Israel’s Supreme Court upheld a new oversight protocol Wednesday for international aid organizations operating in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, rejecting petitions from 19 groups that refused to meet Israel’s transparency and security vetting requirements.
The ruling backs Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli’s policy requiring aid groups to register, provide full information about their activities and staff, and undergo security checks as a condition for continued operations in Israel.
For decades, many international organizations operated under a humanitarian cover without adequate oversight—a situation frequently exploited for terrorist purposes. After serious gaps were exposed following the October 7 attack, Chikli led a precedent-setting policy shift. Among the organizations that refused to cooperate was Doctors Without Borders, which employed Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives.
Chikli welcomed the decision: “Rejecting the petition confirms the precedent-setting policy we led: The State of Israel will not allow terrorist activity under the guise of humanitarian work. The party is over!”
The justices ruled that screening and security vetting procedures are part of the state’s core authorities and that the requirements are proportionate. Under the decision, the organizations must now submit the required documents within 30 days or their operations will be immediately halted.
The new protocol is being implemented by a broad inter-ministerial team led by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, with participation from the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, National Security Ministry, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), the Shin Bet, and Israel Police. The team’s goal is to ensure aid organizations are not exploited by terrorist elements, thereby strengthening Israel’s security and that of its residents.
After years of infrastructure work and planning, the “Samaria-Taybeh” train station was inaugurated Tuesday in a ceremonial opening. The new station, built as part of the Eastern Railway project, creates a major transportation corridor designed to ease traffic congestion on area roads and cut travel times between Samaria and the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and central Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan, Israel Railways board chairman Moshe Shimoni, and other senior officials from the Transportation Ministry, Israel Railways, and Netivei Israel attended the ceremony.
Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan, who has promoted the station’s establishment for over a decade, said it’s part of a broader strategic plan: “After persistent work, we’re connecting northern Samaria to the State of Israel with a real railway. This is a significant step on the path to our goal of bringing a million residents to Samaria.”
The new station marks a historic precedent for Israel’s rail system—it’s the first official station to include the name “Samaria.” It’s expected to serve tens of thousands of residents from communities and towns in the area, including Avnei Hefetz, Sal’it, Tzofim, Einav, and Shavei Shomron, as well as residents of the surrounding region.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the project’s national significance in his speech: “There’s a huge piece of good news here for Israel’s citizens. We’re reducing the burden on the coastal corridor and enabling a parallel route for all our citizens. This is going to bring major development momentum and increase transportation speed across the entire country. The blessing and prosperity this will give Israel’s citizens is enormous.”
Border Police forces operating around Jerusalem arrested a key suspect overnight Monday into Tuesday in the firebombing of Rachel’s Tomb compound. The arrest comes about a week after the serious incident, in which explosives were thrown at the holy site, posing a real danger to the lives of civilians and the many worshippers who visit the compound daily.
Rachel’s Tomb | Photo: Nati Shohat, Flash 90
According to police, the operational activity took place in the heart of Aida camp near Bethlehem. Border Police forces arrived at the suspect’s home in a targeted operation, located him, and arrested him. The arrest was carried out without unusual incidents and the suspect was taken from the scene for further handling by security officials.
The arrested suspect is a 17-year-old Arab youth, a resident of Aida. After his initial arrest by Border Police fighters, he was transferred directly to investigators from the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency. The Shin Bet will now attempt to exhaust the investigation with him and understand whether he acted alone or as part of a broader terror organization.
Good news for residents of northern Samaria: The Civil Administration has begun extensive infrastructure work in recent days to erect a new communications tower near the community of Sa-Nur. The project, expected to be completed within about a month from today (Tuesday), will bring dramatic improvement to cellular reception in the community and on nearby roads, ending years-long reception problems that residents have suffered from.
The tower’s construction, led by the communications staff officer in the Civil Administration and the Menashe District Coordination and Liaison Administration, marks a significant step in strengthening security in the area. Stable and continuous cellular reception is a critical component in providing rapid and effective security response when needed, and enables continuous contact with security forces.
This project in Sa-Nur is part of a broader strategic initiative by the Civil Administration, which is advancing the construction of 49 additional cellular sites throughout Judea and Samaria. According to the plan, construction of all sites will be completed over the coming year—a move that will bring comprehensive cellular coverage and significantly improve infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area.
A political storm erupted today (Tuesday) in the Knesset’s Constitution Committee during a debate on a bill to split the role of the attorney general. Committee Chair MK Simcha Rotman was forced to call a recess after a confrontation with opposition MK Merav Cohen led to her removal from the chamber.
The incident began when Cohen exceeded the two minutes allotted for her opening remarks. She continued speaking and demanded to know if she would be given additional speaking time later. After three calls to order, Chair Rotman ordered her removed from the hearing—a move that sparked outrage among other opposition members present.
