Hamas official says bodies of Bibas family will return to Israel on Thursday The return of the bodies of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas would mark a tragic end to 16 months of activism, protest and prayer on behalf of the family. February 18, 2025
Israeli lawmaker compares Trump’s Gaza plan to Holocaust Arab party’s sole Jewish MK, already suspended from the Knesset, now faces new ethics board complaint after he compared plan to encourage voluntary mass migration of Gazans to the Holocaust of the 1930s and 1940s. February 18, 2025
Israel forms new directorate to help Gazans emigrate The office will provide 'extensive assistance' in an attempt to implement U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. February 18, 2025
Foreign funding of judicial-reform protests spurs Knesset legislation Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill on Sunday to impose an 80% tax on donations from foreign entities to Israeli non-profits. February 18, 2025
‘Trump, you’re my hope’ – Freed hostage to US president 'I beg you, don’t stop until all the hostages, the living and the dead, are brought home,' Berger said in a heartfelt plea. February 18, 2025
Inside a hospital’s remarkable mission to heal its healers post-Oct. 7 With 21 staff members having lost immediate family members and hundreds serving as reservists, it’s the unseen bravery of these heroes that keeps Gozlan and her team working 500 days later. February 17, 2025
Hamas expected to return bodies of several hostages on Thursday Meanwhile, Ynet reported on Monday night that Israel is demanding the freedom of six living hostages instead of the agreed three during the seventh release scheduled for Saturday. February 17, 2025
500 days in captivity: Knesset hears of released hostages’ ongoing struggles 'These are captivity survivors who have endured life-altering experiences that will leave them with lifelong scars,' said Professor Hagai Levine, who has been actively accompanying the families since the beginning of the war. February 17, 2025
Cannabis brings relief to growing number of trauma victims post Oct. 7 Approximately 20,000 Israelis are already using medical cannabis for PTSD, representing 15% of the country’s medical cannabis prescriptions. February 17, 2025
Eyal Zamir confirmed as Israeli military’s Chief of Staff The last time chief of staff to leave the post before the end of his term was Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, who resigned in 2007 over IDF failures during the Second Lebanon War of 2006. February 17, 2025
Despairing of rescue, hostage prayed girlfriend would move on Sasha Troufanov, released on Saturday, did not believe he’d survive Hamas captivity. February 17, 2025
Report: UNRWA illegally operational in Jerusalem On Oct. 28, the Knesset passed, by large majorities, two laws banning UNRWA following the exposure of UNRWA staff complicity in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, and despite pressure from the United States under former president Joe Biden. February 17, 2025
Day 500 of the war: IDF casualties by the numbers Since October 7th, 2023, 846 members of the security forces, including soldiers, police officers, and members of intelligence agencies, have been killed in combat. February 17, 2025
Teacher tells students: Blame Netanyahu for hostage deal issues Civics teacher says that Netanyahu, not Hamas, is at fault for missed opportunities to secure a hostage deal. February 17, 2025
Doctors give Netanyahu a clean bill of health in spite of recent surgeries His medical team stressed that there is no indication of prostate cancer and that the tissue removed during the recent surgery in December was benign. February 16, 2025
New DNA research could lead to personalized cancer prevention for smokers Using advanced genomic tools, the team discovered that DNA’s environment plays a crucial role in determining how much damage occurs and how well cells can repair it. February 16, 2025
Israeli soldiers arrest 20 men crossing into Lebanon to visit Talmudic rabbi’s grave The police stressed that illegally crossing the Lebanese border is punishable by up to four years in prison. February 16, 2025
After Trump lifts ban, US heavy bombs arrive in Israel Shipment of MK-84 heavy aerial munitions arrive in Israel over the weekend, after being held up for nearly a year by the Biden administration. February 16, 2025
Russian Ambassador meets newly-freed hostage Sasha Trufanov The Kremlin does not classify Hamas or Islamic Jihad - the group which held Trufanov - as terror organizations. February 16, 2025
Trump backs ‘any decision’ Israel makes about Hamas, noting ‘all hostages’ were not released by deadline Trump had warned that the 'gates of hell' could be unleashed on Gaza if Hamas did not release all the hostages by the 12:00 deadline. February 15, 2025
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Alexandre Troufanov, Yair Horn to be freed Saturday Israel has stated it will resume combat in Gaza if three hostages are not freed on time, after Hamas announced it was delaying the releases in response to alleged Israeli ceasefire violations. February 14, 2025
