Channel 14 News Israel

Category: Israel

  • Israel Shelves Gaza Deal—But Reconstruction Continues

    Israel Shelves Gaza Deal—But Reconstruction Continues

    Retired Col. Oren Solomon said Monday in an interview with Channel 14’s Noam Amir that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement rejecting the 15-point agreement for now is part of a deliberate strategy: “The prime minister made a decision early on: pursue a strategy where on one hand the hostages come home and an agreement is signed, but in practice he planned from the start that there would be an exit point—and that’s Hamas’s refusal to disarm.”

    Oren Solomon | Photo: Channel 14 News

    Solomon emphasized that alongside all the declarations from those involved in Gaza, including the Peace Council, attention should be paid to what’s not being discussed: “The prime minister is looking ahead. In the current situation, Israel has no intention of adopting the 15-point document as long as Hamas hasn’t completely disarmed. At the same time, Netanyahu hasn’t addressed reconstruction of the Strip or bringing in stabilization forces. But the reality on the ground is advancing: The U.S. is taking control of concrete flow for sealing tunnels, and meanwhile, Palestinian forces are undergoing training for future coordination and cooperation. In practice, I don’t see anyone meeting this challenge of dealing with the tunnels who isn’t the IDF,” he added.

    Residents today in the Strip | Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib, Flash90

    “Right now the Hamas terror organization is putting on shows and playing the game. The dynamic is that the U.S. is looking for achievements—and that’s where the tension and risk in the process lie. Both Israel and Hamas are playing for time: while Hamas strengthens civilian control, Israel is focused on Lebanon and Iran. We’re also playing the arena prioritization game, and later we’ll get to Gaza. The media’s job is to monitor and ensure there’s no start of reconstruction as long as there’s no disarmament in the Strip,” Solomon concluded.

  • Israeli in Colombia: ‘At Least 5-6 Buildings Collapsed’

    Israeli in Colombia: ‘At Least 5-6 Buildings Collapsed’

    An Israeli who was on the eighth floor of a high-rise during the powerful earthquake that struck Colombia today (Monday) described the moments of panic: “Everything shook violently, people were screaming in the stairwell.” According to him, several buildings collapsed in different areas of the country and his volunteers have already gone out to help. “We’re hoping and praying there won’t be fatalities.” The powerful earthquake that hit Colombia today was felt strongly across wide areas of the country and sparked panic among residents. Rabbi Yosef German, who was on the eighth floor of a high-rise when the quake struck, described the dramatic moments and the scenes after he left the building.

    Frightened people outside their homes, Bogotá, Colombia | Photo: Reuters

    “I arrived at 5 in the morning from the city of Cali, and a little after 7 a.m. everything suddenly started shaking,” he told C14. “I’m staying on the eighth floor in a building near the airport. Everything shook violently. It was both a strong and unusually long earthquake.” According to him, when the shaking started he rushed out of the apartment and down from the building. “I went downstairs and heard people screaming in the stairwell. Everyone gathered outside, frightened,” he said.
    German, who came to Colombia for the presidential inauguration events, said that shortly after the quake he began receiving reports of damage in different areas of the country. According to him, reports came in about several buildings that collapsed, including in the Pereira, Cali and Manizales areas. “There are reports of at least five to six buildings that collapsed,” he said. “The lucky thing is that the quake happened at a time when most people had already left their homes, which may have prevented a heavier disaster.”

    Frightened people outside their homes, Bogotá, Colombia | Photo: Reuters

    According to him, local volunteers he worked with in the past as part of ZAKA activities have already gone out to areas where destruction was reported. “My volunteers, who were with me on behalf of ZAKA in the past in Venezuela, are already at the sites where buildings collapsed to provide help and see what needs to be done,” he said. He added that at this stage the situation is still becoming clear: “Right now there’s known to be very serious property damage, and we’re hoping and praying there won’t be fatalities.” The earthquake, measuring 7.4 in magnitude, occurred in the morning hours with its epicenter in the San José del Palmar area of Chocó province. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s focus was at a depth of about 107 kilometers below the surface.

  • Israel Cracks Down on Illegal ‘Palestinian’ Construction

    Israel Cracks Down on Illegal ‘Palestinian’ Construction

    A new report from the Civil Administration’s Supervision Unit, released Monday summarizing the first half of 2026, reveals a dramatic increase in enforcement and demolitions of illegal ‘Palestinian’ construction across Judea and Samaria in recent years. The trend has accelerated under the policies of Minister Bezalel Smotrich, with consistent increases in supervision and enforcement activity on the ground.