Following Cohen’s ejection, opposition lawmakers began protesting loudly, calling Chair Rotman a “thug.” In response, Rotman halted the debate and said he would not allow the proceedings to continue this way. “Opposition members came with the goal of blowing up the debate, and I won’t allow it,” Rotman said, ordering a recess until tempers cooled.
After the debate resumed, Chair Rotman explained his decision: “I said at the start of the debate that I would allow two-minute opening statements, and I don’t accept conditions for releasing the microphone. This is not parliamentary conduct.” In response, MK Ofer Cassif attacked him, saying: “The insane conduct here is exactly a mirror of your legislation designed to shut mouths. This is the definition of thuggery.”
Security forces scored a major win against border smuggling Sunday night, busting a massive operation at the Allenby Bridge crossing from Jordan. Police from the Judea and Samaria District, Border Police fighters, and IDF troops arrested 20 members of a smuggling ring on the spot—including Israeli citizens from East Jerusalem alongside Arabs from Judea and Samaria.
Photo: Police spokesperson
The forces raided a skilled smuggling cell in the village of Uja in the Jordan Valley and seized a huge haul of contraband that investigators say serves as an economic lifeline and a platform for serious illegal activity. Officers confiscated around 55,000 boxes of cigarettes and tobacco products—more than 5,000 cartons—with an estimated value of about ₪1.3 million (~$450,000).
Photo: Police spokesperson
The investigation at the Bik’at HaYarden station reveals this wasn’t a one-time incident, but rather a skilled network that operated multiple times in the past to smuggle various goods from Jordan. The main destination for the smuggled cargo was businesses in the Jericho area. All suspects were taken in for intensive interrogation, and extensive economic enforcement proceedings were opened in coordination with the Federation and professional authorities.
Photo: Police spokesperson
Israeli police are emphasizing the extreme severity security forces see in this phenomenon, especially given the involvement of blue ID card holders assisting the illegal activity. Police said Judea and Samaria District officers will continue to act with all tools and resources at their disposal against illegal smuggling, since these operations violate the law and can even serve as a platform for security offenses. Security forces will continue working together to ensure the detection, arrest, and full prosecution of everyone involved.
President Donald Trump announced overnight that he made a last-minute decision to halt a massive U.S. military air strike against targets in Iran that was set to launch during the day. The decision came after urgent phone calls and pressure from the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, who asked the president for a two- or three-day extension to exhaust direct diplomatic contacts with Tehran.
Trump agreed to the request after the Gulf states reported that negotiations conducted through Pakistani mediation had become “serious” and were approaching a significant breakthrough. But he made clear that if an acceptable deal isn’t reached, the military is ready to launch an attack on a moment’s notice.
Despite suspending the operation, Trump emphasized that any future agreement must require Iran’s complete dismantling of nuclear capabilities. He noted that if the Gulf states are satisfied with the proposed peace framework, the United States will trust it as well.
F/A-18E aircraft on the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” | Photo: US Army Central Command X-Account
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command issued a message of high operational readiness. The command’s leader, Admiral Brad Cooper, emphasized in an official video that thousands of American troops are deployed across the Middle East and that “no enemy is too determined or mission too difficult for our forces.”
At the same time, skeptical voices are emerging in Congress. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, close to the president, said he’s skeptical about Iran’s intentions and made clear that any agreement reached must pass congressional approval, while setting strict conditions including American control of enriched uranium and full opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The decision to postpone the operation took shape after Trump met with his national security chiefs over the weekend and received a detailed list of strike options. Last night, during a White House event and in official posts, the president revealed the drama’s details and presented the operational orders he transmitted to top command levels.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
Trump told White House reporters: “We were ready to carry out a very large strike tomorrow. I postponed it for a short time—hopefully, maybe, forever, but possibly for a short time—because we had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see where they lead. I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others if we could postpone it for two-three days, a short period, because they think they’re very close to signing a deal. If we can do this without bombing the shape out of them, I’d be very happy.”
Revolutionary Guards | Photo: Reuters
On the Iranian side, a combative and defiant line is maintained. The commander of the “Khatam al-Anbiya” central headquarters in Tehran, which serves as the supreme operational command center of Iran’s armed forces, issued a sharp counter-warning: “Iran’s military forces are ready and stronger than ever and are ‘with their hand on the trigger.’ We warn the United States and its allies against strategic miscalculation. Any further mistake will be met with a response that will be far beyond all previous confrontations.”
Alongside the military threats, Iranian state television broadcast segments showing news anchors training with AK-47s during live broadcasts as part of a national volunteer campaign, with some aiming and firing at a UAE flag—the country that recently bore the brunt of Iranian drone attacks, including hits on an energy facility and a nuclear power plant on its territory.
