Browsing: Israel News

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it has awarded Boeing an $8.6 billion contract to supply Israel with advanced F-15 fighter jets, marking a major boost to the Israeli Air Force’s capabilities. The deal covers the acquisition of the F-15IA, Israel’s customized version of the American F-15EX. These next-generation fighters are designed to gradually replace older aircraft and significantly enhance Israel’s strategic reach and air superiority. The F-15IA is notable for its exceptional weapons-carrying capacity and extended operational range, making it well-suited for long-range strike missions. When combined with Israel’s fleet of F-35 Adirs, the aircraft will create a powerful mix…

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Saturday, December 27, that Iran is engaged in “total war” with the United States, Israel, and Europe, accusing Western powers of attempting to break Iran through military action, sanctions, and diplomatic pressure. He described the current confrontation as more complex than the Iran-Iraq War, claiming Iran now faces a coordinated, multi-front campaign aimed at weakening the regime and destabilizing the country internally. Pezeshkian pointed to the reimposition of UN sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program and blamed European governments for abandoning diplomatic engagement. He said talks earlier in 2025 collapsed after military escalation and…

A teacher was assaulted on Yefet Street in Jaffa by an unidentified assailant on Thursday evening. According to initial reports, the incident occurred shortly before 7 p.m., when Rabbi Netanel Avitan, 51, a teacher at the Shirat Moshe Hesder Yeshiva in Jaffa,  was walking to his car. The attacker allegedly struck him while shouting insults in Arabic, breaking the rabbi’s glasses before fleeing the scene. Magen David Adom paramedics treated Avitan at the scene and evacuated him to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. He is receiving treatment for facial wounds and reported headaches. His condition was described as stable. Continue reading this article on jpost.com

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the possibility of moving to stage two in the Gaza peace plan, stating the main condition for this development as the disarmament of Hamas. According to Netanyahu, there are currently about 20,000 armed Hamas operatives in the Strip with Kalashnikov weapons, who, combined, possess roughly 60,000 weapons and use them against Gaza civilians who oppose their continued rule. “They kill a lot of people who don’t want them,” he said in the interview. “Disarmament means taking away all their weapons and disposing of them, as well as dismantling the hundreds…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present President Donald Trump with options for renewed strikes on Iran during a meeting later this month at Mar-a-Lago. The discussions are described as being driven by deepening Israeli concern over Iran’s continuing efforts to rebuild and expand key military capabilities after the June conflict known as Operation Rising Lion. While Iran’s nuclear activity remains a central worry for Jerusalem, the most immediate focus described in the early details is the ballistic missile threat, which Israeli officials see as urgent and rapidly evolving. Israeli officials have voiced concern that Iran is not…

Senior officials from Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are in early-stage discussions on establishing a joint rapid reaction military force, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to i24NEWS. The initiative is being examined as part of a broader effort to strengthen military-strategic cooperation among the three countries amid rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. According to the sources, the proposed force would not be permanent but would be designed for rapid deployment during crisis situations at sea, in the air, and on land. The discussions are described as preliminary, with planning and assessments still underway. One source…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he had approved the largest energy deal in Israel’s history, with neighboring Egypt, which is expected to boost Israel’s economy by billions of shekels in the coming years. In a video statement alongside Energy Minister Eli Cohen, Netanyahu said that the natural gas deal with Cairo was worth NIS 112 billion ($34.7 billion), of which NIS 58 billion ($18 billion) would go into public coffers. In the first four years, he said, around NIS 500 million ($155 million) would go to the state yearly, and this was expected to climb to NIS…

The IDF recently tracked multiple drones flying from Egyptian territory directly into Gaza, suspected of ferrying small arms and other contraband to terror groups. Officials say several such flights have been detected in the past month, highlighting an evolving smuggling method aimed at bypassing traditional tunnel and ground routes. To counter the threat, the military is preparing a multi-layered response that includes direct fire on hostile UAVs, dedicated counter-drone units, and wider deployment of sensors and intelligence. A section of the Israel–Egypt frontier has been designated a closed military area to restrict access and give forces greater operational freedom. A…

Following Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s visit to India last September, where the two countries signed an investment protection agreement, Smotrich hosted Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday for a reciprocal visit focused on expanding economic cooperation. Goyal arrived with a large delegation of Indian business leaders as both governments explore a comprehensive free trade agreement that would include financial services. A first formal financial dialogue between the two finance ministries is expected in the coming months. Continue reading this article on i24news.tv

A dramatic shift may be underway in Israel’s strategic defense policy as officials in Jerusalem confirm to i24NEWS that Israel considers a gradual reduction of US military aid. The annual aid package stands at $3.8 billion, almost all of which is directed toward purchases from the American defense industry. This development ties in with an extraordinary statement made by the Prime Minister this morning in an interview with Australian television, in which he said that he wants to see a much more independent defense industry. He also noted that, as prime minister back in 1996, he initiated the process of…