Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — A professional delegation from Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is set to depart for Cyprus to advance the Aphrodite-Ishai natural gas agreement. The team, including representatives from the Finance and Justice ministries, will continue negotiations to formalize previous agreements on the joint reservoir.

Minister Eli Cohen said, “Natural gas is a strategic asset of Israel, strengthening our status as a regional energy powerhouse. We will continue developing additional reservoirs to boost production, exports, and the Israeli economy.”

The deal is expected to deepen energy cooperation with Cyprus, facilitate potential gas exports to Egypt, and support other regional projects, including a planned Israel-Cyprus electricity cable.

The Tax Authority is publishing the decisions of the Committee for Imposing Financial Sanctions on Reporting Violators, who failed to report to customs on the import and export of funds to and from Israel in 2024. The publication contains 207 decisions, for which the total financial sanction amounts to over 2.3 million NIS. 45% of the violations were committed at the Jordan River crossing, 25% at Ben Gurion Airport, and 30% at the Begin crossing.

According to the Prohibition of Money Laundering Law, there is a reporting obligation for the import or export of funds to or from the State of Israel in an amount exceeding 50,000 NIS at air and sea border crossings, and 12,000 NIS at land border crossings. Transferring funds through border crossings is one of the most recognized and sensitive operational patterns in the field of money laundering, as it is a convenient way to transfer cash without documentation and traceability.

Among the decisions in this file:

• A financial sanction totaling 100,000 NIS was imposed on a traveler who entered Israel with her son on July 15, 2024, through the “Ben Gurion Airport” border crossing, carrying funds totaling 92,100 US dollars (a total value of approximately 344,418 NIS) without reporting them. The traveler is a US citizen receiving a National Insurance pension. Regarding the source and destination of the funds, the traveler claimed that the funds consist of a National Insurance pension and money from her children’s work, and that they are intended for the purchase of a plot of land in the village of Biddu. The traveler submitted documents to the committee but did not present relevant evidence for her claims, and therefore the committee did not accept the traveler’s version regarding the source and destination of the funds. Regarding the circumstances of the violation and awareness of the reporting obligation, the traveler claimed that she is not familiar with the reporting obligation in Israel and therefore did not believe she had to report the funds in her possession. She also claimed that she did not notice the signs posted at the border crossing indicating the reporting obligation and that she is illiterate. The committee considered all the circumstances of the case, including the fact that the traveler concealed funds in various places in her luggage and presented contradictory versions during her interrogation. Based on the committee’s considerations, the committee decided to impose a financial sanction of only 100,000 NIS on the traveler. After the traveler appealed to the Magistrate’s Court, the financial sanction was reduced from 100,000 NIS to only 65,000 NIS. Decision 102/24.

• A financial sanction totaling 589,679 NIS was imposed on a couple of travelers who departed Israel on August 13, 2024, through the “Jordan River” border crossing, carrying funds totaling 160,000 US dollars (a total value of 601,714 NIS) without reporting them. The travelers are a married couple, citizens of the State of Israel, who were leaving Israel for Jordan to fly from there to Turkey, along with their minor son. Regarding the source and destination of the funds, the female traveler claimed during her interrogation that the funds belong to her husband and that their source is from gifts received by their two sons at their weddings. When asked where they converted the money to dollars, she claimed that the money belongs to her husband and that she does not know its source. In contrast, the male traveler claimed during his interrogation that the source of the funds is from savings he accumulated since 1999. When asked in which bank he converted them to dollars, he replied that a person he did not know, whom he met on the street in Ramallah and knew “deals in money,” converted the shekels he had, the amount of which he does not remember, and that this person gave him dollars without counting the shekels. The traveler did not present any evidence and did not mention his sons’ weddings at all during his interrogation as a possible source for the funds he converted to dollars. However, during the hearing before the committee, the travelers presented a different version. Both claimed that the source of the funds is from savings from the pension the male traveler receives and from the weddings of two of their children. The travelers claimed that the funds are intended for the purchase of an apartment in Turkey for their son, but each claimed a different amount for the cost of the apartment they intended to purchase, and they did not present any documents regarding the apartment in question. Regarding the circumstances of the violation and awareness of the reporting obligation, when the female traveler was asked by a customs inspector how much money she had, she initially replied that she had only 10,000 dollars. When asked why she did not state the full amount she had, she replied that she did not want to be delayed and did not want to be asked questions about the source of the funds. The travelers claimed they were unaware of the reporting obligation and that they did not see the signs, but the female traveler admitted during her interrogation, and also at the hearing before the committee, that this was not the first time she had transferred funds to Turkey without reporting them and that there were several occasions when she left the country with funds exceeding the reporting threshold, even if she left via Ben Gurion Airport. The committee viewed seriously the fact that the female traveler did not declare the truth regarding the amount of money she was carrying, as well as the fact that this was not the first time the couple had violated the law requiring reporting. The committee found their version, especially regarding how the money was converted to dollars, to be unsubstantiated and unreliable. Therefore, the committee decided to impose a financial sanction on the travelers equal to the value of the seized funds, totaling only 589,679 NIS. Following the travelers’ appeal to the Magistrate’s Court, it was decided to reduce the financial sanction by 100,000 NIS, and therefore the total final financial sanction imposed on the travelers amounts to only 489,679 NIS. Decision 136/24.

