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Israel

September 4, 2026

Tel Aviv 11:31 am

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Israeli soldiers arrive in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has faced escalating Israeli settler violence over the past month, on Aug. 29, 2026.

Analysis

As Israeli settler attacks mount, Trump avoids public pressure on Netanyahu

President Donald Trump has stayed silent amid a spate of settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Anwar AMRO / AFP via Getty Images

Israel to release 5 Lebanese prisoners ahead of next talks: What to know

Israel said the detainees are "civilians who are not members of a terrorist organization" and "were not involved in terrorism," concluding, "There is no reason to continue holding them in Israel."

missile

Analysis

Israel favors status quo as tensions in Iran's leadership fuel escalation risk

Israel would prefer to preserve the current balance of pressure — with US naval blockades and economic measures continuing without a return to active fighting — per a senior Israeli security source.

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

Mecca Alliance

Israel, Greece sign $3.5 billion air-defense deal: What to know

Against the backdrop of growing tensions with Turkey, Israel signed one of its largest-ever defense industry deals to supply Greece with advanced air defense systems.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Turkey welcomes Israel-Syria talks despite mounting red lines

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrive for a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Feb. 4, 2025.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Israel’s Lebanon dilemma: Confront Hezbollah without angering Trump, triggering Iran

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

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

Israel, Hamas bide their time as Gaza peace plan stalls

A boy walks carrying a table on his back past salvage workers scrapping the rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza City on Aug. 16, 2026. — Photo by Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP via Getty Images

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

Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak waves as he leaves after a news conference in Tel Aviv November 26, 2012. Barak, a main architect of Israel's policy toward Iran's nuclear programme, said in a surprise announcement on Monday that he was quitting politics and would not run in the January 22 national election. REUTERS/Nir Elias (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - GM1E8BQ1E7H01

Iran’s retaliation plans worry Israel

Israel fears that Iran may target senior security officials on visits abroad, and thus is expected to approve security details for former premiers.

Palestinian leaders underwhelmed by Israeli port plan

Israel is floating a plan to set up a seaport in Cyprus to ease Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, but neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority has any praise for the proposal.

Jerusalem tram seeks to fast track Arabic learning for Israeli Jews

For Arabic Language Week, Jerusalem Light Rail is distributing Arabic phrase books, conducting Arabic classes and displaying posters to introduce Hebrew speakers to the language with the goal of helping the city's residents communicate better.

Architects from Middle East, beyond tear down barriers in Venice

Turkey’s national pavilion and other entries from the region are among the highlights at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, whose theme "Freespace" has prompted curators to investigate national boundaries, the human toll of migration and the concept of freedom.

An Israeli soldier stands guard as an Israeli military bulldozer opens the entrance of the West Bank village of Bani Na'im, near Hebron September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - S1BEUCPBUNAA

Palestinian villagers wage legal battle during demolition freeze

Palestinians from the Area C village of Bani Naim are fighting Israeli settlement expansion plans that include confiscating their land through protests and legal appeals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, June 24, 2018. Gali Tibbon/Pool via Reuters - RC146471EA10

How Israel's left could challenge Netanyahu

If they're going to beat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the next elections, the three Zionist leftist parties must unite.

Israeli Arabs, ultra-Orthodox wheel and deal in the Knesset

The ultra-Orthodox parties helped Arab Knesset members block the muezzin bill, while the Arab Joint List absented itself from the vote on the proposed conscription law.

Israeli soldiers walk past an Iron Dome rocket interceptor battery deployed near central Gaza Strip, southern Israel October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC173427FF50

Is Israel going easy on Hamas?

Israel plays it safe in Gaza while giving priority to its northern border; Hamas looking for a friend in Moscow; Israel’s nuclear ambiguity.

RAFAH, GAZA STRIP - NOVEMBER 23: A Palestinian traveler exchanges money as he waits to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt at the Rafah border crossing November 23, 2005 in the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials now have control of the Rafah crossing for the first time in decades after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice successfully brokered a deal on November 15. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to attend an official inauguration ceremony of the crossing on November 25. (Photo by

Israel tightens financial noose on Gaza

Israel recently designated a Gaza currency exchange company a terror organization, raising concerns among local bankers and business owners about who might be next.

For Israel, Syrian battles hit too close to home

Israel is facing a complicated situation on its Syrian border as Iran keeps reinforcing its presence in the country, the Syrian army gets closer to Israel and refugees continue to flee the combat zones.

Will Israel welcome Syrian refugees?

The Israeli government has barred entry to Syrian refugees massing along its border, and although Israel is providing them with humanitarian aid, their increasing numbers are leading many to fear a pending humanitarian crisis.

White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump (2nd-R), U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (3rd-R), U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (C), U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan (3rd-L), White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (2nd-L) and Israeli officials pose for a photo upon arrival at the Ben Gurion International Airport, near Lod, Israel May 13, 2018. Courtesy David Azagury/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1E15DFCD

Trump, Putin both want piece of Middle East peace talks

Russia and the United States can each bring advantages to the Mideast peace negotiating table, but neither is likely to solve all the issues without the other's cooperation.