Israeli-dispatched Iron Dome reportedly intercepts Iranian salvo targeting UAE * 3 IDF troops wounded in Lebanon * Aoun: No meeting with Netanyahu until deal reached, Israeli attacks end
US President Donald Trump calls out the members of the press as he arrives on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, May 3, 2026. (AP/ Matt Rourke)
Worshippers seen at the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, northern Israel, after the Lag B’Omer celebrations there were heavily restricted, May 4, 2026. (David Cohen/Flash90)
People celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer in ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem on May 4, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Rafi Chaim-Kedoshim attends a meeting of the Special Committee for Children’s Rights at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 4, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Sharon Sharabi (L) and Avigdor Liberman (R) in an undated photo released May 4, 2026 (Yisrael Beytenu)
Israel’s Noam Bettan performs during his first rehearsal on the Eurovision stage in Vienna, Austria, May 3, 2026. (Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Former IDF Druze Battalion commander Col. (res.) Wajdi Sarhan launches a new Druze political party, May 4, 2026. (Kinan Heno/Brothers’ Alliance)
People gather to watch the lighting on the central bonfire during Lag B’Omer celebrations on Mount Meron, northern Israel, on May 4, 2026. (David Cohen/Flash90)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Tuesday’s events as they unfolded.
Hezbollah launched several mortars at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon in two separate incidents in the past few hours, the military says.
According to the IDF, no injuries were caused.
South Korean shipping firm says fire on its vessel in Strait of Hormuz has been put out
South Korean shipper HMM says that the fire on its vessel in the Strait of Hormuz has been extinguished.
The ship will be towed to a nearby port in Dubai, the company says, adding no casualties have been reported so far.
IAEA says Russian-held nuclear plant’s meteorological monitoring equipment damaged in drone attack
The International Atomic Energy Agency says on Monday that some meteorological monitoring equipment at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine was damaged in a drone strike.
An IAEA team observed the damage as they visited the plant’s external radiation monitoring laboratory a day after the plant reported a drone attack, the watchdog says.
Iran FM says no military solution in Hormuz, warns US and UAE against ‘quagmire’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says today’s events in the Strait of Hormuz show that there is no military solution to the crisis, adding that talks are making progress with Pakistan’s mediation while warning the United States and the United Arab Emirates against being drawn into a “quagmire by ill-wishers.”
Hezbollah confirms its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in south Lebanon
Hezbollah says its forces clashed with Israeli soldiers on Monday in south Lebanon near the border where the troops are still operating, despite a fragile ceasefire since April 17.
The Iran-backed terror group says in a statement that after Israeli troops attempted to advance near the town of Deir Seryan, its fighters “opened fire on the enemy force and engaged in heavy clashes with them.”
Deir Seryan is inside the Israeli-declared “yellow line” running up to 10 kilometers (six miles) deep along the length of the border in south Lebanon, where residents have been told not to return.
The IDF confirmed earlier Monday that there were clashes with Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon during which two of its soldiers were moderately wounded.
The army said that soldiers returned fire, and the Israeli Air Force also struck Hezbollah sites in the area, including buildings used by the terror group and its anti-tank guided missile launch posts.
Hezbollah also claims a series of other attacks on Israeli military targets in south Lebanon that it says were in response to “the Israeli enemy’s violation of the ceasefire.”
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reports Israeli air strikes on more than 20 south Lebanon locations, some of them towns where the Israeli military earlier Monday told residents to evacuate.
Lebanon’s army says that “an officer and a soldier were lightly wounded” in an Israeli strike on the town of Kafra “while they were traveling in a military vehicle between army posts.”
UK’s Starmer to meet with community leaders to tackle antisemitism after attacks
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene leaders from across society on Tuesday to tackle antisemitism in the wake of the stabbing of two Jewish men and a string of other assaults, his office says.
The attacks have left communities fearing for their safety and piled pressure on the governing Labour Party, particularly ahead of local elections on May 7. The leader of the opposition Conservative Party has called antisemitism a “national emergency.”
The government has since raised the national terrorism threat level to “severe” and announced an additional 25 million pounds ($33.80 million) in funding to bolster protection of the country’s estimated 290,000-strong Jewish community.
Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, says in a statement that last week’s stabbings were part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left the country’s Jewish communities feeling frightened and angry.
“Make no mistake, this crisis – it is a crisis for all of us. It is a test of our values… It is not enough to simply say we stand with Jewish communities. We must show it,” he adds.
Tuesday’s meeting will bring together representatives from business, civil society, health, culture, higher education and policing to take part in discussions with members of the Jewish community, hosted by ministers.
The government, which has also promised legislation to deal with state-sponsored threats, says the event forms part of its efforts to accelerate work to confront militancy, protect the Jewish community and strengthen cohesion.
The Global Terrorism Index, issued by the Institute for Economics & Peace, has said that while deaths from terrorism fell worldwide in 2025, terrorism-related fatalities in Western countries surged by 280% compared to 2024, largely driven by antisemitism, Islamophobia and political terrorism.
