The Times of Israel is liveblogging Monday’s events as they unfold.
Two moderately injured in violent incident in Rahat, as unrest rocks the southern Bedouin city
Two young men have been moderately injured in a violent incident tonight in Rahat, says the Magen David Adom emergency service.
The two wounded men, ages 21 and 24, were taken to Soroka Medical Center by paramedics.
The incident is the latest in a wave of violence that has rocked the southern Bedouin city in recent days, seemingly related to two blood feuds that were rekindled over the weekend.
On Saturday night, 21-year-old pharmacology student Adam al-Ubra was shot to death while visiting his parents in Rahat, in a revenge killing that left one other man seriously injured. Police arrested three suspects in the deadly shooting.
Earlier the same day a doctor was shot and badly wounded in his car by several assailants. Police say the attack was related to another conflict between rival families in the city. Five were arrested on suspicion of involvement.
Effort to reach agreement on Gaza ceasefire ‘looks like it’s working,’ Trump says
US President Donald Trump says the effort to secure an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza “looks like it’s working.”
“We’ll wait for a little while, [and] see how it all turns out,” Trump tells reporters outside the White House.
He reiterates what he wrote in a Truth Social post less than an hour ago, that Arab, Muslim and other countries have had “very good meetings” with Hamas.
“I think it’s going to go very quickly. We’ll let you know soon,” he says.
Trump touts ‘very positive’ talks between Hamas and Arab, Muslim countries; says ‘1st phase’ should be done this week
US President Donald Trump reports that “very positive discussions” have been taking place between Hamas and Arab and Muslim interlocutors over the weekend aimed at securing the release of the hostages, ending the war in Gaza and achieving “PEACE in the Middle East.”
“These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly,” Trump writes on Truth Social, adding that “technical teams” will meet again on Monday in Egypt to “work through and clarify the final details.”
“I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Trump says.
It is not immediately clear what he means by “first phase” and whether he is suggesting that hostages will begin being released this week.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend that he was hopeful that hostages could be released during the Sukkot holiday, which begins on Monday evening and extends for one week, followed immediately by the Simhat Torah holiday, which marks the Hebrew calendar anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
“I will continue to monitor this Centuries old “conflict.” TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW — SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!” Trump signs off in his post.
Police probing death of Palestinian man found in northern Jerusalem
Police are probing the death of a Palestinian man in his 20s after his body was found in northern Jerusalem, next to the West Bank security barrier.
The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear and the investigation is ongoing, police say, as officers collect evidence at the scene.
Haredi lawmaker draws criticism after appearing to compare detained draft dodgers to Gaza hostages
MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, the chairman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, appears to draw a comparison between the Gaza hostages and detained Haredi draft dodgers in a letter welcoming US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
Expressing his wish for the hostages to be speedily returned to Israel over the upcoming Sukkot holiday, starting on Monday night, Goldknopf writes in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the government is responsible for ensuring that any Palestinian terrorists released as part of the deal “never pose a threat to the State of Israel at any stage or in any way.”
Juxtaposing the issue of the hostages with that of IDF conscription, Goldknopf urges the premier to work to “immediately” free draft dodgers arrested “for the crime of studying Torah” so that they can also celebrate the upcoming holiday with their families.
Goldknopf quit the cabinet in protest this June over the government’s failure to pass legislation exempting yeshiva students from mandatory military service. His party left the government the following month.
Secular and national religious politicians are quick to condemn Goldknopf for his apparent comparison of the hostages and draft dodgers, with former prime minister Naftali Bennett tweeting that his rhetoric was “simply shameful.”
“My problem is with parties that call themselves ‘Zionist’ yet provide backing for the disgrace of draft evasion only out of political and personal interests,” Bennett writes.
Yesh Atid MK Debbie Biton calls Goldknopf’s comparison a “moral disgrace,” while The Democrats MK Efrat Rayten declares that she is “praying that he be forgiven for all his sins.”
The Israel National News news website cites the National Religious Reservists Forum, which complains that while Goldknopf is asking to allow draft dodgers to celebrate at home, tens of thousands of reservists will be spending the holiday in the army.
Last week, the IDF approved the early release of a number of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, including several who had been detained after returning from Uman, in order to allow them to mark the Yom Kippur fast at home.
It was the second such early release over a period of two weeks, with another group having been sent home ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
Iran says it supports ‘any initiative’ for Palestinian self-determination, on eve of Gaza talks
Iran says it supports “any initiative” aiming to secure “self-determination” for the Palestinian people, on the eve of negotiations in Egypt on ending the war in Gaza and returning those held hostage by the Hamas terror group.
Tehran, which backs Hamas, “has always supported any initiative aimed at ending ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, and paving the way for the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” says the Iranian foreign ministry in a statement.
It adds that the Islamic Republic is ready to help deliver aid to the Strip.