donald Trump again downplays the importance of obtaining Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, claiming that Tehran can’t access them anyway.
He again claims that the “nuclear dust” is buried deep under rubble after the US bombed Iran’s three main nuclear sites last year. He says only the US and China have the equipment to reach it.
“It’s actually not valuable, but we’d like to get it psychologically,” Trump says.
“Nobody’s touching it. We also have Space Force cameras” monitoring the sites, he claims.
It has not been publicly confirmed that the stockpiles are actually located in one of those three sites. Iran is also said to have other stockpiles of uranium enriched to lower levels, which can also be turned into a nuclear weapon, located elsewhere.
“If somebody walks in and he’s got a badge with his name on it — like Mohammed something, which is about a 50-50 guess, (the Space Force cameras) can tell the name and serial number,” Trump says during a press conference at a G7 summit.
Despite downplaying the importance of securing the enriched uranium, Trump says it will be at the top of discussions with Iran over the next two months.
“They’ll work closely with us to turn over the so-called enriched material,” he says, before again suggesting that the goal is not that important to him, as Iran is likely to push back on the demand.
“It’s not important that we do it quickly, but we could do it fairly quickly when we have a chance,” Trump says.
If Iran does try and move the material, “we’ll hit them with Patriots [missiles],” the president warns.
Trump again boasts that Iran agreed in the MOU to “neither produce nor procure a nuclear weapon” — a pledge nearly identical to the one from the 2015 Obama nuclear deal.
As for the components of the deal outlining $300 billion in reconstruction investment by the US and other allies, Trump says Washington is not actually obligated to contribute to the fund.
Moreover, he says any US sanctions relief to Iran will be “based on merit,” even though the US has already begun preparations to waive sanctions on Iran to allow it to export oil.
Trump rehashes criticism of Israel for purportedly pulling out of 2020 operation to kill Soleimani
US President Donald Trump again harangues Israel for purportedly pulling out of a joint operation with the US in 2020 to kill Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani.
Trump has told this story repeatedly in the past, but had largely stopped after he became the GOP presidential nominee in 2024, at which point his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu improved substantially.
But those ties appear to have taken a major hit in recent weeks over disagreements regarding Netanyahu’s conduct in Iran and Lebanon.
“They’ve been wonderful to me, Israel, but they didn’t want to do that attack,” Trump says during a press conference at a G7 summit in France.
“They were all set the night before the attack. Then [they told] me they didn’t want to do it,” Trump adds, claiming that he decided to go ahead with the operation without Israel.
Trump then repeats his criticism of Netanyahu over Israel’s conduct against Hezbollah.
“Bibi Netanyahu happens to be a good man, but he gets a little excited sometimes,” Trump says, while still calling him an “amazing prime minister.”
“We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say, ‘You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah,'” Trump says.
“But it’s been an amazing partnership. [Netanyahu] will say [the US is] the big partner, and [Israel’s] the very small partner, and that’s true,” he adds.
Trump then reveals that the US has “sent a copy” of the MOU that the US signed with Iran. Earlier in the week, Israeli officials had asked the US for a copy but were reportedly rejected due to fears that they would leak it.
He subsequently reiterates his desire for Syria to fight Hezbollah instead of Israel — a wildly unpopular idea in Damascus.
Trump claims that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would be open to fighting Hezbollah and would do so with more precision. He appears to admit having heard some pushback to the idea. “I don’t know that people want that — maybe they don’t.”
Trump laments the way that Lebanon has been treated over the last 50 to 60 years. “They have been just trashed. They have been living in hell.”
IDF says interceptor launched at suspected Hezbollah drone over troops in southern Lebanon
An interceptor missile was launched toward a suspected Hezbollah drone identified over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating, the military says.
The IDF says “the incident has concluded” and no injuries were caused.
IDF: Two Hamas terrorists who took part in Oct. 7 attack killed in central Gaza
Two Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught were killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip yesterday, the IDF announces.
The strike killed Ahmed Abu Hein, the commander of a sniper cell, and Mahmoud Walid Jabr Abu Hein, another member of the terror group’s military wing. Both had invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and participated in the Hamas-led attack, according to the military.
Recently, the pair had “worked to rebuild the Hamas terror organization in violation of the ceasefire agreement, and to advance terror attack plans against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the IDF says, adding that they posed “an immediate threat” and were therefore killed in a “precise” strike.
חיל-האוויר תקף אתמול במרכז רצועת עזה וחיסל את אחמד אבו הין, ראש חוליית צליפה בזרוע הצבאית בארגון הטרור חמאס, ואת מחמוד וליד גבר אבו הין, מחבל בזרוע הצבאית בארגון הטרור חמאס.
שני המחבלים פשטו לשטח מדינת ישראל בטבח הרצחני ב-7 באוקטובר.
במהלך התקופה האחרונה, המחבלים פעלו לשיקום… pic.twitter.com/AF1a1vovP5
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 17, 2026
Earlier, the IDF announced it had killed two other terrorists who invaded Israel on October 7 in strikes over the weekend.
Trump defends deal with Iran, says continuing bombing would have been ‘economic catastrophe’
US President Donald Trump (C) addresses the media during a closing press conference of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
US President Donald Trump defends the MOU he reached with Iran on Sunday, arguing that resuming bombing against Iran would have caused “economic catastrophe.”
“If we didn’t do this deal, we could have dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two to four weeks, [but] you would never have the Hormuz Strait open. You would never have success, your market would have, instead of going up at levels that nobody’s ever seen before, would go down at levels that nobody ever saw before,” Trump says during a press conference from a G7 conference in France.
Trump knocks hawkish critics who oppose the deal, calling them, “the tough guys that would drive the country right down the tubes.”
Trump claims that the last two days alone of US bombing in Iran cost $200 million.
While Trump now suggests that additional bombing would have caused major harm to the global economy, he said hours earlier that he will go back to bombing if Iran does not comply with the deal.
Trump opens up the presser by declaring that the Iran deal “achieves everything we set out to accomplish — ending the current conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“I think [Iran’s leaders are] going to behave much differently. They see a different way of life that they were never exposed to,” he claims.
