Channel 14 News Israel

Category: Israel

  • Russian Media Names Israeli in Gagged Espionage Mystery

    Russian Media Names Israeli in Gagged Espionage Mystery

    Under a gag order in Israel but making headlines in Moscow: As prosecutors filed charges today against an Israeli citizen for operating on behalf of a foreign intelligence service whose identity remains classified, Russian media report the suspect is historian Artyom Kirpichonok, who was reported “missing” since landing at Ben Gurion Airport in early August. Kirpichonok had moved to Russia in recent years and was known for his extreme anti-Israeli positions.

    Screenshot, Social Networks

    The name of Artyom Kirpichonok, the historian and writer reported missing in Russia early last month after landing in Israel, was linked today (Friday) in foreign reports to the serious security case whose details were partially cleared for publication. Russian and international media reported that the indictment filed today against an Israeli citizen for operating on behalf of foreign intelligence refers to Kirpichonok, who landed in Israel on August 2 and has been out of contact since.

    According to reports on the Meduza website and other Russian media outlets, Kirpichonok was arrested in early August immediately upon landing at the airport by Shin Bet investigators on suspicion of maintaining ties with a foreign agent and espionage offenses. The case sparked an uproar in Moscow early this month, when his friends and human rights activists published calls for help locating him and even claimed that the Russian embassy in Israel contacted authorities in an attempt to clarify the circumstances of his mysterious disappearance at Ben Gurion.

    Illustration | Photo: Shutterstock

    Kirpichonok, 51, is a dual Russian-Israeli citizen who lived in Israel for about 15 years, served in the IDF and studied at Hebrew University, but returned to Russia in recent years and was known for his sharp anti-Israeli positions published on social media. According to overseas reports, since arriving in Israel he has been held in detention without contact with the outside world, until the indictment was filed today by the Central District Attorney’s Office.

  • IDF Commandos Capture Terror Cell In Daring Raid at Dawn

    IDF Commandos Capture Terror Cell In Daring Raid at Dawn

    IDF Duvdevan commandos arrested a five-man terrorist cell planning an attack against Israeli civilians and security forces during a dawn raid in Qabatiya, Judea and Samaria, earlier today. The operation, conducted under the command of the Menashe Brigade, followed a Shin Bet intelligence effort that identified the cell and its suspected plans.

    IDF Soldiers in Judea and Samaria | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    According to the IDF, the five terrorists had been actively advancing plans for terror attacks. Duvdevan soldiers raided the suspected locations and arrested all five within 10 minutes of entering the sites. Following the arrests, the soldiers searched the terrorists’ homes and discovered an M16 rifle and additional weapons that had been concealed there. The weapons were confiscated by Israeli forces. The five suspects were transferred to Israeli security forces for further interrogation.

  • Israel Develops AI to Fight Rampant Arab Crime Networks

    Israel Develops AI to Fight Rampant Arab Crime Networks

    As C14 reported approximately two weeks ago, the Prime Minister’s Office, led by attorney Roi Kahlon, is currently developing a new five-year plan to combat the rampant organized crime in Israel’s Arab sector, such as gang shootings and extortion . A major element of the emerging plan for the first time: the use of artificial intelligence as a central tool in the fight against crime organizations,.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the approval of the plan, which includes bringing the Shin Bet into the fight against crime in Arab society, describing the phenomenon as a “national scourge” and stressing the goal of restoring Israelis’ personal security. Netanyahu said: “We will not accept a reality of violence, extortion and murder in our streets. The State of Israel will act with determination, strength and without compromise to eradicate the crime organizations and restore security to our streets.”

    Under the plan, government databases would feed into a single information system capable of consolidating information on criminal activity and analyzing it to assist law enforcement agencies. The goal is to transform information currently scattered across different government systems into a more effective operational and intelligence tool.

    Yesterday’s murder in Nazareth | Photo: MDA operational documentation

    Artificial intelligence would be used to process and clean the data, identify unusual financial activity and detect recurring patterns associated with criminals and organized crime groups. Another component of the plan involves identifying straw men and shell companies, which officials familiar with the details say are frequently used to conceal the financial activities of organized crime.

    By exposing those networks, officials behind the plan hope to strike at the financial lifeline that allows crime organizations to continue operating. Ultimately, the system, which is still under development, is intended to help law enforcement stay ahead of organized crime groups, identify suspicious activity earlier and disrupt criminal operations before they expand.

    The emerging five-year plan includes additional measures aimed at attacking the financial resources of organized crime organizations, which C14 will cover in future reports.

  • Israeli Indicted for Serious Foreign Intelligence Operation

    Israeli Indicted for Serious Foreign Intelligence Operation

    The State Attorney’s Office filed a serious indictment and a request Friday to keep an Israeli citizen in custody until the end of legal proceedings over alleged security offenses against the state. The legal action follows a complex joint investigation by the Shin Bet and Israel Police, which uncovered suspicions of hostile activity against the State of Israel.

