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July 2, 2026

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Who is Melat Kiros, the pro-Palestinian who unseated a longtime Democrat?

Kiros has taken a hard stance against Israel and opposes all aid to the country as pro-Palestinian candidates make further inroads in the party.

Shia Muslim devotees gather for a mourning ritual near the shrine of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah who was killed in a 2024 Israeli-airstrike, in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 26, 2026 at the peak of Ashura, a 10-day period commemorating the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

For Israel, Lebanon deal 'historic' despite fears Hezbollah will rebuild

While the deal with Lebanon allows the Israeli military to maintain a presence there, security experts warn that it also gives the weakened Hezbollah the time it needs to recover.

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

Latest News

Turkey, Azerbaijan slam Israel’s Armenian genocide recognition as Yerevan mum

KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images

Traffic plummets through Strait of Hormuz after Iran, US trade fire

AFP via Getty Images

Syria slams Israeli 'violations' in south as ground clashes intensify: What to know

A car drives past an United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) outpost in the village of Khan Arnabah, Quneitra, southern Syria, April 29, 2026.

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

Milk produced by Bright Food is displayed for sale on shelves at a supermarket in Shanghai September 27, 2010. China's Bright Food Group is exploring the purchase of Britain's United Biscuits, a source said on Monday, a deal that at roughly $3.2 billion would be the largest ever international purchase by a Chinese company in the food and beverage sector. REUTERS/Aly Song (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS FOOD) - RTXSPM8

China seeks to buy Israeli food company

With no proper regulation or restrictions to safeguard Israeli national interests, China multiplies its efforts at taking over leading Israeli companies in the food, insurance and high-tech sectors.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) stands next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel after their joint news conference in Jerusalem February 25, 2014. Germany views Iran as a potential threat not just to Israel, but also to European countries, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3FPD4

Merkel visits Israel as violence flares on Temple Mount

The violent clashes on the Temple Mount and the attack on an arms convoy on its way to Lebanon, both while German Chancellor Angela Merkel was visiting Israel, are warning signs of the current situation's fragility.

U.S. President Barack Obama is pictured on-screen speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington March 4, 2012. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2YU77

AIPAC sets 'guidelines' for Iran nuclear deal

AIPAC, the American Israel Political Action Committee, makes the case for congressional pressure on Iran.

After Acre blast, fears of vigilantism

Following an alleged act of sabotage that led to the explosion of a residential building, killing five, the city of Acre is trying to keep one of Israel’s most important tourist destinations calm.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat attends a meeting in his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah July, 19, 2004. [Palestinian President Yasser Arafat sought on Monday to defuse a leadership crisis triggered by unprecedented unrest in the Gaza Strip over corruption within his government and security forces.] - RTXMS1N

Jewish/Palestinian history without borders

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should return to the statement made in 2004 by Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, recognizing Israel as the Jewish state, while Israelis should recognize Palestine as the homeland of Palestinians.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves after attending a ceremony with Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the Hall of Remembrance at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem January 21, 2014. Harper told Israel's parliament on Monday any comparison between the Jewish state and apartheid South Africa was "sickening", drawing a standing ovation - and an angry walkout by two Arab legislators. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX17O8X

Hamas denies secret message to Netanyahu

Hamas officials denied that Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh sent a secret message to his Israeli counterpart, but debate continues within the movement about a dialogue with Israel.

Israel's Finance Minister Yair Lapid speaks during a joint news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, Energy Minister Silvan Shalom and (not pirctured) in Jerusalem June 19, 2013. Israel said on Wednesday it will keep the majority of it's newfound natural gas for domestic use, but will still allow enough gas to be sold abroad to satisfy exploration companies who want access to the global market. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY BUSI

Lapid wins superficial victory over drafting ultra-Orthodox

The ultra-Orthodox leaders cry out in public against the new law requiring their enlistment in the army, but behind the scenes, they're discretely satisfied.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters, some standing on a bridge, take part a demonstration in Jerusalem February 6, 2014. Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel blocked highways and clashed with police on Thursday in protest at a government decision to cut funds to seminary students who avoid military service. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION CIVIL UNREST) - RTX18AZA

Ultra-Orthodox draft law defuses Israel's 'existential threat'

The ultra-Orthodox draft law proposes a gradual enlistment process, which will not lead to an equal sharing of the burden, but will help the ultra-Orthodox overcome the obstacles between them and the modern world.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gestures as he speaks at a conference for young members of his Yisrael Beiteinu party in Tel Aviv December 13, 2012. Lieberman said on Thursday he need not resign after the Justice Ministry decided to indict him for fraud and breach of trust, less severe charges than were originally considered. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3BJKC

Knesset bill threatens Israeli-Arab representation

In an interview with Al-Monitor, right-wing Knesset member David Rotem defended the governability bill designed to strengthen the government and its prime minister, even if it put him on a collision course with the Arab Knesset members fearing the rise of an electoral threshold.

A Palestinian man looks at the Facebook page of Avichay Adraee, the spokesman of the Israeli Army to the Arabic media, after hackers replaced his cover photo with that of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigade during the "#Op_Israel" campaign launched by the activist group Anonymous, in Gaza City on April 7, 2013. The hackers reportedly hit several Israeli websites including that of the premier's office, the defence ministry, the education ministry and the Central Bureau of Statistics, among others, but all appeare

Gaza hackers prepare for next assault on Israel

A group of Palestinian hackers in Gaza talk to Al-Monitor about their cyberwar against Israel.

Senior Hamas leaders Mahmoud al-Zahar (L), Saeed Seyam (C) and Khalil al-Hayya wait at the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip before crossing into Egypt October 7, 2008. Hamas leaders will hold talks in Cairo on Wednesday on proposals to end the schism with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group by reshaping the way the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip is governed.
REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA) - RTX9AWH

Hamas official says 'Abbas doesn’t represent anyone'

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar says "there is no agreement on the 1967 borders."

Palestinian members of the al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, stand guard as they wait for the arrival of Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip December 7, 2012. Meshaal, Hamas's exiled leader, will step onto Palestinian land for the first time in 45 years on Friday for a "victory rally" in the Gaza Strip, displaying his newfound confidence after last month's conflict with Israel. Meshaal, the Islamist group's leader, who has not visited the Palestinian Territ

Hamas tests anti-aircraft missiles

Palestinian armed groups in Gaza are said to possess anti-aircraft missiles, but their capabilities remain limited.