Republican senators expressed a firm position demanding close oversight of the moves. The Republican majority in the Senate wrote on X that “the Obama and Biden administrations chose to appease Iran, giving it billions in sanctions relief while allowing its nuclear infrastructure to advance without oversight. President Trump destroyed their military and is using maximum economic pressure. Peace requires strength.”
As the political drama continues, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, sharply attacked the left-wing lobby J Street for its call to impose a weapons embargo and restrictions on American aid to Israel: “The worst thing about J Street is their two-facedness. How can you be pro-Israel and push for a weapons embargo on a country fighting a war on seven fronts against Iran’s proxies? If they said they were pro-‘Palestinian’, I’d have no problem meeting with them, I meet with pro-‘Palestinian’ groups. This is a cancer within the Jewish community.”
The current strike suspension reflects the trap in which the American administration finds itself, recalling the sequence of events from April 21, when Trump announced extending the ceasefire at Pakistan’s request, which asked for time to wait for a unified proposal from Tehran’s divided government. But since then, the American president has expressed growing frustration with the slow pace of talks.
Photo: Shutterstock
Sources involved in the details reported that the latest proposal Iran transmitted through Pakistani mediators did not include significant concessions on core issues, primarily the demand to stop enriching nuclear materials and hand over the stockpile of uranium enriched to near-military levels.
Meanwhile, internal pressure within the United States is mounting. The war—now in its third month—has led to a sharp spike in global fuel prices and a significant drop in President Trump’s public approval ratings regarding economic management.
The significance of Trump’s decision is giving the diplomatic track one absolutely final chance, while shifting the weight and responsibility to the Gulf states. The joint appeal from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Emirates is worth noting. It should be noted that the president’s announcement of postponing the strike may be part of battle fog dispersal, as well as psychological warfare.
The current suspension places Tehran before a critical choice: exploit the narrow time window of the coming days to present a tangible compromise on the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz, or face a combined American-Israeli attack of extensive scope, whose plans have already been approved and are awaiting an immediate activation order.
During a Yisrael Beiteinu faction meeting, party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman said that Druze MK Hamad Amar from his party is the party’s candidate for internal security minister in the next government. “We will wage a war without compromise,” Liberman said, following the severe crime situation in the north after the assassination attempt on the head of the Jadeidi-Makr council.
Liberman: “The north of the country is under a terror attack from two directions: on one side Hezbollah, and on the other side crime organizations operating in the north. What happened in Jadeidi-Makr, criminals shooting the council head and his deputy—this is a loss of sovereignty and it’s unbearable. I personally toured the north and saw the burned buses of ‘Hasa’ot Segel,’ a northern business whose owner refused to pay protection money. I talk every day with people across the country—they’re afraid.”
The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman continued: “Most business owners pay protection money. We must declare total war. When we return to power, we will wage total war against crime organizations. It’s only a matter of time before armed militias join the Nukhba terrorists and crime organizations in the north join Hezbollah. Already today there’s cooperation between them in drug trafficking. We must fight crime organizations the way we fight terror.”
The former defense minister proposed a solution: “We’ll establish special courts for protection rackets. We need to impose sentences of at least 12 years in prison for everyone involved in organized crime and extortion. There will be no sentence reductions and no pardons. We’re simply losing the north, and before we talk about sovereignty over Gaza or settlement in Syria, let’s restore sovereignty to the north. Regardless of who the next prime minister is, the next internal security minister will be MK Hamad Amar—we will wage a war without compromise.”
MK Hamad Amar | Photo: Flash 90
“There’s a difference between talk and action,” Liberman continued. “When Yisrael Beiteinu held the internal security portfolio, there were 61 murder victims in Arab society. This year there were 260. We will handle the issue professionally. What’s needed isn’t TikTok, but a national headquarters to combat organized crime. We need cooperation not just from the Shin Bet—the prosecution, tax authority, and anti-money laundering units need to be there too. We need to initiate, not wait.”
Regarding the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman who went off the rails, and everything happening on social media with attacks on the IDF chief of staff over patches, he said: “Soldiers are being killed and wounded in the north, the IDF is collapsing into itself, reservists are being worn down, and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman is promoting draft dodging and dealing with patches. The man is unfit to sit in this position—it’s unbelievable. The prime minister and defense minister are silent as fish in the face of all the attacks on the chief of staff.”
Liberman continued defending the chief of staff: “He’s facing multiple missions: Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, a fragile situation in the Judea and Samaria, and the reserves system. The entire system is 100,000 people, one percent who are also a core force in the economy. How much can you wear them down, how much pressure can you put on them? This government must step down—it can’t defeat organized crime, terror organizations, and can’t bring security and stability to the State of Israel.”
