Israel - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Israel cover image

Israel

May 28, 2026

Tel Aviv 4:39 pm

25°C

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, (R) shakes hands with Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, during a news conference on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.

With Hungary’s ICC U-turn, Israel loses a key European ally

Hungary’s parliament voted to remain in the International Criminal Court, reversing a planned withdrawal and marking a shift in Budapest’s approach to Israel and the EU.

Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images

Who was Mohammed Odeh, Hamas military commander killed by Israel in Gaza?

Odeh was killed in a Tuesday strike in the Palestinian enclave just days after he assumed his leadership position.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Analysis

'Very bad news’: Israel alarmed as Trump pushes ahead toward Iran deal

Israel fears that Iran could emerge from the war strengthened by access to its frozen financial assets and regional acceptance of its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz and potentially resume its nuclear program.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Latest News

Israel strikes near Lebanon’s Qaraoun dam as war intensifies: What to know

A partial view shows a drainage vacuum hole on the lake of Qaraoun in Lebanon's southern Beqaa Valley on April 5, 2019.

US gave Israel 'tacit agreement' to target senior Hezbollah figures

A view shows a Lebanese flag positioned among shattered concrete and twisted rebar, remnants of a destroyed building, in Sidon, Lebanon, on May 3, 2026.

Israel’s Shin Bet chief meets Mohammed Dahlan in UAE: What to know

JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Ben Caspit

Israel Columnist

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Rina Bassist

Associate Editor (Israel)

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Jordanian protesters carry the Jordanian national flag, and chant slogans during a protest against a government agreement to import natural gas from Israel, in Amman, Jordan, September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RTSQ7CS

Jordanians fuming over gas deal with Israel

Jordanians have taken to the streets in opposition to a deal quietly reached between Jordan and Israel to supply the kingdom with energy, with critics saying the agreement will validate and increase reliance on Israel.

A Palestinian policeman stands guard as a truck loaded with fruits and vegetables waits to cross into the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip March 12, 2015. Israel imported its first fruit and vegetables from the Gaza Strip in almost eight years on Thursday, in a partial easing of an economic blockade maintained since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory. Twenty-seven tonnes of tomatoes and five tonnes of eggplants were trucked acro

Israel's 'death sentence' for Gaza's economy

Israel has been revoking the travel and import permits of Gaza merchants and importers, threatening the collapse of Gaza's economy.

The flag-draped coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres is carried by an honour guard at the start of his funeral ceremony at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSQ60B

Is Peres’ peace legacy turning to ashes?

Akiva Eldar and Daoud Kuttab reflect on the legacy of former Israeli president Shimon Peres, who Eldar says offered a "bit of hope" for peace; Al-Monitor credited for breaking news on delisting of Iranian banks.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) sits alongside European Council President Donald Tusk (L) as they attend the funeral of Shimon Peres, 93, on Mount Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem, September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Abir Sultan/Pool - RTSQ58E

How Abbas proved his courage to Israelis

Criticism at home did not deter Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from participating at the funeral of President Shimon Peres and demonstrating his commitment to peace.

Israeli President Shimon Peres gives a speech during a ceremony for late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem October 16, 2013, marking 18 years since Rabin was assassinated at a peace rally. Rabin was shot dead on November 4, 1995 just two years after the signing of the Oslo peace accords, for which he and Peres were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. REUTERS/Gali Tibbon/Pool (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS ANNIVERSARY HE

Peres’ secret Marshall Plan for the Middle East

Shimon Peres, who died last week, as president worked relentlessly to engage Israel, the Palestinians, the Arab world and global high-tech companies in his Middle East Marshall Plan for turning the region into a peaceful technological powerhouse.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks past the casket of former Israeli president Shimon Peres after speaking at his funeral at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSQ6C5

How Netanyahu took advantage of Peres’ funeral

When eulogizing late President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually praised his own diplomatic vision and persona.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - JUNE 08: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman speak to the press at the scene of a shooting outside Max Brenner restaurant in Sarona Market on June 8, 2016 in Tel Aviv, Israel. According to police reports, four Israelis were killed and several others wounded when two Palestinian gunmen open fire at the food and retail complex in central Tel Aviv. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)

Where does Israeli defense minister fit in fraud scandal?

With several senior Yisrael Beitenu officials being investigated for fraud, it's time for the party's head, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, to resign.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres ( L) and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (R) arrive for a meeting at the Gaza airport in Rafah September 26, 2001. Arafat and Peres met for a long awaited meeting to discuss steps to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. - RTXKROT

Palestinians and Peres: A love-hate relationship

Palestinians insist that while the late Israeli leader Shimon Peres was an Israeli patriot, he bears major responsibility for the plight that Palestinians find themselves in today.

Members of Neturei Karta, a fringe Jewish Ultra-Orthodox movement within the anti-Zionist bloc, take part in a protest against Israel's parliamentary election in Jerusalem March 17, 2015. Millions of Israelis voted on Tuesday in a tightly fought election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing an uphill battle to defeat a strong campaign by the centre-left opposition to deny him a fourth term in office. The sign reads, "We are Jews, not Zionists. That's why we will not participate in their impure ele

Why some ultra-Orthodox are up in arms over state funding for their schools

Parents from the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox stream are angry at one of their schools for secretly receiving funding from the Israeli Ministry of Education.

As Lehava extremists terrorize Jerusalem, where are the police?

Arab restaurant workers are increasingly being attacked by members of the extremist right-wing group Lehava.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres talks during a presentation of his biography book in Tel Aviv in this March 21, 2006 file photo. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/Files - RTSPRM8

Iran reacts to death of Israel’s founding father

As news of the death of Israeli founding father and prominent politician Shimon Peres broke, Iranian media outlets wasted no time in commenting on his legacy, and their various obituaries tell the story of a long and complex relationship between the two countries.

Players from Israeli soccer clubs affiliated with Israel Football Association, Ariel Municipal Soccer Club and Maccabi HaSharon Netanya, play against each other at Ariel Municipal Soccer Club's training grounds in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Ariel September 23, 2016. Picture taken September 23, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTSPDV4

FIFA under pressure to sanction Israel for settlement games

A powerful report by Human Rights Watch on the eve of a FIFA meeting forces the global soccer association to act against Israeli settlement teams.