Netanyahu holds first meeting with new Mossad chief Roman Gofman
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) meets with new Mossad chief Roman Gofman, on June 17, 2026. (Prime Minister's Office)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds his first working meeting with newly appointed Mossad chief Roman Gofman at the Mossad headquarters, according to the premier’s office.
WATCH: Trump holds press conference at G7 summit; is expected to discuss US-Iran deal
US President Donald Trump begins a press conference at the G7 summit.
Trump said today that he would discuss the US-Iran memorandum of understanding in further detail during the conference.
Bedouin man shot dead while driving in southern Israel
A Bedouin Israeli man was shot and killed while driving in southern Israel this evening.
The victim is a man in his 40s named Samir Abu Arar, Arabic outlets report. He was shot while traveling in Arara BaNegev, a Bedouin town in the Negev Desert.
Abu Arar was brought to a nearby clinic after he was critically injured in the shooting, the Magen David Adom emergency service says. From there, medics took him to Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Police have launched an investigation into Abu Arar’s killing and have not yet arrested any suspects. Officers believe the lethal shooting was carried out as part of a conflict between two Bedouin families in the area.
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox men gather outside Beit Lid military prison to protest arrest of draft evaders
Israeli security forces stand guard as ultra-Orthodox Jews gather to protest against the detention of Haredi draft evaders outside the Bet Lid military prison in Kfar Yona on June 17, 2026. (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP)
Thousands of Haredi demonstrators gather outside the IDF’s Beit Lid military prison to protest the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox draft evader being held at the facility.
Amid fears of masses breaking into the Beit Lid base, which houses the Neve Tzedek prison and military courts, the IDF has deployed Military Police soldiers to the area and put additional troops at a nearby base on standby in case additional forces are required.
The bulk of demonstrators are affiliated with the Gur dynasty, the largest Hasidic sect in Israel.
The protest takes place after Gur’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, called for a demonstration to be held during his visit to the prison, in solidarity with a jailed draft evader who belongs to the sect.
Yitzhak Goldknopf, the head of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, is also at the scene of the protest. He is recorded reciting psalms at a podium before the demonstrators.
גולדקנופף משתתף במחאה של חסידות גור סמוך לבית ליד, ומקריא פרקי תהילים
עדכונים מהמחאה והעומס בכבישים | https://t.co/Zl9mfiIbm0 pic.twitter.com/4ZIzGphKe8
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) June 17, 2026
The head of a neighborhood committee in Kfar Yona, which lies just south of the jail, tells Ynet that life has become “impossible” in recent weeks as Haredi anti-draft protests ramp up across the country, particularly outside military prisons where evaders are held.
“We live in fear, there’s insane preparation going on all the time [ahead of Haredi protests] and it’s not pleasant,” committee head Mickey Gerbi tells the outlet.
Trump: I don’t want Israel to quit fighting Hezbollah, but I ‘want them to use good judgment’
Asked at a bilateral meeting with India’s prime minister whether he wants Israel to halt its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, US President Donald Trump responds, “No, I want Israel to be able to protect themself, but I do want them to use good judgment.”
Opposition decries Gotliv immunity vote as coalition celebrates
Opposition politicians slam the Knesset’s decision to grant Likud MK Tally Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution for exposing the identity of a Shin Bet officer, while coalition lawmakers celebrate the vote as a victory over what they describe as a politically motivated judiciary.
Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot condemns the decision, arguing that allowing elected officials to “endanger Israel’s security and use their parliamentary immunity as a refuge from the law is a slap in the face to the fighters and members of the security establishment.”
He accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having “personally worked to place on the current Likud list people who have nothing whatsoever to do with statesmanship, liberalism or patriotism.”
Democrats chair Yair Golan likewise denounces the vote as a “disgrace,” declaring that the Knesset has become “a sanctuary city for political cronies and criminals.”
“Once again, Netanyahu’s coalition has proven that it prefers political survival to the good of the country and Israel’s security,” he says.
Democrats MK Efrat Rayten charges that “even exposing a Shin Bet officer and harming state security becomes a secondary matter when political survival, party primaries and holding onto one’s seat are at stake,” while Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif charges that those backing immunity are motivated by “loyalty to the supreme leader, the party and the regime – not to the public or the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, coalition lawmakers hail the decision, including Gotliv’s close ally Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, who celebrates Gotliv’s triumph as “a victory for the entire national camp,” while Likud MK Boaz Bismuth says the vote marks an end to the judicial system’s “political persecution” of right-wing elected officials.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posts a photograph of himself with Gotliv from a High Court of Justice appearance, captioning it simply: “Lioness!” Neither he nor the premier attended the vote itself.
Trump: My France trip has been ‘great success’; everyone’s excited about no nukes for Iran and Hormuz reopening
US President Donald Trump meets with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (not pictured) on the sidelines of the G7 summit, June 17, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
US President Donald Trump basks in what he says has been a very successful visit to France for a G7 summit.
“The trip was a great success but, mostly what people wanted to talk about, is the fact that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon, and that the Strait of Hormuz will immediately be opened!” he writes on Truth Social, claiming that the US economy is booming as a result.
He says he’ll be starting his press conference from France in 45 minutes before having dinner with European leaders and heading home.
He is currently participating in a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Five IDF soldiers injured, one seriously, by explosive drone attacks in southern Lebanon
Five IDF soldiers were injured, including one seriously, by explosive drones launched by Hezbollah at troops in southern Lebanon this morning, the army announces.
At around 6 a.m., a first-person view (FPV) drone piloted by Hezbollah exploded next to a tank in the southern Lebanon village of Kfar Tebnit, close to Nabatieh.
As a result of shrapnel from the blast, four soldiers were injured.
Several minutes later, a second FPV drone exploded on a vehicle being used to evacuate the wounded troops, injuring a fifth soldier.
One soldier is listed in serious condition, two are moderately hurt, and two are in good condition. The IDF says they were all airlifted to a hospital and their families were notified.
Following the attack, the IDF carried out artillery shelling on Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
Shin Bet agent petitions High Court after Gotliv granted immunity from prosecution for exposing his identity
A Shin Bet agent has filed a petition with the High Court of Justice after the Knesset voted to grant Likud MK Tally Gotliv immunity from prosecution for exposing his identity.
The petition, filed by the security agent’s attorney, requests that the court overturn the Knesset’s decision.
