Channel 14 News Israel

Category: Israel

  • Colombia, Israel Drop Visa Requirement Starting September 1

    Colombia, Israel Drop Visa Requirement Starting September 1

    Israel and Colombia announced Thursday that starting September 1, citizens of both countries will no longer need visas to visit each other. The decision came after talks between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Viauvicencio.

    The arrangement removes one of the main barriers to travel between the two countries. Under the new agreement, citizens won’t need to obtain entry visas in advance, making it significantly easier for Israelis to visit Colombia and Colombians to visit Israel.

    Ben Gurion Airport | Photo: Avshalom Shoshani, Flash 90

    The move reverses a policy that had been in place for just over a year. For decades, Israel and Colombia maintained a visa-free arrangement for tourists—the Colombian Foreign Ministry says the original agreement dates back to June 1966.

    But that changed in 2025. Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that starting July 18 of that year, Israeli citizens would need tourist visas before entering Colombia. Colombia formalized the change in an official decision requiring visas for Israelis based on the principle of reciprocity. The Colombian Foreign Ministry’s official document stated that the country could determine which foreign citizens require visas according to its interests or reciprocity principles.

    Ben Gurion Airport | Photo: Avshalom Shoshani, Flash 90

    The Colombian consulate in Tel Aviv clarified in August 2025 that the requirement applied to Israeli citizens and that visa applications would be processed online. According to guidelines published at the time, the authority responsible for visas and immigration had up to 30 calendar days to decide on complete applications.

    The visa requirement had a significant political backdrop. Relations between Israel and Colombia have hit a severe crisis in recent years. On May 1, 2024, Colombia’s leftist government under President Gustavo Petro announced it was severing diplomatic relations with Israel over the war in Gaza. The break took effect the next day. Colombia’s government clarified then that the move was directed at Israel’s government, not the Israeli people or Jewish community.

    Ben Gurion Airport | Photo: Avshalom Shoshani, Flash 90

    Despite the political crisis, ties between the countries didn’t disappear entirely. Israel and Colombia maintain longstanding agreements in various areas, including a free trade agreement signed in 2013 that remains in force and a tourism cooperation agreement signed in 2017.

    The visa exemption decision comes shortly after another significant political move by Colombia: On August 10, the new government in Bogotá announced it recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. That made Colombia the second country in the world, after the United States, to formally recognize Israeli sovereignty in the area. Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the decision “historic,” noting that Colombia recognizes the importance of Israeli control of the Golan Heights to Israel’s security.

  • IDF Team Rescues Final Trapped Victims From Colombia Rubble

    IDF Team Rescues Final Trapped Victims From Colombia Rubble

    The last people trapped at disaster sites in Colombia have been located and rescued by the IDF Home Front Command’s “Brit Re’im” (Covenant of Friends) delegation, working alongside local rescue forces. With all missing people now located and extracted, the Israeli teams are continuing their efforts by assessing buildings and scanning damaged structures at the disaster sites where the delegation has been operating.

    Home Front Command ‘Covenant of Friends’ delegation to Colombia | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    The IDF said the ongoing searches are intended to help authorities establish an updated picture of conditions throughout the affected area. The Israeli delegation has been operating at multiple destruction sites alongside Colombian rescue teams, assisting local forces throughout the search-and-rescue effort.

    Home Front Command ‘Covenant of Friends’ delegation to Colombia | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    Israel will send an additional aid shipment to Colombia Saturday night, totaling 5 tons and including medical equipment for initial emergency response. The shipment will go out in parallel with the Israeli rescue and humanitarian aid delegation’s operations in the country, following the severe earthquake.

    Home Front Command ‘Covenant of Friends’ delegation to Colombia | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
    Home Front Command ‘Covenant of Friends’ delegation to Colombia | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
    Home Front Command ‘Covenant of Friends’ delegation to Colombia | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
    Home Front Command ‘Covenant of Friends’ delegation to Colombia | Photo: IDF Spokesperson
  • Bereaved Families Slam Kushner Over Hamas Talks

    Bereaved Families Slam Kushner Over Hamas Talks

    As the Trump administration pushes its 15-point plan for Gaza and U.S. officials meet with the Hamas terror group’s political bureau chief, bereaved Israeli families are slamming Jared Kushner for engaging with terrorists. The Gevura Forum, representing families who lost loved ones in the war, launched a campaign attacking the negotiations. “Khalil al-Hayya is responsible for the rape of hundreds of women, Israelis and Americans, for the murder and kidnapping of hundreds of children, Israelis and Americans. And with him, Kushner is negotiating?” the families said.

