LiveLive Updates July 02, 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 02, 2026UpdatesReport: Marwan Barghouti to run for Palestinian president from Israeli prisonMarwan Barghouti in court in 2002. Credit: AP Photo Marwan Barghouti in court in 2002. Credit: AP Photo Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, a central figure in Palestinian politics serving five life sentences in Israel for murder, has informed his lawyer of his intention to run in the next Palestinian presidential election, Sky News Arabia reported, citing a Palestinian source.According to the report, the move comes amid mounting pressure from the United States and the European Union on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to hold presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.Prisoners in Israel face 'unprecedented' rights violations, Public Defender's report saysShikma detention center in southern Israel, last year. Credit: Ilan AssayagShikma detention center in southern Israel, last year. Credit: Ilan AssayagPrisoners in Israeli jails suffered unprecedented violence and rights violations amid a deepening incarceration crisis in 2025, according to an annual report published by the Israel Public Defender's Office on Wednesday.According to the report, 297 complaints of police violence were filed with the Justice Ministry's department for investigating police officers in 2025, warning that the crisis reached a "new and alarming peak," leading to "unprecedented violation of basic rights of prisoners held in state custody, with no real solution in sight."The report provides several examples where complaints of police violence led to criminal cases being dropped. In one incident cited in the report, footage showed a defendant being slammed to the ground while police officers beat and cursed him. After it became clear that the police had refrained from transferring his complaint to the department as required, the Public Defender's Office did so, and the prosecution withdrew the indictment.Read the full articleIsraeli Defense Ministry expects to treat 90,000 soldiers by end of year amid PTSD spikeThe Defense Ministry's Rehabilitation Department said 26,200 IDF soldiers have reached out for help since the war began, with 65 percent of them dealing with mental distress or post-traumatic stress disorder.The ministry said it expects the number of casualties to cross the 90,000 mark by the end of the year – a 40 percent rise over the past three years – warning that the department may collapse.Iran warns U.S. against interference in Strait of Hormuz, state media reportIran ‌said on ‌Thursday that any U.S. interference ⁠in the Strait ⁠of Hormuz would trigger a "decisive and rapid" response, adding that the ‌continued presence of U.S. ‌air assets across the waterway endangered regional security, state media reported.Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates Iran's armed forces operations, ⁠said all tanker and commercial vessels must follow ‌routes ⁠designated by ‌Tehran for safe passage through the strait, adding ⁠that deviations or failure to comply with navigation protocols would ‌face an immediate response.Israel Police, Shin Bet arrest Russian-Tajik citizen for spying for IranThe Israel Police, Shin Bet security service and Defense Ministry said they arrested a foreign national on suspicion of spying for Iran during the 2026 war with the country.According to the joint statement, Tajik-Russian dual citizen Behrouz Sobirgon filmed and photographed ballistic missile impact sites and passed them on to an Iranian intelligence operative, with whom he had been in contact since January.Police and the security bodies said Sobirgon also passed Iran the coordinates of Tel Aviv's Azrieli Towers, located outside the IDF and Defense Ministry headquarters known as the Kirya, and carried out "security-related missions."The Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office requested that the man remain in custody until his arraignment and is expected to soon file charges.Far-right minister blames Israel's ex-hostage chief for October 7 deathsHeritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, seen in the Knesset, March. Credit: Itay CohenHeritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, seen in the Knesset, March. Credit: Itay CohenFar-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said the former head of the IDF's Hostages and Missing Persons Command is responsible for people being killed during the October 7 attack after the hostage chief said the Gaza war could have ended earlier.Eliyahu said former hostage chief Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon is "responsible for people being taken hostage. Plain and simple. Because of the approach that put people on the fence," referring to the Gaza border."If we had gone with him. Hamas would have been on the fence again. If we had retreated at that stage, we would have left Hamas 70 percent of the Gaza Strip," Eliyahu told Army Radio.On Wednesday, Alon said Israel "paid a heavy price in soldiers killed, perhaps even some hostages killed, immense costs in blood and money that were not necessary." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government rejected hostage deals "in the name of that same 'total victory,' which is a falsehood," the hostage chief said.Police: Israelis who entered Palestinian village were fleeing traffic stopPolice said the Israeli citizens who had entered the Palestinian village of Mukhmas in the central West Bank, leading to an IDF lockdown, were fleeing from a traffic stop.According to police, the officers later "noticed that the vehicle had entered an alley, and due to the nature of the place, stopped and passed on quick reports."Police later said they detained "several Israeli suspects," saying they "view with the utmost seriousness any entry by Israeli citizens into Area A," referring to parts of the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.13 hours agoIDF locks down West Bank Palestinian village as Israelis enter then leave areaThe Israeli military said it launched a large-scale search after Israelis reported feeling threatened near the Palestinian village of Mukhmas, east of Ramallah in the central West Bank.The Palestinian village of Mukhmas.The Palestinian village of Mukhmas.The IDF said it lost contact with the group, and their vehicle was found smashed in the area. The army then said a large number of soldiers set up roadblocks around the village and placed it under lockdown to "rule out the concern of a security incident," later lifting the lockdown after the Israelis contacted the forces and said they had left the area. The military said it has ruled out its suspicions.The village of Mukhmas has been subjected to frequent settler incursions since the Kol Mevaser outpost was established nearby last October. More recently, a nearby Bedouin community bearing the same name was forcibly displaced following repeated settler attacks, including live fire, arson and severe violence. Last week, the Civil Administration, an Israeli military body in charge of West Bank Palestinian communities, demolished structures in the displaced community. Since the expulsion, settlers have shifted their attacks to the village itself.Read the full article15 hours agoOn 1,000th day since October 7 massacre, activists call for Netanyahu’s resignationActivists in Jerusalem's Paris Square on Thursday morning, the 1000th day since the October 7 massacre. Credit: Yossi RonActivists in Jerusalem's Paris Square on Thursday morning, the 1000th day since the October 7 massacre. Credit: Yossi RonActivists from protested in Jerusalem's Paris Square on Thursday, marking the 1,000th day since the October 7 massacre and calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation.In a statement, activists said that "blood is on the hands of Netanyahu the guilty and the government of absolute failure."Emphasizing the heavy toll of the war with the slogan "1,000 days, 2,000 dead," organizers vowed that the public "Will neither forget nor forgive."The demonstration is part of a broader nationwide mobilization organized by the October Council, which began at 6:29 A.M. at more than 50 memorial and protest hubs across Israel.Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are expected to participate in the day's events, which include a scheduled 10:00 A.M. minute of silence and an evening rally that will follow the reopening of Tel Aviv's Hostages Square as Memorial Square.Read the full articleIn the NewsBold, Almost Reckless: Israeli Scientists Seek to Block the Sun's RadiationGermany's Ambassador to Israelis: Steffen Seibert Leaves His PostKnesset Debate Heats Up Over Climate-engineering Conspiracy ClaimsA Thousand Days of Netanyahu's Repulsive Revisionism About October 7'Unlawful': Israeli City Bars Municipal Staff From Political Election ActivityRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsWhy Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad LanderSettlers Tried to Torch Palestinian Homes. 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