• A financial sanction totaling 409,530 NIS was imposed on a traveler who departed Israel by car on September 4, 2024, through the “Rabin” border crossing, carrying funds totaling 81,350 Jordanian Dinars (a total value of 421,530 NIS) without reporting them. While the traveler was waiting in the passenger hall, he was asked if there was anything in his vehicle and replied that there was nothing in his vehicle. However, during an inspection of the vehicle, the gas tank was x-rayed, and after foreign objects were seen inside, it was dismantled from the vehicle. Inspectors found bags containing banknotes inside, as well as tools for plumbers and disposable gloves. When asked why he told the customs inspectors that there was nothing in his vehicle, he replied that he was afraid they would take his money. When asked where the money was, he replied that the money was “in the roof,” that he didn’t know exactly where in the roof but that it was “above his head.” A further search of the vehicle did not find any money in the roof of the vehicle, contrary to what the traveler claimed. When confronted with the fact that the money was found in the gas tank, he claimed that he put the money into the gas tank with his hands. Regarding the source and destination of the funds, the traveler claimed that the funds belong to his family, with each family member contributing one thousand dinars to help two cousins detained in Jordan and to pay for their lawyer. He could not say why they were detained, to whom he was supposed to transfer the money, or the name of the lawyer who was supposed to receive the funds. When asked again which family members he was supposed to meet in Jordan, he replied that they were relatives and not family, and named a Jordanian person he knows. In addition, the traveler claimed that he was unaware of the reporting obligation at the crossing. The committee was impressed that the traveler actually served as a courier and that it appeared he did not know where the funds were hidden, what their source was, or where they were intended. The committee viewed seriously the fact that the traveler lied to the inspectors, as well as the sophisticated concealment of the funds intended to prevent the authorities from locating them. Based on these considerations, the committee decided to impose a financial sanction on the traveler totaling only 409,530 NIS. Decision 142/24.

Decisions of the Committee for Imposing Financial Sanctions – 2024

Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen: “The delegation’s departure is an important step towards the development of the Aphrodite-Yishai field, following my meetings with the Cypriot Minister of Energy, Yiannis. Natural gas is a strategic asset of Israel, strengthening our position as a regional energy power, and we will continue to work to find and develop additional fields, which will increase natural gas production for the domestic market and for export, and will strengthen the Israeli economy.”

Continued efforts to advance the agreement for the development of the natural gas field jointly owned by Israel and Cyprus: A professional delegation from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in cooperation with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, will depart for Cyprus this evening, in order to continue negotiations for the implementation of the fundamental understandings regarding the Aphrodite-Yishai natural gas field, and to codify them in an intergovernmental agreement. 

As part of these understandings, the development of the field will be carried out by the rights holders on the Cypriot side, while the holders of the Yishai concession and the State of Israel will receive compensation for their share in the field, which will be determined by an international expert.

The delegation’s departure constitutes a continuation of the diplomatic and professional contacts between the countries, and follows the meeting between the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, and his Cypriot counterpart, Yiannis, which took place in jerusalem last month. 

The agreement is important for strengthening the ties between the countries with a shared vision for the development of common natural resources. Reaching understandings is expected to strengthen energy cooperation between the countries and Israel‘s position in the regional arena, and may even contribute to the ability to export gas from Cyprus to Egypt. In addition, reaching an agreement is expected to allow progress on additional issues, such as the planned electricity cable between Israel and Cyprus.