“In its decision to grant immunity from prosecution to someone who revealed the name of an agent, the 25th Knesset is sending a message to all members of the secret services that they should expect their lives to be turned upside down for the sake of momentary political interest,” reads an excerpt of the petition cited by Channel 12.
The criminal case against Gotliv deals with a series of social media posts from 2024 in which she identified the Shin Bet agent as the partner of anti-government protest leader Shikma Bressler, while promoting baseless conspiracy theories linking him to Hamas and insinuating that he bore responsibility for the October 7, 2023, terror onslaught.
Knesset grants Likud MK Gotliv immunity from prosecution for exposing Shin Bet agent’s identity
MK Tally Gotliv at a Knesset House Committee session, Jerusalem, June 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Knesset votes to grant Likud MK Tally Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution for exposing the identity of a Shin Bet officer.
The plenum votes 61-48 to grant immunity on the grounds that Gotliv’s actions were carried out in the course of, or for the purpose of, fulfilling her duties as a member of Knesset, and 62-48 because the indictment was filed in bad faith or in a discriminatory manner.
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein was the only member of the coalition to vote against the measure.
The Attorney General’s Office announced last month that it was indicting Gotliv over social media posts from 2024 identifying the partner of anti-government protest leader Shikma Bressler as a Shin Bet agent, while promoting baseless conspiracy theories linking him to Hamas and insinuating that he bore responsibility for the October 7, 2023, terror onslaught.
Gotliv has not disputed the underlying facts and repeatedly argued during House Committee hearings that her actions were justified. The committee voted 11-3 earlier this week to recommend granting her immunity following three combative hearings.
Throughout the hearings, Gotliv used the proceedings to attack Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, portray herself as the target of a politically motivated witch hunt and advance conspiracy theories blaming the October 7, 2023 attacks on the judiciary, anti-government protestors and security forces.
Addressing the plenum ahead of today’s vote, Gotliv continued to claim the case against her was intended to “whitewash the senior leadership of the Shin Bet and blacken the government’s name” over October 7. Insisting that she was protected by parliamentary privilege, she declared that her actions “were done as part of my role, for the sake of my role and for the sake of the people.”
Gotliv’s parliamentary immunity will expire at the conclusion of the current Knesset’s term in the coming weeks.
Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 1 to reopen this month after closing at start of Iran war
View of the departure hall in Terminal 1, at the Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv on December 1, 2020. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
The Israeli Airports Authority plans to reopen Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 1 on June 28 for domestic flights and on July 1 for international arrivals and departures to meet increased passenger traffic during the peak summer months.
Terminal 1, which is mainly used by low-cost and budget airlines, has been temporarily closed since Israel’s airspace was shut to foreign airlines with the start of fighting with Iran on February 28. All domestic and international flights have been operating from Terminal 3 only.
PA records declining birth rate in West Bank, attributes it to economic deterioration
There was a sharp decline in the number of births recorded in the West Bank in 2025 compared to previous years, according to a new report published by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health.
The report shows that 75,163 births were registered in the West Bank last year, compared to 81,151 in 2024 and 81,071 in 2023 — a decrease of 7.38%.
The PA report states that the decline “may be attributed to several factors, including the deterioration of the economic situation across Palestine.”
The report also notes that 50,000 births were recorded in Gaza in 2025, a 13% decrease compared to prewar figures (57,442 births in Gaza in 2022).
It should be noted that neither the PA nor Hamas published birth statistics for Gaza in 2023 and 2024 due to the war that broke out in October 2023. Even now, it is difficult to determine whether complete data can be collected given the situation in the Strip.
During the past decade, annual West Bank birth rates occasionally fell below 80,000. In 2020, for example, 78,409 births were registered, possibly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but no figure lower than 78,000 was recorded.
There has been a slow but consistent decline in fertility among Palestinians over the past several decades. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the average number of children per Palestinian woman fell from 4.6 in 1999–2003 to 3.8 in 2017–2019.
IDF chief reiterates men and women won’t serve on the same tank crews in Armored Corps pilot program
Female soldiers operate a tank in the Negev desert in an undated photograph. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stresses that men and women will not serve in the same tanks during training or operational activity, after the leaders of more than two dozen yeshivas threatened to stop sending their students to serve in tank units because of a pilot program integrating women into the Armored Corps.
Top military officials met yesterday to discuss the pilot program, which is due to begin in November.
During the meeting, Zamir determined that the success of the pilot will be measured based on the soldiers’ “professional proficiency, in accordance with existing operational standards and without compromise,” and the establishment of new frameworks “that will enable a full and professional training process and, subsequently, operational capability to carry out routine security and combat missions.”
Zamir also stressed “the importance of maintaining the physical health of the female soldiers throughout the training process, and emphasized that abnormal injury rates, as seen in previous pilots, are not reasonable and indicate a need for adjustment of the process without compromising operational proficiency.”
Additionally, Zamir stated that “there is no intention to integrate men and women together in tank crews, in training or in mission phases.”
The IDF says that if the trial succeeds, “the integration of women will be carried out within a dedicated framework, which will be at least at the company level.” An Armored Corps company is normally composed of 11 tanks.
However, women and men would likely end up serving together at the battalion and brigade levels in combat. The military says that in those cases, “adjustments will be required” in accordance with the army’s existing protocols on men and women serving together.
Trump denies $300 billion Iran investment fund in deal, despite MOU pledging financing plan
US President Donald Trump denies recent reports that a final deal with Iran would include a $300 billion fund for investment and reconstruction in the country, though a memorandum of understanding obtained and confirmed by The Times of Israel commits the parties to developing a plan that would secure at least that amount in financing.
“That’s false,” Trump says at the G7 summit in France, in response to a reporter’s request to confirm the reports.
When the reporter notes that the fund would reportedly be financed by Gulf allies, Trump says, “People can invest if they want. I mean, what am I going to do — say nobody’s ever allowed to invest? We’re not investing. We’re not putting up ten cents. People can decide to do that, but that’s up to them… We do not have a fund.”
However, the text of the MOU expected to be physically signed by both sides on Friday, and which has been verified by The Times of Israel, includes the line: “The United States undertakes, together with its regional partners, to create a comprehensive plan agreed upon by both parties for the rehabilitation and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, while ensuring financing of at least $300 billion. The implementation mechanism of this plan, as part of the final agreement, will be formulated within 60 days.”
