Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — israeli police uncovered a large-scale cannabis growing operation inside a residential apartment in Petah Tikva during a targeted enforcement operation, authorities said on Tuesday. Detectives discovered approximately 134 kilograms of substances suspected to be cannabis, along with hundreds of seedlings cultivated under laboratory conditions using professional equipment.

The apartment’s owner, a 40-year-old man from Rehovot, was arrested and taken for questioning before being remanded in custody.

Job Description

A candidate is required to fill the position of Manager of Licensing Process Development and Control, for:

• Consolidating all activities in the field of licensing process development, and improving existing licensing processes to create a high-quality and efficient licensing process.
• Assisting in the control and analysis of existing data and/or processes in the field of licensing and building design across all interfaces, identifying existing gaps and presenting them.
• Creating collaborations with various stakeholders (such as committee Engineers, information providers, etc.) both internal and external, for the purpose of developing and improving effective licensing processes.
• Writing position papers, work procedures, guidelines, and manuals for presenting and changing licensing processes.
• Making licensing information accessible to all involved in the process through various media.
• Handling public inquiries regarding licensing procedures.
• Performing additional tasks according to the supervisor’s requirements.

Job Requirements

Education:

Practical Engineer: Architecture or Building, alternatively,
Academic Education (Bachelor’s Degree): in Geography / Architecture / Civil Engineering
or Urban and Regional Planning.
*Details of recognized Master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning that meet the
tender’s educational requirements are listed below in the notes.
For practical engineers – registration in the Register of Practical Engineers and Technicians.
For architects and engineers – registration in the Register of Engineers and Architects.

Experience:

For holders of a Master’s degree – 3 years of experience in the field of building licensing / process management in the field of
building licensing and/or project management in the field of building licensing.

For holders of a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years of experience in the field of building licensing / process management in the field of
building licensing and/or project management in the field of building licensing.
** Experience will be counted whether acquired before or after receiving the degree/certificate.

Additional Skills and Qualifications:

• Broad knowledge of the Planning and Building Law, particularly in the areas of licensing systems.
• Experience in promoting and driving complex processes.
• Experience in data analysis.
• Public speaking ability.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• High service awareness.
• Familiarity with work processes in the public sector.

Scope of Position

The position is temporary for a period of three months with the possibility of extension.

Application Details

Resumes should be sent to the email hanitmo@iplan.gov.il to the attention of Hanit Moyal by 20/1/2026.
Only suitable applications will be answered.

Notes

• In accordance with Section 39 of the Law of Certified Practical Engineers and Technicians, 5773-2012, and in coordination between the Civil Service Commission and the representative organization of the Association of Practical Engineers and Technicians, practical engineers and certified technicians registered in the Register of Practical Engineers and Technicians may also apply for positions in the M.H.R. grade for which a general academic education requirement is specified.
  In this case, practical engineers require 4 years of experience and technicians require 5 years of experience in the fields detailed above:
  A holder of a certificate of practical engineer or certified technician who is selected for the position will be ranked in the administrative grade.
  An employee from within the civil service who has already been ranked in the practical engineer or technician grade may retain their professional ranking.
• For practical engineers/technicians – registration in the Register of Practical Engineers and Technicians.

As part of enforcement activity by the customs investigators of Ben Gurion Airport (Natbag) in cooperation with the special unit 747 of the Natbag District Police, within the framework of the uncompromising fight against the drug scourge, customs investigators succeeded in uncovering, as part of intensified enforcement activity on shipments imported via air courier companies, two shipments that were imported from China and were intended for a “client” in the center of the country.

In this context, police detectives arranged a meeting with the orderer of the shipments in the center of the country, and when he arrived to collect the shipment, they arrested the suspect – a resident of Yavne in his 20s.

All findings were transferred for further evidence extraction in the forensic identification laboratories of the israel police, alongside the arrest of the suspect for investigation at the Natbag District offices, and according to its findings, he will be brought this morning for a hearing at the Rishon LeZion Magistrate’s Court.

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing has published a tender to receive proposals for providing services for organizing and conducting professional exams abroad, as well as for training local teams, for job candidates in the construction industry and the renovation sub-industry in Israel.

The announcement of the tender is intended to increase the number of foreign workers in the construction sector and to address the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in wet work.

The shortages in workers is due to the continued ban on Palestinians entering Israel out of security concerns since the October 7 massacre.

“The new tender will strengthen the recruitment system for foreign workers in a professional and controlled manner, while maintaining the purity of the selection process, reducing the collection of brokerage fees, and protecting the rights of workers,” said the Ministry.

