LiveLive Updates July 04, 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 04, 2026UpdatesReport: Netanyahu seeks White House meeting, Trump says he 'knows who's boss' U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested a White House meeting, adding that it could take place next week when he returns from an upcoming NATO summit, Axios reported. U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference in December. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference in December. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersAn Israeli official told the outlet the visit could take place about a week after the summit in Ankara, Turkey.In a brief phone call with Axios, the president said he has a good relationship with Netanyahu. "We get along very good. He knows who the boss is." In a statement Friday, the prime minister's office said Netanyahu spoke with Trump to congratulate him on the United States' 250th anniversary. "Israel greatly values the close relationship between the two nations," the statement said. "Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet soon in the United States." Speaking to Axios in June, sources said Trump lashed out at Netanyahu over his threats to bomb Beirut and Israel's military escalation in Lebanon, saying he was "fucking crazy." According to the report, Trump allegedly told Netanyahu he would be in prison without his support, saying, "I'm saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."Read the full articleOpposition lawmakers urge Likud committee chair to postpone vote on bill to freeze arrests of Haredi draft evadersOpposition lawmakers on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee urged committee chairman, Likud lawmaker Boaz Bismuth, to postpone a scheduled vote on a proposed bill to freeze criminal proceedings and arrests against yeshiva students defined as draft evaders. Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman, Likud lawmaker Boaz Bismuth, Wednesday. Credit: Oren Ben HakoonKnesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman, Likud lawmaker Boaz Bismuth, Wednesday.Credit: Oren Ben HakoonIn a letter sent Saturday to Bismuth, the lawmakers demanded that the vote, set for Tuesday, be delayed, arguing the legislative process is being rushed and improperly handled."Legislation of such significant weight cannot and must not be advanced in haste and without a proper deliberative foundation," they wrote.They further described the process as a "stitch-up," adding that it undermines the integrity of the committee and the Knesset.The Knesset's legal adviser warned lawmakers on Wednesday that the proposal was incompatible with the wording of the Haredi draft exemption bill formerly agreed upon.Under the proposal, no arrests, investigations or other enforcement measures would be taken for 90 days against Torah students designated for military service who study at a yeshiva for at least 45 hours a week.Report: Iranian security officials block Mojtaba Khamenei from attending father’s funeralRussian former President Dmitry Medvedev at slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, on Friday. Credit: Oleg Molchanov / ReutersRussian former President Dmitry Medvedev at slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, on Friday. Credit: Oleg Molchanov / ReutersIran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei did not attend Saturday's funeral ceremony for his father, Ali Khamenei, amid heightened security concerns and questions over his public absence, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian officials involved in the proceedings.Two sources within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and another source involved in organizing the funeral told The Times Khamenei had requested to attend his father's burial ceremony scheduled to take place in Mashhad on Thursday. However, according to the report, Iranian security officials denied the request, citing concerns that Israel could attempt to target him.Mojtaba Khamenei's wife and son were buried on Wednesday after being killed by Israel on the first day of the conflict, according to The New York Times. He did not attend those funerals either. A crowd of mourners gathered around the coffin of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a ceremony ahead of his funeral in Tehran, on Friday. Credit: AFPA crowd of mourners gathered around the coffin of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a ceremony ahead of his funeral in Tehran, on Friday. Credit: AFPKhamenei has not been seen in public since March, and several Iranian officials said his prolonged absence has raised internal questions about his ability to maintain political authority.Senior Iranian officials attended Saturday's ceremony in Tehran, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the judiciary, and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.The funeral proceedings began Friday at Tehran's Mosalla Mosque, where the coffin of Ali Khamenei was displayed draped in the Iranian flag and topped with a black turban and a black-and-white checkered scarf. Large crowds gathered outside the venue, while inside the ceremony included live musical accompaniment, according to state-linked accounts. The ceremonies are expected to continue through next week, concluding with burial in Mashhad.Read the full article8 hours agoThree Palestinians wounded as Israeli settlers raid West Bank village, medics say Three Palestinians were wounded Saturday in the West Bank village of Umm Safa, north of Ramallah, after Israeli settlers raided the village, according to Palestinian media and the Palestinian Red Crescent. Israeli troops in Umm Safa after a reported settler raid, SaturdayUse under Section 27A of the Copyright LawPalestinian media reported that the settlers attempted to steal a herd of sheep. The Israeli military arrived at the scene, footage reviewed by Haaretz showed.The Palestinian Red Crescent said two men were wounded in the legs by rubber bullets, while a third was wounded after being physically assaulted. The three were treated at the scene, medics said.Later Saturday, the Israeli military said its forces arrived at the scene after Israeli settlers reported their herd had entered the village. According to the military, a violent altercation broke out between Palestinian residents and Israeli forces, who dispersed the crowd. All Israeli civilians were removed from the scene, the military said.RECAP: Israel demolishes Palestinian homes in West Bank, breaching High Court rulingHere are Saturday's latest updates:■ Israeli security forces, accompanied by three masked, plain-clothed individuals, on Thursday demolished a Palestinian residential compound in Ein al-Hilweh, in the West Bank's northern Jordan Valley, two days after the High Court of Justice ruled to freeze demolitions in the area until further notice.■ Israeli settlers raided several Palestinian communities across the West Bank on Friday, with Israeli security forces present in two of the raids. Medics said seven people were wounded in one such raid on Khirbet Yarza in the West Bank's northern Jordan Valley.■ A weeklong funeral for Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike at the start of the war in February, has begun in Tehran. Millions could attend the processions, which will proceed to Qom and to Iraq's Shi'ite holy cities and come to a close with the burial in Mashhad, the slain leader's hometown.■ U.S. President Donald Trump remarked on the war in the Gulf in his speech honoring the U.S. Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary, saying, "We knocked the hell out of Iran." Speaking in front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the president added, "They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral."■ The Saudi-led ‌coalition in Yemen will ⁠respond firmly ⁠and with "unprecedented force" to any attempts to target the ‌Kingdom, it ‌said after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis warned that ⁠they would target "Saudi airports and ‌vital interests ⁠on ‌land and sea" if the ⁠Saudis continued their violations of Yemeni airspace.IDF demolishes Palestinian homes in West Bank in breach of High Court rulingA demolished home in Ein al-Hilweh, in the West Bank's norther Jordan Valley, December. Credit: Gil EliyahuA demolished home in Ein al-Hilweh, in the West Bank's norther Jordan Valley, December. Credit: Gil EliyahuIsraeli authorities demolished on Thursday a Palestinian residential compound in the West Bank's northern Jordan Valley, two days after the High Court of Justice ruled to freeze demolitions in the area until further notice.Israeli security forces and officials from the Civil Administration, Israel's governing body in the West Bank, entered the Palestinian community of Ein al-Hilweh while accompanied by three masked Israelis, at least one of whom was armed.In footage from the scene, one of the masked individuals is heard asking to conceal his name for fear that he could be hurt. "Say the first letter of the name or surname, so that they won't come after us later," he tells one of his companions.Local residents recognized two of the demolishers, identifying them as Israeli settlers from a nearby farm.Read the full articleTrump in America 250 speech: 'We knocked the hell out of Iran'U.S. President Donald Trump remarked on the war in the Gulf in his speech honoring the United States Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary, saying, "We knocked the hell out of Iran."U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. Credit: Alex Brandon,AP U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. Credit: Alex Brandon,AP Speaking in front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the president added, "They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral." On Saturday, Iran began a days-long funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war, aged 86.Funeral for Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei begins in TehranIran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, 2017. Credit: AFP PHOTO / HO / KHAMENEI.IRIran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, 2017. Credit: AFP PHOTO / HO / KHAMENEI.IRIran began a days-long funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war. He was 86.Khamenei's body was to be on display at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran's capital. Early Saturday, mourners wearing black walked through the streets of Tehran, emptied of vehicle traffic, trying to reach the Grand Mosalla.Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei's image. A crowd of men outside rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals."I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei," said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended the funeral alongside her mother. "I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy."An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave his speeches at a Husseiniyah at his compound in downtown Tehran. That site was destroyed in the Israeli airstrike that killed Khamenei and some of his family at the start of the Iran war on February 28.Iran's government expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev pays his respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on Friday. Credit: Sputnik/Oleg Molchanov/Pool / REUTERSDeputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev pays his respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on Friday. Credit: Sputnik/Oleg Molchanov/Pool / REUTERS"We attended the funeral to show that we are all committed to defend our country and religion," said Ali Kazemi, who came from the northwestern city of Tabriz, some 530 kilometers (330 miles) away from Tehran.A large turnout could provide a boost for Iran's government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war, and as concern still lingers that Israel could attack yet again.Iran chose July 4, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S., to begin the funeral. While authorities did not acknowledge the timing, crowds at the ceremony in Tehran chanted: "Death to America!" — reprising a cry that's been common in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis."We knocked the hell out of Iran," U.S. President Donald Trump said in a speech at the same time in South Dakota in front of Mount Rushmore. "They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral."Khamenei's body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran for the mourning.It remains unclear whether Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will appear at his father's funeral. The late supreme leader appeared in 1989 at Khomeini's funeral, weeping visibly, as he began his journey to lead Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.Israel's repeated threats to kill Mojtaba Khamenei drew a warning from Iran's joint military command Thursday, which told Israel and the U.S. "to avoid any miscalculation" over the coming days.Read the full article23 hours agoSettlers raid Palestinian villages across West Bank, Israel Police arrest localsPalestinians and activists clash with Israeli settlers during a protest against a new Israeli settlement in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Friday. Credit: Mohamad Torokman/ReutersPalestinians and activists clash with Israeli settlers during a protest against a new Israeli settlement in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Friday. Credit: Mohamad Torokman/ReutersIsraeli settlers raided several Palestinian communities across the West Bank, with soldiers and police officers present in two of the raids.According to local reports, settlers entered the yard of a Palestinian house in the town of Arrabeh south of Jenin in the northern West Bank. The Israelis, one of whom was armed with a rifle, reportedly attempted to steal the house residents' herd of sheep.Settlers also raided the Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, located in the E1 area east of Jerusalem where Israel recently approved settlement construction. Police officers arrived at the area and arrested three residents.Israeli settlers also raided the Palestinian village of Idna, west of Hebron in the southern West Bank. IDF soldiers arrived at the area, using riot control measures on the locals. Several residents were evacuated for medical treatment.Read the full articleIn the NewsGaza Hospital Director Jailed in Israel in Life-threatening Danger, Lawyer SaysReport: Trump Says Netanyahu 'Knows Who's Boss,' Meeting Possible Next WeekGermany's Far-right AfD Party Reelects Leaders as Protesters, Police ClashHundreds of Israelis Protest Against the Netanyahu Government Across the CountryTrump Rails at Communism, Says U.S. 'Knocked the Hell Out of Iran' on July 4thRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsIsrael Has Long Ignored Warnings of a 'Diplomatic Tsunami.' Now It Has Arrived103 Nails on the Map: How Israel's Government Is Burying the Two-state SolutionTop Israeli Diplomats Accuse Mamdani of Antisemitism Over 'Jewish State' RemarkNetanyahu Trolls Trump and Turkey: Why Israel Recognized the Armenian Genocide