News Digest — 6/23/26
Netanyahu, Katz And Zamir Issue Rare Joint Statement
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir issued a rare joint statement on Monday evening (22nd) amid growing controversy surrounding the IDF’s rules of engagement in southern Lebanon and allegations of restrictions placed on troop operations.
The statement was released following a conversation the three held with the Head of Northern Command , MG. Rafi Milo. The statement declared that “The IDF will continue to attack decisively to thwart threats against our soldiers and citizens, destroy terrorist infrastructure, and maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon.”
It further stated that “the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Chief of Staff made it clear that the safety of Israeli citizens and IDF forces will continue to be their absolute priority, without compromise.”
However, despite these declarations, military sources continue to claim that Israel’s operational capacity is effectively restricted across the entirety of the territory beyond the “Yellow Line” in Lebanon. According to these sources, strikes that were previously approved by field commanders now require clearance from the highest echelons.
According to the same sources, the restrictions primarily impact proactive operations against Hezbollah targets deeper inside Lebanon. These include headquarters, weapons depots, manufacturing and military buildup sites, and terrorist infrastructure not classified as an immediate threat to forces on the ground.
The joint statement follows a flurry of reports alleging that the IDF is currently permitted mostly to react to immediate or emerging threats, rather than enjoying the full freedom of action it possessed during earlier phases of the fighting.
The New York Times reported that Israeli forces operating in Lebanon are subject to stricter directives, and that opening fire is permitted primarily in the face of an imminent threat or after receiving direct authorization from the Chief of Staff.
The report further claimed that without high-level authorization, IDF forces are barred from conducting proactive operations, such as demolishing buildings and infrastructure within the security zone in southern Lebanon.
Israel, Lebanon To Meet In Washington To Discuss Normalization, Hezbollah Disarmament
Israeli and Lebanese delegations are set to meet in Washington On Tuesday (23rd) for another round of talks focused on the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and continued discussions on the prospect of normalization between the two countries.
The talks will take place over the next three days along two parallel tracks. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who is leading the delegation, will focus on the political and diplomatic aspects of the negotiations. At the same time, separate meetings on military issues will be led by BG. Amichai Levin, head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate’s Strategic Division. The Lebanese delegation will be headed by Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States,Nida Hamadeh Maawad, together with former Lebanese ambassador to Washington Simon Karam.
According to two sources familiar with the negotiations, a central focus of the talks will be a proposed pilot program, under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would begin deploying to selected areas in southern Lebanon and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure there.
One of the key disputes concerns where the pilot program should begin. Lebanon wants the initial deployment to take place in areas currently under Israeli military control, with Israel withdrawing from each area as the Lebanese Army moves in.Israeli officials however, insist that the first phase should begin in an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are not currently deployed. Israel’s position is that it first wants to see the Lebanese Army demonstrate its ability to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its infrastructure in a defined area before Israel fully withdraws from any territory and entrusts the mission to the Lebanese authorities.
The talks are taking place against the backdrop of Iran’s renewed involvement in Lebanon, this time under US sponsorship, following the conclusion of the latest round of US-Iran talks in Switzerland. At the end of those discussions, Iran and the United States agreed to establish a “deconfliction cell” involving Lebanon to prevent further military operations in the country.
According to the joint statement, “The parties agreed on the creation of a deconfliction cell, between the parties, the Lebanese Republic and facilitated by the Mediators, to ensure adherence to the termination of military operations in Lebanon.
On Monday (22nd), Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed the new mechanism with President Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Two Western diplomats told the Jerusalem Post that, although Aoun has publicly welcomed the initiative, senior Lebanese officials have privately questioned why the United States is facilitating renewed Iranian influence in Lebanon after months of successfully reducing Tehran’s footprint in the country.
Another concern expressed by Lebanese officials is that Iran’s renewed role could encourage Hezbollah to refuse cooperation with any disarmament initiative. Signs of the group’s resistance are already evident in recent statements by senior Hezbollah officials, who now insist that Israel must complete a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory before the organization takes any steps toward disarmament.
Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas Are Rearming, Warns Israeli President
President Isaac Herzog said Monday (22nd) that any diplomatic arrangement in Lebanon must include: Hezbollah’s disarmament and must not allow Iran to dictate the country’s future as Israel prepares for renewed talks with Lebanon under US auspices.
Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit In Jerusalem, Herzog said Israel is not opposed to diplomacy but war, and that Iran and its regional proxies are seeking to rebuild after months of war.
“Across the region, from Iran to Lebanon to Gaza, our enemies are seeking to rebuild, rearm, and evolve in order to continue threatening our citizens and terrorizing our people,” Herzog said. “Israel is not opposed to a diplomatic outcome of the war: On the contrary, we seek peace. We dream of peace on all frontiers.”
He said recent developments had raised serious, legitimate concerns in Israel,” because the country remains directly threatened by Iran and its proxies.
“We are the ones being targeted by Iran’s empire of evil and its proxies,” Herzog said. “Iran has been threatening to annihilate Israel for decades. Iran’s desire to become a nuclear threshold state is therefore a tangible threat to Israel and world peace and cannot be enabled.”
Herzog said President Donald Trump and other American leaders had “correctly” identified Iran as a threat to global stability, but added that Israel is concerned about the financial elements of a possible agreement with Tehran.
“We must also address concerns regarding the financial components of the deal with Iran in order to prevent funds, which Iran will supposedly receive, from being funneled towards its war machine and its proxies,” he said.
Turning to Lebanon, Herzog said any resolution must come through direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, not through Iranian pressure.
“The conflict in Lebanon should be resolved through negotiations between Israel and Lebanon – and not by Iranian extortion,” Herzog said. “Tying Iran to Lebanon allows Israel to be exposed to constant threat; it leaves the Lebanese weak and powerless, and will prevent their President and government from moving forward.”
Herzog said Israel-Lebanese talks are set to resume Tuesday (23rd) in Washington under US auspices.
“The disarmament of Hezbollah must be inherent to any solution in Lebanon, and Iran cannot dictate the future of Lebanon – on these fundamental points there is full agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” he said.
The president also praised Trump as a strong ally of Israel and said he believed the two countries could reach understandings on Iran and regional security.
“President Donald Trump is a trusted partner of Israel,” Herzog said. Our closest friend and ally and leader of the free world – the leader of the United States of America – has been staunchly combating the empire of evil and promoting stability in the Middle East.”
“We value the president’s ongoing friendship and his administration’s clear stance regarding Iran’s nuclear plans and intentions,” he added. “We share values and interests, and I have every confidence that together we can find the best formula to tackle this challenge.”
Herzog also used the speech to denounce antisemitism and what he called the international delegitimization of Israel.
“We must boldly confront all extremist movements, we must combat any and every expression of anti-Semitism whenever and wherever it appears; and we must employ truth to counter the bias, distortions, and double standards spread constantly in the media, online, and across the halls of the United Nations,” he said.
“The international campaign to delegitimize and demonize Israel is not what they falsely call “constructive, valid criticism,” Herzog said. “It is a backhanded effort to question the Jewish people’s inherent right to sovereignty and our right to live and to raise our children peacefully.”
Herzog closed by pointing to the Abraham Accords, as well as Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, as models for a broader regional framework.
“I continue to be inspired by the historic Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Bahrain, brokered and led by President Trump and his team, and of course by the pioneers in Egypt and Jordan for their bold steps, which opened the door to peace,” he said. “I pray that we broaden this circle of peace.”
“Together, we can build a region of bridges rather than barriers,” Herzog said. “Together, we can prove that peace is not a dream for the naive, but a strategy for the strong.”