Burned trees, traumatized animals: Nature is revealing the unseen effects of Israel’s wars Every winter, around 50,000 common cranes pause their migration to Africa to settle in the Hula Valley, but last year, relentless rocket fire from Lebanon—just 30 kilometers away—caused their numbers to plummet by 70%. February 13, 2025
Israel launches three new medical schools to address shortage of doctors According to Nadav Davidovich, Chair of the Taub Center Health Policy Program and Director of the School of Public Health at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel currently gets around 1,300 new doctors per year, with a need of around 2,000. February 13, 2025
Ex-IDF deputy chief accuses Netanyahu’s office of treason Yair Golan, who leads the far-left party The Democrats and once served as deputy chief of the IDF, calls for investigation of Prime Minister Netanyahu's office, accusing aide of betraying Israel to Qatar. February 13, 2025
Knesset backs bill to deport illegal Eritrean immigrants Israeli parliament votes unanimously to advance legislation to deport illegal immigrants from Eritrea who express support for their native land's regime. February 13, 2025
Terror accomplice drove van with hostage-supporting symbol Driver of van affixed sticker of yellow hostage ribbon to his vehicle to stave off suspicion as he illegally transported Palestinians into Israel. February 13, 2025
Israelis warned against participating in anti-settler documentary by Louis Theroux 'I’m interested in ideologues and fundamentalists of all stripes ...I wanted to see settler expansionism up close, and the human cost it entails.' February 13, 2025
‘Israel must seize Trump’s Gaza opportunity’ – Smotrich 'Mr. Prime Minister, give the order' to resume fighting against Hamas and conquer the Gaza Strip, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said. February 12, 2025
3 million Israelis battle war-related mental trauma, anxiety, and PTSD The comptroller’s report also criticized the government’s guidelines on who can be legally recognized for support under Israel’s Victims of Hostilities Compensation Law. February 11, 2025
Idan Amedi not returning for Season 5 of hit show ‘Fauda’ Amedi, 36, was wounded in January last year in an explosion in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, which killed six soldiers and injured several others. February 11, 2025
Israeli soldiers traveling abroad targeted for alleged ‘war crimes’ in Gaza The director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, Eden Bar-Tal, said fewer than a dozen soldiers had been targeted, and he dismissed the attempted arrests as a futile public relations stunt by 'terrorist organizations.' February 11, 2025
UN chief appeals to Hamas to release Israeli hostages Hamas announced on Monday night that it would delay the hostage release scheduled for Feb. 15 until further notice due to what it alleged were Israeli violations of the truce. February 11, 2025
Arab-Israeli murder rate 3rd-highest in developed world – study Arab Israelis face a murder rate rivaling that of Mexico and Colombia, with no signs of slowing down. February 11, 2025
Knesset bill seeks to replace ‘West Bank’ with ‘Judea and Samaria’ 'West Bank,' although more common in modern parlance, has a recent provenance, having been coined by Jordan, which controlled the area for a short time (1948-1967), in an attempt to erase the area’s historic Jewish connection. February 10, 2025
Digital warfare ‘has reached every home in Israel’ says cyber safety report Fraud and online scams comprised 17.6% of total helpline reports, followed by cases of sexual harassment at 11.5%. February 10, 2025
KLM and Ryanair return to Israel with budget-friendly fares As for North American passengers, United Airlines announced it will resume flying to Israel starting March 15, while Delta Airlines will resume service from New York-JFK to Tel Aviv on April 1. February 10, 2025
Gaza hostage’s father credits Trump with daughter’s freedom The president’s pressure even before his inauguration was what led to the hostage deal, Eitan Gonen wrote. February 10, 2025
Israel’s largest-ever business delegation heads to India to boost trade and innovation Trade between Israel and India continues to grow, with total trade volume reaching approximately $5.01 billion in 2024. February 10, 2025
Ben-Gvir: ‘Stop providing humanitarian aid, fuel to Gaza’ 'We’ve become the joke of the Middle East - I’m not sure we even realize it yet,' said Otzma Yehudit Chair Itamar Ben-Gvir. February 10, 2025
Family of hostage Alon Ohel receives news he is alive, but wounded and maltreated Alon Ohel's family: 'While we are relieved and emotional to learn that Alon is alive, we are devastated and shocked by his severe physical and mental condition.' February 9, 2025
