LiveLive Updates July 01, 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 formatSubscribeJuly 01, 2026UpdatesU.S. Congress blocks vote on cutting military aid to IsraelA Congress committee canceled a vote on an amendment to block U.S. funding to the Israeli military on Tuesday.Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the amendment alongside Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, blamed the "pro-Israel lobby" for blocking the vote in a post on X.Congress has blocked the amendment @RepThomasMassie and I introduced to stop the integration of our military with Israel’s. It is unconscionable to not even have a vote. We will be continuing on and will not be intimidated by the pro-Israel lobby.Show more"Congress has blocked Thomas Massie and my amendment to prevent the integration of our military with Israel," Khanna said. "This is unconscionable. They're not even giving us a vote on the amendment. Thomas and I will continue to fight to make sure we don't compromise American sovereignty."The amendment would prohibit funds from the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act "from being used for Israel, and accordingly reduces the Foreign Military Financing Program account by $3.3 billion."Massie also proposed to reduce $2.1 billion in funding from programming in Jordan and $1.4 billion in assistance for Egypt, according to the amendments submitted to the Committee on Rules.8 hours agoThree people killed within hour across Israeli localitiesEmergency response services in Shfaram on Wednesday morning. Credit: Magen David AdomEmergency response services in Shfaram on Wednesday morning. Credit: Magen David AdomThree people were killed across Israeli localities within less than an hour on Wednesday morning: In Netanya, a rabbi in his 70s was fatally stabbed inside a synagogue, police said they are pursuing the stabbing suspect, who is known to law enforcement; in the northern Israeli Arab city of Shfaram, a 24-year old bus driver was shot dead on his way to work, police said the incident had criminal motives; a 21-year-old resident of the Bedouin town Basmat Tiv'on was shot dead in the parking lot of a shopping complex in the nearby Yagur, police are investigating the homicide as linked to criminal motives.According to Haaretz's tally, 172 people have been killed in Israel since the beginning of the year. Eleven people have been killed since the start of this week.Read the full articleDemocrats' progressive wave hits Colorado with win for 29-year-old Israel criticMelat Kiros, a 29-year-old Democrat, is projected to win her Colorado House primary in the latest major victory for progressives demanding fundamental changes to the U.S.-Israel relationship.Melat Kiros participates in a League of Women Voters Congressional District 1 candidate forum at Montview Presbyterian Church on May 28, 2026, in Denver. Credit: RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via APMelat Kiros participates in a League of Women Voters Congressional District 1 candidate forum at Montview Presbyterian Church on May 28, 2026, in Denver. Credit: RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via APShe joins an anticipated slate of freshman lawmakers – including three recent victors in New York, a doctor in New Jersey who volunteered in Gaza, a pastor in Texas and a local lawmaker in Pennsylvania – who have vowed to make altering the status quo in U.S.-Israel ties a priority as representatives in Congress.Kiros is expected to face a glidepath toward election in November's general election in the state's heavily Democratic 1st congressional district – one which holds the state's largest Jewish population. She successfully unseated longtime Rep. Diana DeGette, who has served for nearly the entirety of Kiros' life.Read the full articleReport: Trump discussed resuming Iran war with top U.S. officials, opted to stick with talksU.S. President Donald Trump has weighed a return to war with Iran in recent days, holding multiple conversations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine regarding the possibility of more strikes, according to official U.S. sources reported by The Wall Street Journal.However, according to the sources, Trump has decided at this stage to stick with the diplomatic track.The officials said the conversations centered on whether the U.S. should abandon negotiations and launch a full-scale attack against Iran, a move some of them described as "finishing the job." According to the report, Trump told aides he believes another round of attacks could derail diplomatic contacts and reduce the chances of ultimately dismantling Iran's nuclear program. Therefore, according to the sources, he currently prefers to settle for targeted strikes against Iran when it violates the "memorandum of understanding." In addition, administration sources acknowledged that resuming the war would be a tacit admission that the deal with Iran failed.Read the full articleQatar reaffirms mediation role in U.S.-Iran talks after meeting with WitkoffQatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani affirmed his country's continued mediation efforts and its support for all tracks of talks stemming from the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.Sheikh Mohammed's remarks came in a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, where they discussed developments in ongoing U.S.