In Britain, government data published last year showed sharp rises in hate crimes against both Jewish and Muslim communities in the months following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Maersk unit’s US-flagged ship transits Hormuz accompanied by US military
Maersk says the Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged vehicle carrier operated by its Farrell Lines subsidiary, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by US military assets on Monday.
American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command tweets.
Some 20% of the world’s oil passed through that vital maritime chokepoint prior to its virtual closure following the US and Israeli war with Iran.
“As a first step, 2 US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM says on X, adding that US Navy guided-missile destroyers are operating in the Gulf under a directive called “Project Freedom.”
The Alliance Fairfax is part of the US Maritime Security Program, which provides financial stipends to dozens of US-flagged, private commercial vessels that guarantee transport for the US military during a war or national emergency.
Maersk says the transit of the Alliance Fairfax was completed without incident and that all crew were safe and unharmed.
Maersk bought Virginia-based Farrell Lines in 2007, the US vehicle carrier operator says.
The Alliance Fairfax was among hundreds of ships stranded in the Gulf with the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March.
At least one other US-flagged vessel remains in the Gulf area.
Despite rift, MBS calls Emirati counterpart to condemn Iranian strikes on UAE
Despite the ongoing rift between their countries, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman phoned Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed to express his solidarity with Abu Dhabi after the latter was targeted with Iranian strikes on Monday.
Saudi state media says MBS condemned Iran’s attacks on the UAE during the call.
Obama: In convincing Trump to strike Iran, Netanyahu employed same arguments that he used with me
Former US president Barack Obama says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the same arguments to convince US President Donald Trump to launch a war with Iran that the Israeli premier used on him over a decade ago.
Obama tells The New Yorker that he wasn’t convinced that military action against Iran would have actually addressed the threats posed by the regime.
“I think my prognosis was accurate,” he says, as the US, after striking Iran, is still entertaining many of the trade-offs that Trump criticized Obama for making in the 2015 nuclear deal.
In successfully convincing Trump to strike Iran, it may be that Netanyahu has “gotten what he wanted. Whether that’s what is ultimately best for the Israeli people, I would question that,” Obama argues.
“Whether I think it’s what is good for the United States and America, I would question that,” he adds.
“I think there’s an ample record of my differences with Mr. Netanyahu,” Obama notes.
Trump stops short of calling Iranian fire at UAE a ceasefire violation
US President Donald Trump stops short of calling Monday’s Iranian missile fire at the United Arab Emirates a ceasefire.
Picking up another cold call from a journalist, Trump is asked by ABC News whether he’d brand the Iranian strikes a violation of the truce struck last month with Iran.
Trump responds by appearing to downplay the Iranian salvos.
“[It was] not heavy firing,” Trump says. “They were shot down for the most part.”
Pressed again, Trump responds, “We’ll let you know… I’m looking into it.”
Trump tells ABC that “Iran “better hope [the ceasefire] remains in effect. The best thing that can happen to them is that we keep it in effect.”
Person shot by law enforcement near Washington Monument in DC, Secret Service says
An individual was shot by US law enforcement today near the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, the Secret Service says.
The person’s condition and the circumstances surrounding the shooting around 15th Street and Independence Avenue are not immediately known.
The Secret Service encourages people to avoid the area as emergency crews respond to the shooting not far from the White House, where US President Donald Trump was holding a small business event.
The White House was briefly locked down as authorities investigated the incident. The Secret Service ushered journalists who were outside into the briefing room, and Trump continued his event without interruption.
Man to plead guilty in Colorado firebombing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators
A man accused of killing one person and injuring a dozen more in a firebomb attack on Colorado demonstrators showing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza plans to plead guilty this week, according to court documents.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole if a state judge accepts his guilty plea in the June 1, 2025, attack in downtown Boulder, according to the documents filed by his attorneys on Sunday in a related federal case.
Soliman had previously pleaded not guilty after he was accused of throwing two Molotov cocktails during the demonstration at a pedestrian mall. An 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack later died. A dozen others were also injured.
Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the US illegally. Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.”
Soliman faces dozens of state charges including murder and attempted murder.
He has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges. Prosecutors are considering whether to seek the death sentence in that case, according to his attorneys. Soliman’s attorneys said that, last August, he offered to plead guilty in that case and would accept a sentence of life in prison.
The Associated Press left voicemail messages for Soliman’s attorneys in both cases.
Shannon Carbone, with the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the state case, declined to comment on Soliman’s intention to plead guilty on Thursday, citing public comment restrictions imposed on prosecutors. She says County Attorney Michael Dougherty will address the case following Thursday’s hearing.
State prosecutors have identified 29 victims in the attack. Thirteen were physically injured, and the others were nearby and are considered victims because they could have been hurt. A dog was also injured in the attack, and Soliman has been charged with animal cruelty.
Bennett: Iran’s attacks on UAE mean it is resuming war against allies of US, Israel
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is running to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says the Iranian attacks on the UAE are a declaration that Tehran has renewed its campaign against allies of Israel and the US in the Middle East.
