Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Storm Cornera is set to hit Israel this weekend, bringing heavy rain and widespread flooding, the Israel Meteorological Service warned on Wednesday.

Rain will begin Saturday morning, mainly in the north and center, and intensify on Sunday. The central and southern coast, Samaria, and the Jerusalem mountains are expected to face heavy flooding. Additional flood risks include the Judean Desert, Dead Sea streams, and parts of the northern Negev.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The 800th British immigrant of 2025 arrived in Israel, marking a milestone in the ongoing wave of immigration from Western countries, Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption announced on Wednesday.

The Donitz family — Simon, Deborah, and their two young children — arrived from at Ben-Gurion Airport.

“Immigration to Israel is a profound expression of Zionism, mutual guarantee and faith in the future of the country. We continue to work to enable every Jew who is interested in immigrating to Israel to receive a warm home and optimal absorption here,” said Minister of Aliyah and Absorption Ofir Sofer as he welcomed the family.

Since the start of 2025, more than 29,000 immigration files have been opened worldwide, the ministry added.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli security officials overnight extracted an Israeli woman and her young daughter from Bethlehem, which is under Palestinian Authority control, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday morning.

The Civil Administration, a unit of the ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), said it received a report that a Jewish woman and a child were wandering inside the city. Officials coordinated with Palestinian Authority security forces to locate the pair and transfer them safely to Israeli army troops.

According to the Civil Administration, the woman had deliberately entered Bethlehem and will be questioned by police. Because of security risks, Israeli law bars citizens from entering Palestinian Authority–controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel carried out strikes on multiple Hezbollah launch sites in southern Lebanon, targeting military structures and other terrorist infrastructure used by the group in recent operations, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli AI self-publishing platform Spines has introduced author voice cloning for audiobooks, allowing writers to narrate their books using just 33 minutes of audio. The new voice cloning builds on the platform’s more than 300 AI voice options.

Launched in 2021 as a spinoff of Niv Publishing, Spines automates editing, design, marketing, and distribution across more than 100 retailers, now serving over 6,000 authors. Spines also offers AI-assisted translations in seven languages, combining speed with human review, and is developing a copilot tool to help authors complete manuscripts.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A December 13 airstrike which eliminated Hamas commander Raed Saad in Gaza City also killed the terror group’s key financier, Abd al-Hayy Zaqout, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Wednesday.

“During the past year, Zaqout was responsible for recruiting tens of millions of dollars and transferring them to Hamas’s military wing, with the aim of continuing the fight against the State of Israel,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, tweeted.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli LiDAR company Innoviz Technologies on Tuesday introduced InnovizThree, a smaller and cheaper sensor designed for autonomous vehicles and other AI-based systems. The Tel Aviv–based firm said the new automotive-grade LiDAR — short for Light Detection and Ranging, a technology that uses laser pulses to measure distances and create detailed 3D maps of surroundings — uses less power and is light enough to be installed behind a car’s windshield or on the roof, while still detecting objects at distances of more than 250 meters.

Innoviz said InnovizThree costs over 35% less than its previous model, aiming to make the technology more accessible to automakers.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Health purchased approximately 485,000 additional doses of flu vaccine, which landed at Ben Gurion Airport in recent days. Distribution of thousands of vaccine doses to health insurance funds across the country began Tuesday morning.

In addition, in light of the increase in influenza cases, and in order to protect at-risk populations, the Ministry of Health is implementing a dedicated preventive campaign in nursing homes and geriatric institutions across the country.

As part of the operation, protective kits were distributed to 255 nursing homes, including flu vaccines, masks, the drug Tamiflu, and flu diagnostic tests, with the aim of reducing severe morbidity and preventing widespread outbreaks among vulnerable populations.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that the incidence of influenza is on the rise, and recommends that the entire population be vaccinated as soon as possible. Although the flu vaccine does not completely prevent infection, it significantly reduces the risk of serious illness and complications.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, decided to impose an anti-dumping duty on imports of aluminum profiles and aluminum tubes from China for a period of 5 years. The decision was made after fully adopting the recommendations of the Commissioner for Trade Duties at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Danny Tal, who conducted the investigation, and of the advisory committee, which examined the investigation and its findings, which determined that imports from China are being made at unfair prices (“dumping”) that cause real damage to the local industry.

Anti-dumping duties are a legal trade tool anchored in World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and are considered one of the most central and common defense tools in international trade, explained Israel’s Import Administration. According to the organization, over the past decade, between 100 and 150 new anti-dumping investigations have been initiated worldwide each year, with China being the country most investigated by a significant margin.

Since 2018, there has been a continuous increase in the number of investigations and levies, against the backdrop of global overcapacity, mainly in the metal, aluminum, and heavy industry sectors. The United States alone currently has hundreds of anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties in force, and the European Union has dozens of active investigations and levies – many of them at rates of tens or even hundreds of percent. Countries with open trade policies, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, also consistently use this tool as part of their routine toolbox to protect fair competition.