Minister of Construction and Housing, Chaim Ketz, and Director General of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and the Authority, and Acting Director General of the National Urban Renewal Authority, Yehuda Morgenstern, held a roundtable discussion last weekend with leading entrepreneurs that dealt with the challenges of implementing urban renewal projects and ways to remove obstacles hindering their progress.
During the discussion, an open and in-depth dialogue took place, during which the entrepreneurs pointed out key obstacles hindering project implementation, including: the issue of the uncooperative tenant, lack of economic feasibility due to land values, high execution costs, the impact of interest rate environment, the involvement of Israel Land Authority in some projects, difficulties in development agreements, the method of collecting betterment levies, and general price increases in the industry. Alongside this, proposals for possible regulatory and planning solutions were presented.
Minister Chaim Ketz emphasized the need to accelerate the pace of execution on the ground, increase the supply of housing units, and remove regulatory and planning obstacles, and instructed the professional staff to examine feasible solutions within the responsibility of the ministry and the Urban Renewal Authority in particular, and with other planning bodies in general. 
Director General of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Acting Head of the National Urban Renewal Authority, Yehuda Morgenstern, noted that there are over 100,000 housing units in approved plans that have not yet been realized into building permits, mainly in the center of the country, due to damage to economic feasibility in light of rising construction costs.

In conclusion of the discussion, Morgenstern emphasized that the state, led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, must act to promote legislative amendments and complementary tools, including examining more profitable standards in cooperation with the Government Appraiser, and noted that close cooperation between the public and private sectors is key to the success of urban renewal in Israel.
 

The program, initiated by the Urban Renewal Authority and the Petah Tikva Municipality, covers a significant portion of the city area in Petah Tikva and applies to buildings requiring reinforcement against earthquakes. The program outlines a controlled process and enables gradual renewal of the built fabric in the city through reinforcement and additional construction, or through demolition and reconstruction. 

The program is promoted under Section 23 of TAMA 38 and sets the conditions for building renewal in the city. Furthermore, the program defines building rights within the various mechanisms stipulated therein, according to the renewal zones it defines: Metropolitan Main Street, Urban Main Street, and Citywide B and C.

The city currently has approximately 2,500 buildings requiring reinforcement, comprising about 35,000 housing units. Accordingly, the full potential of housing units that can be realized from this program, should all buildings be renewed according to the maximum scenario, encompasses tens of thousands of housing units. The program’s target is approximately 11,000 new housing units, subject to the required public space capacity.
The program establishes mechanisms for adding active frontages, including commercial or public spaces on the city’s main streets, as well as new pedestrian passage routes through public easement mechanisms.

Chairman of the Central District Committee, Adv. Micha Gadron: “Petah Tikva joins a list of cities such as Lod, Kfar Saba, Ra’anana, and Ramla, where similar programs have been approved. The program replaces TAMA 38 and will provide a solution for buildings requiring reinforcement against earthquakes that are not included in complex urban renewal projects.”

Central District Planner at the Planning Administration, Talila Harel: “This is a significant program for urban renewal in Petah Tikva, a program that improves building renewal possibilities by adapting construction regulations to the urban character, allowing for the allocation of built public spaces, establishing active frontages, and new passage routes for improving pedestrian accessibility.” 

Director of the Planning Department at the National Urban Renewal Authority, Guri Nadler, noted that: “The Petah Tikva Municipality has been promoting urban renewal on a large scale in recent years, and the program approved today creates an additional and significant tool for promoting renewal in the city. The program is adapted to the city’s various areas, prioritizes renewal in complexes, and creates significant certainty for promoting building permits for renewal at the single plot level.” 

The program was prepared by Mazor Firsht Architects and Urban Planners.
 

The tax authority – through the Investigation Officer of Haifa and the North, is conducting an investigation against four suspects, brothers from the Khalil family, suspected of making a false declaration to the Land Appreciation Tax Authority in Nazareth regarding the sale of apartments in their name, thereby evading capital gains tax totaling over 1.8 million ₪. Concurrently, an investigation is underway against the buyers, two brothers from the Kahili family, suspected of submitting a false declaration to the Land Appreciation Tax Authority in Nazareth regarding the purchase of the apartments, thereby evading acquisition tax totaling 400,000 ₪.