-Iran talks.The statement did not provide further details on the content of the discussions.11 hours agoNew York woman charged with attempting to provide material support, resources to Palestinian Islamic JihadIn this photo published by the U.S. Justice Department, Catherine Beth Washburn is pictured with two hand grenades in front of Hamas flag. Credit: U.S. Department of JusticeIn this photo published by the U.S. Justice Department, Catherine Beth Washburn is pictured with two hand grenades in front of Hamas flag. Credit: U.S. Department of JusticeU.S. authorities announced charges against a 37-year-old woman in upstate New York, charging her with attempting to provide material support and resources to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.According to the Justice Department, Catherine Beth Washburn is a leader of the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), formed after October 7, 2023 aimed at engaging in "direct action – including acts of sabotage and property destruction – in support of the Palestinian cause and against entities that it associates with Israel."An analysis of financial records determined that Washburn was sending cryptocurrency to a Gaza-based individual affiliated with PIJ, making approximately 80 transfers of cryptocurrency totaling approximately 30,116 USDC (equivalent of $30,116) to an account he used. In a November 2025 message, Washburn stated, "[b]ased on my passed [sic] fundraising and posting Im [sic] gonna get put away for a few life times," and included what appears to be a laughing emoji.The charges come months after FBI officials recovered electronic messages between Washburn and an identified PIJ fighter in Gaza. "[i]f I lived in Gaza, I would fight alongside the resistance," read one of her messages, adding "I wish every day were October 7th.""As alleged, Washburn repeatedly voiced support for violence against Israeli civilians and attempted to provide material support to the Palestine Islamic Jihad by sending cryptocurrency to an individual who claimed to participate in its attacks," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "Those who aid foreign terrorist groups will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said that Washburn was stopped from providing financial support to terrorist groups, including Palestine Islamic Jihad, an effort he alleged was driven by her hatred of Israel and Jewish people. He added that her attempts included encrypted communications with a militant involved in violent attacks thousands of miles away.11 hours agoGOP Israel critic Thomas Massie calls on Trump to declassify files related to 'Israel's unprovoked attack' on USS Liberty Rep. Thomas Massie, the Republican Party's fiercest critic of Israel, introduced a resolution calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to "declassify and publicly release all files related to Israel's unprovoked attack on the USS Liberty."Massie's resolution, the text of which amplifies disputed claims that Israel deliberately targeted the American vessel during the 1967 Six-Day War, comes weeks after the outgoing GOP lawmaker marked the incident's 59th anniversary on the House floor.U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie speaks to the press as he exits a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last week. Credit: Annabelle Gordon/ REUTERSU.S. Rep. Thomas Massie speaks to the press as he exits a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last week. Credit: Annabelle Gordon/ REUTERSThe resolution further "affirms that the lives and safety of United States citizens and servicemembers shall be held paramount in the conduct of the foreign policy of the United States and shall not be subordinated to the interests of any foreign nation."The USS Liberty incident remains a highly contentious episode in U.S.-Israel relations. Thirty-four Americans were killed and 171 wounded when Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats attacked the ship off the Sinai coast on June 8, 1967. Israel later apologized, saying its forces had mistakenly identified the vessel as an Egyptian ship. Multiple Israeli and American investigations concluded the attack was the result of misidentification rather than a deliberate attempt to target a U.S. vessel.The attack has generated conspiracy theories for decades, including claims that Israel sought to prevent U.S. intelligence collection, intended to blame the attack on Egypt, or participated in a cover-up with the United States to protect bilateral relations.RECAP: Israel arrests U.S. citizen for spying for Iran; Netanyahu tours Lebanon buffer zoneHere are Wednesday's latest updates:■ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he directed the Israeli military to destroy "everything above ground and below ground" while touring the IDF-occupied buffer zone in southern Lebanon.■ Police said they arrested a 20-year-old U.S. citizen on suspicion of spying for Iranian intelligence.■ Israeli military attacks killed eight people and wounded 26 in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.■ The Israeli military said it killed the commander of an Islamic Jihad platoon in a Monday strike in the Gaza Strip. Former hostage Rom Braslavski said the militant had tortured him in captivity.■ Residents of two villages in southern Syria set up barricades on roads leading from an IDF base in an attempt to block IDF troops from reaching deeper into Syria after an Israeli raid last week, local sources and Lebanon's Al Mayadeen channel reported.■ Israeli forces set fire to houses in the Lebanese villages of Ayta al-Jabal and Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon, the country's National News Agency reported.In the NewsIDF Hostage Chief: Gaza Hostages Could Have 'Returned Alive,' but Gov't RefusedIsraeli Automotive Cybersecurity Firm PlaxidityX Shuts Down After $450M ExitBennett and Lapid Hoped to Force Eisenkot's Hand, but May Need Him to SurviveHaaretz Expands U.S. Presence With New Bureau Chief, Washington CorrespondentNY Woman Charged With Funneling Cryptocurrency to Palestinian Islamic JihadRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsA Collapsing Society: Israel Suffers National Mental Crisis Due to the WarFlagGate: How Israel Set Off a Storm by Hosting a Separatist Genocide DenierWhy Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad LanderSettlers Tried to Torch Palestinian Homes. They Messed With the Wrong Village