LiveLive Updates August 25, 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 formatSubscribeAugust 25, 2026UpdatesGaza parents urged to stop kids flying kites after Israel warning to HamasA kite bearing Arabic writing found in the western Negev on Tuesday. Credit: Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawA kite bearing Arabic writing found in the western Negev on Tuesday. Credit: Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawGaza parents have been warned to stop their children flying ⁠kites in the war-ravaged enclave, after Israel threatened a forceful response if the Hamas militant group revives a ⁠tactic of launching incendiary kites over the border.The popular committees, comprising representatives of local non-government organizations and charities that run Gaza displacement camps and shelters, issued the warning in a statement late on Monday.The announcement was coordinated with Hamas authorities, a source in the militant group said."We are working tirelessly on ‌the ground and doing everything possible to stop this practice, not to restrict the childhood of our children, who ‌have already been deprived of the most basic rights to play and live in safety, but to protect their innocent lives," the statement said.In 2018, Gazans sent incendiary balloons and kites over the border, causing fires across hundreds of acres of open fields and farmlands, in what they said was in protest at the Israeli blockade of the Hamas-controlled enclave.A senior Israeli defence official said that Hamas was trying to provoke Israel by encouraging Gazans to fly kites across the border.A Hamas official told Reuters the group has complained to cease-fire mediators that "Israel was making fake pretexts to continue the war on ‌Gaza."Israel complained to U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which oversees the implementation of the 2025 Gaza cease-fire deal, about the kites, according to a second Israeli official.Minister defends far-right lawmaker's destruction of Palestinian monumentHeritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said that "destroying a memorial for terrorists is welcome" in an interview with Israel's Kan public broadcaster, backing lawmaker Tzvi Succot, who took a sledgehammer to a Palestinian monument Tuesday in the West Bank, south of Nablus. Eliyahu added that it would be better if the state would remove such memorials, but he "does not see an issue in destroying a monument dedicated to those who murdered."Read the full articleWest Bank village leader disputes IDF account after far-right lawmaker smashes Palestinian monumentThe head of a Palestinian village raided by far-right lawmaker Zvi Succot rejected the Israeli military's claim that it was unaware of his plans to destroy a monument after Succot smashed it Tuesday. A monument damaged by lawmaker Tzvi Succot in the Palestinian village of Madama, Tuesday. Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawRami Nassar, head of the Madama local council, told Haaretz that people in civilian clothes were seen measuring the monument several weeks ago before leaving. Nassar said he did not know whether they were settlers, government officials or security personnel.The military said Succot entered with authorization for a "monument tour" but that it was unaware of plans to destroy the monument. Nassar called the claim false.Nassar said the monument was erected more than 20 years ago and had never been damaged. During Tuesday's incident, he said, soldiers stood by as it was destroyed. "There is no one to talk to," Nassar said, describing the situation facing residents in much of the West Bank. Far-right lawmaker Zvi Succot uses a hammer to smash a Palestinian monument Tuesday in Madama, south of Nablus, under the protection of Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers. Credit: Handout/Tzvi SuccotFar-right lawmaker Zvi Succot uses a hammer to smash a Palestinian monument Tuesday in Madama, south of Nablus, under the protection of Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers. Credit: Handout/Tzvi SuccotEarlier Tuesday, Succot used a sledgehammer to smash the monument while under the protection of Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers. Footage showed members of his staff also taking part in attempts to destroy it.The military said troops stopped the tour when they saw what was happening, though footage shows soldiers watching as the monument was being destroyed.Read the full articleThree Palestinians wounded in settler attack east of Bethlehem, Palestinian media saysThree Palestinians men were wounded on Tuesday in a settler attack in the Palestinian village of Za'atara, east of Bethlehem, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, saying several residents were severely beaten.Speaking to Wafa, security sources said settlers attacked Palestinian residents' homes in Za'atara, after which the three were transferred to a hospital.The report added that the settlers stole a number of sheep from one of the residents.Turkey hails US removal of Syria from terrorism sponsor list Turkey ‌said on ‌Tuesday it welcomed the U.S. ⁠decision to remove ⁠Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, saying the move ‌lifted "one of the biggest ‌obstacles" to Syria's reconstruction and economic development."We call upon the international community to unite its efforts towards the goal of ⁠a prosperous Syria and to fulfil its responsibilities ‌to ⁠put an ‌end to aggressive actions that jeopardise this vision," ⁠Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to Israeli ‌attacks on Syria.Far-right lawmaker Tzvi Succot smashes Palestinian monument near Nablus Far-right Religious Zionism lawmaker Tzvi Succot took a hammer to a Palestinian monument Tuesday in the West Bank village of Madama, south of Nablus, while under the protection of Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers. Far-right lawmaker smashing Palestinian monument near Nablus.Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawFootage from the scene showed members of Succot's staff also taking part in attempts to smash the monument.Succot confirmed to Haaretz that he participated in the action, saying it was carried out in full coordination with the Israeli military. He said the monument commemorates militants who killed dozens of Israelis and should not remain standing. The West Bank village of Madama, south of Nablus, is marked in blue.The West Bank village of Madama, south of Nablus, is marked in blue.Democrats party lawmaker Gilad Kariv criticized the IDF's involvement in the incident, noting that the army had refused to coordinate visits to the West Bank for left-wing MKs. "Time and again, we have asked to coordinate with the IDF a visit to Qusra in recent weeks," Kariv said, referencing the Palestinian village that has been under settler siege in recent weeks. "Time and again, our request was denied, without explanation, undermining parliamentary oversight." He added, saying that while the military said it lacked available troops for his requested visit, "It turns out there are enough troops to escort the