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Israel

May 6, 2026

Tel Aviv 6:02 pm

21°C

Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel fears Trump seeking Hormuz win while sidestepping Iran nuclear issue

While President Donald Trump keeps pressuring Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Israel fears the American leader will decide to cut his losses and sideline the nuclear threat.

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

A man sits watching as Lebanese first responders search for human remains among the rubble the day after a house was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, on May 1, 2026.

Culture

Lebanon's churches, mosques and archaeological sites damaged in Israeli strikes

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have damaged a growing number of cultural and religious sites, as sites in Israel have also sustained damage from Hezbollah and Iranian attacks.

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid (L) speaks to outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, during a meeting at the Knesset (parliament), in Jerusalem on June 30, 2022. - Final approval of the parliament dissolution bill was initially expected by midnight but was postponed to June 30 as coalition and opposition lawmakers sparred over last-minute legislative details, several sources familiar with the parliamentary said. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Can Bennett, Lapid unite Israel’s opposition to unseat Netanyahu?

Six months before Israel's next elections, opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have decided to run on one anti-Netanyahu ticket.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Latest News

Analysis

Iron Dome in Gulf: How Iran war turned UAE-Israel defense ties operational

AFP via Getty Images

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Analysis

Without exit strategy, Israel faces emboldened Hezbollah, limited options on Iran

Ibrahim AMRO / AFP via Getty Images

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

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates

President Donald Trump gives a speech during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn on April 28, 2026, in Washington.

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

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem January 27, 2019. Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS - RC15620896E0

Now Israel's defense minister, Bennett tones down Gaza rhetoric

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has made many belligerent statements over the years about stronger military action in Gaza, but as defense minister he seems to have adopted a policy of restraint.

Leader of Israeli Blue and White party Benny Gantz speaks at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference in Tel Aviv, Israel January 29, 2020. REUTERS/Corinna Kern - RC2UPE9HAC8E

Will Gantz defend the rule of law against the Israeli right?

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz may be forced to choose between defending democracy and rule of law in Israel and improving his chances of forming a right-wing government after the March 2 elections.

Gaza-Israel feud escalates, but cautiously

Palestinians in Gaza have been trying to sleep through the roar of Israeli jets and bombs, as Israeli settlers wake up to the explosions of grenades in a pseudo-war that might change the rules of engagement.

What's in store for Palestinian-Jordanian ties as US rolls out peace plan?

While Jordan and Palestine are supporting each other in their rejection of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, it remains to be seen what the future holds if Washington ups the pressure on Amman.

Palestinian demonstrators burn a representation of an Israeli flag during a protest against the U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, in the southern Gaza Strip January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC2ZQE9RWL7X

Is West Bank, Gaza unrest a prelude of things to come?

Attacks on Israeli security forces in the West Bank and Jerusalem after the release of President Donald Trump's peace plan have led security officials to view a recent escalation on the Gaza border in a new light.

A Palestinian reacts next to a fire during a protest against the U.S. President Donald Trumpís Middle East peace plan, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC21VE98476D

Tough talk plays well, but Netanyahu can't afford actual fighting

Diplomacy and security are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest suits, but escalation right before the election could hurt him.

Egypt stays out of renewed Israel-Gaza escalations

In an unusual move, Egypt has failed to intervene in Israel's latest military escalation on the Gaza Strip.

Dawn of protest: Palestinians stand against 'deal of century' at prayers

Palestinians flock to holy sites in the Great Fajr Campaign, to protest the "deal of the century" and its implications for Haram al-Sharif.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during a weekly cabinet meeting in the Jordan Valley, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank September 15, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC18033BD0C0

Has Netanyahu given up on annexation before the election?

Right-wing parties and settlers are pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to defy the Trump administration and annex Israeli settlements on the West Bank now rather than after the March 2 elections.

When will Europe propose genuine peace plan for Israel, Palestinians?

If the European Union wants to stay relevant in the Middle East, it must make up its mind over the Trump administration's peace plan and advance with an alternative, viable proposal.

FILE PHOTO: Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beitenu leaves his party headquarters following the announcement of exit polls in Israel's parliamentary election, in Jerusalem September 18, 2019. REUTERS/Oren Ben Hakoon/File Photo. ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL - RC12937027A0

Did Israel’s Liberman close deal with Netanyahu’s rival?

After the March 2 elections, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz will have to make a choice between Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party and the Arab Joint List.

The Polisario Front soldiers drive a pick-up truck mounted with an anti-aircraft weapon during sunset in Bir Lahlou, Western Sahara, September 9, 2016. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra SEARCH ìPOLISARIOî FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. - S1BEUKRIISAA

Intel: Morocco played up Iran rhetoric as it eyed US-Israel deal on Western Sahara

Israel, Morocco and the United States have been pursuing back channel negotiations on the disputed Western Sahara for more than a year.