In August 2023, the four suspect sellers, through their lawyer, submitted an online declaration stating that they sold an entire 5-story building including 4 apartments for a total value of 6 million ₪. Each of the suspects declared the sale of one apartment in the building and attached a request for exemption from capital gains tax. Accordingly, the two suspect buyers also submitted a false declaration based on these figures.

From the findings of the investigation and the audit conducted by employees of the Land Appreciation Tax Authority in Nazareth, the building being sold includes 8 apartments and not 4 as declared by the suspects. Additionally, it was found that the estimated value of each of the 8 apartments sold is 1.375 million ₪, totaling 11 million ₪ and not 6 million ₪ as declared by the suspects. Furthermore, it was found that the suspect sellers do not meet the conditions for exemption from capital gains tax because two of the suspects own an additional apartment, and regarding the other two suspects, it was found that they were not the owners of the property for 18 months.

From the investigation findings, it appears that the suspect sellers evaded capital gains tax totaling 1,888,708 ₪. Additionally, the arrest request indicates that the suspect buyers evaded acquisition tax totaling 400,000 ₪ and assisted the sellers in evading capital gains tax.

The six suspects were brought before the Magistrate’s Court in Haifa and were released under restrictive conditions. The investigation is ongoing.
 

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Adversa AI, an Israel-based cybersecurity company headquartered in tel aviv, has won a 2026 BIG Innovation Award for its Agentic AI Security Platform, recognizing advances in protecting autonomous AI agents. The award, presented by the US-based Business Intelligence Group, highlights products delivering measurable real-world impact.

Adversa’s platform focuses on continuous AI red teaming, addressing emerging risks as organizations deploy AI agents capable of independent planning and execution across tools, APIs and cloud systems. The company said its technology helps security teams detect threats such as goal hijacking, tool misuse and privilege abuse before deployment. “Once AI systems can take actions, security must validate behavior,” said co-founder Alex Polyakov.

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.

Assistance to Southern Communities After October 7th and Following Operation “Am K’Lavi”

Following the events of October 7th, the Ministry of Construction and Housing continued to invest significant resources in rehabilitating affected communities and providing support to residents who needed housing and infrastructure solutions. The Ministry led focused professional staff work, assisted local authorities in developing rehabilitation plans, and implemented emergency measures for residents requiring immediate assistance. Throughout the year, the Ministry’s teams were in direct contact with the communities, identified gaps, and accompanied the rehabilitation process with the aim of optimally returning residents to routine.
Concurrently, the Ministry led significant field work as part of Operation “Am K’Lavi,” which included a professional tour by the Ministry’s Director-General in Be’er Sheva. During this operation, meetings were held with the Mayor and his team, deficiencies in public housing buildings damaged during the war days were presented, and focused rehabilitation plans were formulated. The Ministry translated the findings from the field into work processes, starting with rehabilitation work and extending to the expansion of social and community services around public housing complexes.

Extensive Government Investments in Be’er Sheva

Following a government decision approved this year, the Ministry of Construction and Housing led a strategic investment program aimed at strengthening the city of Be’er Sheva. The Ministry coordinated extensive planning and economic work, mobilized government resources, and built a multi-year plan for the establishment of new public institutions, the strengthening of existing neighborhoods, and the development of modern urban infrastructure. The urban vision was updated according to needs that arose from the field, and the Ministry worked to incorporate innovative planning and construction elements adapted to a developing metropolis.
One of the significant achievements of this initiative is the stabilization of infrastructure for comprehensive urban renewal in the city. The updating of the master plan, the publication of policy documents, and the expansion of personnel for the Government Authority for Urban Renewal in Be’er Sheva are all steps led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing with the aim of enabling urban renewal processes to proceed at an accelerated pace, while providing a high-quality and in-depth response to the older neighborhoods and their residents.

Roof Agreements as a Catalyst for the Growth of Southern Cities

During 2025, the Ministry of Construction and Housing led a significant strategic move to strengthen southern cities, culminating in the signing of a new roof agreement with the Dimona Municipality. The agreement, signed in the presence of the Prime Minister and led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, includes an addition of approximately 17,000 new housing units alongside the development of infrastructure, public institutions, and employment and commercial areas. Billions of shekels will be invested within the framework of the agreement, including approximately NIS 3.5 billion for the development of new neighborhoods, approximately NIS 760 million for infrastructure, approximately NIS 700 million for public institutions, and approximately NIS 330 million for the upgrade of the old city. The agreement was formulated and advanced following professional staff work by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and continues Dimona’s development momentum as a leading regional city in the Negev. Concurrently, the Ministry is in advanced stages of signing another roof agreement in the city of Sderot, as part of the expansion of government investment in southern cities.