Trump’s denial appears to focus on direct US funding, rather than on the existence of a broader financing initiative.
When asked by the reporter to clarify if he is asking Gulf countries to fund such an initiative, Trump replies, “No, I’m not,” adding that such support would likely not come soon and would depend on Iran’s behavior.
“If they do it, fine, but I would say they won’t be doing it for a while until they find out the behavior [of Iran]. It’s a behavior thing,” he says.
A source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters that the fund would be private and designed to trigger investment into Iran, adding that more than half that sum has already been committed. The Financial Times reported that it would be created for companies eager to invest in the country and not for governments.
Lavrov tells Araghchi that Russia backs US-Iran deal, urges Israel to also comply
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi about the US-Iranian agreement to end the war in the Gulf, and insisted that Israel must also comply.
“The Russian minister expressed support for the understandings reached through effective mediation by Pakistan and Qatar to de-escalate tensions in the region. The importance of compliance by all parties involved in the armed conflict, including Israel, was emphasized,” the Russian foreign ministry says in a read-out of the call.
Russia is ready to support efforts to resolve the crisis “based on its unique experience and expertise,” the foreign ministry says.
Israel has yet to be briefed on the official terms of the US-Iran agreement, Channel 12 reported yesterday, adding that Jerusalem requested to review the memorandum, but Washington declined, reportedly out of concern that the details would be leaked.
IDF airstrikes reported in Nabatieh area of south Lebanon
Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in the Nabatieh area.
“Enemy warplanes launched a raid on the outskirts of the town of Kfar Tebnit, towards the Ali Taher hill,” reports the National News Agency.
The IDF has not yet commented on reports of strikes in Lebanon today.
Trump: Iran memorandum ‘not final,’ we’ll be ‘back to dropping bombs on their heads’ if talks fail
US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit, June 17, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
US President Donald Trump reiterates that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is “not final” and warns that Washington could resume military strikes against Iran if “they don’t behave,” adding that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was unavoidable.
Referring to the preliminary agreement with Tehran expected to be physically signed on Friday, Trump reiterates that “it’s not final – it’s a memorandum of understanding,” and that Washington’s military threat remains in place.
“It’s a memorandum of understanding. If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, okay? Because they’ve misbehaved for 47 years,” he warns, speaking alongside Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the G7 summit in France.
Trump says the agreement is “a great deal for a lot of reasons, but number one by far — 99.9% of it — is that they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
“It’s a very strong deal. Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong, and most people seem to be very happy,” he adds, without specifying which people he’s referring to.
“The Strait [of Hormuz] is going to be opening. It’s already partially opened. It’s going to be opening up soon in full over the next day or two,” Trump says.
Despite Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports and earlier threats to use force to reopen the vital shipping lane, Trump suggests a negotiated arrangement on Hormuz was unavoidable: “The alternative would be a worldwide depression. You know, the stupid people want to have a worldwide depression, and they’re stupid people. So you can only go so far. You drive somebody into the ground, and a lot of bad things happen… the Strait would never open, because they don’t like floating billion-dollar ships up and down a strait when there are rockets flying over them and mines all over the place… It wouldn’t be open for a long time,” he says.
He adds that he will discuss the Iran deal more at a press conference at 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Israel time).
Large Hebron yeshiva approved for construction, day after Smotrich gave Israel more power in flashpoint West Bank city
The construction of a large new yeshiva building in the Jewish settlement in Hebron is approved by the Civil Administration, a department of the Defense Ministry.
The move comes a day after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, announced that Israel had removed zoning, planning and construction authority in the H2 zone of Hebron from the Palestinian Hebron municipal authority and transferred it to the Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Council, in apparent violation of the 1997 Hebron agreement with the Palestinians.
The H2 zone includes the Jewish settlement in the city and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a holy shrine for Jews and Muslims.
According to Smotrich, the Higher Planning Council approved the construction of a 1,000-square-meter yeshiva building for the Shavei Hebron Yeshiva, which is currently located in different premises in the settlement near where the new building will be built.
The Higher Planning Council also approves through different planning stages the construction of 456 new housing units in the settlement of Mitzpe Yeriho, and 120 in the Elmatan settlement.
“We are continuing to build the Land of Israel on the ground, and to implement sovereignty in the settlements in practice,” declares Smotrich.
“Bringing thousands of new residents to Mitzpe Yeriho, and constructing a new building for the Shavei Hebron Yeshiva in the city of the patriarchs, are both exciting and important. This is a national move that solidifies our hold on the territory, strengthens Israel’s security, and establishes clear facts that prevent the establishment of an Arab terrorist state in the heart of the country.”
As a minister in the Defense Ministry, Smotrich controls the Civil Administration and has driven forward the approval of tens of thousands of new housing units in the settlements.
IDF: Two Oct. 7 terrorists, one of whom held ‘many hostages,’ killed in weekend Gaza strikes
Two terrorists who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, one of whom also held hostages during the war, were killed in airstrikes over the weekend, the IDF announces.
One strike in southern Gaza on Saturday killed Muhammad al-Namrouti, a Hamas platoon commander who, according to the IDF, invaded Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.
“Throughout the war, Namrouti took part in holding many hostages in the tunnels in Hamas captivity,” the military says.
Another strike in central Gaza killed Muawiya al-Aidi, a platoon commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who the military says raided Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7.
“Throughout the war and recently, both terrorists advanced terror plans against IDF troops and Israeli citizens, with Aidi taking part in planting explosive devices,” the IDF says.
The IDF says the two terrorists “were eliminated in precise strikes after posing an immediate threat to IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip.”
להסרת איום: צה"ל חיסל מחבל שלקח חלק בהחזקת חטופים רבים בשבי חמאס ומחבל שפשט לקיבוץ בארי ב-7 באוקטובר
צה"ל תקף בסוף השבוע האחרון בדרום רצועת עזה, וחיסל את המחבל מחמד סעיד אחמד נמרוטי, מפקד מחלקה בארגון הטרור חמאס שפשט לשטח מדינת ישראל בטבח ה-7 באוקטובר.
