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Israel

August 5, 2026

Tel Aviv 1:09 pm

33°C

Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Netanyahu’s Gaza double game: Back Trump, reassure Israel’s right

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to both give the impression that Israel retains total freedom of action in Gaza while allowing the Board of Peace to move ahead with President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

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

Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images

What to know about Lebanon-Israel 7th round of talks held in Rome

The US, Israel and Lebanon have sent expanded delegations to the talks, set to continue for three days and expected to focus on security arrangements, border issues and reconstruction.

US President Donald Trump (C) is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Analysis

Lacking leverage over Trump, Israel stays quiet on US-Iran talks

Realizing it has little to no influence over President Donald Trump’s decision-making, the Israeli government has remained silent on the possibility of the United States and Iran resuming negotiations.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

An Egyptian man looks at the Qatari Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier "Duhail" as its passes through the Suez Canal near the Egyptian port city of Ismailia on April 1, 2008. The vessel has a capacity of 210,100 cu.m making it one of the largest LNG carriers constructed to date. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read -/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How strike on Damietta port exposes Egypt's energy infrastructure risks

The unclaimed attack on the port of Damietta could draw Egypt further into the US-Iran conflict as experts point to growing threats to critical infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

No Iran commitment, no Trump endorsement: Netanyahu leaves US empty-handed

US President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC, on July 31, 2026. President Trump is traveling to Camp David in Maryland to hold a cabinet meeting and later to Bedminster, New Jersey to spend the weekend at his golf club. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Analysis

Katz riles Iran, US as Netanyahu-Trump meeting raises questions

Win McNamee/Getty Images

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

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

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (C) shakes hands with a Palestinian man during his visit to the Seaport of Gaza City June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

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Hamas, Israel take baby steps toward truce

The conduct of talks between Hamas and Israel about a truce has raised suspicions among Palestinian Authority and Fatah officials that Hamas hopes one day to establish a "State of Gaza," independent of the West Bank.

An Israeli soldier stands at a staging area after crossing back into Israel from Gaza July 28, 2014. Israel eased its assaults in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rocket fire from the enclave declined sharply on Monday, the military said, with both the United States and United Nations calling for a durable ceasefire. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (ISRAEL - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY POLITICS) - RTR40CN3

Former IDF lawyer finds UN report on Gaza war 'relatively balanced'

Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, the former head of the IDF’s Department of International Law, tells Al-Monitor in an interview that though the UN report on the Gaza war was fairly impartial, it cannot be used as the basis for a criminal indictment.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius deliver statements in Jerusalem June 21, 2015. Netanyahu prefaced talks about a French-led peace initiative on Sunday by saying foreign powers were trying to dictate to Israel a deal with the Palestinians. Fabius is promoting a French-led initiative that would see the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which collapsed in 2014, relaunched through an international support group comprising Arab states, the European Unio

Israel blames France for anti-Israeli approach

While Israeli leaders tend to be open to at least discussing US peace initiatives, European proposals, most recently a French effort, are perceived as anti-Israel.

Oren's Obama-bashing

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and his associates have been forced to speak out about the attack by their colleague, Knesset member and former Ambassador Michael Oren, on President Barack Obama.

People pose in front of a display showing the word 'cyber' in binary code, in this picture illustration taken in Zenica December 27, 2014. A previously undisclosed hacking campaign against military targets in Israel and Europe is probably backed by a country that misused security-testing software to cover its tracks and enhance its capability, researchers said. Picture taken December 27, 2014. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY CRIME LAW) - RTR4JEYM

How Israel balances cyber security, privacy

In an interview with Al-Monitor, cyber security specialist Major Gen. (Res.) Isaac Ben-Israel explains that security must be balanced with civilians' right to privacy, which is why the new National Cyber Bureau will be independent and not under Shin Bet control.

Erdogan sees threat from Kurdish gains in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives priority to battle Kurdish “terror organizations” over the Islamic State; the Islamic State's scorched-earth practices in Kobani; the Druze lobby in Israel.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers remarks on July 1, 2013 at the opening of the High-level Segment of the 2013 substantive session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in Geneva. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Palestinian NGO closes in on consultative status at UN

The Palestinian Return Center has taken a step toward consultative status as a nongovernmental organization dealing with Palestinian refugee issues, a recommendation that still needs ratification by the UN's Economic and Social Council.

Christians, Muslims and Jews take part in a protest in Jerusalem, against attacks by suspected far-right Israelis, dubbed "price tagging", May 11, 2014. The top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land said on Sunday a spate of attacks he described as acts of terror against the church were poisoning the atmosphere ahead of this month's visit by Pope Francis, and urged Israel to arrest more perpetrators. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3OOUL

Israel not doing enough to stop 'price tag' attacks

Despite declarations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about forcefully fighting price tag attacks, these acts of vandalism and violence against Muslim and Christian places of worship continue.

U.S. President Barack Obama pauses during remarks on Jewish American History Month at the Adas Israel Congregation synagogue in Washington May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX1E5LF

Why Israel needs Obama

Israel needs a US president who attempts to guide it away from occupation, and who isn't afraid to criticize it while showing empathy to both Israeli and Palestinian children — the way President Barack Obama is acting.

Ambassador of Israel to the United States Michael B. Oren speaks during an event to commemorate Holocaust victims and survivors in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington April 19, 2012. REUTERS/Benjamin Myers (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR30Y9R

Oren's memoir drama hurts Israel

At this highly sensitive diplomatic period, when Israel needs US support in the international arena, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren saw fit to promote his new book by lashing out at President Barack Obama.

The new Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gadi Eizenkot salutes during a handover ceremony at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, in which he replaced Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, February 16, 2015. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR4PRM7

IDF to unify cyber warfare units

The Israeli army has decided to unite its cyber units into one branch, responsible for cyber intelligence gathering, cyber defense and cyber attacks.

El Al's high heel directive kicks up storm

El Al Israel Airlines' new policy requiring female flight attendants to wear high heels until all passengers have boarded has generated a wave of protest, mobilizing leading public and political figures.