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Yesterday, after the murderous attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu directed all security elements to prepare for the possibility of striking the hamas leadership. The Defense Minister fully supported this initiative.

This afternoon, in light of an operational opportunity, and in consultation with all security establishment heads, and with full backing, the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister decided to implement the directive that was given last night to the IDF and the ISA, which did so with precision and in an optimal manner.

The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister believed that the action was fully justified given the fact that it was this Hamas leadership that initiated and organized the October 7 massacre, and – since then – has not ceased from launching murderous operations against the State of Israel and its citizens, including taking responsibility for the murder of our citizens in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Jerusalem.

Joint statement by PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz following the attack on the Druze in Syria by the Syrian regime:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have directed the IDF to immediately attack the regime forces and the weaponry that entered the Sweida area of the Druze Mountain in Syria, and that the regime intended to use against the Druze – which was done in contravention of the demilitarization policy they decided on, of preventing the entry of forces and weaponry that endangers Israel in the southern region of Syria.

Israel is committed to preventing harm being inflicted on the Druze in Syria, owing to the deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial link to the Druze in Syria. We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the region adjacent to our border with Syria.

Jerusalem, 26 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Minister of Defense Israel Katz declared that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will remain on the peak of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, within Syrian territory, and in Israel’s declared security zone in Syria that he said is “necessary to protect the Golan and Galilee settlements from threats looming from the Syrian side as the main lesson from the events of October 7.”

“We will continue to protect the Druze in Syria as well,” Katz pledged.

Jerusalem, 22 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on X Friday morning that Israel approved IDF plans to defeat Hamas in Gaza with intense firepower, evacuations, and maneuvers.

“Soon, the gates of hell will open on Hamas killers and rapists in Gaza,” Katz warned, demanding hostage releases and disarmament. “If they refuse, Gaza City will become like Rafah and Beit Hanoun. As I promised — so it will be.”

This follows the dispatch of 60,000 orders to reservists who will report in two weeks.

Jerusalem, 28 May, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed Israel’s new laser defense system becoming operational, commenting, “It will change the rules of the game in the region – our enemies should fear, not only the capabilities we have already developed, but the capabilities we are developing now.”

“The laser system is the weapon of the future of the State of Israel,” he said. “Upon taking office, I ordered the acceleration of the development of the system and its becoming operational out of understanding and recognition of its vital importance, and now it is already effectively defending the country’s skies and leading to extraordinary operational achievements.”

Katz boasted that the ability to transform a “complex technological vision into an operational reality in a short time is unparalleled proof of the strength, quality, and innovation of Israel’s defense industries – among the best and most advanced in the world.”

The laser system gives Israel an additional, “accurate, cheap, and fast interception layer that will change the rules of the game in the region and significantly improve the protection of Israeli citizens,” he added.

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Minister of Tourism Award for Promoting Sustainable Tourism Projects in Israel for 2025 was awarded for the first time. The winners were Kibbutz Lotan in the southern Arava and Havat Rum in the Galilee

Kibbutz Lotan presented to the committee a unique tourism model based on natural construction and the use of soil as a raw material.

The complex offers a creative ecology visitor center, mud guest rooms, an ecological kitchen, and other ecological tourism facilities for guests, alongside vegetable gardens and organic crops.

Lotan is a space for tourists seeking peace, wilderness, and a deep connection to nature and the community.

Rum Farm on Mount Kamon offers a “man-nature-community” experience through special accommodations in lightweight construction and “field-to-plate” cuisine. In addition, the site operates a resilience and rehabilitation program for those dealing with post-traumatic stress from the war, and solar energy, water recycling, and construction from recycled materials are also used.

Both projects demonstrate how tourism can become a significant tool in social rehabilitation and environmental protection, and are an inspiration for the continued development of sustainable tourism in Israel.

The winning projects will be presented at the Ministry of Tourism pavilion at the major international tourism fair, ITB in Berlin, to be held in March 2026, and will receive wide exposure worldwide

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich signed an agreement to expand cheese import quotas by approximately 70%. The Ministry of Finance said the move will increase competition and lead to lower prices.

Dairy products in Israel are about 50% more expensive than the average in OECD countries, with hard cheese prices reaching twice the average, said the Ministry.

In light of these gaps, the minister decided on a dramatic move to increase the quotas for duty-free imports, with the aim of increasing competition and gradually reducing cheese prices for consumers.

According to the order signed by the minister, the duty-free quota will increase from 11,500 tons per year to 19,500 tons, an increase of 8,000 tons, which constitutes an increase of about 70% in the volume of exempt imports. The quota increase will take effect immediately and will be valid for two years, with the Minister of Finance retaining the authority to extend the order in accordance with market developments.

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Continuing efforts to advance the agreement to develop the joint natural gas reservoir between Israel and Cyprus, a professional delegation from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in cooperation with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, departed Tuesday evening for Cyprus. The Ministry said the rip is intended to continue negotiations to implement the agreements in principle regarding the Aphrodite-Yishay natural gas reservoir, and to anchor them in an intergovernmental agreement.

Within the framework of these agreements, the development of the reservoir will be carried out by the rights holders on the Cypriot side, while the holders of the Yishai lease and the State of Israel will receive compensation for their share in the reservoir, which will be determined by an international expert.

The delegation’s departure is a continuation of the political and professional contacts between the countries, and follows the meeting between the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, and his Cypriot counterpart, Michaelis Damianos, which took place in Jerusalem last month.

“The agreement is important for strengthening ties between the countries with a shared vision of developing shared natural resources,” said the Ministry. “Reaching agreements is expected to strengthen energy cooperation between the countries and Israel’s position in the regional space and even contribute to the ability to export gas from Cyprus to Egypt. In addition, reaching an agreement is expected to allow progress on other issues, such as the planned electricity cable between Israel and Cyprus.”

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics released the data on “National Accounts: Third Estimate for the Third Quarter of 2025.”

Third quarter of 2025 compared to second quarter of 2025 (seasonally adjusted change in annualized terms [ at market prices])

11.1% increase in GDP (2.7% quarterly)

13.2% increase in business GDP (3.1% quarterly)

21.4% increase in private consumption expenditure (5.0% quarterly)

34.5% increase in fixed asset investments (7.7% quarterly)

A 12.2% increase in exports of goods and services excluding start-ups and diamonds (2.9% quarterly)

A 4.5% increase in public consumption spending (1.1% quarterly)

A 12.8% increase in imports excluding defense imports, ships, aircraft and diamonds (3.1% quarterly)

The sharp increase in gross domestic product in the third quarter of 2025 reflects a significant increase in private consumption data, exports of goods and services, and investment in fixed assets after large declines in the second quarter of the year following the “Rising Lion” war.

Third quarter of 2025 compared to third quarter of 2024 (seasonally adjusted change in market prices)

3.0% increase in GDP

3.0% increase in business GDP

3.1% increase in private consumption spending

8.8% increase in fixed asset investments

A 4.2% increase in exports of goods and services excluding start-ups and diamonds

4.0% increase in public consumption spending

A 9.7% increase in imports excluding defense imports, ships, aircraft and diamonds