    ISraeli Police | Photo: Shutterstock

    According to the investigation, the defendant was allegedly operated by foreign intelligence officials and was involved in foreign influence activity against Israel. At the conclusion of the investigation, authorities said an evidentiary foundation had been established that led the Central District Attorney’s Office to file the indictment.

    The case involves serious allegations that an Israeli citizen used his citizenship to carry out missions allegedly assigned to him by foreign intelligence operatives. The court granted a request by security authorities allowing only a paraphrased version of the investigation’s details to be published. All other details surrounding the case remain under a sweeping gag order.

  • Minister Katz: No Lebanon Withdrawal Until Threat Removed

    Minister Katz: No Lebanon Withdrawal Until Threat Removed

    Defense Minister Israel Katz: “The capture of the Ali Taher ridge marks the completion of our hold on the security zone in southern Lebanon. After maneuvering to the Litani line and capturing the Beaufort, with the IDF establishing itself on the ridge that dominates and protects the eastern Galilee communities, we decided to maneuver toward the Ali Taher ridge based on intelligence about Hezbollah command and control tunnels at the site. The Ali Taher tunnels served as a command center for attacks on our forces and the Galilee region, and also functioned as the last dominant outpost defending the Nabatieh area—so important to Hezbollah—hence their strategic significance.”

    Archive | Photo: IDF spokesperson

    “The IDF operated on the ridge under difficult terrain conditions, both in attack and in defense of our forces. I closely followed the activity on the ridge, including contact with forces in the field, and was deeply impressed by their commitment to the mission. We imposed heavy secrecy on the operation’s details out of concern for the safety of our forces. I salute the determination of the IDF command and the bravery of the fighters. In a complex and methodical operation, the mission was completed, and the tunnels were cleared of terrorists.”

    “Now the IDF will complete the neutralization of the tunnels and prepare tactically to hold the ridge and prevent the enemy from re-establishing itself in the area. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are leading a clear and uncompromising line, implemented daily by the IDF: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threats to Galilee residents are removed. The capture of Ali Taher is an important step in achieving this goal.”

  • IDF Kills Nukhba Terrorist Who Led Raid on Sufa Outpost

    IDF Kills Nukhba Terrorist Who Led Raid on Sufa Outpost

    Israeli forces eliminated Mohammed Mahmoud Marshad al-Qadi in a strike in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza this week, the IDF and Shin Bet announced Wednesday. Al-Qadi commanded a Nukhba company in Hamas’s military wing and led the raid on the Sufa outpost during the October 7 massacre.

    Throughout the war, al-Qadi was involved in holding hostages in Hamas captivity in the Rafah area. More recently, he led training operations for Hamas terrorists and worked to rebuild the organization’s capabilities. Al-Qadi advanced terror plots against IDF forces and Israeli civilians, systematically violating the ceasefire.

  • Israel Formalizes New City ‘Shira’ and Three Other Towns

    Israel Formalizes New City ‘Shira’ and Three Other Towns

    The Interior Ministry on Thursday granted official status to four new communities in Judea and Samaria—a dramatic milestone capping years-long processes and adding to the 39 communities formalized recently under Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s expansion drive.

    The new city of Shira (East Rosh HaAyin) in the Samaria Regional Council, which was approved by the security cabinet in December 2025 as a new community, is now officially on the map with its designation. The city is planned east of Rosh HaAyin adjacent to Highway 5, spanning roughly 9,500 dunams and slated to include tens of thousands of housing units.

    Photo: Haim Goldberg, Flash 90

    Also in Samaria, the town of Har Bazak was formalized after receiving cabinet approval in December 2025. The town sits on a high, strategic point and is part of a chain of new communities providing a strategic response along the Har Bazak-Goder-Tamun corridor.

    Gush Etzion saw a double celebration: The town of Pnei Kedem, established 26 years ago and counted among the youth communities, reached the end of its formalization process. The move will allow the town to grow significantly and develop as an independent community.

    Additionally, the new town of Keren Yaar (Al Keren Forest) in Gush Etzion, also approved by the cabinet in December 2025, was finalized. Keren Yaar is located at a strategic point above Highway 60 and serves as a significant link in maintaining continuity between Gush Etzion and Kiryat Arba.

    Granting formal status is a critical milestone in establishing the communities—a process led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—that will enable infrastructure development, extensive construction, and significant strengthening of the hold on the land.

  • Netanyahu: This Is the Timeline of My Morning on Oct. 7

    Netanyahu: This Is the Timeline of My Morning on Oct. 7

    The Prime Minister’s Office released Benjamin Netanyahu’s schedule from the morning of October 7, 2023, on Thursday evening, following what the office described as “misleading reports” published recently. According to the timeline, Netanyahu was first briefed on the Hamas attack at 6:29 a.m. by his military secretary, received another update at 6:44 a.m., and later traveled to the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, where he held a security assessment with senior defense officials.

    The Full Timeline, According to the PM Office:

    6:29 a.m. – The military secretary briefs the prime minister for the first time that there is an attack from the Gaza Strip.

