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August 26, 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)

Exclusive

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

Delegations from Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Italy, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, France, the United States and Greece attend the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 16, 2020.

Turkey irked over Israeli-Greek project for undersea power cable

Turkey warned last week both Israel and Greece that they must seek its permission before launching works on a proposed undersea power cable in eastern Mediterranean waters.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis.

A Palestinian man who works in Israel takes a selfie as he receives the first dose of a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by an Israeli medical worker at the Meitar crossing checkpoint between the West bank and Israel, March 9, 2021.

Over 105,000 Palestinian workers in Israel vaccinated with first dose

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said yesterday that over 105,000 Palestinians who cross into Israel to work have received the first coronavirus vaccination dose over the last two weeks.

A worker hangs election campaign posters for Israel's Likud party bearing a portrait of its leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a billboard in the Israeli central city of Bnei Brak, on March 14, 2021. - On March 23, the 71-year-old wily politician faces his fourth re-election contest in less than two years, after repeatedly failing to unite a coalition behind him, despite his devoted right-wing base.

Emirati politician says Israel normalization should not be used in Israeli election

Former Minister of State Anwar Gargash made the bold comments following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again canceling his trip to Abu Dhabi.

An image of that statue in Tel Aviv

Naked statue of Netanyahu pops up in Tel Aviv

The statue representing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Gollum from Lords of the Rings is certainly not the first anti-Netanyahu artwork to pop up in Tel Aviv.

Election campaign posters of Israel's Yisrael Beiteinu party bearing a portrait of its leader Avigdor Liberman (L), the Likud party showing its leader and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (bottom-R), and opposition party leader Yair Lapid (top-R) hang on a construction site in the Israeli central city of Bnei Brak, on March 14, 2021. - On March 23, the Netanyahu faces his fourth re-election contest in less than two years, after repeatedly failing to unite a coalition behind him, despite his devot

Rival of Israeli prime minister warns of US Capitol style riot after election

Avigdor Liberman claimed without evidence that supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are planning an event similar to the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol if Netanyahu loses next week’s election.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin pose as they meet for a working lunch, followed by a joint press conference, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on March 18, 2021.

Israel’s president campaigns in France against Hezbollah

On his last European tour stop, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, campaigning against Hezbollah’s entrenchment in Lebanon and against the Iranian nuclear threat.

A worker unloads a refrigerated truck carrying the first delivery of coronavirus vaccine via the United Nations Covax programme supporting poorer areas, to be kept at Palestinian Authority's storage facility in the West Bank city of Nablus, on March 17, 2021. - The Palestinian Authority said that vaccination would begin at the end of this week, primarily for those aged over 75, cancer patients and medical personnel.
Earlier, some 60,000 doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines allocated to the Palestinians

Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX

More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday.

Israeli and Emirati rugby teams to play each other for first time

The rugby sevens match in Dubai is the latest example of the strengthening of relations between Israel and the UAE and shows a shift in Israel's sports relations with other regional states.

United Arab Emirates

An Israeli soldier stands near a parked Merkava Mark IV battle tank near Moshav Alonei HaBashan in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on March 1, 2021. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria reports new Israeli airstrikes near Damascus

The missile strike follows Israel reportedly hitting Iranian targets in Syria earlier this month following an explosion on an Israeli ship in the gulf.

Israel's foreign minister continues anti-ICC campaign in Russia

In his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi presented his stand against the International Criminal Court probe, a renewed Iran deal and the Iranian presence in Syria.

Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair."