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According to the indictment, filed by Adv. Amir Drausha from the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office, on 19.10.2025, in the afternoon hours, the defendant left his home, drove in his vehicle with another person, removed the license plate from the vehicle, and arrived at Al Sahal Al Jedid street in the A-Tur neighborhood.

The two jointly fired eight shots into the air from a semi-automatic pistol, from within the vehicle and near the home of a family involved in an ongoing violent dispute, thereby creating a real danger to human life.

Immediately after the shooting, the defendant fled the scene with the other person, and the pistol used for the shooting was not apprehended.

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The High Court of Justice has accepted an appeal filed by ZAKA’s Legal Department, ruling that no autopsies will be conducted on the bodies of the two toddlers who died in a devastating Jerusalem daycare disaster. The appeal challenged an earlier decision by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. The families of three-month-old Leah Tzipora Golovnetsitz and six-month-old Aharon (Ari) Katz had objected to the autopsies on religious grounds.

Doctors at Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine estimated the likely cause of death was heatstroke and dehydration, possibly linked to an air conditioner set to unusually high heat in a closed room, though they stressed that a final determination has not been made.

By Pesach Benson • January 20, 2026

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli authorities on Tuesday extended the remand of two caregivers from an unlicensed daycare center in Jerusalem where two infants died, as investigators described what police said was severe and prolonged neglect at the facility.

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered that the daycare director and a caregiver remain in custody for an additional three days. Police had sought a longer extension, citing conditions discovered at the scene.

“I was shocked by what I saw,” a police representative told the court. “This was a private apartment that had been operating for years in a pirated manner. There was clear neglect there, without any threshold conditions for a sensitive place that is supposed to house tender babies.”

Investigators said the unregistered daycare had been operating for approximately 30 years. During questioning, the director told police that awake infants were supervised directly, while others slept in cribs or strollers scattered throughout the five-room apartment, with staff members checking on them periodically.

Police said evidence collected at the scene pointed to particularly disturbing practices. “There is a clear indication that for some reason they allow themselves to house babies in a toilet stall and let them lie under the toilet on mattresses,” the police representative said. The suspects claimed the baby may have crawled into the bathroom unnoticed, an explanation investigators rejected.

“It’s hard to believe that he crawled there and took a mattress with him,” the officer added. “A child of this age shouldn’t be in the toilet.”

Investigators also disclosed that during her interrogation, the daycare director said another toddler had died at the same facility 16 years earlier. She reportedly said the child had a disability or illness and that the death was never reported to police.

More than 50 toddlers, ages four months to three years, were evacuated from the apartment after what was initially believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Doctors at Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine later estimated the likely cause of death was heatstroke and dehydration, possibly linked to an air conditioner set to unusually high heat in a closed room, though they stressed that a final determination has not been made. Rescue personnel testified that when they arrived, the air conditioner was operating at a level that could be dangerous for infants.

The two infants who died were identified as three-month-old Leah Tzipora Golovnetsitz and six-month-old Aharon (Ari) Katz.

Hospitals said most of the evacuated children were released after observation. Hadassah Medical Center reported that more than 40 children were hospitalized overnight and discharged in good condition, while Shaare Zedek Medical Center said all 27 children it admitted were released. “We share in the grief of the families who lost their most precious loved ones,” said Dr. Gal Pahis of Shaare Zedek.

The court authorized autopsies to establish the precise cause of death, but issued a temporary stay to allow the families to appeal. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions filed by ZAKA, a religious emergency response organization representing both families. The justices are expected to weigh religious objections against public health considerations and the needs of the criminal investigation. Judge Anat Greenbaum wrote that while she was aware of the families’ religious position, “it is important to clarify the cause of death for reasons of public health and the police investigation.”

The prospect of autopsies triggered violent protests in Orthodox (Haredi) neighborhoods of Jerusalem, as well as in Beit Shemesh and Bnei Brak. Demonstrators blocked roads, set trash containers on fire, uprooted trees, and hurled rocks and metal objects at vehicles. Police said an elderly man was pushed to the ground during the disturbances and several suspects were arrested. Light rail service in parts of Jerusalem was suspended, and public transportation in Beit Shemesh was largely shut down, with police sealing off a Haredi neighborhood for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Education confirmed the daycare was operating illegally and said it had issued a closure order. Child welfare advocates said the case highlights the dangers posed by unlicensed childcare facilities and called for immediate action to prevent similar tragedies.

This morning (Tuesday, January 26, 2026), inspectors from the Land Protection Division of the Israel Land Authority (ILA), accompanied by police forces, completed the seizure of possession and began the process of evacuating the UNRWA compound in the Ma’alot Dafna neighborhood in Jerusalem. The compound, which covers a central area of approximately 46 dunams between Machal, Netter, and Shlomo Zalman Shragai streets, was held for many years by individuals who served the UNRWA organization and served as the agency’s headquarters and activity center in the heart of the capital.

The unprecedented evacuation is being carried out under the “Law to Halt UNRWA Activity, 5785-2024,” following a dedicated legislative amendment that granted the ILA explicit authority to seize possession and evacuate compounds that served the organization. The Authority notes that although UNRWA’s official activity at the site ceased about a year ago, the compound remained occupied by trespassers and local elements who were present there illegally. Today’s enforcement action puts an end to the illegal holding of the property.
Now that the land is returning to state management, the ILA emphasizes that the Authority will act to promote its planning and development in order to market it for the benefit of the Israeli public. Within the compound, there is a historic building: “The Police Academy,” designated as a preservation building, and the Authority will act to preserve it as part of the future planning of the area. 

The ILA notes that the compound in the Ma’alot Dafna neighborhood is the first of the organization’s compounds designated for evacuation after the law came into effect. The organization has another compound in the area of Kafr Aqab in Jerusalem, where possession will also be seized and evacuation will be carried out soon in accordance with the law’s provisions and the legislator’s decision. The operation was carried out with the assistance of the Israel Police and in full coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Council (NSC), and the Jerusalem Municipality. 

The enforcement operation carried out by the Israel Land Authority this morning comes after a series of revelations about the involvement of the organization’s employees in the murderous terrorist attack of October 7, as well as revelations about the use of the organization’s facilities in Gaza to hide Israeli hostages. 

By Pesach Benson • January 20, 2026

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Land Authority (ILA) on Tuesday demolished the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in northern Jerusalem, the central headquarters from which the embattled agency’s activities for Palestinian refugees in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem were managed.

“Although UNRWA’s official activity in the area was terminated about a year ago, the compound remains occupied by squatters and local officials who were illegally present there, and today’s enforcement action puts an end to the illegal possession of the property,” the ILA said.

UNRWA is banned from operating in Israel, and Israeli officials are prohibited from cooperating with the agency.

“Now that the land is returning to state management, the Authority emphasizes that the Authority will work to promote its planning and development with the aim of marketing it for the benefit of the Israeli public. There is a historic building in the compound: the ‘Police School,’ which is marked as a building for preservation, and the Authority will work to preserve it as part of the future planning of the area,” the ILA added.

In December, police raided the 11-acre compound and raised an Israeli flag over it. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King confirmed to The Press Service of Israel at the time that the move was in response to several years of unpaid property taxes and to collect intelligence on who was operating the facility.

The ILA added that it would soon move against another UNRWA compound in eastern Jerusalem’s Kafr Aqab neighborhood.

“This is a historic day, this is a holiday, and this is a very important day for the governance of Jerusalem. For years, these terror supporters have been here, and today these terror supporters are being driven out of here with everything they built here. That’s what will happen to any terror supporter,” said Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.

On January 15, Israeli authorities shut down a UNRWA-run health clinic in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

UNRWA has been under fire for years, with Israeli officials demanding the agency be stripped of its authority in Gaza and defunded amid revelations that members of the agency’s staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Despite Israeli, U.S., and some European opposition, the U.N. General Assembly in December voted to extend UNRWA’s mandate for three more years.

Palestinian refugees are the only refugee population with its own dedicated UN agency. The rest of the world’s refugees fall under the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — This morning (Tuesday) Israeli security forces arrived to evacuate and destroy the UNRWA (UN Relief Works Agency) headquarters on Ammunition Hill in northernJerusalem. This is the central headquarters from which all of the organization’s activities in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem are managed, and within which UNRWA’s main logistical infrastructure is concentrated.

Since the beginning of the war, UNRWA’s ties with the terrorist organization Hamas have been exposed, and it was discovered that some UNRWA operatives even took part in the October 7 massacre. In addition, numerous tunnels and terrorist infrastructures were found under buildings belonging to UNRWA in the Gaza Strip.

The measures against UNRWA began in late 2024 with Israel’s decision to outlaw all of the organization’s activities within the country’s borders.

In December 2025, the Knesset voted to disconnect UNRWA facilities from water and electricity.

Less than two weeks ago, Israeli forces arrived to evacuate the UNRWA facility in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Magen David Adom says its emergency responders have treated or referred 30 Children to hospitals in jerusalem following a suspected gas leak in a Jerusalem kindergarten. This includes two babies about four months old in critical condition.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Twelve toddlers were injured in a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a Jerusalem kindergarten on Monday. Two infants, aged six months and four months, are in critical condition and receiving CPR at Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Mount Scopus hospitals.

Authorities believe the poisoning originated from a gas leak in the kindergarten’s air conditioning unit. An investigation is ongoing.

Job Description

A candidate is required for a student position, years 1-3, in the Senior Department of the Spatial Planning Division in Jerusalem, for:

• Assisting professional staff in the unit with various tasks.
• Internship in the unit’s specific field of occupation and integrating partial academic knowledge to promote
• The subjects within the scope of responsibility.
• Assisting in systematically maintaining databases, as well as searching for and collecting information, including producing
• Reports according to the supervisors’ instructions.
• Assisting in developing methods and tools for work management and their implementation.
• Assisting with administrative work.
• Performing additional tasks as needed and according to the supervisor’s instructions.

Job Requirements

Threshold Requirements:
A student studying at an institution of higher education recognized by the Council for Higher Education
or at a vocational training institution for engineers and technicians supervised by the Labor Branch,
including a student studying for an additional bachelor’s degree or an additional master’s degree,
or a student studying for a doctorate recognized by the Council for Higher Education.
A student studying in a pre-academic preparatory program.
A student studying in a completion year for a master’s degree, or a student studying at an institution
of higher education in a completion year for accounting certification.

Additional Desired Qualifications:
• High-level knowledge of Hebrew and English, both written and spoken.
• Knowledge and experience working with databases.
• Knowledge and experience with Office software or other relevant information systems.
• Organizational skills, efficiency, and ability to work under pressure.
• Service awareness and ability to work in a team.

Scope of Position

The position is for up to 120 hours per month

Application Details

Please send your CV along with proof of studies to the email:  OraSu@iplan.gov.il and specify in the subject line “CV Submission for Student Position“
by 02/03/2026. Only suitable applications will be answered.

Notes

* The employment scope for a veteran citizen will be up to 120 hours per month, according to the needs and budget of the Ministry.
** The duration of employment in a veteran citizen position is up to three years, which can be extended by an additional two to three years, totaling 6 years with the approval of the Civil Service Commission. This period includes all periods of employment in a veteran citizen position in the civil service, including periods of employment in a veteran citizen position in other government ministries.
* Preference will be given to academic education in Geography/Architecture/Urban and Regional Planning.
* Experience in planning and construction fields is required.