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May 18, 2026

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Lebanon-Israel ceasefire extended 45 days as US opens security talks

The Pentagon will host Israeli and Lebanese military delegations for a round of separate security talks later this month.

US President Donald Trump talks to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he departs the Al Bateen Executive Airport on May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Analysis

‘A reckless act’: Netanyahu sparks UAE fury by claiming secret visit

Just as UAE-Israeli relations were deepening through cooperation against Iran, the Israeli prime minister publicly embarrassed Abu Dhabi by revealing his March visit.

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

Israel's Netanyahu suing New York Times over column on Palestinian rape

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's accusations of systematic sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian prisoners, calling the claims a "blood libel."

Latest News

Analysis

Israel’s drone dilemma: Hezbollah’s low-cost threat reshapes Lebanon front

Artillery units are positioned near the Lebanese border in northern Israel, May 4, 2026.

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

EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know

Two men stand next to the burned remains of a Palestinian vehicle in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Susya village in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 1, 2026.

Netanyahu fears being left out as Trump pursues Iran diplomacy

Ronen Zvulun / AFP via Getty Images

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

Netanyahu gains victory in battle over public broadcasting

Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon found himself isolated this week when he misjudged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's control over his coalition in the fight over launching Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation.

Torah scrolls are exhibited at the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda, near Tel Aviv, in this October 19, 2006 picture. World Jewish groups began a global campaign on Sunday calling for recognition of Jews from Arab countries as refugees in the Middle East conflict. REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen (ISRAEL) - RTR1IKQX

One man's quest to save the Jewish Iraqi language

Oded Amit, who was born in Baghdad and eventually fled to Israel, has taken it upon himself to teach Israelis of Iraqi immigrants the language of their ancestors in order to preserve it.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shake hands after a statement in Berlin, Germany, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski - RTX32ITH

Will EU take the lead on two-state solution?

The European Union is developing a new Middle East policy, which will not depend on the Trump administration.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters take part in a demonstration against members of their community serving in the Israeli army, in Jerusalem March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Baz Ratner TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX333A1

Ultra-Orthodox leadership silent over violent demonstration

Much like the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox community, Israeli politicians and ministers are afraid to condemn the violent demonstrations against the summoning of ultra-Orthodox students to IDF induction centers.

PA, Jordan compete for aid at Arab League Summit

Both the Palestinian and Jordanian governments took advantage of the Arab League Summit in Amman to present their cases for why they deserve more financial aid from the rich Gulf countries.

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man is seen in the foreground as the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, is seen in the background February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTSYSCA

Will zealots ignite another firestorm on the Temple Mount?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes the Supreme Court will resolve the issue of Knesset members’ visiting the Temple Mount so he doesn't have to.

Palestinians hold a poster of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a Hamas rally in support of Erdogan's government against a coup attempt, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSI917

Is Turkey trying to bypass Abbas in Gaza?

Hamas says it has not succumbed to Turkish pressure to negotiate with Israel, but the exchange raises discussion about Turkey’s role in accelerating the peace process between the adversaries.

Palestinian members of Hamas' armed wing carry the body of senior militant Mazen Fuqaha during his funeral in Gaza City March 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX32N91

Hamas weighs options in wake of commander's assassination

A senior Hamas military operative, Mazen Faqha, was shot near his home in western Gaza, with Israel being the main suspect behind the assassination, raising concerns about a fourth war in the Gaza Strip.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 20, 2015. Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. SEARCH "ALEPPO TIMELINE" FOR THIS STORY - RTX2UYYY

Israel keeps tabs on Putin-Assad alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reinforces the latter and might lead him to adopt a stronger approach vis-a-vis Israel.

The GCC’s three options for dealing with Iran

Against the backdrop of heightened tensions with Iran in past years, the Gulf Cooperation Council stands at a crossroads in how it chooses to deal with the Islamic Republic.

A Palestinian policeman shows one of the hundreds of seized marijuana plants at the police headquarters in the West Bank city of Hebron on March 31, 2015. The plants, which were confiscated in the Hebron area, were being cultivated by a Palestinian farmer in cooperation with Israelis, the Hebron police said. AFP PHOTO/ HAZEM BADER (Photo credit should read HAZEM BADER/AFP/Getty Images)

Drug cultivation, trafficking on the rise in West Bank

Despite increased efforts to counter it, drug cultivation and trafficking has increased in the West Bank in the first quarter of 2017 compared to previous years.

Why is Netanyahu ignoring concerns of chemical workers?

Threatened with losing their jobs, employees from Haifa Chemicals cannot get the attention of Israeli leaders, who are too concerned with the fight over Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation.