Israel

Born behind the Iron Curtain, Ella Vorzov's family endured years of persecution before reaching Israel. Today, she has returned to Russia as a Chabad emissary, inspiring a new generation of Jews.

A proposed law banning representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross from entering prisons where terror inmates are held was voted down in the Knesset. Thirty-six lawmakers supported it, while 41 opposed it, taking the bill off the agenda for the next six months.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel is preparing for the possibility that fighting with Iran could flare up again: "If Iran fires missiles at Israel, Israel will strike Iran with force — it could happen within two days."

The Israeli government approved a 45-day extension of the special emergency situation on the home front, citing continued security uncertainty involving Lebanon and the Hezbollah terror group. The decision is based on security officials’ assessment that the threat to civilians has not yet been removed.

As road congestion reaches new highs, Israel’s Planning Administration is laying out an aerial transportation network that could reshape how people and cargo move. "Just as the State of Israel prepared for the metro, we must also prepare for the next revolution."

Israel’s Transportation Ministry, through Cross Israel and in partnership with the express lane operator and tech companies, is launching a pilot this week at the Shapirim express lane complex. The smart system will test and verify how many passengers are in a vehicle, with the goal of improving enforcement.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said his organization opposes the agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah threatened to continue “the resistance,” and the Houthis called to “bring down the puppet government in Lebanon.” Defense Minister ישראל Katz said: “There is no IDF withdrawal whatsoever.”

Just before *Shabbat*, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that understandings had been reached with the Lebanese government and that a framework agreement had been signed between the two countries. The IDF will gradually transfer responsibility in certain areas to the Lebanese army, while Israel will retain freedom of action until Hezbollah is disarmed.

At the Defense Ministry’s Economic Campaign conference, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned against the continued flow of money to Iran. At the same time, he unveiled a new strategic goal: developing strike capabilities from space and securing Israeli superiority in the field.

Quinnipiac survey also finds most voters say U.S. military action against Iran was not worth it, as Democratic criticism of Israel grows

Twenty years after Gilad Shalit was abducted, the IDF Archive at Israel’s Defense Ministry has released, for the first time, the official operations logs from the Southern Brigade command center. The documents capture, in real time, the confusion, assessments, and growing realization that an IDF soldier had been kidnapped into the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, spoke after de la Espriella’s election victory and agreed to strengthen the strategic alliance between the two countries.

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, is expected in Israel tomorrow for security talks focused on Iran and Lebanon. At the same time, Washington is advancing a framework under which the Lebanese army would be required to prove control over areas cleared of Hezbollah.

A nationwide vehicle protest by the Haredi community got underway in coordination with police. About 7,000 vehicles set out from 19 locations around the country. Unusual traffic backups were reported, including a temporary halt on Highway 1.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again made clear that the IDF has full operational freedom in southern Lebanon. Lebanese reports say IDF forces have withdrawn from several areas.

The Iranian delegation said it is not prepared to continue the talks in Switzerland, after U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview back home: "Iran must immediately stop its proxy in Lebanon from stirring up trouble. If they do not, we will hit Iran very hard."

Shin Bet chief David Zini has reportedly directed his agency to treat a possible attack on Eilat as a top priority. According to a report in "Haaretz," some figures in the defense establishment question both the threat assessment and whether there is any concrete intelligence behind it.