On the draft law, he said: “We’re following what’s happening with the draft dodging law. Why hasn’t the text been published? The text that was prepared isn’t relevant after the Supreme Court ruling—there were very important comments there. It’s clear this is just an exercise, all pretend, to please Goldknopf, Deri, and Gafni, who might agree to postpone the Knesset dissolution law.”
The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman also spoke about the Yesh Atid party leader: “I respect Gadi Eisenkot, but Yisrael Beiteinu’s position is that there’s no scenario where we sit with Deri, Goldknopf, or Gafni in the same coalition. The State of Israel has undergone a hostile takeover of Judaism by anti-Jews and anti-Zionists. The draft law applies to everyone—Jews, Muslims, Circassians, everyone. Every 18-year-old must enlist. There are two tracks, military or civilian—the IDF will decide.”
He added on this topic: “The story of the outline, of exemptions out of respect for the Torah world—this is dangerous. I deeply believe in the great sages of Israel. The greatest thinker was Maimonides, who said that in a mandatory war even a groom leaves his chamber and a bride her canopy. There’s no reason for exemptions—there won’t be a single draft dodger with us. To connect, we need to formulate a joint platform. We won’t conduct any negotiations—it’s take it or leave it. Also in employment, everyone must work, both serve and work. Everything else is out of the question.”
Liberman also shared his political forecasts: “I believe we’ll reach 63 mandates. We need to form a Zionist coalition. Also regarding the Arab parties—if you want to eradicate crime, vote for Zionist parties. The Arab parties didn’t deal with this, it doesn’t interest them—they dealt with Hamas and a ‘Palestinian’ state.”
The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman gave his opinion on the Hadash party chairman: “We know Yosef Jabareen. He’s engaged in delegitimizing the State of Israel, spreading slander about us in every international forum, and working to tighten ties with BDS. He and his whole gang have no place in the Knesset of Israel—let them go sit in Gaza. The crime rampant today in Arab society is the result of separatism. What interests the Arab parties is promoting Hamas and a ‘Palestinian’ state.”
Liberman continued with the slogan that Netanyahu’s era is over: “After the elections, there will be enough Likud MKs who will join the next coalition. They understand that Netanyahu has finished his path and he’s on the way to finishing the State of Israel. We can bring several MKs from Likud. Every military operation must end in a decision. You don’t start military operations without defining that there will be a decision at the end. You can’t live in a reality of rounds—it harms national security both now and in the long term. Even in Gaza, Hamas still rules. It’s clear to me that Netanyahu initiates operations without purpose, except for the purpose of elections.”
On relations with the U.S., he said: “It’s the greatest friend, and President Trump is a great friend of the State of Israel. We learned in the past that sometimes you need to say no. Menachem Begin also stood up to Reagan and didn’t give in. In the past, we knew how to stand our ground even against the U.S., even during my time as director general of the prime minister’s office. This self-nullification stems from other considerations.”
In a historic move in northern Samaria, the community of Kadim is set to be reestablished this summer, 21 years after it was forcefully displaced. In an unprecedented development, the initiative is being led by a core group composed mostly of families from Tel Aviv and central Israel, including graduates of religious Zionist yeshivas and reservists who served in the Iron Swords War, who are preparing to move to the land.
The reestablishment of Kadim is part of a broader strategic effort to return to northern Samaria communities, as part of the Samaria Regional Council’s “Million in Samaria” plan. The move follows a cabinet decision led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and represents the culmination of a more than 20-year battle to overturn the Disengagement Law, spearheaded by Council Head Yossi Dagan and activists.
In recent days, dozens of families toured the community alongside Council Head Yossi Dagan, council teams, and the Amana movement. The announcement of the return to Kadim—the fourth and final community forcefully displaced in the area—marks a dramatic milestone in completing the historic correction. During the tour, families danced to the iconic song “Shuru Habitu Ur’u” (Look and See), which has become the movement’s anthem.
Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan told the families, “We are standing here in the ruins and officially announcing: Here in Kadim, a large community will rise this summer! The fact that a strong core group is coming here from Tel Aviv is a statement that we are one people. If four communities were uprooted here, 18 new flourishing communities would rise in their place. The State of Israel is returning to northern Samaria!”
Detectives from the Border Police Northern District’s Central Unit and Border Police fighters arrested a suspect yesterday (Sunday) and recovered six stolen calves, ending a cattle theft spree in northern Israel. The operation, carried out at a Galilee community, capped a month-long investigation launched after complaints from farmers in the area.
According to police, the investigation came to a head yesterday morning after precise intelligence was gathered. Border Police detectives and fighters raided a barn in the area, where they found the six calves. The animals were allegedly stolen over the past month from the communities of Alma and Kerem Ben Zimra, causing economic damage to the farmers.
The recovered calves were taken for formal identification procedures to return them to their rightful owners as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the suspect, a northern Israel resident, was transferred for further questioning at the Border Police Northern District’s Central Unit. Police stress the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.