לאורך המלחמה, נמרוטי לקח… pic.twitter.com/bbmn9TYujq
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 17, 2026
Health Ministry confirms benzodiazepines found in Prinok baby food sold in Jerusalem; police investigating
Following the hospitalization of several infants in Jerusalem last week after consuming Prinok fruit puree, the Health Ministry confirms that tests found the baby food was laced with psychiatric medication.
As a result, the Health Ministry orders the closure of two branches of the Zol veGadol stores in the city.
According to laboratory testing, Clonazepam and Lorazepam, substances from the benzodiazepine family normally prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders, were found in the jars.
The ministry and police are now investigating the case.
All the children who were hospitalized following the consumption of these purees have since been discharged.
The ministry reminds the public to make sure that all purchased products are sealed and intact, and sold in their original packaging.
The ministry has distributed a professional directive to hospitals in the Jerusalem area to increase vigilance regarding cases of infants and young children arriving with symptoms that may correspond to exposure to these substances from the benzodiazepine family, as well as to report any similar cases that may have occurred in recent weeks.
The ministry urges parents whose children ate this product to pay attention to any changes in the children’s behavior, including drowsiness or slurred speech, and to contact their pediatrician and the ministry hotline at *5400.
The ministry reiterates that this is not a sweeping recall of all Prinok products, as currently no indication has been found of a defect or malfunction during manufacturing, nor of contamination occurring within the factory itself, and all tests conducted on products from the importers were found to be normal.
UK-Iranian man charged over arson attack on London memorial wall for victims of Iran regime, Oct. 7
A man who holds both British and Iranian nationality has been charged with an arson attack in April on a memorial wall in a north London area that is home to a large Jewish community, police say.
Ali Reza Fallahi, 45, has been charged with carrying out the attack on the wall in Golders Green. He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
Footage of the wall on social media showed that it bore the images of Iranians killed by their regime during anti-government demonstrations in January, and people killed on October 7, 2023, in the Hamas-led onslaught on southern Israel.
“This charge marks another step forward in one of the investigations into the series of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community and Iranian diaspora in London,” says Helen Flanagan, head of counterterrorism policing in London.
A 38-year-old woman arrested in connection with the arson has been released and faces no further action.
The incident was one of a number of arsons carried out on Jewish sites in Golders Green during a spate of attacks, with police saying they were investigating whether they had links to the Iranian regime.
Two Jewish men were also stabbed in an attack in the neighborhood, prompting the government to raise the national terrorism threat level to “severe” from “substantial.”
Controversial academic conference on archaeology in the West Bank opens in Jerusalem
Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu speaks at the "Archaeology and Site Conservation in Judea and Samaria" (the biblical name for the West Bank) conference in Jerusalem on June 17, 2026. (Rossella Tercatin/Times of Israel)
An academic conference devoted to “Archaeology and Site Conservation in Judea and Samaria” (the biblical name for the West Bank) opens at the Orient Hotel in Jerusalem.
The conference takes place as archaeology in the West Bank has been in the spotlight.
In recent weeks, a legislative initiative to place the field under direct Israeli civilian control has been advanced in the Knesset. The bill is widely seen as a significant step toward annexation in the heritage field and has pitted many archaeologists against the legislation’s political supporters, including Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu.
The Heritage Ministry is one of the conference’s sponsors, and addressing the participants, Eliyahu mentions the bill as one of the initiatives his ministry is supporting. Some attendees walk out as he speaks.
“The heritage of this country is indeed the heritage of the Jewish people, but also the heritage of the entire world,” he says.
“There is also legislation, not legislation that we initiated, but legislation whose underlying idea we support, to transform the Archaeology Unit [of the Civil Administration] into an Antiquities Authority,” he adds, referring to the body responsible for archaeology in Israel’s sovereign territory.
The Archaeology Unit of the Civil Administration is a branch of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is responsible for civilian affairs in the West Bank and is headed by a staff officer.
The conference takes place today and tomorrow, with dozens of lectures devoted to research and excavations in Hebron, the Judean Desert, and Shiloh, among other sites. Lectures include experts affiliated with all Israeli universities offering archaeology studies, including Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University, and University of Haifa. However, only Ariel University in the West Bank has given the event its academic sponsorship.
Over 200 people attend the conference in its opening hours.
Outside the hotel, a few demonstrators gather to protest the event, holding signs reading “No to archaeology in the service of transfer [of Palestinians]” and “Antiquities, not at any price.”
NATO chief: Reopening Strait of Hormuz under US-Iran deal will be ‘massive step forward’
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte delivers a statement during a press conference before a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on November 18, 2024. (Omar Havana/AP)
NATO chief Mark Rutte hails the US-Iran deal to end the Middle East war, saying the planned reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would be a “massive step forward.”
“The restoration of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be a massive step forward, and I know that many allies, through the initiative led by France and the United Kingdom, are ready to support,” Rutte tells a press conference in Brussels.
IDF says sirens in northern town were false alert
The IDF says the siren that sounded in the northern border community of Zarit a short while ago was a false alarm.
The alert was triggered by a “false identification,” according to the IDF.
Sirens sound in north warning of suspected drone attack for first time since Sunday
Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon sound in the border community of Zarit.
The IDF says it is looking into the details.
It is the first time since Sunday night that sirens have sounded in the north.
Somliland defense minister: No talks to establish Israeli military base in Somaliland
There is no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and no talks for Israel to open a base there, Somaliland’s Defense Minister Mohamed Yusef Ali tells Reuters.
Speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Tel Aviv, he says Israel is training Somaliland’s military and police, but calls reports that Israel is in negotiations to establish a military base in Somaliland “rumors.”
Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland enjoys a strategic position across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where the Houthis hold territory, making it strategically valuable for Israel.
Edelstein to oppose immunity for fellow Likud MK Gotliv who exposed Shin Bet agent’s identity
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, December 2, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
MK Yuli Edelstein says he will vote against granting immunity to fellow Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv for repeatedly exposing the identity of a Shin Bet officer.
“If the Arab Knesset members were to expose the names of Mossad agents and Shin Bet personnel, would we stay silent then too?” the former chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee asks in a post on X.