“The United Arab Emirates, our strategic ally, has just been attacked by Iran,” writes Bennett on X. “This is, in effect, a declaration of the renewal of Iran’s war against the allies of the United States and Israel across the region.”
“This regional alliance is vital to our security and to the security of the moderate partners in the Middle East and the Gulf. Iran continues to try to intimidate the region and poses a threat to global security. We stand with our ally,” he adds.
Netanyahu trial hearing tomorrow shortened after PM asks to cancel it
Tomorrow’s hearing in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial will run from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., beginning an hour later than planned.
The court agrees to shorten tomorrow’s hearing rather than cancel it, as Netanyahu had requested.
Zelensky says Ukraine will begin ceasefire tomorrow night
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine will observe a ceasefire beginning at midnight between tomorrow and Wednesday.
Zelensky, writing on Telegram, says Russia has not responded to Kyiv’s calls for a ceasefire and that Ukraine is proceeding because it believed that “human life is incomparably more valuable than the ‘celebration’ of any anniversary.” Russia has said it will observe a ceasefire on May 8-9 to allow celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“In this regard, we announce a regime of silence starting from [midnight] on the night of May 5 to May 6,” Zelensky writes.
Zelensky gives no timeframe for the ceasefire but says Ukraine will “act symmetrically from the specified moment.”
US, Gulf states to draft UN Security Council resolution condemning Iran for blocking Strait of Hormuz
The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a UN Security Council resolution designed to condemn Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz says.
Waltz says negotiations will take place this week on the resolution, which comes after permanent Security Council members Russia and China blocked a resolution last month that Washington hoped would galvanize international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the waterway, a key pathway for the flow of oil and gas.
EU to launch program to aid Palestinians facing settler violence
The European Union will soon launch a program to support Palestinians facing Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority and the EU office in Jerusalem say.
“In coordination with the government, the European Union will launch a program to support victims of settler terrorism,” Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa says in a statement.
“It’s a project that the EU is developing with local and international NGOs with the aim of documenting attacks on Palestinians by violent Israeli settlers and to support the communities that are victims of such attacks,” the office of the local EU representative tells AFP.
A source at the office adds that the project, led by civil society organizations and supported by the EU, “will provide protective presence and protective equipment such as fences to Palestinian communities facing attacks from settlers.”
The program is expected to be finalized within a few months, and its budget should be “around six million euros,” the source adds.
Settler violence has risen in recent months, with near-daily attacks reported and few arrests.
WATCH: Trump delivers remarks at White House
Watch live as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House, where he is speaking about the war with Iran:
UAE says Iran fired 15 missiles, 4 drones at it today
Iran fired 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones at the UAE today, says the Emirati Defense Ministry.
The attacks caused three moderate injuries.
Since the start of the war on February 28, Iran has fired 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,260 drones at the UAE, which has suffered more Iranian attacks than any other country.
‘May Jews burn alive’: Antisemitic graffiti sprayed on train station in Florence, Italy
Antisemitic and anti-Israel graffiti have been found on walls in three locations surrounding the train station in Florence, Italy, according to Italian media reports.
Some of the scrawls read: “Jews to the stake,” “May Jews burn alive,” “May Zionists be hanged,” and “Let’s burn Israel,” alongside swastikas. Other graffiti targets local entrepreneur Marco Carrai, who also serves as Israel’s honorary consul in the city, calling for his death.
The graffiti was discovered yesterday and immediately cleaned up.
“The antisemitism resurfacing on the walls of our city is something that is serious and unacceptable,” Florence Mayor Sara Funaro, who is Jewish, writes on X. “These words hurt and have nothing to do with the values of Florence.”
“Florence does not deserve this, and it will not be intimidated, continuing to work for peace and against all forms of injustice and violence against oppressed peoples,” she adds.
The day before, eight “stumbling blocks” commemorating victims of the Holocaust were vandalized in the northern city of Turin, the Italian daily La Repubblica reports.
The stumbling blocks were covered in black and pink paint in a square next to the local university.
“A vile and foolish act that offends the memory of the victims of Nazism and fascism,” said Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo regarding that act of vandalism.
The number of antisemitic incidents has increased in Italy, with a watchdog tallying a record 963 episodes in 2025.
Former IDF officer Wajdi Sarhan launches first Druze political party in decades
Former IDF Druze Battalion commander Col. (res.) Wajdi Sarhan announces the launch of a new Druze political party called Brit Achim, or “Brothers’ Alliance,” the first independent party representing Israel’s Druze minority in decades.
Unveiling the party in the northern Druze-majority town of Maghar before an audience of hundreds of community leaders, religious figures, and reserve officers, Sarhan says that the initiative departs from the longstanding model of Druze politicians running within major parties, which he argues has failed to serve the community’s interests.
“This is not another attempt to merge with an existing list in exchange for a seat — this is a declaration of an independent political force,” he says. But he adds that the goal of the party is to win around two Knesset seats, which indicates that he is looking to run jointly with another faction, as the minimum number of seats a party can win in elections is four.