    Khalil al-Hayya | Photo: Reuters

    “You fight terror, you don’t talk to it!” The campaign comes as Kushner visits Israel on a diplomatic mission to advance the 15-point plan, and after Trump administration representatives met this week in Egypt with al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s political bureau. The families are using the campaign to emphasize that for those who paid the heaviest price in the war, there can be no separation between political negotiations and the crimes committed by Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza.

    Hamas terrorists in Gaza | Photo: Flash 90

    The move is part of the families’ broader fight against negotiations with Hamas, which they say only strengthens the group on the ground. The families want decision-makers to make clear that Israel’s battle against Hamas cannot end with talks involving the organization’s leaders. Those responsible for the massacre, murder, kidnapping, and crimes committed against Israelis and Americans cannot be legitimate partners in political dialogue, they said.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | Photo: Haim Goldberg, Flash 90

    Last week, the forum sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the security cabinet demanding an immediate return to decisive action and offensive operations in Gaza. The families warned about the security situation on the ground and argued that Hamas is exploiting Israel’s lack of initiative. They emphasized that the current situation endangers IDF soldiers and residents of southern Israel, and demanded that the government fulfill its commitment to defeat the terror organization.

  • Elite Unit Deployed as Inmate Barricades on Prison Rooftop

    Elite Unit Deployed as Inmate Barricades on Prison Rooftop

    An unusual emergency unfolded Wednesday at Hasharon Prison after an injured inmate barricaded himself on the balcony of one of the prison wings and threatened to take his own life. The Israel Prison Service’s elite Masada Unit received a report that an inmate had barricaded himself on a prison-wing balcony while bleeding from what were later determined to be self-inflicted injuries. He also had a rope around his neck and was threatening suicide. The special forces managed to subdue the inmate in time, preventing a potentially fatal outcome.

    Israel Prison Service vehicle, archive | Photo: Olivier Fitoussi, Flash90

    Masada forces were immediately dispatched to the scene and, together with Hasharon Prison officers and a negotiation team from the elite unit, managed to take control of the situation and subdue the inmate. He was subsequently transferred for further medical treatment. Following the incident, the Israel Prison Service emphasized that the Masada Unit maintains constant readiness for demanding operational activity both inside and outside Israel’s prisons.

  • Geneva Initiative Warned Again Over Transparency Law

    Geneva Initiative Warned Again Over Transparency Law

    Channel 14 has learned that Israel’s Registrar of Nonprofits sent a letter to the Geneva Initiative in recent days claiming the organization has failed to properly meet reporting requirements related to receiving funding from foreign political entities. The letter warned that if the deficiencies aren’t corrected, the registrar will consider exercising her authority against the organization. But this isn’t the first time: according to information we obtained, a similar warning was sent to the Geneva Initiative about two years ago, yet despite the warning, no action was taken.

    Photo: Shutterstock

    The Registrar of Nonprofits reached out to the Geneva Initiative again following claims it failed to meet disclosure and transparency requirements related to funding from foreign political entities. According to the data provided, in 2024 the Geneva Initiative’s budget totaled approximately ₪3.7 million, with roughly 95.5% coming from foreign countries. The Geneva Initiative’s own website currently displays a notice stating that “the majority of funding for H.L. Education for Peace Ltd. comes from foreign political entities.”

    In the latest letter sent to the organization, the registrar wrote: “If the nonprofit does not fulfill its reporting obligations as required, the registrar will consider exercising her authority against the nonprofit.” But the current letter raises another question about enforcement. According to information we obtained, a similar warning was already sent to the Geneva Initiative about two years ago, making clear that if the organization didn’t meet the requirements, action might be taken against it. Despite this, no proceedings were ultimately initiated against the organization.