“I will vote today in favor of removing MK Gotliv’s immunity,” he says, arguing that the vote is not about picking sides between a coalition lawmaker and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whose office indicted Gotliv.
Edelstein argues that if Gotliv is granted immunity, then Arab lawmakers or members of the far left could engage in the same behavior: “Everything has consequences.”
“The issue is not Gotliv or Baharav-Miara. The issue is those people in our intelligence agencies whose names the people of Israel do not know, whose work they are unaware of, and it is better that way,” he says. “We owe them a great debt. Think about that for a moment before the vote.”
The vote in the committee to grant Gotliv immunity was supported by all coalition members of the Knesset House Committee.
Edelstein is the only coalition member to say he will vote against the measure in the plenum.
US-Iran deal could be a ‘game changer,’ says Canada’s PM
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, gestures as he arrives, ahead of a working session at the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney says a US-Iran deal to end the Middle East war could be a “game changer” in the region and beyond.
There is “a likelihood that this memorandum of understanding agreement could be a game changer,” Carney tells reporters on the third day of a G7 leaders’ meeting in the French town of Evian.
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States also held a “very detailed discussion about Lebanon,” he says.
Meeting Somaliland president, Katz says nations have been cooperating ‘under the radar’ for ‘many years’
Defense Minister Israel Katz (right) meets with visiting Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, June 17, 2026. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Israel Katz, during a meeting with visiting Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, says the two nations have been cooperating “under the radar” for “many years.”
“For many years, we cooperated under the radar in a series of operations that will remain classified. Now we are determined to bring our security cooperation to new heights, for the benefit of both peoples and for the benefit of stability in the region,” he says, according to remarks published by his office.
Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland enjoys a strategic position across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where the Houthis hold territory, making it strategically valuable for Israel.
Abdullahi is making his first state visit abroad since becoming president. In December, Israel became the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991.
From the Israeli side, the meeting was also attended by the head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate, Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, senior Defense Ministry officials, and Israel’s designated ambassador to Somaliland.
On the Somaliland side, the country’s defense minister, presidential affairs minister, army chief, president’s chief of staff, deputy intelligence chief, and designated ambassador to Israel, participated.
Injuries in several drone strikes in south Lebanon – reports
Lebanese media reports injuries in several drone strikes in southern Lebanon this morning.
According to the National News Agency, three strikes were carried out in the towns of Mansouri and Aaziyyeh, causing several injuries.
Another strike was carried out in Barashit, NNA reports.
The IDF has not yet commented.
Police complete probe of ex-FM over diplomatic passports for PM’s son, Likud mayors; case passed to prosecutors
Energy Minister Eli Cohen speaks during an Economic Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on February 18, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Police announce they have completed an investigation into Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who was suspected of illegally issuing diplomatic passports to Likud mayors and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, Yair.
The case, led by investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, has been passed to the State Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution.
Cohen, who served as foreign minister at the time of the alleged offenses, was questioned in September alongside other Foreign Ministry officials.
The Likud minister has denied illicitly granting passports to his political allies, saying the passports were given to several mayors “in accordance with ministry procedures” due to their “international activities.”
Knesset to hold plenum vote to approve panel’s decision to grant immunity to Gotliv
MK Tally Gotliv at a Knesset House Committee session, Jerusalem, June 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Lawmakers in the Knesset are set to hold a plenum vote to approve a parliamentary panel’s decision to grant MK Tally Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution this morning, a month after the firebrand Likud lawmaker was indicted for repeatedly exposing the identity of a Shin Bet officer.
The Knesset House Committee voted 11-3 on Monday to grant Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution over a series of social media posts from 2024 in which she identified anti-government protest leader Shikma Bressler’s partner as a Shin Bet agent. It appears that the motion will not be subject to the legislative boycott by Haredi parties.
Any immunity granted, however, would expire at the conclusion of the current Knesset’s term in the coming weeks.
Gotliv does not dispute the charges and repeatedly maintained throughout the committee’s hearings that her actions were justified.
The Lod District Court ruled yesterday that Gotliv does not enjoy automatic parliamentary immunity from a civil defamation lawsuit filed against her by Bressler.
Ben Gvir says stun grenades should be only be used in ‘exceptional cases,’ despite endorsing use at anti-government protests
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir leads an Otzma Yehudit faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, June 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
After police use stun grenades to disperse a Haredi anti-draft protest, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says the crowd control weapon should be used only in “exceptional cases” — despite having endorsed the same measure against anti-government protesters.
Claiming there has been an increase in police use of stun grenades against civilians, the far-right politician says he will hold an “urgent meeting” to ensure law enforcement employs the measure only in “exceptional cases and in accordance with police regulations.”
“If their use is not limited to these cases, there will be no stun grenades in the police,” he writes on X.
The ultranationalist minister’s sudden opposition to police use of stun grenades stands in stark contrast to his previous support for cops who employed the dispersal tool against anti-government demonstrators.
Ben Gvir gave public backing to police who threw stun grenades into a crowd of anti-government protesters in Tel Aviv during a March 2023 demonstration, which led to the hospitalization of two demonstrators.
The police commander at the scene, Supt. Meir Suissa, was indicted and later convicted for throwing a stun grenade that hit a protester in the face, causing injuries and facial disfigurement that required cosmetic surgery to fix.
Following the incident, Ben Gvir tried to promote Suissa and put him in charge of the South Tel Aviv police station, but the move was struck down by the Jerusalem District Court.
Almost all legislation removed from Knesset plenum agenda as Haredi boycott continues
Almost all legislation is removed from the Knesset plenum agenda as a legislative boycott by ultra-Orthodox lawmakers who are angered by the lack of advancement of the so-called Daycare Law enters its third day.
The Haredi-backed bill seeks to overturn an August 2024 order by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara cutting daycare subsidies for the children of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who disobey military draft orders in the wake of a High Court ruling that there was no longer a basis for the state to provide such funds for evaders.
The continuation of the boycott appears to spell at least a temporary halt to the coalition’s ongoing legislative blitz, coming as lawmakers attempt to pass laws splitting up the role of the attorney general, establishing a political commission of inquiry into October 7, and giving the government significant control over the media before the upcoming pre-election Knesset recess.