As part of the tender, the Ministry intends to select up to four winners, up to two for each of two clusters: the construction sector and the renovation sub-sector. The contract period will be set at one year, with the possibility of extension up to five years in total, depending on the ministry’s needs.

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) struck Monday night military infrastructure of the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas in several areas in lebanon.

As part of the strikes, the IDF hit several weapon storage facilities and military buildings above and below ground that were used by Hezbollah to advance terror plots against IDF forces and the State of israel and to rehabilitate the organization.

In addition, the IDF struck sites for the production of weaponry belonging to the terrorist organization Hamas in southern Lebanon that were used to strengthen the organization and to carry out terror plots against IDF forces and the State of Israel.

The sites that were attacked are located in civilian areas.

“This is another example of the cynical use by the terrorist organizations of Lebanese civilians as human shields for terror activities,” said the IDF.

“The activities of the terrorist organizations at these sites constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and a threat to the State of Israel,” it added.

Prior to the strikes, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harm to civilians, including advance warnings to the population in the area.

For example, before the strikes the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee posted a stern warning on social media to Lebanese civilians to evacuate the areas, specifically, Kfar Hatta, located near Sidon and Ain El Tineh locate near Beirut.

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Ben Gurion Airport Special Investigation Unit 747, in collaboration with investigators from the Narcotics Unit at Ben Gurion Airport Customs, succeeded in uncovering and thwarting the attempted smuggling of over a liter of a GBL date rape drug and arresting a Yavne resident. Specifically, two shipments were imported from China and destined for a “customer” in central Israel.

The israel police said the intervention came as part of an increased enforcement activity on shipments imported via air courier companies.

Jerusalem, 5 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Against the backdrop of the increase in demand for therapeutic spaces due to the war, Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Israel Land Authority will enable the establishment of therapeutic and rehabilitative farms for post-trauma sufferers, at-risk youth, and injured animals across the country on agricultural lands.

The move removes barriers facing non-profit organizations and social entrepreneurs, regulates existing activity, and allows them to operate on agricultural land continuously and without interruption.

Recently, many people across the country: fighters, evacuees, families who have been affected and citizens who have been exposed to difficult events, are dealing with physical and mental harm. A large portion of them are experiencing anxiety, depression, post-trauma or a sense of loneliness. The need for rehabilitation and healing frameworks is greater than ever, and the demand for therapeutic solutions in this area is only increasing. On the other hand, the agricultural space and nature prove themselves time and time again as an engine of healing.

Proximity to the land, agricultural work with hands, spending time among animals and vegetation – all of these contribute to reducing anxiety, strengthening the sense of belonging and creating a supportive framework that is not judgmental. Now, at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and in cooperation with the Israel Land Authority, a regulated response to this need will be provided, through the new outline.

Jerusalem, 5 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is in the midst of what the Ministry of Transportation called a “comprehensive and unprecedented” as well as “historic” public transportation move. The 2026 budget approved by the government, allocates resources to develop the city’s transportation infrastructure and to better connect all neighborhoods of Jerusalem to the central region and throughout the country.

This involves a series of huge projects, including Israel Railways and light rail lines, extending existing lines, interchanges, bicycle paths, transportation terminals, and a significant upgrade of accessibility and service. These moves will shorten travel times, reduce congestion, and provide residents of the capital and visitors with a real alternative to the private car.

According to the ministry’s vision, by 2030, Jerusalem will be the first city in Israel where it is possible to get around easily and comfortably without the need for a private car. The light rail network in Jerusalem continues to expand at a rapid pace. The network is based on the “15-minute city” concept, which connects neighborhoods, employment centers, educational institutions and entertainment venues, through an efficient, accessible and green transportation infrastructure.

Jerusalem, 5 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) announced that the leader of its Central Command, Major General Avi Bluth, signed an order allowing the use of technological means, such as personal monitoring devices, to monitor compliance with the conditions of restriction of movement orders in Judea and Samaria.

The order came following the directive of the government, and after joint staff work by the IDF, Shin Bet (Israel’s anti-terror General Security Service), Israel Police, the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Advisor for Judea and Samaria.

The order, explained the IDF, will allow for the installation of technological surveillance measures for those against whom an administrative order restricting their movement in the Judea and Samaria region has been issued, and for monitoring violations of the restriction orders accordingly.

“It should be emphasized that violating the instructions of the order or damaging the technological monitoring device intended for the purpose of monitoring constitutes an offense, for which criminal proceedings may be taken,” said the IDF.