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

Israel cover image

Israel

August 18, 2026

Tel Aviv 11:38 am

30°C

Jared Kushner

After meeting Netanyahu, Kushner agrees Hamas disarmament precedes Israel's withdrawal

Israel and the Gaza Board of Peace have agreed that the Israeli military will begin withdrawing from the Gaza Strip after Hamas disarms.

A picture take on Sept. 13, 2017, shows Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, attending the World Premiere of La Perle in Dubai.

UAE billionaire Habtoor takes aim at Ben Gvir’s Gaza rhetoric

The prominent Dubai businessman condemned the Israeli national security minister's call to kill of dozens Gazans nightly, putting a pointed criticism from an influential Emirati voice on the record.

United Arab Emirates

Gadi Eisenkot

Analysis

Inside Netanyahu's bet on divided opposition to secure another term

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing better in public opinion polls this week, but he is still far from securing a majority in the upcoming elections.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Latest News

Analysis

Why Venezuela is moving closer to Israel but stopping short of full ties

An Israeli rescue team arrives in Venezuela after the earthquake in June 2026. Israeli Foreign Ministry

Rina Bassist

Adam Lucente

By Rina Bassist , Adam Lucente

Analysis

Israel defies Trump on Lebanon as Netanyahu, Katz prioritize elections

Israeli army vehicles move to a position in southern Lebanon, March 27, 2026.

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

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

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

US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands as they arrive to speak to journalists during a joint press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025.

As Trump casts doubt on Netanyahu's future, Likud rushes to reaffirm support

By questioning whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will run in the next Knesset elections, President Donald Trump may have dented one of the Israeli leader's key political assets ahead of the vote.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan buttons up his jacket during a press conference after the conclusion of the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on November 23, 2025.

Explainer

Turkey-Israel tensions flare over Syria, Lebanon, East Med: What to know

The Turkish president has accused Israel of threatening Turkey through its military actions in Syria, Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean, triggering a sharp exchange with the Israeli prime minister.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to speak to journalists during a joint press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 29, 2025. US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on December 29 for crucial talks on moving to the next stage of the fragile Gaza truce plan.The two leaders also discussed Iran, with Trump saying that if Tehran rebuilt its nuclear facilities the United States wo

Analysis

'We are already hearing the bus': Israeli insiders fear Netanyahu is losing Trump’s backing on Iran

“He couldn’t afford a confrontation with Trump, who was the last asset he had left,” a Netanyahu associate told Al-Monitor, describing the prime minister’s struggle to balance pressure for retaliation against Iran with the need to preserve his alliance with the US president.

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

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Vance says US and Israel's 'interests diverge' on Iran nuclear issue: What to know

The rare admission by top Trump administration official comes as polling show US alignment with Israel in war against Iran is political baggage among a growing number of Republican voters.

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya on June 7, 2026.

US military helped Israel intercept Iran's missiles: What to know

Iranian barrages targeting Israel came after Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Beirut, despite the White House publicly signaling its opposition to such strikes.

An Airbus A321 airliner arrives at the Mehrabad international airport during the delivery of the first batch of planes to the Iranian state airline Iran Air in the capital Tehran on Jaunary 12, 2017. - The aircraft arrived as part of an order for 100 other Airbus planes with a list price of around $20 billion (19 billion euros) on December 22, placed after the lifting of international sanctions on the Islamic republic. It will be used for internal flights landed at Tehran's Mehrabad airport. (Photo by ATTA

Israel-Iran escalation grounds flights across parts of Middle East

Iran suspended flights across all airports after Israeli strikes hit the country.

Women walk past buildings destroyed in a joint attack by Israel and the United States on April 6, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

Peace talks tested but continue after Iran-Israel escalation

President Donald Trump said “final negotiations on ‘peace’ are proceeding,” while Iran said the talks were unfolding “in an atmosphere of deep mistrust.”