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

Israel cover image

Israel

August 26, 2026

Tel Aviv 2:52 am

26°C

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

Rights group B’Tselem says Israel is an apartheid state

A new report by one of Israel's leading human rights groups argues in favor of the analogy to segregated South Africa.

Israel’s Gantz advances Palestinian construction plans in West Bank

After advancing the construction of some 800 housing units in West Bank settlements, Defense Minister Benny Gantz takes an opposite, rare move, of advancing construction plans in Palestinian West Bank villages.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in an East Room event at the White House as Founder, Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam Ochsorn look on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump released details of his administration's long-awaited Middle East peace plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Sheldon Adelson, major donor in US and Israeli politics, dies at 87

Adelson was a strong supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as pro-Israel Republicans in the United States.

Women missing from top roles as Israeli election takes shape

The Knesset race is painting a sad picture of gender equality in Israel, with no party led by a woman.

Israel advances plans for 800 new settlement homes in West Bank

The news comes ahead of Israel's March 23 election as well as the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.

ROSH HA'AYIN, ISRAEL - NOVEMBER 21: A passing ultra-Orthodox Jew watches as Aviv Recycling workers use a strong vacuum to move plastic bottles from a collection cage into their truck November 21, 2006 in Rosh Ha'Ayin in central Israel. Aviv managers say they recycle about 15 percent of the country's PET plastic waste annually, some 4,000 metric tons or 80 million bottles, but have the capacity to sort, clean, crush and sell more than double that if recycling programs in Israel were more efficient. (Photo b

The battle against the bottles: Israel extends law on plastic containers

The Knesset Economics Committee has now approved extending the Bottle Deposit Law, so it will also include family-size plastic bottles.

Israeli children take part in activities at a kindergarten in the central city of Shoham, on October 18, 2020. - Israel started cautiously emerging from a second coronavirus lockdown after a month of tight restrictions, with the re-opening of preschools, kindergartens, beaches and national parks, as numbers of new infections recede. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Coronavirus crisis propels Israeli mayors to front stage

With the government in a perpetual state of crisis, the coronavirus pandemic propelled Israeli mayors to a position of unprecedented prominence.

Israel tightens lockdown measures

Israel added more restrictions on top of its lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to spread rapidly. On the other hand, Israel is successfully rolling out the vaccine.

Israel, UAE top Middle East vaccination rates

Other countries in the region have only just recently imported vaccines, and the status of vaccination in Iran and Syria in particular is unclear.

Israeli sailors stand on board the first of four new German-built Saar 6 naval vessels purchased by the navy, in the northern Haifa city naval base, on December 2, 2020. - Israel received the first of its new missile boats, with a top naval officer telling AFP the fleet upgrade "dramatically" improves the country's ability to counter regional rivals, including Iran. (Photo by Heidi levine / POOL / AFP) (Photo by HEIDI LEVINE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

For Israel, Houthi threat a whole new ballgame

Israel fears that Iran would encourage the Houthis in Yemen to attack the southern city of Eilat.

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu's rivals liken him to Trump as world reels from Capitol riots

Candidates to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warn that like his close ally the outgoing US president, he's capable of the kind of incitement that led to riots in the US capital.

Young Israeli singer wins over fans with Moroccan Arabic voice

Israeli artist Ron Peretz embraces the Moroccan Arabic she learned at home in hip hop music that is conquering hearts in Israel and the Arab world.