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

Israel cover image

Israel

August 25, 2026

Tel Aviv 9:36 am

29°C

Palestinian militant group Hamas police officers stand guard as people attend the opening of the Fatah party's eighth general conference at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City on May 14, 2026.

Ex-defense minister: Israel in ‘worst possible’ Gaza situation as Hamas gains strength

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant criticized the Israeli government for allowing Hamas to retain control over half of the Gaza Strip.

A merchant ship "Jabotinsky" (former "Altalena"), chartered by Jewish military group Irgun Zvaei Leumi to carry weapons for Israeli fighters, burns near Tel Aviv beach, after being shelled by the Haganah, Israel, June 27, 1948.

Wreck of ship sunk by Israeli military in Irgun clash found after 78 years

The wreck of the Irgun underground's Altalena ship, bombed by the Israeli military in 1948 and deliberately sunk in 1949, was located off Israel's coast at a depth of 1,650 feet.

ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP via Getty Images

Israel tightens election safeguards as public distrust surges: What to know

Israelis have lost trust in the government and in its ability or willingness to conduct free and fair elections.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Turkey sees Israeli strikes in Syria as warning over its military role, Mecca Pact

A Turkish soldier from the 1st Border Regiment Command looks out over the border wall to Syria during alert drills at a military outpost on the Turkey/Syria border on March 2, 2017 in Kilis, Turkey.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

Turkey/Syria border

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

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

Turkey seeks Interpol Red Notices for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla

Murat Kocabas / Middle East Images / 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

Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Israel-US tensions grow over West Bank escalation

With elections just a month out and despite American warnings, Prime Minister Yair Lapid is sticking with his hawkish line on West Bank security escalation.

Israeli border guards are pictured during clashes with Palestinian demonstrators in the area of Bab al-Zawiya in the center of the city of Hebron, West Bank, Sept. 29, 2022.

Israeli army could use armed drones for targeted killings in West Bank

If the IDF does not manage soon to thwart the current wave of violence in the West Bank, it could opt for targeted killings of terrorists using armed drones.

Interim Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks at the Chancellery, Berlin, Germany, Sept. 12, 2022.

Israel’s Lapid ducks calls from PA head Abbas

Reports say that unlike President Isaac Herzog and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Prime Minister Yair Lapid avoided requests for a phone call from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the Jewish New Year.

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Weakened by split, Israel's Arab parties must work the field

After years of campaigning on social media and in TV studios, Arab politicians are now rallying for support in Israel.

Rodolfo Campos uses a virtual reality headset during a NASA Hybrid Reality Lab demonstration at the NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference.

Israel seeks technological cooperation with US

What Israel perceives as inflexible American demands on data security might stand in the way of establishing true technological cooperation between Israel and the United States.

AFP via Getty Images

Israel won’t recognize Russian referendums in occupied Ukraine

Prime Minister Yair Lapid came out publicly and slammed the Russian referendums called a sham by Ukraine and by its allies.

US President Joe Biden (L) and Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, take part in a virtual meeting with leaders of the I2U2 group, which includes, US, Israel, India, and the United Arab Emirates, at a hotel in Jerusalem, on July 14, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

American investment in Mideast to stay focused on larger economies amid Ukraine war

Howard J. Shatz

Howard J. Shatz

BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

New EV deliveries from China expand even as Israeli car market shrinks

Fewer new cars are being delivered to Israel, but among them, Chinese electric vehicles are surging.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid gives a speech during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, New York, Sept. 22, 2022.

Israel's Arab voters unimpressed with Lapid’s UN speech on two-state solution

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Yair Lapid also addressed Israeli Arab citizens, boasting that his coalition included an Arab party and that his government included Arab ministers.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel keeps flights coming as Jews flee Russia

In fear of conscription, Russian Jews are fleeing the country for Israel.

Visitors interact with a display by the Manufacturer's Association of Israel.

Despite slowdown, Israeli tech companies attract major investments

Big investments announced in recent weeks in Israeli start-up companies might indicate that the slowdown, the layoffs and other difficulties facing the global high-tech industry might be temporary.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid gives a speech during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, New York, Sept. 22, 2022.

Seeking US support, Lapid backs two-state solution at UN

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's address to the United Nations backed the two-state solution.