Current sectionIsrael NewsLive Updates February 18, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeKey EventsFebruary 18, 2026RECAP: Israeli defense officials say U.S. strike on Iran could happen sooner than anticipatedDuring Ramadan, 10,000 West Bank Palestinians will be permitted to attend Friday prayers at Temple Mount in JerusalemWhite House: Some progress made on Iran, but 'many arguments for strike'February 18, 2026UpdatesHaaretzFebruary 18, 2026Previous updatesClick here for previous updates.Click the alert icon to follow topics:2025 Israel-Iran WarIranHamasIsrael - U.S.HezbollahBenjamin NetanyahuDonald TrumpHamas hostagesCease-fire/hostage release talksGaza aidCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesTrump-IranIsrael ElectionsJerusalem DayGaza FlotillaEurovisionIsrael-NYTHaQuizHaaretz PodcastHamas Official Confirms Group's Military Chief Killed in IDF Strikes on GazaU.S. Suspends Sanctions Against UN Investigator Francesca AlbaneseLebanon: U.S.-backed Security Track With Israel Established During Friday Talks'Fantasies of a Young Arab Lover': The Secret Gay Scene of Mandatory PalestineCould Brain-drain Leave Israel Brain-dead?Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Hasidic Jews Behind Florida's Giant Golden Trump StatueStarlink Users, Beware – Israeli Tech Can Reveal Your IdentityIt Wasn't Just Revenge That Israel Was After in GazaIsraeli Artists Slam Venice Biennale Participation: 'Again, Israel as a Victim'Trump Collides With Reality in Latest Iran StandoffIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter Attacked