    Photo: Shutterstock

    Now, after the registrar claims to have found deficiencies related to reporting obligations once again, another warning has been sent—and this time too, the language doesn’t state that action will be taken, but rather that the registrar will consider exercising her authority if the requirements aren’t met.

    The Geneva Initiative rejects the impression that the organization continues to ignore the registrar’s demands. According to them, the comments sent to them previously were procedural, and the deficiencies have already been corrected. The Geneva Initiative said in response: “Comments were indeed received at the time that related to procedural aspects, and as stated in the Corporations Authority’s letter from last week—all corrections were made as required already half a year ago.”

    Photo: Shutterstock

    The Geneva Initiative was founded in 2003 and works to advance a permanent agreement between Israel and the Arabs based on a two-state solution. The organization’s website states that the official name of the Israeli entity is H.L. Education for Peace Ltd. and that the majority of its funding comes from foreign political entities.

    The issue at the center of the inquiry isn’t the receipt of foreign funds itself, but rather the disclosure and transparency obligations that come with receiving funding from foreign political entities. The legislation requires entities subject to it to provide information and display appropriate disclosure regarding the source of funding, so the public can know about support coming from government sources outside Israel.

    Photo: Shutterstock

    The significance in this case is that the dispute isn’t over whether the Geneva Initiative receives such funding—a fact the organization itself now notes on its website—but rather whether it fulfilled the reporting and publication obligations imposed on it in a timely and proper manner.

    The Betzalmo organization said in response: “The reality in which an extreme left-wing organization receives millions of shekels from the European Union and foreign countries and hides this in violation of the law again and again and isn’t shut down is delusional. We call on the Registrar of Nonprofits to act with a firm hand against lawbreakers.”

    The Registrar of Nonprofits has not yet provided a response.

  • Erdoğan Building Illegally in Jerusalem—Israel Does Nothing

    Erdoğan Building Illegally in Jerusalem—Israel Does Nothing

    The Turkish consulate in Jerusalem, operating in close cooperation with the ‘Palestinian’ Authority in Ramallah, is allegedly conducting illegal construction while preventing—get this—Israeli inspectors from entering the compound. In other words: Erdoğan is building illegally in Jerusalem and the state is doing nothing. The Jerusalem municipality is supposed to step in. A study by the Jerusalem Institute for Applied Policy exposes this construction violation, and former city councilman Yair Gabay has approached the municipality.

    צילום: יוסי אלוני, פלאש 90
    Photo: Hadas Porush, Flash 90

    This has started some kind of complicated bureaucratic process, because after all we’re talking about a foreign mission. But as of now, this consulate—whose representatives are loyal to the PA yet operate from the heart of Israel’s capital—isn’t just continuing to operate, it’s building illegally. At least as far as we know, the diplomats there are currently not allowing city representatives to enter the building.

    Former city councilman Yair Gabay said: “The Turkish consulate is trampling our sovereignty in East Jerusalem with a heavy foot. What starts with violating planning and construction laws continues with support for Hamas and harms the interests and national security of all of us. I call on the Prime Minister to take this matter into his own hands and close the Turkish consulate.”

    Photo: Shutterstock

    We reached out to the relevant officials at the Foreign Ministry, which is responsible along with the Israeli government for the very fact that this consulate continues to operate, and they chose not to comment. The Jerusalem municipality told us: “The municipality works to enforce the law equally throughout the city. Certain operations such as these require coordination with entities external to the municipality, and since no response has been received yet, the municipality has not begun enforcement actions.”

    Jerusalem Police responded: “We clarify that to date no official request has been received from the Jerusalem municipality regarding the compound in question. In accordance with the policy of the Jerusalem District Commander, the district’s dedicated demolition unit operates to carry out demolition orders quickly, resolutely and uncompromisingly, while giving top priority to those directly related to aspects of sovereignty, governance and upholding the law.”