    According to data comparing the first half of each year, 250 illegal structures were demolished in 2022. That figure fell slightly to 201 in 2023 amid the war before climbing again to 310 structures in 2024. The pace accelerated significantly in 2025, with 443 demolitions, before reaching a record 536 illegal structures demolished during the first half of 2026—more than double the number recorded during the equivalent period in 2022.

    Bezalel Smotrich | Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90

    A Defense Ministry division also pointed to a growing trend of ‘Palestinians’ demolishing illegal structures themselves in order to avoid enforcement action. Smotrich, under whose authority the Defense Ministry division operates, welcomed the figures and said they reflect a deliberate shift in Israeli policy.

    For years, Smotrich said, Israel stood by while the Salam Fayyad plan sought to establish facts on the ground and force the creation of a “Palestinian” state through the takeover of state land and systematic, large-scale construction in Area C. He also highlighted the government’s broader actions in Judea and Samaria, saying that since the beginning of the current government’s term, it has led a revolution in the region.

    Those efforts include the establishment of 104 new communities and 160 ranches protecting more than one million dunams of state land, alongside what Smotrich described as an uncompromising campaign against the Arab takeover of territory. “We are changing the equation,” Smotrich declared.

    Judea and Samaria | Photo: None

    He concluded by thanking the Civil Administration’s Supervision Unit and Infrastructure Division for what he described as their dedicated and professional work implementing government policy on the ground.

    For Smotrich and the government, the numbers represent more than an enforcement record: they signal a fundamental shift from watching illegal construction reshape Area C to actively defending Israel’s state lands. With demolitions more than doubling since 2022, Jerusalem is making clear that attempts to establish irreversible facts on the ground in Judea and Samaria will increasingly meet facts of a very different kind.

  • Russia Claims Historian Vanished After Landing in Israel

    Russia Claims Historian Vanished After Landing in Israel

    Russian media are reporting the mysterious disappearance of historian and writer Artyom Kirpichonok, who allegedly landed in Israel last week and has not been heard from since. According to reports in Russian media and on social networks in Moscow, Kirpichonok arrived in Israel on a flight from Yerevan, Armenia, but made no further contact with acquaintances after landing.

    Kirpichonok was reportedly scheduled to attend an event in Israel to which he had been invited, but never arrived at his destination. Activists and acquaintances in Russia have since issued appeals for help locating him, asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward.

    Artyom Kirpichonok | Photo: Social media

    Kirpichonok, 51, was born in St. Petersburg and immigrated to Israel in the 1990s, where he lived for approximately 15 years. During that period, he studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and also served in the military. He later returned to live in Russia. In recent years, Kirpichonok became known in part for posts and publications expressing anti-Israel views and harsh criticism of Zionism.

    Russian sources now claim that there has been no sign of him since his arrival in Israel and that efforts are underway to determine the circumstances surrounding his apparent disappearance. According to Russian Telegram channels, the Russian Embassy in Israel said it had contacted Israeli authorities regarding Kirpichonok’s alleged disappearance but had not yet received a response.

    As of publication, Israeli officials have issued no public statement regarding the Russian claims, leaving both Kirpichonok’s whereabouts and what happened after his reported arrival at Ben Gurion Airport unclear.

  • IDF Warns Gazans: Hamas Is Scamming You With Worthless Cash

    IDF Warns Gazans: Hamas Is Scamming You With Worthless Cash

    The IDF’s Arabic spokesman issued an unusual warning to Gaza residents on Monday: they’re caught in the middle of a large-scale economic scam run by Hamas. In an official statement to residents, the IDF said they’re being defrauded and it’s time to wake up. The military explained that the Bank of Israel, which issues the banknotes in their hands, recommends exchanging old bills for new ones. Residents were warned that anyone holding old bills is taking enormous financial risk—soon the notes will be worthless and civilians will be left with nothing, while Hamas exploits the crisis in the Strip to dump its invalid currency.

    IDF Spokesperson’s Warning to Gaza Residents | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    The IDF’s direct appeal comes amid reports of severe deterioration in the value of worn and old Israeli shekel banknotes circulating in the Strip, and attempts by Hamas operatives to trade them on the black market or pass them to unsuspecting civilians in exchange for goods and services. Though Gaza is controlled by Hamas, the shekel is the primary and nearly exclusive currency used for daily commerce, salary payments, and purchasing basic goods in the Strip. Due to the closure and the war, the supply of fresh cash from the Bank of Israel to Gaza has been halted or dramatically limited, resulting in old, torn, and heavily worn banknotes circulating in the Strip whose quality has severely deteriorated.

    Old shekels | Photo: Canva

    Meanwhile, the Bank of Israel periodically updates its banknote series and removes old or damaged bills from circulation. Holders who don’t exchange them at authorized banks within the defined timeframe face a situation where the bills lose their status as legal tender.

    Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip | Photo: Flash 90

    The IDF Arabic spokesman’s warning is designed to thwart Hamas attempts to use the invalid banknotes to finance its operations or shift economic losses onto the Gazan public. It’s part of a broader psychological and economic effort to increase public pressure on Hamas inside the Strip and prevent the organization from exploiting the humanitarian crisis for financial gain.

  • Radical Left Activists Target Israeli Soccer Fans in Vienna

    Radical Left Activists Target Israeli Soccer Fans in Vienna

    Beitar Jerusalem will face Austria Vienna on Thursday in the second leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The Jerusalem club will play at Vienna’s Generali Arena, with approximately 1,000 Beitar supporters expected to accompany the team for the crucial away match, many of them staying across Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava.

    A pro-‘Palestinian’ Instagram account is calling on activists to gather outside the stadium in Vienna to demonstrate against Israel and confront Beitar supporters. “Next Thursday, August 13, 2026, Beitar Jerusalem will face Austria Vienna in Vienna. The second leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League will take place at the Generali Arena in Vienna,” the announcement read.

    Photo: From Beitar Jerusalem’s Instagram page

    The organization then directly targeted Beitar supporters: “UEFA is bringing a club to Vienna whose fans repeatedly attract attention due to brutal attacks—particularly against people perceived as Arab. We will not allow this to go unanswered. Support us in front of the Generali Arena with ‘Palestinian’ flags, signs and our voices, to show the world that Vienna stands with ‘Palestine’.”

    The planned demonstration comes against the troubling backdrop of violence targeting Israeli soccer fans elsewhere in Europe. In November 2024, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters traveled to Amsterdam for a Europa League match against Ajax. Following the game, Israeli fans were targeted in coordinated attacks in the streets of Amsterdam by pro-‘Palestinian’ assailants, who ambushed and assaulted Israelis at multiple locations.

    Photo: From Beitar Jerusalem’s Instagram page

    With around 1,000 Beitar supporters now preparing to arrive in Vienna and activists openly mobilizing outside the stadium, Thursday’s match will unfold under scrutiny both on and off the field, testing whether European authorities have learned the lessons of Amsterdam—or whether Israeli soccer fans will once again find themselves facing hostility far beyond the stadium.

  • Samaria Town to Be Rebuilt 21 Years After Disengagement

    Samaria Town to Be Rebuilt 21 Years After Disengagement

    In a historic and emotional step toward renewing Jewish communities in northern Samaria, the town of Ganim will be reestablished this Thursday—21 years after it was uprooted and destroyed as part of the 2005 disengagement plan. The Samaria Regional Council announced Monday that a pioneering group of families will move onto the land this week, renewing the Jewish presence in the evacuated town. The reestablishment is being led by the Samaria Regional Council in close cooperation with the Amana movement and a division of the Ministry of Defense.

    Photo: Chaim Goldberg, Flash 90

    Alongside the families moving in, a new branch of the Bnei David yeshiva from Eli will be established in the renewed community. The new Torah institution will operate in the town and serve as a central and integral part of solidifying the settlement and strengthening the Jewish presence in northern Samaria. The families’ return to Ganim comes just days after the emotional groundbreaking of the new settlement Emek Dotan in the area, where 22 pioneering families have already arrived.

    Emek Dotan is the fifth community the Samaria Regional Council has established in less than a year, part of a massive building surge in northern Samaria. The historic move comes after a stubborn 21-year battle to repeal the disengagement law and return to the evacuated communities. The fight was led by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, together with the “Homesh First” activists, members of the Homesh yeshiva, and evacuees from Homesh and Sa-Nur who refused to give up on their homeland.

    Judea and Samaria | Photo: Haim Golberg, Flash 90

    The current move comes about a year after a decision by the Political-Security Cabinet led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. It’s part of the expansive “Reconnection Plan” being led by the Samaria Council, which includes establishing 19 new communities in northern Samaria as part of the “Million in Samaria” initiative. Ganim was one of four communities in northern Samaria evacuated in the 2005 disengagement, along with Kadim, Homesh, and Sa-Nur.

    Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan blessed the move with emotion, saying it represents a historic correction of the injustice of the disengagement. Dagan emphasized that instead of uprooting, they are now building, and instead of withdrawal, they are bringing pioneering resettlement—noting that the people of Israel are coming home. Ganim nucleus chairman Alon Kotzki added that there is tremendous excitement and a strong desire to help among the large families who are leaving their comfort zones and enlisting in this important national mission.