War disruptions lead to 13% rise in Israeli fresh produce imports in 2024 The months from January to April saw the highest import volumes due to intense fighting and damage to frontline agricultural areas. February 9, 2025
A closer look at the terrorists released from Israeli prisons The ongoing first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. February 9, 2025
Israel forms draft plan to let Gazans leave by sea, air While 69% of Israelis support the plan, with 18% opposing it, only 36% believe it's practical, as Arab countries and some Western governments oppose the idea. February 9, 2025
IDF withdraws from Netzarim Corridor, bolsters Gaza border The IDF began to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor in late January, enabling the return of displaced Gaza residents to the northern Strip. February 9, 2025
Police battle Bedouin mafias in Negev with undercover operation 'I was constantly afraid they might harm me,' says undercover agent of experience during 18-month-long investigation against Bedouin crime family. February 9, 2025
His wife and daughters murdered, his brother declared dead The story of Ohad Ben Ami’s captivity crystallizes the ongoing hostage crisis through intimate family details: a daughter discovering her father’s capture through social media; a wife returning home alone from Hamas captivity; and a warm home in Kibbutz Be’eri that stands empty, waiting for his return. February 8, 2025
State Dept notifies Congress of $7 billion arms sale to Israel The first arms package, valued at $6.75 billion, includes a range of munitions and bomb components set for delivery this year, while the second, worth $600 million, consists of 3,000 Hellfire missiles scheduled for delivery in 2028. February 8, 2025
‘Hypocrisy will be exposed’: Israeli defense chief calls out Spain, Ireland, others over Trump’s Gaza plan Katz took issue with countries that have been vocal critics of Israel and portrayed themselves as staunch defenders of the Palestinians taking such a stance. February 7, 2025
Israel prepares for possible tsunami following earthquakes in Greece Thousands of small earthquakes in the Santorini Islands in recent days have raised concerns about the potential for a larger earthquake in the region, which could lead to a tsunami in the Mediterranean. February 6, 2025
Israeli army to prepare plan allowing Gazans to voluntarily leave Gaza A Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research survey published on June 26, 2024, found that 44% of Gazans ages 18-29 would emigrate if given the chance. February 6, 2025
Israel to cease participation in UN human rights council Israel remains the only nation regarding which the body has a dedicated agenda item, which Sa’ar said was clear evidence of institutional bias. February 6, 2025
Two troops killed in Gaza, bringing wartime IDF toll to 846 Eight additional troops were injured, including one seriously. February 6, 2025
Defense Secretary: US will help Israel ‘eradicate radical enemies’ Netanyahu praised Trump's 'peace through strength' doctrine, saying that Israel shares the same perspective on maintaining a powerful military in order to ensure reginal stability. February 6, 2025
3 arrested for waving Hamas flags, celebrating released terrorists During the celebrations for released security prisoners, the trio waved Hamas flags and praised the terror group. February 6, 2025
IDF post hit by recent deadly attack operated ‘like Oct 7 never happened’ The terrorist managed to ascend the observation tower at the compound, killing a soldier inside the pillbox and another on the ground. February 6, 2025
Discovery of 2,500-year-old Negev burial site sheds light on ancient trade routes Additionally, an amulet depicting the Egyptian god Bes was found among the burial items, and Bes was often associated with the protection of women and children, suggesting that many of the deceased may have been women. February 5, 2025
‘Slidetronics’: Breakthrough in atomic layer manipulation could transform computing These new configurations, once formed, remain stable even after the external force is removed and can store information, functioning much like a tiny memory unit. February 5, 2025
Jewish population of Judea & Samaria to top 1 million by 2050 Number of Israelis living in Judea and Samaria rises to 530,000, not including 340,000 Israelis living in parts of Jerusalem liberated in 1967, report says. February 5, 2025
Israeli ex-minister mulls return to government after Trump’s speech Former National Security Minister drafts bill to encourage voluntary mass-migration of Gazans from the Gaza Strip, hints at possible return to the Netanyahu government after Trump proposes relocation of Gaza's population. February 5, 2025
Israeli rabbinical courts report surge in divorces, but drop in sanctioned husbands Among the regions showing the sharpest rise in divorce rates were Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Gat, both of which saw increases of 45% while Beitar Illit also experienced a 44% jump. February 5, 2025