    We should also note that as far as we’ve been able to determine, the Jerusalem municipality has not yet initiated an official request through proper channels. But we can hope that perhaps this report will cause the authorities to work a bit faster. As of now, the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem, which works with the ‘Palestinian’ Authority, continues to operate and build illegally.

  • Israel’s Syria Strikes and New Red Line Spark Arab Backlash

    Israel’s Syria Strikes and New Red Line Spark Arab Backlash

    On the night of August 18, 2026, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, marking a dramatic shift in Israel’s strategy on the Syrian front. The airfield lies approximately 60–70 kilometers from the Turkish border and roughly 300 kilometers from Israel. According to Syrian military sources, approximately eight strikes hit runways and storage facilities, damaging infrastructure at the site.

    The airfield targeted in the strike | Screenshot

    The airfield, which had been out of service since 2013, has served as a training center for Syria’s new military since the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 and had undergone rehabilitation with Turkish assistance. Israel officially confirmed responsibility for the attack in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, saying Israel and Syria had agreed to maintain a security status quo that Damascus was preparing to violate by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an air base near Aleppo.

    Israel said it had repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would threaten its security, but Damascus chose to ignore those warnings. “Israel will not tolerate threats to its security and would welcome a return to the status quo,” the statement said. Israeli officials also said sensitive intelligence concerning the operation had been shared with the United States in advance.

    The attack marked the first strike of its kind against military assets belonging to Syria’s new government since March 2026. It comes amid mounting Israel-Turkey tensions over Ankara’s expanding influence in post-Assad Syria and Israeli concerns that a Turkish military presence could threaten its freedom of aerial operations. Turkey was among the first countries to issue a sharp official condemnation of the strike, calling on the international community to take a firm position.

    “We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel against the Abu al-Duhur military air base,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. “Israel continues its reckless attacks targeting Syrian infrastructure and capabilities, violating its territorial integrity and unity.” Turkish Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Fuat Oktay called the strike a “blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty” and warned of further regional escalation.

    Ankara rejected claims that it intended to deploy forces at the base and insisted that its activities in Syria were being conducted legally and in coordination with the Syrian government. The condemnation quickly spread across the Arab world. Syria’s Foreign Ministry denounced the strikes as an “unjustified act of aggression” and a blatant violation of its sovereignty.

    Saudi Arabia condemned the attack “in the strongest terms,” describing it as a violation of international law and expressing full solidarity with Syria. Egypt warned that continued violations could undermine efforts to stabilize Syria and the broader region, while Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait joined the condemnations, emphasizing what they described as a violation of Syria’s territorial integrity.

    Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack called the Israeli strike an “unnecessary escalation that does not contribute to regional stability” and warned that it risked triggering a direct confrontation with Turkey.

    The strike underscores an increasingly difficult collision of interests in post-Assad Syria: Israel is drawing a new security red line against Turkish military entrenchment, while Turkey, Arab governments and even Washington are pushing back against how Jerusalem has chosen to enforce it.

  • Mossad Chief Spoke with Syrian FM Before Strike

    Mossad Chief Spoke with Syrian FM Before Strike

    Reuters reported today (Wednesday) that Mossad chief Roman Gofman had his first phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Sheibani on August 14 since taking office in June. According to sources familiar with the matter, the two discussed the Turkish military presence in Syria during the call, as well as direct and extraordinary contacts between the top brass of the Israeli security establishment and the political echelon in Damascus amid regional tensions.

    The Syrian foreign minister | Photo: Shutterstock

    The comments come amid growing tensions on the northern front, and as C14 reported, following the Israeli attack on Abu al-Duhur airport, which was intended to block the establishment of a Turkish military base in Syria. During a tour of southern Syrian territories, the Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, sent a strong and clear message to Ankara, making it clear that Israel will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves on the border or create a significant military threat to its borders.

  • Two Jewish Samaria Communities Celebrate State Recognition

    Two Jewish Samaria Communities Celebrate State Recognition

    Israel’s Interior Ministry has granted official locality codes to Karmei Oz, also known as Givat Harel, in the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and Sachlav in the Samaria Regional Council, completing the process of formally recognizing both communities. The two new designations join 37 locality codes granted in recent months. Karmei Oz was established 28 years ago and is considered part of Israel’s younger communities in Judea and Samaria.