Another aspiration of the party is to potentially serve as a kingmaker in elections set for October. Sarhan will head the party, though details of the slate have yet to be announced.
Former IDF Druze Battalion commander Col. (res.) Wajdi Sarhan. (Kinan Heno/Brothers’ Alliance)
The party is already in talks with other political actors about possible alliances, Sarhan says, but stresses it will maintain its independence to ensure Druze interests are represented in the next Knesset.
A close variation on the party’s name (Brit HaAchim) is already used in Israeli political discourse to refer to the alliance between former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Bennett and Lapid recently merged their factions into a new party, called “Together.”
Sarhan, a well-known officer who fought in the Second Lebanon War, has worked for more than two years to establish an independent Druze party, amid longstanding frustration in the community that, despite its contributions to the state, particularly in military service, its needs have not been prioritized.
Male Druze citizens are required to serve in the IDF, and while the community makes up just two percent of the population, the Druze account for 3% of all career soldiers, according to the military.
“Time and again we were given promises that evaporated the day after elections, and representatives became rubber stamps in the name of party discipline, all at the expense of our children and their future,” Sarhan says, adding that after years of “waiting for others to take care of us, now we understand it depends only on us.”
Suspect in Yemanu Zelka murder admits to beating victim as he lay on the ground — report
One of the minors suspected in the killing of Yemanu Zelka reportedly admitted during a police interrogation to beating the 21-year-old as he was “just trying to defend himself,” Channel 12 reports.
In a transcript from the interrogation published by the outlet, a police interrogator asks the suspect what he is seen doing in surveillance footage documenting the fatal stabbing, which took place the night of Independence Day in Petah Tikva.
“You are beating him and he is already laid out on the ground. What is he doing at this moment?” the interrogator asks.
“He was just trying to defend himself,” the suspect responds.
Continuing the line of questioning, the interrogator asks: “I don’t get it. Why are you continuing to hit him when he is already completely helpless, on the floor and unable to hurt anybody?”
“What should I do? Should I punch him and stop midway through? Everyone is punching, what, should I stop?” the youth retorts.
“Until when did you plan to beat him? Until he died? You understand that’s what happened. You were hitting him while he was laying in a pool of blood,” the interrogator responds.
At this point, the suspect stops responding and asks to be released.
He is one of 19 adolescents suspected of participating in the killing of Zelka, a Pizza Hut employee, after he told the group not to spray party foam in the restaurant.
After waiting outside for the young man to finish his late-night shift, the youths reportedly ambushed and beat him, and within seconds, one assailant took out a knife and stabbed him, with many others in the group continuing to beat him even after he collapsed to the ground. Zelka died of his wounds a day later.
Putin said to declare May 8-9 ceasefire with Ukraine, threatens massive strike if attacked
Russian President Vladimir Putin declares a two-day ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine on May 8-9 to mark the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Russia’s Defense Ministry says.
The ministry adds that it counts on the Ukrainian side to follow suit and that Russia will launch a massive retaliatory missile strike on the center of Kyiv if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Victory Day celebrations.
“Despite the capabilities at our disposal, Russia has previously refrained from such actions on humanitarian grounds,” it says in a statement, adding however that it is ready to act if the ceasefire is not respected.
“We are warning the civilian population of Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner,” it says.
UAE announces all schools returning to remote learning
The United Arab Emirates on Monday orders all schools to return to remote learning for the rest of the week, the education ministry says, following a spate of attacks targeting the country that it says came from Iran.
“The Ministry of Education announces a decision to shift to a remote learning system starting from Tuesday, May 5, 2026, until Friday, May 8, 2026,” reads the statement posted by the ministry on social media.
Apparent Hezbollah drone shot down over south Lebanon — IDF
An apparent Hezbollah drone was shot down over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.
No injuries were caused in the incident, the IDF adds.
Masses of Haredi revelers breach Meron despite police efforts to limit crowd due to war
Masses of utlra-Orthodox worshipers have breached the barriers meant to keep crowds away from the Mount Meron complex on the holiday of Lag B’Omer, flouting authorities’ attempts to limit the annual festivities at the site for fear of Hezbollah rocket fire.
Crowds are seen streaming into the complex and gathering around the traditional central bonfire lit outside the tomb, as well as jumping up and down in celebration, while some individuals overturn fences enclosing the area.
Authorities yesterday announced they would drastically scale back the revelry that customarily takes place each year at the northern shrine, revered as the gravesite of second century Jewish sage Shimon Bar Yochai.
Police efforts to secure the site appear to have fallen short. Earlier, police said only a “minority” of those who sought to enter had gotten in.
Around 20,000 visitors were estimated to have arrived at Meron and its surrounding area by yesterday, according to Hebrew outlets.
Iron Dome battery in UAE shoots down Iranian missile — report
Israel’s Iron Dome missile system shot down one of the Iranian missiles fired at the UAE today, a source tells CNN.
The presence of the Iron Dome in the UAE would indicate that IDF forces are stationed there.
Israel sent the battery and the soldiers to operate the system to the UAE at the beginning of the war with Iran, Axios reported.
