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

Israel cover image

Israel

June 24, 2026

Tel Aviv 9:06 am

27°C

Lebanese army forces deploy in the village of Bir al-Salasel in southern Lebanon on June 15, 2026. Iran's foreign ministry on June 15 said the US must ensure that Israel commits to stopping the war in Lebanon under a deal agreed upon with the US to end the Middle East war. Lebanon was pulled into the conflict in early March when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, prompting Israeli strikes and a ground invasion. (Pho

Analysis

Pilot zones at center of Israel-Lebanon talks as Trump pressures Netanyahu

With the fifth round of talks set to begin Tuesday, Israel is prepared to withdraw from at least one “pilot zone,” allowing the Lebanese army to take control of the area.

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

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, Lebanon, on June 9, 2026.

Analysis

As US reshapes Lebanon strategy, Israel finds itself sidelined

The deal advanced between Washington and Tehran sees a linkage between the Iranian and Lebanese theaters and creates a deconfliction mechanism — without consulting Israel beforehand.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot gives a press conference in Tel Aviv, on December 4, 2018.

Can political novice Eisenkot defeat Netanyahu in upcoming elections?

The former military chief of staff is emerging as the prime minister's strongest rival in upcoming elections, overtaking former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in recent polls.

Latest News

Analysis

How Netanyahu used Lebanon strikes to push back on Trump’s Iran deal

US President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 29, 2025.

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

'Let Syria take care of Hezbollah': Trump criticizes Israel, leans on Sharaa to help in Lebanon

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit, on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Get

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

Right-wing cyber 'soldiers' take on Israeli human rights organization

The Israeli conservative organization My Israel has rallied its members to vote for human rights activists from around the world in a campaign to sabotage the candidacy of B'Tselem, currently a finalist for the Human Rights Tulip award.

Temple Mount violence escalates

Riots are spreading from the Temple Mount to East Jerusalem, causing more deaths and injuries, but neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas offer any new solutions.

Russia not backing down on Assad

Moscow considers the Syrian government as the best bet to defeat the Islamic State; US leaders rally to support Pope Francis’ call to offer “concrete hope” to refugees; Netanyahu’s words don’t match deeds on refugees.

Will Herzog join Netanyahu's government?

This Jewish year has been one of turbulence and political surprises, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firing Ministers Tzipi Livni and Yair Lapid, launching elections and astonishingly also winning them.

Why Israel, not NGOs, must care for poor

Welfare and Social Services Minister Haim Katz says that the work being done by associations, providing food and products to the poor, cannot replace the responsibility of the state toward its citizens.

Defying Palestinian law, many still seek work in West Bank settlements

Palestinian workers are forced to seek employment, and accept harsh working conditions, in Israeli settlements, as the Palestinian Authority has failed to create viable alternatives.

Israeli, Palestinian women weave peace through fashion

American psychologist Whit Jones has brought together Israeli and Palestinian women to jointly create a fashion brand featuring Israeli design and Palestinian embroidery.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a red line he has drawn on a graphic of a bomb used to represent Iran's nuclear program as he addresses the 67th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, September 27, 2012. The red line he drew represents a point where he believes, the international community should tell Iran that they will not be allowed to pass without intervention. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR38I72

Four lessons that Netanyahu must learn from his failed strategies

Throughout this past Jewish calendar year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategic failures have rendered Israel more isolated in the diplomatic arena and more fragile in terms of deterrence, while the political echelon blames the media for it all.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem September 6, 2015. Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel could not afford to take in refugees fleeing the war in neighbouring Syria and vowed to surround Israel with security fences on all its borders. REUTERS/Menahem Kahana/Pool - RTX1RB2V

How Bibi is attempting to brainwash the Israeli public

The cancellation by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of all his scheduled Jewish New Year's interviews is just another step in his strategy, portraying him as an eternal victim of the leftist press, thus freeing him from responding to criticism even when legitimate.

A Palestinian woman talks to Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah (L) during his visit to Susya village south of the West Bank city of Hebron June 8, 2015. Residents of Susya village, living in tents erected on the top of sand hills for almost 30 years, feared that Israel would drive them out of the area. The village is located in an area classified in Israeli-Palestinian peace accords as Area C, where Palestinian residents must obtain a license to build or stay there. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma - RTX1FMLZ

Aid cuts keep PA stuck in economic rut

The Palestinian Authority has been plagued by a protracted financial crisis amid thinning foreign aid and not enough local revenues to end the deficit.

How Bibi's Iran obsession has damaged American-Jewish community's image

By soliciting the aid of American-Jewish organizations to openly battle the Iran deal in the US Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu damaged the bipartisan image of the Jewish community in the United States.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (2nd L) and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa (2nd R) laugh during a news conference with Hamas senior leaders Mahmoud al-Zahar (L) and Moussa Abu Marzouk at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo June 9, 2009. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT POLITICS) - RTR24HH4

Should Hamas recognize Israel?

Some factions within Hamas' political leadership think that recognizing Israel might be the only way to relieve the situation of the Gaza Strip and ensure the survival of the Hamas movement.