Promoting the Establishment of New Communities in the South

The year 2025 was a breakthrough year in promoting new communities in the Negev. The “Rosh Ha’ishonim” (First Settlers) district plan in the city of Menora (formerly Kasif) reached a significant stage this year, with the special committee approving its deposit. The Ministry of Construction and Housing has led the comprehensive planning of the city for years, conducting professional field work and creating modern planning intended to provide a response to a growing Haredi population. The continued promotion of the city is a central pillar in strengthening settlement in the eastern Negev.
Concurrently, the Ministry led in-depth processes to promote the settlement region along Highway 25, between Be’er Sheva and Dimona. The approval of the memorandum by the Southern District Planning Committee is the result of comprehensive planning work that the Ministry led in cooperation with the Settlement Division, and it continues to advance to the National Planning Council. In the approaches to Arad, at the Tze’elim junction, in the Yatir area, and in Ramat HaNegev, the Ministry also promoted the planning of new community settlements, based on a strategic concept aimed at attracting new populations and strengthening the southern region.

The Ministry’s Activity in the Rural Sector

In the rural sector, the Ministry worked to strengthen communities and enable balanced demographic growth. The government’s decision to support communities located 0-7 km from the Gaza border was largely shaped by planning and policy promoted by the Ministry, which provides increased subsidies for land development, aiming to reduce construction costs and make it easier for young families to choose to live in the area. The Ministry worked in coordination with the Resilience and National Reconstruction Administration to promote a call for proposals for community growth and accompanied local authorities in planning new neighborhoods.
Throughout the year, the Ministry was involved in promoting dozens of rural communities from the northern Negev to the Eilat region. The Ministry’s planning teams formulated plans for neighborhood development, infrastructure upgrades, and improvement of public buildings, and prepared the infrastructure for significant growth expected in 2026. The Ministry’s work in the rural sector ensures the strengthening of regional council communities, the creation of new communities, and the expansion of agricultural and community settlement.

Expanding Housing Supply: “Apartment at a Discount” Lotteries

The “Apartment at a Discount” program continued to be one of the Ministry of Construction and Housing’s main tools for providing housing solutions to the public this year. In January, the Ministry opened a large-scale lottery that included thousands of housing units in the South, and later in the year, the ninth lottery was managed, with nearly one hundred thousand households registering. The high numbers registered this year indicate significant demand and high public trust in the Ministry’s housing programs. The Ministry continues to promote additional marketing campaigns throughout the South, increase the actual supply of apartments, and accompany eligible individuals until they receive the keys, as part of the vision to provide higher quality and more accessible housing solutions.
Urban Renewal in the South

The Ministerial Committee for Interior Affairs approved a series of decisions this year, initiated and promoted by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, focusing on expanding urban renewal options in the South. The Ministry’s work contributed to the creation of a planning and economic foundation that allows for the construction of over 30,000 new housing units, with a focus on cities like Kiryat Malakhi and Netivot. These initiatives provide local authorities with significant tools to improve older neighborhoods and adapt them to the needs of the 21st century.

The Ministry continued to accompany local authorities in evacuation-construction processes and to push forward significant plans, including the massive renewal plan in Netivot, which will include 13,000 housing units and comprehensively upgrade the old city. In Kiryat Malakhi, initiatives were also promoted that will enable the construction of new neighborhoods, the development of commercial and employment areas, and the expansion of public buildings – all as part of the Ministry’s leadership in strengthening southern cities.

In conclusion, 2025 was a turning point year for the South, which received comprehensive planning and execution leadership from the Ministry of Construction and Housing. The totality of the moves – from the establishment of new communities to urban renewal, from investments in Be’er Sheva to the development of the rural sector, and from expanding housing supply to rehabilitating communities – created a real foundation for accelerated regional growth. The Ministry will continue to operate with full force in the coming years to ensure that the Negev develops, attracts new populations, and offers its residents a high quality of life, based on advanced planning, employment, infrastructure, and accessible housing.