Turkey says world should prepare for energy crisis over Iran war lasting longer
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar says the world should prepare for the energy price and supply crisis stemming from the Iran war to potentially last longer.
Speaking to broadcaster tvnet, Bayraktar adds that Turkey does not have any supply issues at the moment, but that certain developments regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates from OPEC last month added to the uncertainties.
Report: Rift opens in Netanyahu’s inner circle over entering Herzog-hosted plea talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is contending with disagreements in his inner circle over whether to enter talks at the President’s Residence over a potential plea deal in his long-running corruption trial, Channel 12 reports.
The report comes after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara signaled willingness to participate in the negotiations toward a plea bargain in the trial, in which Netanyahu is accused of bribery and fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu has requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog, and Herzog’s legal adviser had invited both sides to the negotiations late last month in an effort to resolve the trial.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s legal team, led by attorney Amit Hadad, supports participating in the talks, arguing it serves his legal interests. They reportedly say that even if Herzog ultimately grants a pardon, he would need to demonstrate in court that all other avenues – including mediation efforts – had been exhausted.
However, the report says Netanyahu’s family, including his wife, Sara, and son, Yair, along with other advisers, oppose attending the talks, viewing them as a waste of time. They believe Herzog is using the discussions to avoid directly addressing the pardon request and to deflect public scrutiny.
The May 3 deadline set by Herzog for moving forward has already passed, and Netanyahu has yet to make a decision.
Iran launches new strikes against UAE
The UAE says it is facing yet another wave of Iranian drone and missile attacks.
Three Indian nationals have been wounded in the attacks in the UAE so far today.
All 19 minors suspected of involvement in Yemanu Zelka’s murder arrested — police
Police say they have arrested all 19 minors suspected of involvement in the killing of pizzeria employee Yemanu Zelka on Independence Day, after two weeks of searches.
“Since the incident, all suspects suspected of taking part in the mass fight have been arrested,” police announce.
Zelka, a 21-year-old Pizza Hut employee in Petah Tikva, was stabbed to death on the night of the holiday in an attack by a group of adolescents after he told them not to spray party foam in the restaurant.
After waiting outside for Zelka to finish his late-night shift, the youths ambushed and beat him, with one assailant taking out a knife and stabbing him. He died of his wounds a day later.
Melkite Catholic bishops express concern over Israeli demolitions in south Lebanon
A branch of the Catholic Church expresses deep concern over reports that Israel was demolishing civilian and religious buildings in parts of southern Lebanon under its control, following allegations that a convent had been bulldozed.
The Council of Melkite Greek Catholic Bishops in Lebanon urges the Lebanese government and the United Nations to protect the property of civilians and religious institutions in southern Lebanon, citing in particular the village of Yaroun, where officials said Israeli troops destroyed a Melkite convent earlier this month among other demolitions.
The bishops called the destruction of buildings, after residents of the area had evacuated, a “deep wound in the national and human conscience.”
The Israeli military on Saturday acknowledged it caused some damage to a “residential structure” at the Catholic convent while working to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, but denied claims that it “demolished” the site with bulldozers.
Adib Ajaka, a Christian community leader in Yaroun, tells The Associated Press that the photos posted in the Israeli statement were of another building next to the convent that housed a clinic and archbishopric, and that the Israeli military had bulldozed the convent. He hands over a photograph showing rubble next to the clinic building that he says are the remains of the convent.
The Israeli military does not immediately respond to questions about the convent.
Adib, as well as a municipal official from Yaroun and Gladys Sabbagh, the superior general of the Basilian Salvatorian Sisters who had used the convent, all tell The Associated Press that according to news they received, the convent had been bulldozed while residents were evacuated from the area. The municipal official speaks on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
The French Catholic charity L’Oeuvre d’Orient condemns what it calls the “deliberate act of destruction of a place of worship and the systematic destruction of homes in southern Lebanon aimed at preventing the return of civilian populations.”
Trump: If Iran attacks US ships, they’ll be ‘blown off the face of the earth’
If Iran attacks any US ships around the Strait of Hormuz, they will “blown off the face of the earth,” US President Donald Trump tells Fox News.
But he says that the Iranians are showing flexibility in talks and are “much more malleable” in the face of the US blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump says that he is continuing to send troops and equipment to the region.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump says. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
Meanwhile, writing on social media, Trump says that Iran “has taken some shots at unrelated Nations,” including a South Korean cargo ship, but no damage has been caused to any other ships. Iran also reportedly fired missiles at the UAE today.
“Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” Trump says, adding that the US has destroyed seven Iranian fast boats.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine will hold a new conference tomorrow, he says.
Iran had ‘no plans to target’ UAE, state TV says
Iran had “no plans” to target the United Arab Emirates, Iranian state television says, after the UAE accused the Islamic Republic of fresh missile attacks.
A senior Iranian military official says “Iran had no plans to target the UAE,” state TV reports.
US destroys six Iranian small boats, shoots down missiles, drones, US admiral says
The US military has destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran as the US launches an operation to free up the Strait of Hormuz for shipping, US Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of CENTCOM, says.