Terrorist Who Held Omer Shem Tov Captive In Gaza, Eliminated
Sabai Zahir Abd al-Hamid Abu Hasna, a Nukhba terrorist who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre and was involved in holding Omer Shem Tov captive, was eliminated in an IDF strike in the northern Gaza Strip. In another strike, three armed Hamas terrorists who tried to carry out terrorist activity against forces in Gaza were also eliminated.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency announced Monday (22nd) that Abu Hasna, a Nukhba terrorist in Hamas’ military wing who, according to the IDF, was involved in holding former hostage Omer Shem Tov captive, was eliminated in a strike carried out over the weekend in the northern Gaza Strip.
The IDF said not only did Abu Hasna take part in the October 7 massacre, he also worked throughout the war to advance terrorist activity against the IDF troops in Gaza.
According to the IDF statement, Abu Hasna took part in the Oct. 7 attack after infiltrating Israeli territory. During the war, he was involved in planting explosive devices against IDF troops in Gaza.
The IDF stressed that Southern Command forces continue to operate in the field in accordance with the existing agreements, and that efforts will continue to remove threats and target terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip.
Antisemitism Is Pushing More Western Immigration, Israeli Data Shows
Israel recorded a sharp drop in Jewish immigration last year while simultaneously seeing a significant surge in arrivals from Western countries, according to government data released Sunday (21st),
Officials pointed to rising antisemitism abroad and the country’s ongoing war as twin forces reshaping who is choosing to move there.
The Israeli Ministry of Immigration and Integration reported that 22,522 immigrants arrived in 2025, a 38% decline from the country’s decade-long average of roughly 36,000 per year.
Ministry officials attributed the fall primarily to irregular flight schedules and combat operations stemming from the war that began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Yet even as overall numbers fell, the composition of arrivals shifted dramatically. Immigrants from Western nations – primarily the United States, France, Britain, and Canada – jumped to 38% of all arrivals, up from 21% the previous year, a relative increase of 82% in a single year.
France posted the largest single-country surge, with 3,360 French Jews making the move to Israel, a 51% increase over 2024.
American immigration rose 10% to 3, 781, British arrivals climbed 27.6%, and Canadian migration grew 12%.
The ministry’s report cited two driving factors : an expanded government-funded accompaniment network operating in those countries and, more importantly, a deteriorating sense of security among Jewish communities.
“In many of these countries there has been a sharp rise in antisemitism reports, which has damaged the sense of security of Jews in those countries and incentivized them to immigrate to Israel,” the report said.
Immigration from Russia and Ukraine, which had dominated the numbers since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continued a sharp decline.
Russian arrivals fell 56% compared to 2024, settling at 8,553, while Ukrainian immigration dropped to just 931 – an 84% fall from the decade average. Russia nonetheless remained the single largest Country of origin.
The data also revealed a younger immigrant profile. The 18-to-35 age group grew to 34% of all arrivals, up from 31% the previous year and among Western immigrants that figure reached 40%.
Ministry officials framed this positively, noting that “there are fewer immigrants, but with a higher concentration of working age.
However, the report’s own findings on economic integration complicates that optimism.
Average monthly income for immigrants stood at roughly 9,900 shekels – approximately $2,700 – compared to a national average of around 16,200 shekels. The gap narrows over time but persists for well over a decade.
Perhaps more striking, the report found that 65% of immigrants abandoned their original profession after arriving, including 70% of those who held licensed professional qualifications from their home countries.
Language was identified as the dominant barrier, cited by between 60 and 75 % of unemployed immigrants as their primary obstacle to finding suitable work.
On the question of whether immigrants feel the move was worthwhile, the ministry’s own survey of 15,000 immigrants with at least ten years in the country found broadly positive sentiment.
Eighty-two percent reported a sense of identification and belonging to the state, and 81% expected to remain in Israel permanently.
“The integration process of immigrants in Israel is long-term and lasts at least 15 years,” the report acknowledged, a candid admission from a government body whose mandate is to promote and manage that very process.
A study of international Jewish demographics released in May found that Israel could become home to the majority of the world’s Jews within the next decade.
At current growth rates, the report – released by the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research – projects that Israel could cross the symbolic threshold of hosting the majority of the world’sJews as early as 2035.
