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Ceasefire reportedly reached in Israel-Gaza conflict following two days of fighting
(JTA) — Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group have reached a ceasefire over fighting in the Gaza Strip, reports are indicating, following two days of deadly Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.
Israel’s strikes have killed 21 Palestinians and wounded more than 40, including senior members of Islamic Jihad and at least nine civilians, according to Palestinian Health Ministry and United Nations figures. No Israelis have been reported killed or wounded by the rockets, though eight have been treated for injuries while running for shelter.
The Israeli military named its offensive Shield and Arrow. Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and is labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, has also claimed involvement in the Gaza rocket fire alongside attacks by Islamic Jihad. Israeli officials have questioned the claim.
Israel has instituted emergency measures in towns near the Gaza border, evacuating thousands of residents. Its defense systems, including Iron Dome and a new interceptor called David’s Sling, have felled dozens of rockets since the attacks began.
Brokered by Egypt, the ceasefire will reportedly go into effect Wednesday evening. The conflict this week follows a heavy exchange of fire on May 2 between Islamic Jihad and Israel, following the death of an Islamic Jihad leader who was on a hunger strike in Israeli prison. It also comes after a far-right faction in Israel’s right-wing governing coalition boycotted parliamentary votes in protest of what it saw as a weak Israeli response to last week’s rocket fire.
Israel and militant groups in Gaza have engaged in several rounds of conflict in recent decades. Last year saw a three-day exchange of fire, while Israel fought with Hamas and other terror groups for 11 days in 2021. The most severe round of conflict lasted nearly two months in the summer of 2014.
The U.N., France and Turkey were among the international bodies condemning Israel on Tuesday for the deaths of civilians. The United States State Department issued a statement saying it was “aware of reports” that civilians “were tragically killed in the Israeli strikes” and called on “all parties to deescalate the situation.” The State Department added that the United States’ “commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad.”
As Israeli defense officials said they wanted to limit the conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled the opposite, telling communities near the Gaza border they should prepare for “the possibility of the expansion of the operation.”
Meanwhile, news coverage of the conflict has led to fighting within Israel. On Tuesday, Amichai Chikli, the minister of diaspora affairs, dubbed Israel’s Channel 13 “13 Jazeera,” a reference to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network. The epithet came after a chyron on the channel read “With the P.M.’s approval: Women and children killed in overnight attack.” Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi also condemned the chyron.
On Wednesday, a pedestrian attacked Channel 13 reporters on the street with pepper spray after saying they were “worse than Al Jazeera” and stealing the cover off of one of their microphones. Israel’s journalists’ union condemned the pepper spray attack, and police announced that they had arrested a suspect.
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The post Ceasefire reportedly reached in Israel-Gaza conflict following two days of fighting appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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UK Man in Court Charged With Arson at Former London Synagogue
Orthodox Jews stand by a police cordon, after a man was arrested following a stabbing incident in the Golders Green area, which is home to a large Jewish population, in London, Britain, April 29, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay
A British man charged over an arson attack at a former synagogue in east London last week was in contact with someone using an Iraqi phone number shortly before the fire, prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday.
Moses Edwards, 45, appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody until a further hearing next month. He gave no indication of any plea.
The fire at the former East London Central Synagogue was caused by wine bottles filled with an accelerant, which exploded damaging the outside of the building, prosecutors said.
The incident followed a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in previous weeks, with police saying they were investigating possible Iran links to some of the fires.
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Israeli Para-Athlete Wins Gold at European Taekwondo Championships, Beats Opponent From Azerbaijan
Asaf Yasur, center, posing with his gold medal during the awards ceremony at the 2026 European Taekwondo Championships in Munich, Germany. Photo: Facebook/Israel Taekwondo Federation
Israeli Paralympic athlete Asaf Yasur took home the gold medal in the 2026 European Senior Taekwondo Championships being held this week in Munich, Germany.
The 24-year-old competed in the men’s under-58kg weight category, and on the first day of the championships he beat Azerbaijan’s Sabir Zeynalov 2-1 in the finals after being victorious over Turkish athlete Hamza Tehrani 2-1 in the semifinal. Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah,” played in the arena during the medal ceremony, as Yasur stood on the podium with his gold medal.
The Jerusalem native had both of his hands amputated when he was 13 years old following an electrocution accident. Earlier this year, Yasur won gold at the 2026 US Open Paralympic Taekwondo Championship. He previously took home gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics — where he made his Paralympics debut – the 2024 European Championships, and the 2023 World Para Taekwondo Championships. He also won the 2021 and 2023 World Para Taekwondo Championships and silver at the 2023 European Para Championships.
The European Taekwondo Union organizes the European Senior Taekwondo Championships, which is held every two years. This year marks the fourth time the championship is taking place in Germany, after previous being held in Bonn in 2006, Stuttgart in 1984, and Munich in 1978.
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China and US Agree on Opposing Hormuz Tolls, State Department Says
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 8, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer
Senior US and Chinese officials agree that no country can be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a sign that the two countries are trying to find common ground on efforts to pressure Iran to give up control of the vital waterway.
The statement by the State Department comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, where Iran‘s chokehold on the strait will be on the agenda.
Iran‘s near-complete closure of the vital trade artery since the joint Israeli-US airstrikes on the country on Feb. 28 has sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
The State Department said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the issue in an April phone call.
“They agreed that no country or organization can be allowed to charge tolls to pass through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz,” department spokesman Tommy Pigott told Reuters in response to questions about the call. The State Department has not previously provided a readout of the call in a break from its usual practice.
China’s embassy did not dispute the US account of the discussion, saying it hoped all sides can work together to resume normal traffic through the strait, which before the war handled one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply.
“Keeping the area safe and stable and ensuring unimpeded passage serves the common interest of the international community,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Reuters.
Tehran has demanded a right to collect tolls on shipping traffic as a precondition for ending the war. The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iran, and Trump has floated the possibility of imposing its own fees on traffic or working with Iran to collect tolls. After domestic and international pushback, the White House has since said Trump wants to see the Strait of Hormuz open up for traffic without any limitations.
Chinese officials so far have avoided direct mention of tolls, even while condemning the US blockade.
‘NORMAL AND SAFE PASSAGE’
Two sources briefed on the Wang-Rubio exchange said Rubio had raised the prospect of Chinese vessels paying tolls, which they said appeared aimed at encouraging Beijing to apply more pressure on Tehran to bring the conflict to an end.
China maintains ties with Iran and remains a major consumer of its oil exports. Trump has been leaning on China to use its influence to push Tehran to make a deal with Washington.
In a subsequent meeting with Iran‘s foreign minister, Wang said the international community shared a “common concern about restoring normal and safe passage through the strait” while reiterating that China supports Iran in “safeguarding its national sovereignty and security.”
China vetoed a US-backed resolution in the United Nations last month encouraging states to work together to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it was biased against Iran. That prompted US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, to argue that Beijing was tolerating Iran holding the global economy at gunpoint.
Washington together with Bahrain has drawn up another UN resolution demanding Iran halt attacks and mining in the strait, but diplomats say this is also likely to meet with Chinese and Russian vetoes if it comes to a vote.
That resolution also calls for an end to “efforts to exact illegal tolls” in the strait.
China has ordered its companies not to comply with US sanctions against Chinese oil refineries over purchases of Iranian crude, measures intended to isolate and pressure Tehran.