An Israeli court has temporarily halted a plan to place crocodiles in a moat around Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert, where Palestinian detainees from Gaza are held. The Jerusalem District Court issued the interim injunction on Sunday evening after the animal rights group Let the Animals Live filed a petition, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan. The proposal was associated with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Judge Avraham Rubin barred authorities from taking action based on a decision by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman. That decision classified crocodiles as “domesticated wildlife,” a designation that would have allowed their transfer and placement at the prison. Petitioners said the measure changed the animals’ legal status and removed controls and licensing requirements that applied to them as protected wildlife.

Kan reported that the ruling came hours after an administrative petition was filed against Ben-Gvir, Silman and the Israeli Prison Service. Silman’s July 15 decision sought to permit crocodile use as a “deterrent and security measure” at the prison. Prison authorities had already begun infrastructure work, including digging a canal, while the National Security Ministry allocated about 21 million shekels, or roughly $6.9 million, for the pilot project.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he would formally designate Qatar an “enemy state” if he returns to power. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, cited in a report published on August 2, 2026, Bennett claimed Qatar is currently more dangerous to Israel’s security than Iran.

Bennett said that not formally declaring Doha an enemy state so far was an “unforgivable mistake.” Comparing the perceived threats, he said Iran openly acknowledges that it wants to destroy Israel, while alleging that Qatar secretly financed “Nukhba” militants involved in the October 7, 2023 attack.

The former prime minister also alleged that Qatar-based Al Jazeera is conducting what he described as poisonous propaganda against Israel around the world. He expressed concern over Qatar’s international influence, claiming it has expanded its influence at leading universities in the United States. Bennett further claimed that this covert influence extends beyond foreign countries and educational institutions to Israel’s most sensitive security areas, including the prime minister’s office, and accused Qatar of seeking to weaken Israel from within.

The United States plans to send at least 10 additional military aircraft capable of supplying fuel by air to Israel in the coming days, according to a report published by Al Jazeera on August 2, 2026. The information was attributed to Israeli outlet Ynet, which cited security officials. Most of the newly dispatched US military aircraft are expected to be parked at Ben Gurion, the main airport in Tel Aviv.

More than 30 US refueling aircraft are already stationed at the Israeli airport, the report said. The arrival of 10 more aircraft would further increase the number of US fuel-carrying tanker aircraft there. The report did not provide a specific timetable for their arrival or detail their planned operations.

Military experts cited in the report believe the United States is strengthening its military logistics presence to support long-term operations in the Middle East. The aircraft could also increase the capability of combat jets by refueling them in midair, according to those experts. The report presented this assessment as an expert view and did not state an official US explanation for the deployment.

Israel’s military has raised its defense readiness and moved to a high alert posture amid discussions by US President Donald Trump over whether to intensify attacks on Iran. The report, published on August 2, 2026, cited Israeli outlet Ynet and said the measures were driven by concerns about a possible Iranian response.

Israeli military planners have conducted an assessment of possible scenarios, according to the report. They believe that if US forces strike Iranian infrastructure, Tehran could retaliate against Israel even if Tel Aviv does not directly participate in the attack. Israel’s increased preparedness is described as a defensive measure intended to address that potential response.

Despite the military’s heightened alert, Israel’s Home Front Command has not imposed restrictions on civilian movement. Normal flight operations are continuing at Ben Gurion, the country’s main airport. The report did not state that Israel would directly take part in any US strike, nor did it report an immediate Iranian attack.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has announced a plan to use Nile crocodiles to guard Palestinian political prisoners, according to the report. The initiative is due to begin at Ketziot, Israel’s largest prison in the Negev desert. Palestinians know the facility as Ansar 3, and the report says it was used as a concentration camp during the First Intifada from 1988 to 1995.

The report says Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman classified crocodiles as “farmed wildlife” to facilitate the proposal. The reptiles would be released into moats, it says. It also states that Ben Gvir drew inspiration from Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention centre, which US President Donald Trump visited last year.

The article places the proposal within broader allegations that animals have been used against Palestinians. It cites claims involving wild boars released near Palestinian communities in the West Bank, theft of livestock and donkeys in Gaza, and the use of dogs. It says the Israeli army released 18 wild boars near the besieged Palestinian village of Iktaba, close to Nur Shams refugee camp, in April 2025.

About 100 soldiers from the Tzabar Battalion of Israel's Givati Brigade reportedly rebelled against their commanders and left the Sde Teiman base in the Negev desert. The incident was reported on July 30, 2026, with Ynet describing it as a protest driven by anger at commanders. The soldiers reportedly left their weapons behind when departing the base.

An Israeli army spokesperson said the dispute began after the battalion commander ordered the removal of certain unusual signs or symbols associated with the traditions of older and newer soldiers. According to Ynet, the soldiers said the removed symbols had accompanied them during fighting in Gaza and Lebanon and had been passed down to successive groups of recruits. They viewed the mementos as symbols of a deep spiritual connection to the battalion and its traditions.

Maariv, citing an unnamed military source, reported that the battalion had become unfit to take part in a planned combat operation in Gaza because of the incident. Israel Hayom reported that the soldiers and commanders left military equipment and weapons at the base, taking only their personal bags as they headed home.

With less than three months until Israel’s election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to demonstrate US President Donald Trump’s full support and the strength of US-Israel ties. Netanyahu used a Washington visit following the death earlier this month of US Senator Lindsey Graham to meet Trump privately at the White House for 90 minutes. The report says the meeting also exposed existing discomfort and psychological distance between the two leaders.

While the White House called the discussion positive and constructive, Trump’s recent remarks suggested differences over Iran. He said Netanyahu wanted the United States to remain involved in war, while Trump may no longer want that. Responding to Israeli objections to possible US F-35 sales to Turkey, Trump said no one could tell him what the United States should sell. Analysts cited in the report say Netanyahu is again emphasizing Iran’s nuclear threat amid a lack of visible achievements on Gaza and Lebanon.

Protesters carrying Palestinian flags demonstrated during Netanyahu’s Washington stay and called him a war criminal as his convoy passed. An Economist-YouGov poll found 49 percent of respondents supported his arrest, while separate YouGov and CBS News polls found 67 percent of Americans wanted the war against Iran stopped immediately. Netanyahu is expected to return to Washington in September for the UN General Assembly.

Two female Israeli soldiers died by suicide this week, bringing the number of active-duty Israeli military personnel who have died by suicide in 2026 to 16, according to a report published July 29. One soldier from the Bardelas Battalion, deployed on the Egypt-Israel border, died Tuesday morning at a military base in southern Israel after being taken to hospital in critical condition.

Another female soldier died by suicide on Sunday at the Glilot military base near Ramat Hasharon in central Israel, Haaretz reported. She was a member of Israel’s military intelligence division and held a confidential role. Israeli military police have opened investigations into the circumstances of both deaths, according to the newspaper.

Haaretz’s collected data also showed that nine additional regular and reserve personnel who took part in the Gaza war died by suicide while off duty. The newspaper had previously reported that 22 active-duty Israeli soldiers died by suicide in 2025, the highest annual total in 15 years. Concerns have grown over prolonged psychological pressure and military mental health, although the Israeli military has made no official comment on a direct link to the war.

Former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leading challenger ahead of Israel’s general election scheduled for October 27. Eisenkot formed the new Yashar political party in 2025, entering the race at what the report describes as an important turning point in Israeli politics.

A recent Channel 12 poll projected Yashar would win 23 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, narrowly ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud party on 22 seats. The survey found that 43 percent of respondents considered the 66-year-old Eisenkot the most suitable candidate for prime minister, compared with 34 percent for Netanyahu. Voters are expected to weigh Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict that began after Hamas attacked from Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Eisenkot is campaigning on a 10-point program focused on security, national unity and revitalising democratic institutions. His central pledge is an independent state commission of inquiry into the 2023 attack, after which allegations of intelligence failures were directed at Netanyahu’s government. He also promises a long-term national security policy to strengthen the military and border security, while backing judicial independence, rule of law, minority rights and a free press. His position on resolving the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unclear.

Hundreds of people protested in Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street on Saturday against Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The demonstration was organized by the left-wing Hadash party and allied groups, according to the report. Israeli police arrested nine people during the protest.

Demonstrators opposed Israeli military control in the West Bank and attacks by Jewish settlers. Mothers Against Violence said more than 200 people took part and alleged that police used force against protesters. Police said the protest was unauthorized and that action was taken because participants disrupted public order and blocked roads.

The protest followed clashes in Tal town near Nablus the previous day, in which four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. Local sources said settlers entered the area and tried to attack Palestinian homes, prompting clashes with residents. The Israeli government then ordered a major military operation in the West Bank. Israeli forces detained about 50 Palestinians in Tal and searched numerous homes, while a Palestinian prisoners’ organization described the operation as collective punishment.

Israel has set aside about $750 million for international information campaigns and public relations in 2026, a sharp increase aimed at improving its image and shaping public opinion internationally. The figure was reported by the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in a recent report cited by Al Jazeera. The article was published on July 25, 2026.

According to the report, Israel spent about $190 million in the same area in 2025. The 2026 allocation therefore represents an almost fourfold increase over one year. The budget is designated for international communications and public-relations activity, according to the reported findings.

The Quincy Institute also said Israel has spent more than $100 million since 2023 on global information efforts under the United States' Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. It added that at least 17 new organizations registered under FARA between 2024 and 2025 and began working for Israel to protect its interests and conduct promotional activities.

Hundreds of Jewish settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem after the start of the Jewish religious festival Tisha B’Av. Among them was Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who also entered the compound under heavy Israeli security. According to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, more than 2,300 settlers took part in the incursion. Palestinian officials said Israeli forces imposed strict restrictions at the mosque gates, preventing many Palestinian worshippers and students from entering and assaulting several of them.

The Palestinian administration in the Jerusalem Governorate described Ben-Gvir’s visit as a dangerous escalation, saying it showed direct support from the Israeli government for actions previously carried out by extremist right-wing groups. Jordan and Hamas both issued strong condemnations of the incident. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry warned that such actions violate the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites and urged international pressure on Israel to stop these violations. Hamas said the aggression would bring consequences upon the occupying forces and settlers, vowing that Palestinians would not remain silent in the face of such desecration.

A senior Hamas commander, Adham Ibrahim Shaban Nasman, was killed in a joint operation by Israeli forces and the Shin Bet intelligence agency in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military confirmed that the strike took place on Saturday and targeted the Hamas leader, who was serving as the head of the operational division of the group’s Gaza City Brigade.

According to the Israeli military statement, Shaban had directly participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and was involved in taking several Israelis hostage to Gaza. The statement also noted that he previously served as a commander of Hamas’s elite commando unit known as Nukhba.

The announcement marks another high-profile target eliminated in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hamas leadership in Gaza, as tensions and military operations continue in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized Rabbi Dov Lando, leader of the ultra-Orthodox party Degel HaTorah, for his recent comments about the Israeli military. Lando had claimed that members of religious communities serving in the army incite to kill. In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu described the rabbi’s remarks as “astonishing.”

Netanyahu emphasized that both secular and Haredi soldiers leave their homes, jobs, and families to defend the State of Israel, its citizens, and the entire nation, risking their lives in the process. He added that these soldiers deserve deep appreciation, gratitude, and full support from all sectors of society, including the Torah world.

Rabbi Lando’s comments came amid ongoing debate in Israel over mandatory military service for Haredi Jews. His statements have sparked renewed discussion and criticism within the country, highlighting the sensitivity of the issue.

Israel’s High Court of Justice has issued a temporary injunction against the enforcement of the country’s newly passed media reform law. The legislation, which was approved just before the dissolution of the Knesset last week, aimed to introduce sweeping changes to Israel’s media landscape.

According to local media reports cited by The Times of Israel, the court’s order suspends certain provisions that were set to take immediate effect but does not entirely cancel or freeze the law. The new law would significantly expand government control over Israel’s broadcasting and news sectors by removing long-standing independent oversight mechanisms, minimum professional standards for journalists, investment requirements for core programming, and restrictions on media ownership.

The court’s temporary injunction leaves the broader fate of the law uncertain, pending further judicial review and possible political developments following the Knesset’s dissolution.