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Israel

September 4, 2026

Tel Aviv 2:35 pm

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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

Assad says he's open to establishing Iranian bases in Syria

In a wide-ranging interview with Iranian Al-Alam TV, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed Iran's presence in Syria.

Too much at stake for full-on conflict in southern Syria

Prioritizing de-escalation in southern Syria appears to be the regional consensus, but the rebels’ opposition to any deals could lengthen the process.

An Israeli soldier prays by a tank at an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) staging area in the central Gaza border November 21, 2012. Israeli air strikes shook the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rockets struck across the border as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks in Jerusalem in the early hours of Wednesday, seeking a truce that can hold back Israel's ground troops. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (ISRAEL - Tags: CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST MILITARY RELIGION) - GM1E8BL143K01

How IDF chief shapes Israeli military

The decision by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot not to promote Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter has sparked fury within the national religious stream.

Trump's Israel-Palestine deal targets Saudi alliance, not peace

President Donald Trump knows that in order to get the Saudis into a regional alliance with Israel against Iran, he must first present a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Does latest Gulf aid to Jordan come with strings?

Analysts wonder whether a Gulf aid package to help Jordan deal with its current economic crisis is in fact an attempt to pressure the kingdom into accepting the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan being developed by the United States.

Israeli opposition's internal battles play into Netanyahu’s hands

Labor head Avi Gabbay's slander campaign against Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid has weakened the whole center-left camp and left the prime minister without a viable rival.

Why Israel’s 11-year closure didn’t topple Hamas

It took Israel a decade to realize that its closure policy won’t topple the Hamas regime.

Israeli minister offers creative approach to easing Gaza siege

Undeterred by objections in the governing coalition, Transportation and Intelligence Affairs Minister Yisrael Katz continues to push his plan to construct an island off Gaza to provide it access to the outside world.

US recognition of Jerusalem backfires on Israel

Argentina's cancellation of a soccer match over the match’s relocation to Jerusalem is a clear sign that most of the world considers large parts of Jerusalem to be occupied land.

Palestinian teen to serve full sentence for slap

Elor Azaria, the IDF soldier who shot a disarmed Palestinian assailant in Hebron, was granted early release while Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi, whose crime was slapping a soldier, was refused.

Israel's battle of the ex-generals

Israeli opposition parties need former prominent security officials who could offer the public an image of expertise in security matters.

Palestinian groom Hejres Torokman carries his suit over his head as he prepares for his wedding party, in Jenin in the occupied West Bank May 7, 2018. Picture taken May 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RC1A989FF9A0

West Bank city becomes shopper's paradise for Palestinians living in Israel

Impressive numbers of Palestinians in Israel are crossing the Green Line destined for shopping and eating in the West Bank city of Jenin.