Gaza Strip

Palestinians vote in first municipal elections since outbreak of Gaza war - analysis

The elections will be closely watched to see the trends. If things go well, this could boost the plans for change in Gaza.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
People walk past destroyed homes on April 20, 2026 in Gaza City, Gaza.
FINANCE MINISTER Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference ahead of the vote on the state budget at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, March 29, 2026.

Smotrich: US supports Israeli West Bank settlement expansion - interview

In past efforts by Israel to expand control in the West Bank, the US has called for maintaining stability in the area, adding that US President Donald Trump has not backed total annexation.

|ByKESHET NEEV
Eli Sharabi was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and survived 491 days in Hamas captivity.

Former Gaza hostage Eli Sharabi reflects on Independence Day, family loss

Eli Sharabi, who survived Hamas captivity, shares his emotional journey after the October 7 massacre, revealing how Independence Day now holds deeper meaning as he honors his murdered family.

|BySHIRLY GOLAN
Fallen Israeli soldier Staff-Sergeant Shachar Fridman.

‘He was always smiling’: Sister of fallen soldier Shachar Fridman on Israel’s Remembrance Day

Fridman was a soldier in the 101st Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, who returned to service after the October 7 outbreak of war despite having already been released from the army.

|ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF

IDF admits civilians likely killed in retaliatory strike on Hamas commander after soldier wounded

"The strike targeted the terrorist Bilal Abu Assi, a Hamas Nukhba Platoon Commander who led the infiltration into Kibbutz Nir Oz on the brutal October 7th massacre," the IDF stated.

FEBRUARY 4, 2026ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
Smoke rises from the Gath shelter, housing displaced Palestinians, after an Israeli air strike in the west of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip on January 31, 2026.

Palestinian women describe harsh questioning, 'journey of horror’ crossing back into Gaza

Of the 50 people waiting to leave Gaza, mostly for medical treatment, only five patients with seven relatives escorting them managed to cross into Egypt on Monday.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByREUTERS
A woman carrying a child boards a bus as Palestinians get ready to leave Gaza for treatment abroad through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, February 2, 2026.

Israelis divided on joining US pre-emptive strike on Iran, ending US military aid - IDI poll

Israelis are divided on Iran, US military aid, and Netanyahu’s role in Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace, according to a new Israel Democracy Institute survey.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Damage in the aftermath of an Iranian ballistic missile hitting a building in Bat Yam, June 29, 2025; illustrative.

Brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini suspected of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza

David Zini's father, Rabbi Yosef Zini, claimed that authorities' true target is not brother Bezalel, but the Shin Bet chief himself: "Most of the public understands this well."

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, SARAH BEN-NUN
Bezalel Zini, brother of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief David Zini, suspected of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza, February 3, 2026.

UNIFIL denounces IDF over chemical substance drops near Blue Line, despite military pre-warning

Meanwhile, the IDF carried out several airstrikes on Hezbollah terrorists and terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByJAMES GENN
UNIFIL soldiers conducting operations in southern Lebanon, January 31, 2026; illustrative.

Head of new Gaza leadership Ali Shaath says Rafah Crossing opens 'window of hope' for Gazans

Israel fully reopened the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a day after rolling out a limited, one-day pilot on Sunday to address potential logistical issues.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByMAYA ZANGER-NADIS
A Palestinian patient, accompanied by relatives, waits to leave Gaza for treatment abroad through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt after it was opened by Israel on Monday for a limited number of people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 2, 2026.

IDF discovers living quarters, weapons inside 100-meter-long tunnel in Gaza's south

IDF strikes a Hezbollah terrorist and several engineering vehicles belonging to the terror organization in southern Lebanon • Francesca Albanese condemns IDF weekend strikes in Gaza.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM, JAMES GENN
IDF soldiers operate in the Khan Yunis area of the Gaza Strip, February 1, 2026.

Gaza's Rafah crossing reopens for first time in a year to pedestrians only

Only a handful of crossings are expected on Sunday, according to Walla, allowing operators to ensure that all identification screening systems are functioning properly.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByAMIR BOHBOT, AMICHAI STEIN
The Rafah border crossing on the Egyptian side, in Rafah, Egypt, January 29, 2026.

‘It felt like victory’: IDF dentist on identifying last Gaza hostage Ran Gvili - interview

“We started hearing [celebratory] shouts from soldiers all around. It was indescribable, a significant moment,” 'L' recalled. “There wasn’t a single dry eye.”

JANUARY 30, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
IDF works to identify body of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, January 26, 2026.

US changes Gaza Civil-Military Coordination Center leadership as Trump pursues stage II of plan

The top military officer at the CMCC is expected to be replaced by a commander of lower rank, while the top civilian has returned has returned to his job as US ambassador to Yemen.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByREUTERS
US AND Israeli soldiers convene at the Civil Military Coordination Centre, the US-led centre overseeing the implementation of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel November 17, 2025.