  • New Israeli Sub Could Tip the Scales in the Middle East

    New Israeli Sub Could Tip the Scales in the Middle East

    Israel has received its newest and most expensive submarine ever from Germany—the INS Drakon. The massive vessel, estimated to cost around $634 million, was built at specialized shipyards in Kiel, Germany, and was delivered to the Israeli Navy in late July 2026. The submarine is equipped with highly advanced systems that allow it to remain underwater in complete silence for extended periods, Fox News reported Sunday.

    Navy submarine in a naval maneuver, archive | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    According to the report, because of its exceptional size—stretching over 70 meters in length—the submarine can carry large missiles with far longer ranges than before. What this means is that Israel can now launch missiles from the sub and reach any point in Iran directly from Mediterranean waters. This capability saves the submarine from having to navigate dangerous or overly long routes, like passing through the Suez Canal or circumnavigating the entire African continent.

    The submarine’s central importance is creating a backup plan in case of a severe surprise attack. Security experts explain that if something hits IDF bases on land or at ports, a submarine deep underwater, hidden from enemy eyes, could respond immediately and deliver a devastating counterstrike.

    צוללת חיל הים בתמרון ימי |
    Visual representation, photo: IDF Spokesperson

    The submarine’s name, “Drakon,” was chosen to symbolize power, but also to commemorate the fighters of the submarine “Dakar” that sank in the past, by incorporating the letters D, K, and R into the name.

    Israel’s submarine project is considered one of the country’s most important defense systems in recent decades. The submarines are manufactured in Germany for the IDF to gather secret intelligence and provide a security net against distant enemy states. The arrival of the Drakon completes a major phase in strengthening the Navy and prepares the IDF for the security challenges of the coming years.

  • Despite Netanyahu Vow: Israel Preparing Gaza Troop Drawdown

    Despite Netanyahu Vow: Israel Preparing Gaza Troop Drawdown

    Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear statement earlier Sunday at the cabinet meeting that Israel rejects the 15-point document and will not withdraw from Gaza before Hamas is fully disarmed, Channel 14 has learned that Israel’s security establishment is preparing to significantly reduce troop levels in the Gaza Strip.

    Photo: IDF spokesperson

    The scale of the planned drawdown is expected to be so extensive that it would nearly return force levels to what they were before the October 7 massacre. Currently, two divisions operate in Gaza: the organic Gaza Division and the 99th Reserve Division, which has rotated with the 252nd Division over the past year.

    After several months in which the 99th Division has carried out its missions, it now appears that when its current service period ends, no other division will replace it. This move will result in the Gaza Division becoming the sole division operating in the Strip.

    IDF forces in the Gaza Strip, archive | Photo: IDF spokesperson

    The Gaza Division is a territorial division that includes two brigades—northern and southern—supplemented by additional battalions and brigades that reinforce it in the field. Still, it’s clear beyond any doubt that such a significant reduction in force levels points to a clear direction regarding the future of combat and control in Gaza, at least in the near term.

  • Brutal Day: Six Israelis Dead in Disasters Within 24 Hours

    Brutal Day: Six Israelis Dead in Disasters Within 24 Hours

    A brutal 24 hours left six Israelis dead, including four children and teenagers, in a string of tragedies at home and abroad. The deadly incidents unfolded within hours on Sunday and the night before, leaving families and entire communities in deep mourning during the summer break. The disasters included drownings, a fall from a cliff, a child left in a car, and a fatal crash in Judea and Samaria.

    Car accident between 2 private vehicles on Highway 1 near the Citadel intersection | Photo: MDA

    The latest tragedy struck Sunday on the road to Maale Adumim in the Judaean Mountains, where a vehicle carrying three men overturned. Two passengers, both around 45, were critically injured and pronounced dead at the scene by rescue teams, while a third man, around 40, was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. Earlier, a 17-year-old boy was killed after falling from a great height during an activity near Keshet Cave in the Western Galilee, where medics were forced to pronounce him dead on site.

    Hours earlier, the search in the Jordan River ended with grim news when Elchanan Karni, a 12-year-old boy from Modiin Illit, was found dead after drowning following a fall from an inflatable raft. In another devastating incident Sunday in Lod, 5-year-old Betzalel David Giler died after being found unconscious inside a locked vehicle. The boy was rushed to Shamir-Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in critical condition, suffering from severe heatstroke, but doctors were unable to save him.

    A boy who fell from a height of 100 meters while probably abseiling near Keshet Cave | Photo: MDA

    The deadly 24 hours began Saturday night during a family vacation in Mexico. Shalom Arush, a 4-year-old boy from Jerusalem and grandson of Rabbi Shalom Arush, drowned in a hotel pool near the town of San José del Cabo. Members of ZAKA’s international unit worked quickly with local Mexican authorities to prevent an autopsy and completed the necessary procedures to bring the boy back to Israel for burial, as the entire community rallies to support the grieving family.