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Israel

August 9, 2026

Tel Aviv 1:21 pm

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Analysis

As pro-Palestinian candidates gain ground, will AIPAC's influence wane?

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s influence has weakened in the Democratic Party and may also be at risk among Republicans.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Hussein FALEH / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

As US rethinks regional presence, Israel shifts focus to destabilizing Iran

Uncertain how to interpret the American regional redeployment, Israel is focusing on efforts to destabilize the Iranian regime and stop its nuclear program.

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

Israeli battle tanks deploy in the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah (Eastern Zawtar) in southern Lebanon as pictured from the nearby village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyah (Western Zawtar) on August 2, 2026. Under a US-sponsored agreement signed in June, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy. The deal came more than three months after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East with rocket fire at Israel in suppo

Israel-Lebanon talks suspended amid escalation, set to resume Thursday

The Israeli delegation asked the American representatives to suspend the direct talks with Lebanon for a few hours over alleged leaks by Beirut.

Latest News

Analysis

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

Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images

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

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

Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

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

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.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

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

Hamas' armed wing spokesman speaks during a news conference in Gaza City July 3, 2014. The spokesman said Israel was breaking the 2012 ceasefire agreement and the group would act according to developments on the ground. He said Israel would pay a heavy price in any upcoming war. Israel said on Thursday it was beefing up its forces along its frontier with the Gaza Strip, in what it called a defensive deployment in response to persistent Palestinian cross-border rocket attacks. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA -

Hamas: no cease-fire until siege of Gaza lifted

The United States is indirectly communicating with Hamas via its regional allies to negotiate a cease-fire, but Hamas is insisting that Israel lift its crippling siege on Gaza.

An Egyptian soldier keeps guard on the border between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip July 1, 2013. Egyptian soldiers and members of Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas are on alert to guard the border area after massive protests in Egypt, Hamas officials said. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX118II

Hatred of Hamas leaves Egyptians unsympathetic

Many Egyptians, upset with Hamas for its alleged support of terrorism against their country, are not expressing much sympathy for the Gaza Strip in its conflict with Israel.

Israeli soldiers scuffle with Palestinian protesters during a protest against the Israeli air strikes in Gaza strip, at Hawara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, July 14, 2014. Palestinian militants resumed rocket attacks on Tel Aviv on Monday after a 24-hour lull in strikes on the Israeli commercial capital, and Israel kept up its air and naval bombardments of the Gaza Strip despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire. Around half a dozen Israelis have been wounded since the start of

West Bank clashes intensify amid Gaza war

Israel’s war on Gaza, with its heavy civilian casualties, is fueling already tense clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.

Israel considers costs of escalation in Gaza

Gaza residents bear the costs of war; Israel weighs its option with Hamas; Al-Monitor interviews Iraqi political leaders; the forgotten war in Syria.

Palestinians, who fled their homes that are adjacent to the border with Israel, ride in a truck as they make their way to stay in a United Nations-run school in Gaza City July 13, 2014. An Israeli air strike on the home of Gaza's police chief killed 18 people on Saturday, Gaza's health ministry said, and Hamas fired the largest salvo of rockets yet on Tel Aviv since the start of the Jewish state's offensive in the Palestinian enclave. Israel's offensive has killed 145 Palestinians since Tuesday. Gaza medica

Hamas' attack on Israel destroys Gaza

Hamas rose to power through those in Gaza who wished to better their dire situation, but the movement chose to invest its resources in attacking Israel, ignoring the devastating consequences of its choice on the population.

Israeli strike kills family having coffee

Members of the Hamad family were sitting drinking coffee in front of a relative’s home when an Israeli strike claimed their lives.

An explosion is seen in the northern Gaza Strip after an Israeli air strike July 13, 2014. Israeli naval commandos clashed with Hamas militants in a raid on the coast of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, in what appeared to be the first ground assault of a six-day Israeli offensive on the territory aimed at stopping Palestinian rocket fire. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3YCA0

Israel and Hamas' lose-lose situation

The current escalation in the Gaza Strip could have been avoided had Israel truly agreed to the two-state solution, thus nullifying the political force of Hamas and its desire to hurt Israel at any cost.

People point to an iron dome missile trail, after an iron dome was fired to intercept an incoming rocket, during an air raid siren warning of a rocket attack in Tel Aviv July 12, 2014. Hamas militants launched ten rockets at Tel Aviv on Saturday, causing no casualties or damage, in the largest salvo yet on Israel's main business hub, since Israel launched its Gaza offensive against the Islamist group, five days ago. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3YB2W

The sirens of Tel Aviv

The people of Tel Aviv insist on maintaining normalcy by going to the beach and watching the World Cup, despite the rockets flying overhead, yet, something in the city has cracked this time around.

Smoke and flames are seen following what witnesses said was an Israeli air strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip July 11, 2014. Israel pressed on for a fourth day with its Gaza offensive on Friday, striking the Hamas-dominated enclave from air and sea, as Palestinian militants kept up rocket attacks deep into the Jewish state. At least 79 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the offensive, which Israel says it launched to end persistent rocket attacks on its civilian population, s

Global jihad benefits from Gaza crisis

As Arab states do little to intervene in Gaza, militant jihadism continues to spread throughout the region.

A Lebanese army personnel inspects the remains of a shell that was suspected of having been launched from Lebanon to Israel, near the village of El Mari in Southern Lebanon July 11, 2014. Two rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Friday, and Israel's army responded with artillery fire, Lebanon's news agency and security sources said, adding it was unclear who was behind the initial attack. There were five rockets fired in total from southern Lebanon, Lebanese security sources said. Two ent

Who fired the rockets from Lebanon?

The group who fired two rockets into Israel is unknown, but the Lebanese army is tracking a suspect who may resolve the mystery.

Netanyahu, Ya'alon prefer airstrikes over ground attack

Lessons learned from the second Lebanon war, international objections and politics are all playing a part in Turkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to postpone a Gaza ground attack.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri attends a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (not seen) in Cairo June 22, 2014. Kerry held talks on Sunday with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo over concerns about Egypt's crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and the threat which the conflict in Iraq poses to the Middle East. REUTERS/Brendan Smialowski/Pool (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3V3Z9

Egypt distances itself from Gaza war

Egypt is not playing an active role to mediate a cease-fire, as it has done in previous confrontations between Israel and Hamas, suggesting that it might prefer Israel delivering a blow to Hamas.