Bnei Brak police commander grabs Haredi protester by his pants, ripping them, before dragging him from highway
Video shows the commander of Bnei Brak’s police station tearing the trousers of an ultra-Orthodox man as he drags him off the highway during a protest this morning.
In footage of the incident, Ch. Supt. Yuval Shavit attempts to grab a protester sitting in front of a car on the highway and severely rips his pants. The officer then drags the man by his ankles to the side of the highway.
Two other demonstrators with torn pants were seen being dragged by officers from off the highway.
The demonstration, held against the arrests of Haredi draft dodgers, blocked traffic for over an hour near Bnei Brak at the height of rush hour.
The protest ended with five arrests and several light injuries, with police using stun grenades and batons to clear demonstrators from the road.
הפרגוד: מפקד תחנת ב"ב/רמת גן סנ"צ יובל שביט קורע מכנסים לאברך בהפגנת הפלג בכביש גהה pic.twitter.com/pgySWsAVjc
— הפרגוד (@moshepargod) June 17, 2026
Haredi leaders condemn police use of stun grenades against Haredi protesters
Haredi men block Route 4 during a protest against the jailing of draft dodgers, near Bnei Brak, June 17, 2026 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
The ultra-Orthodox political leadership lashes out at police and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir following the use of stun grenades during clashes with Haredi protesters blocking a major highway in central Israel this morning.
“Itamar Ben Gvir, wake up!,” says Shas chair Aryeh Deri, claiming police apply a double standard against Haredi protesters that they did not apply to anti-government protesters.
“Get up now and stop the police violence against Torah scholars,” he says.
United Torah Judaism lawmaker Meir Porush argues that the police’s conduct is unworthy of both “a state governed by Jews” and “a country purporting to be a democracy,” likening it instead to Turkey and Iran.
The criticism follows violent confrontations on Route 4 near Bnei Brak, where dozens of Haredi protesters blocked traffic during rush hour to protest the arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. Footage from the scene appeared to show police deploying stun grenades before dragging demonstrators from the roadway.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid seizes on the public spat, accusing ultra-Orthodox leadership of hypocrisy.
“Deri sits in the cabinet and sends our children to fight and die for the country – and then goes outside and sends his own children to block roads against enlistment in the IDF,” Lapid writes on X, calling the situation “a moral stain” on the government.
Police say 5 arrested at protest against arrest of Haredi draft dodgers, highway reopened
Police clash with Haredi protesters on Route 4, June 17, 2026 (Screen grabs/Channel 13)
Police say five people were arrested at a Haredi protest blocking Route 4 near Bnei Brak, adding that the key highway has now been reopened.
In a statement, police say that a number of the protesters crawled under vehicles in an attempt to prevent the road from being cleared after the protest against the arrest of draft dodgers had been declared an illegal demonstration.
“Dispersal measures” were used to clear the crowd, police say.
Footage showed police using stun grenades and dragging protesters off the highway, with mounted officers deployed at the scene.
Police use stun grenades amid violent clashes with Haredi protesters
Footage appears to show police using stun grenades amid violent clashes with Haredi protesters blocking a key highway in central Israel.
Video from the scene shows officers dragging the protesters off Route 4 in the Bnei Brak area.
A number of the men appear to have their pants ripped as they are dragged along the tarmac.
הפגנה בכביש 4: עימותים קשים בין המפגינים למשטרה pic.twitter.com/gzFBST7SFa
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 17, 2026
מפגינים חרדים עם דם על הידיים והרגליים https://t.co/04tFQLKyBY pic.twitter.com/K99nrWo8nM
— יואלי ברים yoeli brim (@yoeli_brim) June 17, 2026
Police say Route 4 blocked in both directions amid protest against arrest of Haredi draft dodgers
Police say that the key Route 4 in central Israel is closed in both directions in the Bnei Brak area amid a protest by a Haredi group against the arrest of draft dodgers.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the rare morning protest was organized by a group from within the extremist Jerusalem Faction.
A second demonstration is expected later today at the Beit Lid military prison.
חרדים מהזרם הקיצוני בפלג הירושלמי החלו לחסום את מחלף גבעת שמואל בכביש 4@daniel_grovais pic.twitter.com/xSGvQ6XX6C
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 17, 2026
Dozens of Haredi protesters block key highway in central Israel at height of rush hour
Dozens of Haredi protesters are blocking Route 4 near the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, causing traffic chaos at the height of the rush hour.
Protests against the draft of Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces, or the arrests of draft dodgers, tend to be held in the afternoon and evening rather than the morning.
צפי לפקקי ענק: חרדים מהפלג הירושלמי חוסמים כעת את כביש 4, תיעוד ראשוני: pic.twitter.com/uC3rXZ3s9M
— יואלי ברים yoeli brim (@yoeli_brim) June 17, 2026
Lebanese media reports IDF strikes in southern Lebanon
Lebanese media reports Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.
The National News Agency says Israeli fighter jets struck in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, and a drone strike hit Ansariyeh on coast.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the reports.
Leader of Australia’s ascendant far-right party slams ‘radical Islam,’ media
The leader of Australia’s ascendant far-right party assails “radical Islam” and the media, and vows to pull the country out of international organizations.
For years a political outsider, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has surged this year to become the country’s most popular party, according to opinion polls.
The senator — long compared to US President Donald Trump or France’s Marine Le Pen — is also Australians’ favorite choice in recent polls to be prime minister at the next election, due to be held in 2028.
Addressing the country’s top political journalists at Canberra’s National Press Club, Hanson condemns them for dismissing her rise as a blip.
“Australians aren’t buying this crap from the political establishment and its media supporters anymore,” she says.
“I don’t answer to the media. I answer to the Australian people.”
Opinion polling does not suggest that One Nation would win a parliamentary majority in the next election but instead could serve a kingmaker role in a coalition of right-wing parties.
Reports: Settlers set fire to entrance of West Bank mosque overnight
Palestinian media outlets report that settlers set fire to the entrance of a mosque in the village of Jaljilya, near Ramallah, overnight.
Footage from the scene shows smoke coming from the mosque’s entrance.
No injuries were reported.
Graffiti was also sprayed at the site, including the phrases “Guys, wake up,” “Night of the mosques,” and “Revenge.”