Cooper says he “strongly advised” Iranian forces to remain clear of US military assets as it launches the operation. He says a US blockade of Iran that prevents ships from going to Iran or departing Iranian territory also remains in effect and was exceeding expectations.
IDF official: Military remains ‘at high readiness’ amid escalation in Gulf
Amid the escalation in the Gulf, an Israeli military official says the IDF is “monitoring the situation and is on alert and at high readiness.”
“Our air defense systems and offensive capabilities are at a high level of readiness, which has not changed since the ceasefire [took effect],” the official says.
The official says there are no changes in the Home Front Command’s guidelines for civilians as of yet, and “any change in the guidelines will be updated accordingly.”
Lebanon’s Aoun: No meeting with Netanyahu until deal reached, Israeli attacks end
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says a security deal and an end to Israeli attacks are needed before there would be any meeting between him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is sought by Washington.
Aoun’s office says in a statement that the president “reiterated his view that the timing is not appropriate now for a meeting” with Netanyahu.
The statement quotes Aoun as saying: “We must first reach a security agreement and stop the Israeli attacks on us before we raise the issue of a meeting between us.”
Aoun says in a meeting with lawmakers that the third meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington will take place “in the coming days.”
Lebanon, he says, is “ready to accelerate the pace of negotiations,” adding that “there is no turning back from the path of negotiations because there is no other option before us.”
He says national unity must be prioritized right now.
Swastikas sprayed on NYC synagogue’s Kristallnacht memorial, other Jewish sites
Swastikas are sprayed on multiple synagogues and Jewish sites in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York City, home to a large population of Jews.
The Shmira neighborhood watch group says “multiple swastikas” were sprayed on Jewish targets overnight, including on a home garage and on the Congregation Machane Chodosh synagogue.
The swastika was sprayed on a cornerstone of the congregation’s building that is dedicated to survivors of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom against German Jews that is regarded by some as the beginning of the Holocaust.
Other images circulating online show graffiti saying “Heil Hitler” sprayed on the nearby Rego Park Jewish Center, another synagogue.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin visits the area, saying that multiple homes and synagogues were vandalized.
“When rabbis and congregants arrived to pray this morning, they expected to be met with their usual loving community. When a family woke up, they were prepared to begin an otherwise normal week. Instead, they were met with terrifying signals of hatred and threats of violence,” Menin says in a statement.
UK police arrest two over arson attack at London memorial wall
British police arrest two people in connection with an arson attack on a memorial wall in a north London area that is home to a large Jewish community.
A man, 46, and a woman, 38, are arrested in relation to the incident, which counterterrorism officers are investigating, on suspicion of arson, the police say in a statement.
The wall is dedicated to Israelis killed by the Hamas terror group and Iranians killed by the Islamic Republic.
The incident on April 27, which followed arson attacks on Jewish targets, took place in Golders Green, where ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer emergency service, Hatzola, had been torched.
Police have said they are investigating possible Iranian links to the arson attacks.
The stabbing of two Jewish men in the same area last week has heightened concerns about the community’s safety, prompting the government to raise the national terrorism threat level to “severe” from “substantial.”
Counterterrorism officers in the British capital are working on a number of investigations into incidents that have taken place in northwest London since the ambulance attack in March, police say.
A total of 30 arrests have been made and nine people have been charged since the March incident, in what police described as “the most intensive set of community operations it has ever run,” the statement says.
NYC Jews targeted in 60% of hate crimes in city last month — NYPD
Jews in New York City were targeted in 60 percent of all confirmed hate crimes last month, according to New York Police Department data.
The police report 30 confirmed antisemitic hate crimes out of 50 total hate crimes recorded in the city.
Jews make up around 10% of the city’s population.
Last month, there were nine incidents targeting black people, one based on gender, three against Hispanic people, two motivated by religion, five based on sexual orientation, and zero targeting Muslims, Asians, white people, or other ethnicities.
The number of antisemitic hate crimes in April marks a decrease from the 43 confirmed incidents targeting Jews one year earlier, in April 2025.
But it is a rise when compared to recent months. In February of this year, there were 21 confirmed antisemitic incidents, and in March, 32.
The monthly total tends to vary based on factors that include news developments, protests, and the weather.
The NYPD had previously reported suspected, but unconfirmed, hate crime incidents. That changed in February, when the police reported confirmed incidents instead.
Then, after coming under criticism, the NYPD began reporting both suspected and confirmed hate crimes in March.
That means that a total for the year is not available, because, for January, there is no data on confirmed incidents, and for February, there is no data on suspected incidents.
After a surge in antisemitic hate crimes after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 that continued into 2024, the number dropped slightly in 2025, but Jews are still targeted more than all other groups combined every month.
Brent oil prices jump 5% amid rising tensions over Strait of Hormuz
Brent oil prices shoot up more than five percent amid intensifying tensions over the Strait of Hormuz as Emirati authorities said an energy installation had been struck by an Iranian drone.
