U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to travel to Israel shortly ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East later this month.
According to Axios, Hegseth is scheduled to land in Israel on May 12, a day before Trump begins his regional tour, which includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
This visit will mark Hegseth’s first time in Israel since taking on the role of defense secretary, and during his stay, he is set to hold meetings with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.
{Matzav.com Israel}

Qatar issued a sharp rebuke late Saturday night following pointed remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu criticizing the Gulf nation.
Netanyahu’s comments came after Qatar condemned Israel during proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a public statement, Netanyahu said, “Israel is fighting a just war with just means. After the October 7 atrocities, Prime Minister Netanyahu defined the War of Redemption as a war between civilization and barbarism.” He continued, “The time has come for Qatar to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it’s on the side of civilization or if it’s on the side of Hamas barbarism. Israel will win this just war with just means.”

President Donald Trump chose to remove National Security Advisor Mike Waltz after learning that Waltz had held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu about potential military options concerning Iran, according to reports.
The Washington Post reported that Waltz spoke with Netanyahu several times in the lead-up to the Prime Minister’s February visit to the White House—interactions that reportedly provoked Trump’s ire.

Israel’s Diplomatic-Security Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Sunday evening to finalize a proposal for intensifying military operations in Gaza and to approve a gradual but extensive call-up of reserve troops.
At the same time, tens of thousands of reservists are expected to receive emergency mobilization orders—marking the fifth such wave of call-ups since the war began.
These newly summoned reservists are slated to be deployed in various regions, such as along the northern border and in Judea and Samaria. Their presence in these areas will allow combat units currently stationed there to shift focus and spearhead the next stage of operations in Gaza.

President Donald Trump ignited a wave of backlash online after he uploaded an image of himself clad in papal attire.
The digitally altered photo showed Trump seated on the papal throne, lifting one finger in the air. He posted it on his Truth Social platform, and the same image later appeared on his presidential Twitter account. There was no accompanying caption or explanation. While the post quickly attracted tens of thousands of likes, it also prompted a flood of criticism.

Today, the Hamas terror group released a video showing that hostage Maxim Herkin is still alive.
Herkin, 36, who lives in Tirat Hacarmel, was abducted during the Nova music festival in Re’im. Originally from Donetsk, Ukraine, Herkin’s mother is also a Russian citizen.
Back in February, Israel’s Ambassador to Russia, Simona Halperin, stated that Moscow was actively working on securing Herkin’s freedom.
The timing of the video’s release coincided with Israel’s internal discussions about intensifying its military campaign in Gaza. The proposal to escalate operations is scheduled to be brought before the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet on Sunday for approval.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply criticized Israel on Friday for conducting an airstrike the night before near Syria’s presidential palace in Damascus.
Stephan Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, released a statement saying that Guterres denounced the attack as a breach of Syrian sovereignty. He urged Israel to respect “its unity, its territorial integrity and its independence.”
In a coordinated statement, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz defended the operation, stating that the strike was meant to deliver “a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not permit Syrian troops to move south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that confirmed measles cases in the United States have now climbed to 935, marking a dramatic surge compared to the total for all of 2024, which ended with 285 confirmed cases.
This new tally, released in the CDC’s update on Friday, is based solely on lab-confirmed diagnoses and does not account for “probable” cases, which means the actual number of infections could be even higher. The CDC noted that 96% of individuals with confirmed cases were either not vaccinated or had an unclear vaccination history.

A recently posted video on the official YouTube channel of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office has drawn attention after it was edited to omit a moment from a speech earlier this week in which he briefly forgot the name of his son, Avner.
The updated version of the video features an obvious jump cut, removing the segment where Netanyahu mistakenly referred to his son as Abraham before pausing to ask the audience for help recalling the correct name.
“What’s his name?” Netanyahu said before asking someone in the crowd his son’s name. “Avner, thanks.”

Security around Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly been tightened to extraordinary levels by the Shin Bet, with the agency implementing what has been described as the most comprehensive protective measures to date.
According to a Friday report by Ynet, the stepped-up precautions now include the deployment of a high-tech body screening machine and advanced surveillance systems. These upgrades accompany thorough manual checks, including physical searches. The report did not cite specific sources.
In addition, new equipment designed specifically to inspect footwear has been brought into use as part of this expanded security protocol.