There is no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
مستوطنون يضرمون النار في مسجد ويخطّون شعارات معادية خلال هجومهم على قرية جلجليا شمال رام الله. pic.twitter.com/Q8AZ6tGItJ
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) June 17, 2026
???? فيديو | مستوطنون يضرمون النار في مسجد قرية جلجليا شمال رام الله pic.twitter.com/kgZWPlU6tk
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) June 16, 2026
Iran has fired drones at ships in Strait of Hormuz every night since agreement signed Sunday – report
Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17, 2026. (AFP)
Iran has fired multiple drones at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz every night since the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was signed, NBC news reports.
A US official tells the outlet that the US military has been shooting down the drones launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps before they can threaten any vessels or personnel in the region.
Washington and Tehran are preparing to formally sign the framework on Friday, having already digitally signed it on Sunday.
Elon Musk’s Grok AI tool was used in strikes against Iran, US government reveals
In this photo illustration, the Grok logo is seen on a mobile phone next to the website displayed on a computer screen in Bogota on February 12, 2026. (Pablo Vera/AFP)
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government reveals in a legal briefing seen by AFP.
The June 15 brief defends the gas turbines used by a giant data center belonging to the trillionaire’s company xAI, which are the target of an environmental lawsuit.
In the brief, the US Department of Justice argues that the lawsuit “threatens American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War’s military operations.”
To support the argument, federal prosecutors presented testimony from Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley in which he states, under oath, that Grok is already in use within Project Maven, the US military’s AI-assisted targeting program that was initially powered by Anthropic’s Claude model.
The project’s Maven Smart Systems (MSS) “enabled US forces to deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours during Operation Epic Fury,” Stanley’s statement says.
Stanley praises Musk’s technology and “the greatly increased operational efficiency made possible by the Grok Gov Model.”
The NAACP, a civil rights organization defending Black Americans’ rights, is suing xAI and accusing it of operating dozens of turbines without permits in violation of the Clean Air Act.
The rights group says they pollute majority Black neighborhoods, but xAI says the turbines are temporary and mobile, and therefore not subject to regulation.
Iranian oil tankers begin exiting US blockade zone — tracking site
Iranian oil tankers have exited the zone in the Gulf blockaded by the US Navy, the TankerTrackers website says, calling it the country’s “first crude oil exports in two months.”
“At least two National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertankers named DIONA (9569695) and HERO2 (9362073) have exited the US Navy blockade perimeter carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil between them,” TankerTrackers says in a post on X, citing digital tracking data corroborated by satellite imagery.
The site — which monitors oil shipments and storage — later adds that a third NITC tanker had “exited the blockade line with 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil.”
Australia relaxes travel warnings to Israel, other Mideast countries after US-Iran deal
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong answers reporter's question during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Australia relaxes its travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after the US and Iran reached an interim deal to end the war in the Middle East.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the advisory has moved to “reconsider your need to travel” from “do not travel,” but adds that Australians should continue to delay non-essential travel to the Gulf states.
“While the security situation across the Middle East could deteriorate rapidly with little warning, the (government) has assessed current conditions in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE as appropriate to move to (the lower level),” Wong says.
Asked for comment on Smotrich ‘annulment’ of Hebron agreement, US reiterates opposition to West Bank annexation
Asked for comment on Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s declared annulment of Israel’s 1997 Hebron agreement with the Palestinians, a US State Department spokesperson reiterates Washington’s opposition to Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
Smotrich claimed earlier Tuesday to have “abolished” components of the Hebron agreement that gave the Palestinian municipal council of Hebron authority over planning, zoning and construction in parts of the southern West Bank city.
In an apparent attempt at damage control, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement denying that the Hebron agreement had been canceled, insisting that the government was merely transferring specific jurisdictions pertaining to settlers and holy sites in the city following a lack of cooperation from the local Palestinian municipality.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has refrained from actively weighing in of its own volition, and his State Department in particular has largely refrained from publicly criticizing Israel.
However, the State Department did send a statement to querying reporters that hinted at displeasure with the Smotrich-led move.
“As the president has clearly stated, he does not support Israel annexing the West Bank,” reads the statement attributed to a State Department spokesperson.
“A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” the statement continues. “We refer you to the Israeli government for questions on their policies in the West Bank.”
Toronto police say hired gunmen are targeting Jewish sites
Police in Toronto, Canada, say hired gunmen are targeting Jewish sites in the city.
Gunfire and arson attacks have repeatedly hit synagogues and other Jewish sites in Toronto and other Canadian cities, without causing any fatalities.
The chief of the Toronto police, Myron Demkiw, says at a press conference that young people are being recruited through encrypted messaging apps to carry out the attacks, according to The Toronto Star.
“In order to get paid, they’re required to film their attacks. Who’s paying for this? This is what we are trying to determine,” Demkiw says.
“It is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities, including in the Jewish community,” he adds.
Last week, a Toronto police officer was shot and killed during an arrest linked to a shooting against the US consulate in Toronto in March.
The alleged mastermind behind the consulate shooting was Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, according to a criminal complaint filed in a New York court.
Al-Saadi is an Iraqi-Iranian national with deep ties to the Iranian regime who orchestrated a terror campaign against Jewish, Israeli and American targets in the US, Europe and Canada, according to US federal prosecutors.
Investigators said Al-Saadi paid attackers to target the sites and required them to film the attacks for propaganda.
Likud reportedly scraps election campaign highlighting Netanyahu’s close ties to Trump in wake of US-Iran deal
US President Donald Trump (right) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk into Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has canceled a planned election campaign highlighting the premier’s close ties to US President Donald Trump, after assessing that the messaging will not help Netanyahu’s chances at the upcoming election, the i24 news outlet reports.
According to the report, the decision to scrap the campaign was made several days ago as Trump finalized the terms of a deal with Iran that many in Israel find deeply undesirable.
With the deal in mind, Likud officials assessed that Netanyahu’s close ties with the US president would not bring in new voters or increase his chances at the polling booth later this year.
Trump has also been increasingly publicly critical of Netanyahu, confirming in an interview earlier this month that he called the Israeli leader “fucking crazy” during a phone call. Then, earlier this week, he reportedly told Axios that he had informed Netanyahu he has “no fucking judgment” following an Israeli strike on Beirut.
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