    6:44 a.m. – Second briefing call with the military secretary. The prime minister asks why nothing came up in the intelligence briefings he received, requests a check on whether a broad reserve call-up is needed, and asks whether it’s possible to assassinate Hamas leadership.

    7:30 a.m. – The prime minister departs for the Kirya after the prime ministerial convoy is prepared.

    During the drive – The prime minister speaks with the defense minister, who updates him that there is no clear picture of the situation. The prime minister directs him to convene a security assessment in the Pit (underground command center) under his leadership.

    Around 8:00 a.m. – The prime minister arrives at the Kirya (according to Shin Bet records, 8:22 a.m.).

    8:40 a.m. – The defense minister convenes the IDF chief of staff and Shin Bet director to formulate a situation assessment ahead of the discussion with the prime minister.

    8:30-9:30 a.m. – The prime minister requests and receives intelligence updates and ongoing field updates from the military secretary’s team.

    9:47 a.m. – The prime minister’s chief of staff receives, for the first time, the situation assessment document that the Shin Bet director held at 5:15 a.m.

    9:55 a.m. – The prime minister holds a security assessment in the Pit with the defense minister, IDF chief of staff, Mossad director, Shin Bet director, National Security Council head, and Military Intelligence chief. The prime minister directs a hermetic sealing of the border to prevent hostages from being transferred to Gaza and further terrorist infiltration, rejects the IDF’s recommendation for a partial reserve call-up and directs a full mobilization, and orders a war directive and preparation for the northern front.

    At the end of the meeting, the prime minister holds a limited security consultation with the defense minister and IDF chief of staff.

  • Trump Hosts Fiercely Anti-Zionist Rabbis at White House

    Trump Hosts Fiercely Anti-Zionist Rabbis at White House

    C14 U.S. correspondent Libby Alon reported Thursday that President Donald Trump hosted several senior figures from America’s Haredi community at the White House, including two Satmar rebbes—leaders of a Hasidic movement identified with a fiercely anti-Zionist ideology—as well as the head of the Lakewood yeshiva.

    The presence of senior Satmar leaders alongside Trump in the Oval Office has therefore attracted unusual attention.

    Officially, the Rosh Hashanah meeting focused on religious freedom, Haredi education and relations with the administration. But the image of Satmar leaders standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office carries political and public significance in both the United States and Israel. Alon reported that, according to sources she spoke with earlier, efforts had already been made behind the scenes to have the meeting canceled. Those efforts ultimately failed. And the meeting may involve more than a ceremonial photograph.

     

    Earlier this week, the possibility was raised that the contentious issue of drafting yeshiva students into the IDF could come up during the meeting. According to the latest reports, however, the delegation was advised not to make the Israeli draft issue the central focus of its discussions. So while the White House may characterize the gathering as a festive and symbolic meeting ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the maneuvering behind the scenes—and the messages conveyed by the meeting itself—make it a considerably more sensitive and complicated affair.

  • 14 Years After Eviction, Jewish Families Return to Migron

    14 Years After Eviction, Jewish Families Return to Migron

    Fourteen years after the evacuation of Migron, Israeli families have returned to the site. For the first time, it can officially be reported that approximately one year ago, the Binyamin Regional Council, through the Binyamin Development Company, established the “Migron Agricultural Farm” in Upper Migron—a new agricultural community where several families now live. The council chose not to disclose the move until now, seeking first to complete the project. On Thursday, with the site connected to the electricity grid, the return to Migron was officially revealed.

    Jewish man in Ramat Migron, Judea and Samaria | Photo: Haim Goldberg, Flash 90

    Migron became a symbol of Israeli Supreme Court intervention in Jewish communities in 2012, when the court ordered the complete evacuation of the community for the first time and rejected a compromise reached between the government and residents. Following the ruling, dozens of families were evicted and the community’s homes were demolished. Residents were relocated to a new community established for them on the outskirts of the Migron ridge, near the Mikhmas Crossing.

    Now, 14 years after the evacuation, Upper Migron was connected to the electricity grid Thursday, after families spent approximately a year living at the site without power. The land purchases and development of the new community were carried out through the Binyamin Development Company, led by CEO Eldad Ben Zamra, with assistance from Noam Party MK Avi Maoz, who supported and helped advance the initiative. The community is strategically located along Route 60 between Shiloh and Sha’ar Binyamin. Alongside the homes, agricultural activity is being conducted to preserve the land and strengthen Israel’s presence in the area.

    Israel Gantz in Megron | Photo: Megron Spokesperson

    Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council Chairman Israel Ganz hailed the development as the closing of a historic circle. “Today, we are closing a historic circle,” Ganz said. “In the place where homes were demolished and families were uprooted, there is once again a community, families and life. For a year, they lived here without electricity and protected land that was legally purchased, and today the light returns to Migron,” he continued.

    “Together with the Israeli government, we are correcting the injustices of the past and leading a major surge in construction, development and communities. Thank you to Eldad Ben Zamra and the Binyamin Development Company, who resolutely led the land purchase and development of the site. We will continue to strengthen the Israeli presence, develop the region and build the future of the communities in Binyamin,” Ganz concluded.