Near 3:35 p.m. GMT (6:35 p.m. Israel time), Brent oil futures jumped 5.2% to $113.78 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 3.1% to $105.11 a barrel.
Troops raze 100-foot Hezbollah tunnel in Lebanon, discover weapons cache, IDF says
The IDF says it razed a Hezbollah tunnel measuring 30 meters (some 100 feet), and discovered a nearby cache of weapons, during recent operations in southern Lebanon.
The tunnel had been used by Hezbollah to advance attacks, according to the military.
Next to the tunnel, the IDF says, troops located a cache that included some three tons of explosives, 43 Claymore-style mines, other mines, and anti-tank guided missile systems.
In addition to the tunnel and explosives cache, the IDF says it struck Hezbollah operatives and some 15 infrastructure sites belonging to the terror group in the western sector of southern Lebanon over the past day.
Iran fires another wave of drones, missiles at UAE
The UAE is facing a second wave of Iranian drone and missiles within an hour, says the Emirati Defense Ministry.
Sirens are sounding across the country.
UAE says Iran targeted it with 4 missiles; fire erupts at oil facility
Iran has launched 4 cruise missiles at the UAE, says the Emirati Defense Ministry.
Three were intercepted, while one crashed into the sea, says the ministry on X.
The UAE had previously said it was facing drone and missile attacks from Iran.
According to the ministry, the country’s air defenses engaged the incoming projectiles.
Explosions heard across the country are the result of interceptions, says the ministry on X.
A fire has broken out at the Fujairah Oil Industrial Zone, the UAE’s only major port that sits on the Gulf of Oman, and can be reached without transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked.
Earlier this afternoon, the UAE ordered residents to head for shelters, then sent an all-clear message shortly afterward.
Iran fired two drones at an Emirati commercial ship today.
IDF soldier lightly injured by Hezbollah drone in south Lebanon
A soldier was lightly injured in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon today.
According to the IDF, Hezbollah launched several explosive drones at troops stationed in southern Lebanon today, along with several rockets.
The rocket attacks did not cause any injuries, the military says.
The wounded soldier was taken to a hospital and his family was notified.
IRGC said to deny US ships transited Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied the American military’s report that two US ships transited the Strait of Hormuz despite the Iranian blockade, according to Iran’s Tasnim News.
The IRGC says no commercial vessel or tanker has crossed the strait in the past few hours, and adds that “claims by US officials are baseless and complete lies,” according to the report.
Iran had previously said it fired warning shots at US ships.
IDF says jets flying over Jerusalem area were training for ceremony tomorrow
The military says the fighter jets and cargo plane seen over the Jerusalem area a short while ago were training for tomorrow’s handover ceremony for the chief of the Israeli Air Force.
Tomorrow afternoon, IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar is being replaced by Maj. Gen. Omer Tischler.
The practice flights will take place until tomorrow morning, the IDF says.
“This is routine activity; there is no fear of a security incident,” the military adds.
The military did not warn the public ahead of time.
Police say mass breach of Meron restrictions ‘thwarted,’ only ‘minority’ skirted barriers
Contradicting reports that thousands of Jewish pilgrims have snuck up onto Mount Meron today ahead of Lag B’Omer festivites, police claim that only a “minority” have succeeded in skirting their barriers.
“The entry of thousands of people into the Meron area has so far been prevented, and the arrival of hundreds of buses traveling in violation of the [Home Front Command] guidelines has been thwarted,” police say in a statement.
Hundreds of officers are present in the area to block the entry of revelers to Meron, police say, after authorities decided yesterday to drastically pare down planned annual celebrations at the site near the Lebanon border for Lag B’Omer, which begins tonight, amid war-related safety concerns.
Police further deny news reports claiming masses of revelers have reached the site illegally, claiming they are liable to “mislead the public” and insisting only a “minority” have managed to evade law enforcement.
Over the past 24 hours, mostly Haredi pilgrims have been seen hopping over and crossing through weak points in chain-link fences surrounding the site, despite law enforcement’s efforts to secure the area.
Before police closed the site and roads leading to it yesterday morning, an estimated 20,000 people had already arrived in the town of Meron for the holiday, according to several Hebrew outlets.
Fighter jets seen flying low over Jerusalem area
Fighter jets and a C-130 transport plane are seen flying low over the Jerusalem area a short while ago.
The reason for the flyby is not immediately clear.
IDF issues evacuation warnings in Lebanon ahead of strikes targeting Hezbollah
The IDF issues evacuation warnings for six more villages in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.
Residents of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Mayfadoun, Qalaouiyah, Burj Qalaouiyah, al-Majadel, and Srifa are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer (roughly 0.6 miles) away.
“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
Earlier, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for four villages in southern Lebanon.
Rights group says Gaza flotilla activists facing abuse in Israel jail
Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who have been detained in Israeli prison are facing psychological abuse, death threats and poor detention conditions, a rights group representing them says.
“Thiago Avila reported being subjected to repeated interrogations lasting up to eight hours. Interrogators have explicitly threatened him, stating he would either be ‘killed’ or ‘spend 100 years in jail,’” rights group Adalah, whose attorneys visited both activists today, says in a statement.