pyromaniac into the heart of a Palestinian village."Kariv added that "just yesterday, it was reported that the IDF's Central Command chief warned that all it would take is a match to set the West Bank ablaze. Tzvi Succot is charging into the role with relish."Earlier in August, Succot posted a video on social media claiming the village held a "ceremony to distribute ice pops to all the village's children at a monument commemorating militants whose only act was to murder dozens of Jews because they were Jews."He called on the military to demolish the monument and others like it. "It's time to smash these monuments," he said. "The monument to the militants here and in other villages must be destroyed and broken."Read the full article'Ready for the Backlash?:' Hasan Piker talks Hamas, anti-Zionism and why Americans are fed up with Israel"Are you ready for the backlash you're going to receive?" Hasan Piker asks jokingly at the start of our video interview.This is the first time that Piker, an anti-Zionist Twitch streamer who has become a boogeyman for many in the Jewish-American world, speaks to the Israeli media. At 35, Piker boasts over 3 million subscribers to his livestreams mixing left-wing politics, news commentary and internet culture, and frequently draws controversy over his rhetoric on Israel, Hamas and U.S. foreign policy. Being the enfant terrible of the online left would not, on its own, merit an interview. But Piker, a former producer and host at The Young Turks (founded by his uncle Cenk Uygur), has become an increasingly influential figure on the U.S. progressive left thanks to his marathonic livestreams. He has hosted Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna on his stream and interviewed Zohran Mamdani during the New York mayoral race as well as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Over the past election cycle, he has also become a campaign surrogate, rallying for anti-Zionist progressives Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who won their New York primaries, and Francesca Hong, who narrowly lost the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.His influence was particularly evident in Michigan, where his support for Abdul El-Sayed drew criticism from the Jewish establishment. El-Sayed's victory, after pro-Israel groups spent heavily to defeat him, suggested that Israel will remain a defining issue in Democratic primaries through the midterms and, Piker believes, into the 2028 presidential race.But Piker says much of the outrage against him stems from misunderstanding – some of it by "professional misunderstanders" – and from the nature of streaming eight hours a day, leaving behind more than 21,000 hours of live video since 2018. Though he has apologized for some remarks – including calling ultra-Orthodox Jews "inbred" and saying America "deserved" the September 11 attacks – he doubled down on others, including his claim that Hamas is "a thousand times better" than Israel and his frequent comparisons of Zionism to Nazism, liberal Zionists included. The United Kingdom denied him entry, saying his presence "may not be conducive to the public good," and the University of Washington recently canceled a planned talk.Read the full article6 hours agoSyrian President thanks Trump for removal from terrorism sponsor listU.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July. Credit: Alex Brandon/AP U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July. Credit: Alex Brandon/AP Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa thanked the United States for formally removing Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism overnight Tuesday, after the order went into effect on MondayAl-Sharaa thanked U.S. President Donald Trump "for this historic decision, and all the brothers and friends who stood with Syria and the Syrians." The United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, lifting what Damascus says was the last major impediment to investing in the country as Washington deepens ties to the new Syrian government.The removal, posted on the U.S. Treasury's website, took effect after a 45-day congressional review period triggered when Trump ‌formally notified Congress on July 8 of his intention to rescind the designation."These actions were all taken in recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.Read the full articlePakistan and Iran made 'significant progress' in talks on conflict, minister saysPakistan and ⁠Iran made "significant ‌progress" in talks that focused on ‌the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and a path to ⁠peace, Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday, at ⁠the end of a visit to Tehran.Talks between the two sides focused on measures to prevent further escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ‌an expedited termination of the conflict, a statement ‌from the Pakistani military said about the meeting between the country's army chief, Asim Munir, and the Iranian leadership. Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir during U.S.-Iran talks at the Burgenstock hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, in June. Credit: Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir during U.S.-Iran talks at the Burgenstock hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, in June. Credit: Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters The two sides also exchanged views on regional peace and the way to arrive at a negotiated settlement to the dispute, the statement said."The Iranian President candidly shared his government's perspective, and we ⁠had a very constructive exchange on the issues involved," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accompanied Munir to ‌Tehran, said in ⁠a post on X.Munir spoke ‌with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of his Tehran visit, Reuters reported on Monday.Trump last week warned ⁠of economic consequences against any country that provided "any type of lifeline to Iran" as he seeks to isolate the country. Iran in turn vowed ‌to shut down all oil exports from the Gulf. Commodity vessel transits through Strait of Hormuz fall to three-month low, data showsOnly one commodity vessel transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the lowest number since May 7, preliminary shipping data showed on Tuesday.One very large gas carrier entered the strait from the Gulf of Oman on Monday, initial data from shiptracker Kpler showed at 0251 GMT, compared with six vessels of all types on Sunday. The figures could change as some ships had switched off transponders on their way through.In the NewsChaos at Ben-Gurion: Israel Faces a Future Cut Off From the WorldSyrian President Thanks Trump for Removing Damascus From Terrorism Sponsor List'Every Child Deserves Medical Care': The Israeli Group Opening a Clinic in GazaPoll: Eisenkot Maintains Lead, but His Bloc Falls to Two Seats Short of MajorityJewish Space Lasers? Israel Wants 'Rods From God'Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAn Israeli Startup Is Reinventing Salmon Farming. 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