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August 25, 2026

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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C) watches as US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack prepares to sign an agreement in Damascus on September 16, 2025. Shaibani announced on September 16 a plan backed by Jordan and the United States to restore calm to Druze-majority Sweida province, which witnessed deadly violence in July. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Israel recalibrates Syria policy, explores path to security deal

Israel is rethinking its hard-line Syria policy and seeking to repair ties with US envoy and Donald Trump's confidant Tom Barrack amid a push for a security agreement with Damascus.

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

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.

Latest News

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

ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP via Getty Images

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

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Israel lowers booster age to 30 as COVID-19 cases top 1 million

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, Israel is encouraging a third booster shot for pregnant women, health care workers, teachers and people over 30.

Lebanese soldiers stand next to a truck carrying a multiple rocket launcher after confiscating it

Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon top Bennett's agenda with Biden

Israel fears that Iran and Hezbollah will take advantage of the economic and political crisis in Lebanon to tighten their hold on the country.

Israelis wait their turn to be inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus, at a Clalit Health Services station set up inside Cinema City complex in Jerusalem, on Aug. 11, 2021.

New vaccination campaign targets Arab-Israelis

Arab legislators, community leaders and also the government are joining forces in promoting coronavirus vaccinations for the Arab-Israeli public.

A picture shows Gaza City and its Mediterranean Sea coastline, on July 27, 2021.

Israeli strikes on Gaza towers may amount to war crimes, HRW says

During the 11-day conflict with Hamas, Israeli airstrikes destroyed five high-rise towers in Gaza City that the Israeli military said were used by the militants.

Fatima Shbair/Getty Images

Israel-Gaza border heats up despite agreement on Qatari aid

The day after Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced an agreement had been reached on getting Qatari aid into Gaza, Palestinians stormed the security fence and seriously wounded an Israeli soldier.

Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrives for the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Aug. 1, 2021.

Ahead of Bennett’s visit to Washington, Israel tightens cooperation with Egypt

The invitation to visit Cairo and the agreement over the transfer of Qatari money to Gaza are important milestones for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ahead of his visit to the White House.

Israeli children take part in activities at a kindergarten in the central city of Shoham, Israel, Oct. 18, 2020.

In Israel, campaign for vaccinating in schools becomes political

Against the opinion of Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton, the Ministry of Health decided to open vaccination sites in schools.

Palestinians stand in line outside the post office to receive Qatari cash aid in Gaza City, Gaza, on Aug. 26, 2019. The aid was the latest in a succession of payments to needy families in the Gaza Strip from Qatar. Israel held up the payments this year in an attempt to ensure that Hamas could not use any of the cash for its military activities; payments now will be directly made into Gazans' bank accounts via the United Nations.

Israel, Qatar reach deal on resumed cash payments to Gaza

Families in the Gaza Strip will again receive monthly cash payments that were frozen in the wake of Israel's 11-day conflict with Hamas.

ABIR SULTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Israel, Egypt signal closer cooperation as Sisi invites Bennett to Cairo

In a first since 2011, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was invited by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for an official visit to Cairo.

Palestinian security forces stand on guard as a truck carrying the first arriving shipment of doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for COVID-19 coronavirus disease arrives on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing south of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Feb. 17, 2021.

Israel tags Hamas as 'real enemy' of Gazans as Qatari aid remains cut off

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tours the border with Gaza; Israel continues to seek guarantees that Hamas will not use money Qatar has targeted for poor Gazans for military activities.

ABIR SULTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Sisi invites Israel's Bennett to visit Egypt

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel extended the invite while visiting with Israeli officials in Jerusalem.

Israeli alternate prime minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid gives a news conference in the Western Moroccan city of Casablanca, on Aug. 12, 2021.

Israel's Lapid prepares for future confrontation with Netanyahu

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is consolidating his international standing, in preparation for taking over the premiership and for future confrontation with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.