Key Events
Updates
Smotrich: I intend to make West Bank integral part of Israel, life's mission is to thwart establishment of Palestinian state
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said at a Religious Zionism party meeting that he intends to "estabish facts on the ground in order to make Judea and Samaria [West Bank] an integral part of the State of Israel."
"We will establish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, first on the ground and then through legislation. I intend to legalize the young settlements [illegal outposts]," Smotrich said, "my life's mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state."
Hostages forum to publish bodycam footage of kidnapping of three hostages from Nova festival
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum announced that it will release the video of the kidnapping of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Eliya Cohen this evening at 7 P.M., at the request of their relatives.
The three were kidnapped to Gaza from a bomb shelter after escaping from the Nova festival in Re'im on the morning of October 7. The video, which is about two minutes long, was filmed using terrorists' body cameras. It was edited and blurred in part at the request of the families. "The harsh video is a serious indictment of the neglect that has been going on for 262 days. Hersh, Eliya and Or were kidnapped alive and that's how they should return, today," the forum said.
Foreign diplomats visit Beirut airport following reports that Hezbollah accumulates large quantities of Iranian weapons there
The Saudi News Network Al Arabiya reports that the Lebanese government led a tour for foreign diplomats and journalists at the Beirut international airport in Beirut, a day after The Telegraph reported that Hezbollah has been accumulating large quantities of Iranian weapons, missiles and bombs there.
Lebanese Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh said at a press conference that "All airports and ports are open to the [inspection] of all diplomatic staff. The Telegraph report is part of a psychological war against Lebanon and harms our tourism industry, which was also damaged by the war in Gaza. Israel violates Lebanese sovereignty and invades its airspace, including the Beirut airport, hundreds of times a year."
Rocket alarms activated in Gaza border communities
Rocket alarms were activated in the Gaza border communities of Yated, Avshalom, Sdei Avraham, Dekel and Holit.
Palestinian unity talks in China postponed, Palestinian officials say
Reconciliation talks between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah due to be held in China this month have been delayed and no new date has been set, Hamas and Fatah officials told Reuters on Monday.
After hosting a meeting of Palestinian factions in April, China said Fatah - which is led by President Mahmoud Abbas - and Hamas had expressed the will to seek reconciliation through unity talks in Beijing. Fatah and Hamas officials had previously said the meeting would take place in mid-June.
Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says 37,626 Palestinians killed in Gaza since war started
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says that 37,626 Palestinians have been killed and 86,098 have been wounded in the Strip since the war started.
Israel's government advances bill making Al Jazeera ban permanent
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved Sunday a bill meant to make the "Al Jazeera Law," currently a temporary provision, a permanent law. The temporary order allows the government to stop for 45 days the broadcasts in Israel of a foreign media outlet if it is determined that they cause real harm to national security.
The bill, approved by the committee, was introduced as a private member's by MK Ariel Kallner (Likud). It would allow a channel's broadcasts to be stopped permanently, without having to approve an extension when the 45-day order expires. The bill now goes to the Knesset for the first of four votes. The ministers approved advancing the law subject to the consent of the communication and justice ministries and agreed to discuss the bill again after the first vote and before the second.
Former war cabinet minister Eisenkot slams Netanyahu for suggesting 'partial' cease-fire, hostage deal
Former war cabinet minister, lawmaker Gadi Eisenkot, said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements concerning a "partial cease-fire and hostage deal" require "an immediate clarification."
"Until two weeks ago, in all the discussions we had at the war cabinet, there were only two alternatives: either a complete deal in one stage or a three-phase deal," Eisenkot said to members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
"The Prime Minister's statement about a partial deal is contrary to the war cabinet's decision," he added. "Maybe it was a Freudian slip, maybe just a thought. But I think it requires an immediate clarification in light of the mental turmoil caused to the families of the hostages."
"There are soldiers who are fighting right now and their goal is to release the hostages. I think that an immediate clarification by the Prime Minister is required as to what he meant."
Knesset approves cabinet request to vote on raising the exemption age of IDF reservists from 40 to 41
The Knesset approved the cabinet's request to vote later this week on the extension of the temporary order raising the exemption age from IDF reserve duty from 40 to 41.
If the legislation is approved, reservist officers will serve until the age of 46 and special ops reservists until the age of 50.
The temporary order is supposed to expire at the end of June, four months after it was first approved.
