Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Planning and Building Council approved the national outline plan for agro-voltaic facilities.

The plan, which was prepared under the leadership of the Planning Administration and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, for the first time comprehensively regulates the construction of facilities that combine electricity production from solar energy with active agricultural cultivation, and constitutes a significant step in promoting renewable energies alongside preserving the agricultural areas and open landscape of the State of Israel.

It establishes a uniform and clear design standard that will provide certainty to the market, enable the promotion of agro-voltaic installations on a significant scale, and help the State of Israel meet its national energy goals – while maintaining active agriculture and food security.

The plan also established strict mechanisms to ensure the continued existence of optimal agricultural cultivation throughout the entire life of the facility, as a condition for its operation, including the establishment of clear sanctions in cases of cessation of agricultural cultivation.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz signed a proclamation today (Thursday) defining Iranian State Bank Melli as a terrorist organization. He did so at the request of security agencies and on the recommendation of the Headquarters for Combating Economic Terrorism at the Ministry of Defense, and in accordance with its authority under Section 11 of the Counter-Terrorism Law.

Bank Mali is a key factor in the Iranian regime’s transfer of funds to terrorist organizations, and serves as the regime’s central financial arm in financing terrorist activity throughout the Middle East and beyond, said Katz’s office.

This is a government bank in the service of the regime that operates one of the regime’s most extensive cover networks, for the purpose of circumventing international sanctions and laundering money. Among other things, the bank provides extensive financial services to Iran’s security forces, including providing bank accounts and transferring funds to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Quds Force, which are directly involved in financing, directing, and operating terrorist organizations.

“Declaring Bank Mali a terrorist organization will help thwart one of the main funding routes for Iran’s terrorist proxies,” said Katz’s office noting that it was declared a terrorist organization by the United States in 2018.

Israel’s Defense Ministry added that this move, alongside the previous similar decisions regarding the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Bank Mellat, and Bank Shahr, constitutes “another layer in the ongoing effort by the security establishment to damage the economic infrastructure of Iranian terrorism and prevent the financing of the activities of terrorist organizations operating against the State of Israel and its citizens.”

Alerts activated in Nahal Oz, details under investigation.

Further to the alerts that were activated a short while ago in Nahal Oz, this was a false alarm.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli fusion company nT-Tao has reached a major milestone, firing its C3 prototype’s first plasma pulses just over two months after assembly. The project moves Israel closer to practical, on-site fusion energy for industry and remote locations.

C3 follows the earlier C2-A system and aims for higher temperatures and longer plasma stability.

“The speed from design to first plasma shows our team’s ability to work quickly and test new ideas,” said Dr. Yoav Shoshani, nT-Tao’s Director of Experiments & Diagnostics.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — President Isaac Herzog’s office said it opened 1,683 pardon requests in 2025, continuing a slight decline from 2024 but maintaining higher averages than the past five years. The President granted 456 positive decisions, primarily shortening criminal record periods, reducing fines, or easing sentences.

A notable focus was on special relief schemes for soldiers, reservists, and civilian war victims. Nearly half of all positive decisions were granted under these special frameworks.

Requests from sex offenders, domestic violence perpetrators, and serious traffic offenders continued to be systematically denied.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli tech company Anecdotes has unveiled new capabilities for its agentic GRC platform, enabling enterprises to build no-code AI agents that autonomously manage complex governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) workflows. The platform’s ChatGRC solution gives teams conversational access to their full GRC context, while Agent Studio allows organizations to create custom AI agents tailored to unique processes—from vendor risk assessments to multi-stakeholder policy approvals.

CEO Yair Kuznitsov says the update marks a “fundamental transformation” in enterprise GRC, helping organizations scale operations with speed, accuracy, and continuous oversight. Anecdotes’ platform already supports 230+ integrations.

About two years ago, a framework for shortening the Working Hours of female and male doctors on shifts was implemented, with the aim of alleviating the workload and improving the working conditions of interns in the periphery.

From the date of the framework’s actual implementation, the Ministry has been examining its implications with all relevant parties in the healthcare system, with an emphasis on the hospitals where it is being implemented. As part of the learning and lessons-learned process conducted by the Ministry, it emerged that the framework has value in alleviating the workload as expected. However, claims were also raised by some parties in the system regarding damage to the quality of training and care, the continuity of treatment, and the functioning of the departments where it applies, creating significant gaps in these areas between departments in the periphery and those in the Center. Therefore, the need arose for a thorough and continuous examination aimed at reviewing the framework and updating the work method, while maintaining the alleviation of the workload for interns, so that it can be applied to the entire inpatient system in due course. 

The Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, decided to establish a working team that will formulate an updated framework for doctor shifts. The team’s recommendations should address the aforementioned needs for both the medium and long term, taking into account the expected changes in the number of doctors in Israel in the coming years. The team will also formulate a recommendation for a sustainable systemic framework. 

The team, expected to submit its recommendations by May 1, 2026, will be headed by the Director of Soroka Medical Center, Prof. Shlomi Kodish, and its work will be coordinated by Adv. