Israel News
Daily Alert
Trump Orders Military to Pause Strait of Hormuz Mission to Allow Time for Peace Talks
on May 06, 2026
(Washington Post) Tara Copp -
President Trump said Tuesday he was pausing the military's new operation to clear a transit path through the Strait of Hormuz for commercial vessels "at the request of Pakistan and other countries for a short period of time to see whether or not the [peace] agreement [with Iran] can be finalized and signed," while the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will continue.
Saudi Arabia Pressured U.S. to Halt Hormuz Mission
on May 06, 2026
(NBC News) Mosheh Gains -
President Trump's abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after Saudi Arabia suspended the U.S. military's ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two U.S. officials. A call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the issue, forcing the president to pause the project in order to restore U.S. military access to the critical airspace.
Trump Threatens to Resume Bombing Iran if Emerging Hormuz Deal Fails
on May 06, 2026
(Truth Social) President Trump posted Wednesday: "Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don't agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before."
U.S. to Ease Iran Naval Blockade only if Revolutionary Guards Agree to Deal
on May 06, 2026
(Israel Hayom) Danny Zaken -
Diplomatic sources say the Iranian political echelon conducting negotiations with the U.S. submitted a proposal under which the U.S. would release frozen Iranian funds to finance imports of basic goods, pay salaries and address collapsing infrastructure, in exchange for setting a one-month negotiation framework based on concessions on the nuclear issue. Some reports on Arab networks included a willingness to hand over enriched uranium and refrain from enrichment on Iranian soil for many years.
However, the White House refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian ships and tankers until there is a guarantee that agreements reached by the political echelon will not be canceled by commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, including the terms on the nuclear issue.
Other substantial points of dispute include the payment Iran is demanding from ships that pass through the strait, the issue of missiles, and support for regional terrorist organizations. Therefore, this is not yet a real foundation for a full agreement to end the fighting, but only the beginning of the process.
Sources say Iran is pressing mainly on the financial aspects due to the collapsing Iranian economy, and that the dispute with the Americans concerns which entity in Iran will receive the funds. The Americans are demanding that the government and the president manage the released money, but Iran says this is an internal decision.
U.S. Strikes Iranian Ship Trying to Break Hormuz Blockade
on May 06, 2026
(CENTCOM) U.S. forces operating in the Gulf of Oman enforced blockade measures by disabling an Iranian oil tanker attempting to sail toward an Iranian port on Wednesday. American forces issued multiple warnings to the M/T Hasna, informing the vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.
After the ship's crew failed to comply, U.S. forces disabled the tanker's rudder by fire from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln. The U.S. blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports remains in full effect.
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Says U.S. Military Operation Against Iran Is Over
on May 06, 2026
(U.S. State Department) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the U.S. military operation against Iran is over. "Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation."
"We would prefer the path of peace. What the President would prefer is a deal. He would prefer to sit down, work out a memorandum of understanding for future negotiations that touches on all the key topics that have to be addressed, a full opening of the straits so the world can get back to normal....That's the route he prefers. That is so far not the route that Iran has chosen."
"The message to Iran - these guys are facing real catastrophic destruction to their economy - generational destruction to their economy, generational destruction to the wealth of their country, imposed on themselves by the actions that they're taking. They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they're going."
IDF Targets Radwan Force Commander in Beirut
on May 06, 2026
(Times of Israel) Emanuel Fabian -
Israel targeted Malek Ballout, the operations commander of Hizbullah's special operations unit - the Radwan Force - in an airstrike in Beirut on Wednesday evening. Israeli leaders said Radwan Force operatives "were responsible for firing [rockets] at Israeli communities and harming IDF soldiers." The IDF also said Wednesday it launched a wave of airstrikes on Hizbullah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings for 12 villages, mostly located north of the Litani River.
Earlier on Wednesday, three Israeli soldiers were injured in Hizbullah explosive drone attacks in southern Lebanon.
IDF Entrenches in Southern Lebanon
on May 06, 2026
(Times of Israel) Emanuel Fabian -
Israel's new south Lebanon security zone runs 5-10 km. into Lebanese territory. IDF forces have discovered massive amounts of weapons inside homes in Lebanese villages, and the IDF on Tuesday reported destroying five Hizbullah tunnels.
One officer said Hizbullah has been attempting to send reinforcements to southern Lebanon to replace the hundreds of operatives who have been killed during the fighting in recent weeks. "There are certain forces that are really trying to get close, but every time they get close, they are hit, and I hear their spirit breaking. I hear it, I know it, and when [their spirit] breaks, they also try to flee."
In Lebanon, a "Ceasefire under Fire"
on May 06, 2026
(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai -
Brig.-Gen. A., a senior officer in the western sector of Israel's new security zone in southern Lebanon, said, "We are here to prevent [Hizbullah] Radwan Force infiltrations into Galilee communities and to stop direct fire, primarily anti-tank missiles, at frontline towns." He described the ceasefire imposed by President Trump as a "ceasefire under fire," as Hizbullah and Israeli forces have continued to exchange fire.
Lt.-Col. L., a battalion commander, has been fighting continuously since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack. "It's a huge challenge to fight such a long war, but we will not allow the enemy to establish itself on our border," he says. Many reserve soldiers on their third or fourth consecutive deployment share that sentiment.
Netanyahu: "We Are Maintaining Continuous Contact with U.S."
on May 06, 2026
(Jerusalem Post) Amichai Stein -
Prime Minister Netanyahu said Wednesday that he was not surprised by the recent developments in the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran and that there is "full coordination" between the U.S. and Israel. "We are maintaining continuous contact with our friends in the U.S. I speak with President Trump on an almost daily basis. My people and his people speak daily," he said. "Israel is stronger than ever; Iran and its proxies are weaker than ever."
IDF: Israel Prepared for Renewed Fighting if Tehran Rejects Deal
on May 06, 2026
(Ynet News) Elisha Ben Kimon -
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that the army has additional targets in Iran ready to attack and is on high alert for a return to intense fighting, even as the U.S. discusses a possible agreement with Tehran.
Zamir said Israel has "a historic opportunity to change the regional reality" in the multi-front campaign. Zamir said that since the start of the operation against Iran on Feb. 28, more than 2,000 Hizbullah operatives have been eliminated. "We will not pull back until security is ensured and a long-term solution is reached for the communities of the north," he said.
Israel to Transfer Jet Fuel to Germany amid Hormuz Crisis
on May 06, 2026
(i24News) Israel will transfer jet fuel to Germany following a request from the German Energy Ministry, Israel's Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced Tuesday. Surplus production has been identified that can be exported.
Board of Peace Won't Hold Israel to Truce Terms if Hamas Doesn't Okay Disarmament Offer
on May 06, 2026
(Times of Israel) Jacob Magid -
The U.S.-led Board of Peace tasked with overseeing the postwar management of Gaza does not intend to hold Israel to the terms of the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire if Hamas does not accept the board's framework for Hamas's disarmament, a document obtained by the Times of Israel shows.
Nickolay Mladenov, the board's High Representative for Gaza, wrote, "Failure by Hamas to accept the framework within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the Board of Peace and after consultation with the parties, shall render such commitments null and void," in a letter that he and senior U.S. official Aryeh Lightstone sent to the head of the Palestinian technocratic government that is meant to replace Hamas in Gaza.
U.S. Red Lines in the Deal with the Iranian Regime
on May 06, 2026
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial -
In nuclear talks, the Iranians are reviewing a U.S. framework which, if accepted, would lead to 30-day negotiations on a detailed agreement. From our discussions with senior officials, here's where U.S. red lines stand in the talks:
The U.S. says it needs Iran's attestation that it doesn't seek nuclear weapons; the dismantlement of the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities; a ban on underground nuclear work; and on-demand inspections with penalties for violations. The U.S. seeks a 20-year moratorium on Iranian nuclear enrichment and demands the handover of all enriched nuclear material.
Iran would have to reopen Hormuz - gradually, as the U.S. relaxes its blockade, and then fully with the final deal. Most U.S. sanctions relief would be tied to Iran's performance of the deal, not merely its signing, though some assets could be unfrozen to begin.
Dismantlement is more important than any "moratorium" on enrichment, which the U.S. and Israel have already stopped by force. Iran can't enrich now, and while that should be banned permanently, with this regime it's essential to remove facilities and capabilities.
Iran would love to focus solely on its 440 kg. of 60%-enriched uranium. The regime's 20% stockpile may sound less dangerous, but reaching that level is already 90% of the way to weapons-grade. It, too, has to go. The regime has thousands of kg. of uranium enriched to 5% and lower, a solid basis to restart a nuclear program if left in Iran.
No Deal Yet, but Trump Builds Expectations as Iran Bargaining Tactic
on May 06, 2026
(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai -
The U.S. is reporting significant progress in the negotiations with Iran as part of a creative negotiating tactic by the White House at the initiative of President Trump. Trump said the progress in the negotiations was enough to pause the new U.S. operation aimed at forcibly reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Public statements by U.S. and Iranian officials make clear that there is still no authorized Iranian agreement to an American proposal for a limited framework deal that would stop the fighting for 30 days while negotiations take place.
The American proposal could end Iran's economic distress and prevent devastating strikes on oil, gas and possibly transportation infrastructure that could take many years to repair. If the regime rejects the American proposal, public anger inside Iran could intensify. In any case, Trump's maneuver has given him broader legitimacy to resume bombing Iran if the proposal is rejected, even in the face of opposition on Capitol Hill.
Israel Views U.S. Negotiations with Tehran
on May 06, 2026
(Israel Hayom) Lilach Shoval -
Israeli officials noted that even if the Iranians ultimately agree to the U.S. terms, including the removal of all 440 kg. (970 pounds) of highly-enriched uranium, Iran would still retain many tons of lower-level enriched material and would be able, within a relatively short time, to enrich it again to a high level. Moreover, an agreement that would lead to the lifting of economic sanctions on the Iranian regime would save it.
According to assessments in Israel, an extremist Iranian regime would remain in power, become wealthier, and more determined to obtain nuclear weapons. Israel's preferred option at this stage is to maintain the continued siege and economic strangulation of Iran. Israel insists that coordination between the political and military echelons of the U.S. and Israel is full.
Misunderstanding the Iran Nuclear Threat
on May 06, 2026
(Jerusalem Post) Yonah Jeremy Bob -
U.S. intelligence reportedly estimates that Iran is only one year away from a nuclear weapon. Iran's nuclear program was not the focus of the 2026 war like it was in June 2025 because Iran did not progress with its nuclear program after June 2025. 11 months later, Iran has made zero concrete progress toward restoring its hammered nuclear program.
Iran still has 400 kg. of 60%-enriched uranium, but this does not leave Iran close to producing a nuclear weapon. Most or all of that uranium is deep under the rubble of the Isfahan nuclear facility and likely also under rubble at the Fordow or Natanz nuclear facilities. Iran has made efforts to approach that uranium, but has not succeeded. The Islamic Republic, therefore, does not "possess" the uranium, and it is not clear how soon or even whether it could obtain access to and control over it.
U.S. Set Up a "Red, White and Blue Dome" over Strait of Hormuz
on May 06, 2026
(The Hill) Colin Meyn -
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said hundreds of commercial ships are lining up to leave the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. has erected a "red, white and blue dome" over the corridor, which has been largely closed off by Iran since the start of the war. "Iran's plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable," Hegseth said Tuesday.
"As a direct gift from the U.S. to the world...American destroyers are on station, supported by hundreds of fighter jets, helicopters, drones and surveillance aircraft providing 24/7 overwatch for peaceful commercial vessels, except Iran's."
Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 22,500 mariners aboard more than 1,550 commercial vessels were trapped in the Persian Gulf, which he called the Arabian Gulf. He said 15,000 American service members were involved in creating an "enhanced security area" on the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz intended to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels.
"Out there on the surface, guided-missile destroyers and other warships are detecting and defeating Iranian threats. This includes fast boats and one-way attack drones. In the air, more than 100 fighters - attack aircraft and other manned and unmanned aircraft, synchronized by the 82nd Airborne Division - are in the air 24 hours a day, providing defensive overwatch for the enhanced security area and its approaches."
For Iran's True Believers, a Serious Peace Deal Is Out of the Question
on May 06, 2026
(Washington Times) Clifford D. May -
During a Senate hearing, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth why she is so vehemently opposed to the use of military force to address the threat posed by Tehran: "We did not have any evidence that Iran intended to imminently attack this country in any way, shape, or form!"
How odd of her not to reckon with the fact that by the time we had such evidence, it might well have been too late to do anything about it. Or maybe no evidence would come to light, and the attack would emerge from a clear blue sky as happened on Sept. 11, 2001.
Since 1979, "Death to America!" has been the openly stated - and regularly chanted - policy of Iran's self-proclaimed "Islamic revolutionaries" and their terrorist proxies. Prior to the June 2025 air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, Iran's rulers "could have built a nuclear weapon with near certainty in less than six months," according to David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security. Is that not imminent enough?
When someone says he intends to kill you, it's essential to take him seriously. Former Iranian President Rafsanjani threatened that "the use of even one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything." Iran's rulers see themselves as jihadis fighting a holy war against the enemies of Allah. They can contemplate temporary ceasefires, periods of calm that allow them to rearm for the next battle. But a serious "peace deal" would be out of the question.
The writer is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Hizbullah Conceals Its Losses while Claiming Victory
on May 06, 2026
(Israel Hayom) Dr. Yossi Mansharof -
Hizbullah has adopted a policy of systematic ambiguity regarding the scope of its losses in the current war, designed to mask the gap between the organization's promises and the reality on the ground. One aspect of this strategy is embedding the names of its operatives in lists of civilian casualties. In this way, Hizbullah conceals the erosion of its military force while at the same time inflating reports of civilian losses.
Hizbullah's ambiguity is an attempt to preserve an artificial image of victory in the face of a reality of attrition and destruction, since exposing the truth could lead to the collapse of the myth on which it depends. Exposing the scope of the damage inflicted on Hizbullah and embedding this awareness among the Lebanese public would weaken the organization and further undermine its standing.
The writer is a senior researcher at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy.
No Sign that Palestinian Authority Is Preparing Palestinians for Coexistence with Israel
on May 06, 2026
(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh -
The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to demonstrate that it is unwilling to prepare Palestinians for peace and coexistence with Israel. For years, the PA has promised the U.S. and European donors that it would overhaul its education system by removing incitement, antisemitism, and the glorification of violence from school textbooks.
In its latest rebuke, the European Parliament has condemned PA textbooks for the seventh year in a row, citing ongoing defamation of Jews, incitement to violence, and the promotion of jihad and "martyrdom."
The Jews have lived in the area, such as Judea, continuously for nearly 4,000 years; they are the indigenous people as much as the Arabs are. Yet PA educational materials regularly propagate hate towards Jewish people. The PA's own Ministry of Education recently admitted that textbooks currently used in schools "have not been revised at all."
If the Palestinian leadership is serious about peace with Israel - not at all certain - it needs to begin by educating its children for peace, not indoctrinating them with hate. Any society that aspires to statehood and peaceful coexistence must prepare its next generation for nonviolence, mutual recognition, and respect. So far, there is scant evidence of this.
Protesters Lay Siege to a New York Synagogue
on May 06, 2026
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial -
Anti-Israel protesters say objecting to the existence of the Jewish state doesn't make them antisemitic, but that line is becoming impossible to believe. Note the protesters Tuesday who swarmed New York City's Park East synagogue calling for "intifada revolution." The 100 or so protesters, many with faces covered by keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, yelled, "Israel should not exist" outside the synagogue.
In its annual report released Wednesday, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded 32 physical antisemitic assaults in 2025 involving a deadly weapon - a new high. The ADL said 7 targeted victims had some "perceived support for Israel." But that means 25 were attacks on Jews because they are Jewish. In April 2025 a man firebombed the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Passover while his family was at home. In May 2025, a man shot and killed Israeli embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
Antizionism Is a Psychosis Dressed Up as a Theory of Justice
on May 06, 2026
(Telegraph-UK) Allister Heath -
It's not Jews, we keep being told, it's the Israelis. If only they didn't "overact," there would be no antisemitism; if only British Jews repudiated Israel, they would be left alone. The antisemites supposedly have no agency and merely respond to unbearable provocations. Everything about this narrative is a lie, and it will destroy the West if it succeeds in rotting our minds, warping our critical faculties and chasing away the Jewish diaspora.
There was once a legitimate debate about whether Zionism, the idea that Jews should again have their own state in their ancestral homeland, was the best way forward for the long-suffering Jewish people. Pogroms in Russia and the Middle East, the West's refusal to let in fleeing Jews in the 1930s, the Holocaust, the UN's creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the expulsion of virtually all Jews from Muslim countries resolved that question. Zionism became the reality.
Antizionism is a specific, modernized hate ideology with an eliminationist agenda that targets the State of Israel, and only Israel, for dissolution, projects upon it everything many activists loathe about the West, and comes with an entire, warped analytical framework. It is the new antisemitism for our times.
Antizionists fixate on the world's only Jewish state, the abolition of which they believe to be the omni-solution to all of the world's problems. They only care about conflicts involving Jews. The only Jewish state is seen as the purest embodiment of Western evil. Antizionism is a psychosis dressed up as a theory of justice.
The writer is editor of the Sunday Telegraph-UK.
Being Pro-Palestinian Doesn't Give You a Free Pass to Destroy Property in Britain
on May 06, 2026
(Telegraph-UK) Stephen Daisley -
The conviction of four members of the radical anti-Israel organization Palestine Action, following an attack on an Elbit Systems factory in Bristol, sends a clear message: no matter how noble you consider your cause, being pro-Palestinian doesn't give you a free pass to destroy private property. This message is long overdue because, until now, it had seemed as though a keffiyeh and a towering sense of entitlement were impenetrable shields against the consequences of law-breaking.
The courts say the actions of these four activists were criminal, but even more fundamentally, they were wrong. Elbit is an Israeli defense manufacturer. Armies across the Free World need these capabilities to meet the evolving threats of 21st century warfare. Disrupting the production of the weapons by which democracies defend themselves is an assault on their very right to self-defense.
Elbit also offers the capability to gather intelligence with the speed and accuracy to prevent situations from escalating into war. Britain ought to be proud of its ability to attract world-class defense companies like Elbit.
Too many look on Palestine Action's tactics with indulgence when they aren't reveling in the radical chic excitement of it all. They believe the ends justify the means, but only the ends pursued by their own side. Reasoned debate, tolerance and the rule of law are meant only to constrain the bad guys who disagree with them.
Oct. 7 Was a Psychological Awakening
on May 06, 2026
(JNS) Dr. Irwin J. Mansdorf -
After the Hamas-led massacre of 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, it's no longer possible to speak about defensible borders in purely military or cartographic terms. A border is not truly defensible if the people living behind it do not believe that it can protect them. It is not defensible if parents cannot send their children to school without calculating the range of anti-tank missiles. It is not defensible if entire communities remain displaced for months, uncertain whether returning home is an act of resilience or an act of recklessness.
Most importantly, it is not defensible if citizens believe the enemy's ultimate goal is their total destruction and elimination. This is the reality now facing Israel's citizens. A psychological border is the line between a society that feels protected and a society that feels exposed. It is the internal frontier of public trust, civic endurance and collective confidence. Once that frontier is breached, concrete walls and sophisticated sensors are not enough.
Oct. 7 was a psychological awakening. Israelis all identified with each other. They understood that no one in the country is immune from the threat posed by enemies who live by a code of jihad or a national consciousness that refuses to recognize their right to exist.
For many outside observers, the Arab-Israeli conflict is still understood primarily as a territorial dispute. The assumption is that if the right lines are drawn, the right guarantees are issued and the right diplomatic pressure is applied, then stability can be restored. But this view underestimates the ideological nature of the threats Israel faces, especially from jihadist and Islamist movements that do not see the conflict as a negotiable disagreement over borders, but as a struggle over Israel's very legitimacy and existence.
In ordinary territorial conflicts, compromise can be a strategic endpoint. In jihadist frameworks, compromise is often viewed as temporary, tactical or illegitimate. Withdrawal may create space for rearmament, indoctrination and the next assault. Hamas turned Gaza into a fortified terror enclave after Israel's withdrawal in 2005.
Ballistic missiles threaten every corner of Israel. This is why Israelis need a new security reality. They need to know that the ability of Hizbullah, Hamas, Iran and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria to threaten their homes, schools and roads has been decisively reduced.
Any diplomatic arrangement that looks acceptable in Washington or Brussels, but is not trusted by the people who must live next to eliminationist forces, will not be sustainable. Diplomacy is essential, but diplomacy that ignores psychological reality will not produce security. Israel is seeking the minimum condition for national life: the ability of citizens to live securely in their own homes.
The writer is a clinical psychologist and a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, specializing in political psychology.
Give to support Christians in Defense of Israel
Pray for Israel
Our prayer intercessors will lift up your prayer requests!
Sign
Petitions
Signing a petition is an easy and effective way to have your voice heard.
Stay
Informed
Sign up for The Defender newsletter and the CIDI Action Email.
Clubs & Organizations
Connect to other Israel supporters.
For more information call: (407) 875-1948 • [email protected] • PO BOX 540209 Orlando, FL 32854-0209
Christians in Defense of Israel is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
©2014-present Christians in Defense of Israel. All Rights Reserved.
Click Here to Read our Privacy Policy