Adalah adds that a court will decide tomorrow whether to further extend Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Avila’s detention.
The Prison Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The activists were among more than 170 detained by Israel last week when the flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza was intercepted by the Navy in international waters. The remainder were all freed Friday in Greece.
Israel says that Abu Keshek and Avila are affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which has been accused by the US Treasury of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” Hamas.
Support for Iran war among ‘connected’ US Jews falls again, poll finds
In the early days of the US-Israel war on Iran, 68 percent of “connected” American Jews — those with ties to American Jewish institutions — supported the war, according to a poll from the Jewish People Policy Institute.
That proportion fell to 60% just after a ceasefire began in the war on April 8, the same survey found, according to results published Sunday. The poll does not survey US Jews as a whole or claim to reflect overall American Jewish opinion.
The decline was sharpest among “connected” Jews who identified as “leaning liberal,” 42% of whom are supportive of the war, down from 57% in early March.
At the same time, opposition among “connected” Jews has risen sharply, with about a third saying they oppose the war, up from 26% just after the war’s start. And only 14% of respondents said they believed the war had achieved “major success.”
The survey of 806 “connected” American Jews, taken April 15-19, drew from a panel that JPPI maintains and surveys regularly. The institute says its polls reflect the sentiments of “connected” Jews because its panel includes fewer intermarried Jews, more Jews who are affiliated with denominations and more Jews who have lived in Israel than demographic data suggests is representative of US Jewry overall.
Two polls taken weeks into the war, before the ceasefire, found that most American Jews overall opposed the US military campaign against Iran.
South Korea checking whether Korean-flagged vessel struck in Hormuz, report says
South Korea said it was verifying intelligence that a South Korean-flagged vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, Korea’s Yonhap News reports.
A spokesperson for South Korean shipper HMM 011200.KS tells Reuters that a fire broke out in the engine room of one of its bulk carriers in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
He says there were no reports of casualties or injuries.
The US military said two US Navy guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to break an Iranian blockade and that two US ships had transited the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran navy fired missile ‘warning shot’ near US destroyers in Hormuz, state TV says
The Iranian navy fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones near US destroyers crossing the Strait of Hormuz today, state television claims.
It says the navy had identified US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz and fired multiple warning shots, adding, “following the Zionist American destroyers’ disregard for the initial warning, the Navy issued a warning shot by firing cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones around the aggressor enemy vessels.”
The US military said two guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf and that they had not been hit.
IDF raids Hezbollah rocket launching site in Lebanon, captures weapons cache
IDF troops raided a Hezbollah rocket-launching site in southern Lebanon earlier today, capturing a cache of weapons in the process.
The military says troops of the Givati Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit located dozens of rockets and other weapons at the site, including assault rifles, RPGs and other equipment.
The troops also located primed rocket launchers in the area, which the IDF says were aimed at troops stationed in southern Lebanon and at Israel.
Sydney cancels controversial forum promoting ‘Globalize the intifada’ slogan
The mayor of Sydney, Australia, has canceled a controversial forum promoting the slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” citing concerns that it could inflame tensions and threaten public safety.
The event was titled, “Why it is right to say Globalise the Intifida,” and intended to defend the phrase against efforts to ban it.
The phrase has become a flashpoint in public debate, with Jewish groups and others viewing it as a call to antisemitic violence because the first and second intifadas were violent Palestinian uprisings that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Defenders of the slogan say it is a legitimate expression of political speech, and accuse critics of suppressing pro-Palestinian advocacy.
The event, scheduled for tomorrow at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre, had drawn strong criticism from politicians and Jewish leaders. It was set to coincide with a national Royal Commission hearing about rising incidents of antisemitism across Australia months after the deadly terror shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration at the city’s Bondi Beach in December, which killed 15.
In a statement on social media, Mayor Clover Moore says the forum risked “contributing to hostility and fear.” She blamed local media, specifically outlets owned by publishing magnate Rupert Murdoch, for amplifying tensions over the event.
The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies welcomes the decision, saying the event would have endangered public safety and harmed social cohesion.
“We are pleased that this toxic event will no longer take place at a council venue and reiterate our calls for this phrase to be proscribed as swiftly as possible,” it writes on social media.
After the Bondi Beach attack, Australian lawmakers proposed tougher laws against hate speech, including a proposed ban on the “Globalize the intifada” slogan in NSW.
UAE issues all-clear after sending alert warning of potential missile fire
After issuing a missile alert, Emirati authorities send a second message to cellphone saying that the danger has passed and normal activities can resume.
The reason for the alert remains unclear.
UAE alerts residents ahead of potential missile attack for first time since truce began
The United Arab Emirates sends an emergency alert to residents ahead of a potential missile attack, according to multiple reports.
Residents are told to immediately seek shelter and await further instructions.
These are the first warnings issued since the April 8 ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Earlier today, Iran launched two drones at an Emirati ship, according to the UAE.
Content retrieved from: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/trump-iran-war-hormuz-strait-may-4.
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