    Archive | Photo: Chaim Goldberg, Flash90

    Receiving an official locality code completes its formalization process and allows it to develop as an independent, officially recognized community. Sachlav was declared a new community by Israel’s Security Cabinet in December 2025. According to the Interior Ministry, a major city is planned for the site, spanning approximately 4,500 dunams. The granting of its locality code completes the formal recognition process.

    The move follows administrative work by the Civil Administration and the Settlement Administration within the Defense Ministry. IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth signed off on the communities’ jurisdictional boundaries, and the newly issued locality codes mean they are now officially recognized across Israeli government ministries.

    Judea and Samaria | Photo: Haim Golberg, Flash 90

    Official locality status allows the communities to receive government services, including an authorized community security coordinator, Israel Post services and direct water connections through Mekorot. Finance Minister and Religious Zionism Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich hailed the move as a major achievement. “Within about six months, thank God, we succeeded in securing 39 locality codes as part of the establishment of new communities and the formalization of younger communities,” Smotrich said. “This is an enormous achievement and the fruit of the hard work of many partners who are devoted to this path.”

    “Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria continue to grow and flourish at full strength,” he continued. “And in the face of an Eisenkot-Lieberman-Golan government that wants to destroy and uproot the communities and establish a ‘Palestinian’ state—we are building, planting and strengthening our hold on our ancestral homeland.” Smotrich thanked the Interior Ministry, Central Command, the Civil Administration and the Settlement Administration for advancing the measures.

  • On Syrian Soil, IDF Chief Warns Turkey: We’ll Use Our Power

    On Syrian Soil, IDF Chief Warns Turkey: We’ll Use Our Power

    Following Israel’s strike and dramatic developments on the northern front, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir delivered a sharp message to Turkey and other hostile forces—while standing on Syrian soil. Zamir visited the IDF’s 210th Division on Wednesday alongside Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and division commander Brig. Gen. Yair Palai. The visit included an operational assessment and a tour inside southern Syria.

    IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    During the tour, Zamir spoke with reservists operating in the sector and made clear that Israel would not accept attempts by foreign forces to establish themselves near its borders. “We are operating in a multi-front reality in which the challenges are constantly changing and developing—the Syrian arena is one of them,” Zamir said. “We see what is happening and are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front—we must prepare accordingly.” “We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves on our borders, and we know how to employ our power precisely where necessary and when necessary,” he continued. “We must prevent the development of terrorist threats while simultaneously preventing the emergence of a significant military threat on our borders.”

    Zamir also addressed the IDF’s proactive operations inside Syria, which are intended to push potential threats farther away from Israeli communities. “In Syria as well, we have created a forward defensive zone that serves as a buffer in front of our communities, where our forces are operating,” he said. “We are still engaged in a multi-front war, vigilant and operating across all arenas. Escalation can develop in any one of them, and we must remain constantly prepared for that possibility.” The declaration takes on added significance amid growing tensions and attempts by forces aligned with Turkey and Iran to expand their influence in Syria.

    IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    Concluding his remarks, Zamir addressed the reservists, some of whom have served hundreds of days since the outbreak of the war. “The division is doing excellent work. I want to express tremendous appreciation for the reserve forces here,” Zamir said. “I met a high-quality, professional reserve battalion here—reservists who have served hundreds of days since the beginning of the war.” “You were called up for a long period. I am aware of the tremendous burden on your shoulders, appreciate everything you are doing and am working extensively to ease that burden on you and your families. The entire people of Israel owe you a great deal.”

    Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military airfield Tuesday night in eight waves of attacks, following a visit by a Turkish military delegation to the site, according to reports. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently confirmed Israel’s responsibility for the strike, saying Syria had been preparing to violate the security status quo by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an air base near Aleppo despite repeated Israeli warnings. The strike was intended to prevent the establishment of a Turkish military presence that Israel considers a threat to its security.

    Now, from inside Syria itself, Israel’s military chief has made the red line unmistakable: hostile forces will not be allowed to build a military threat on Israel’s doorstep.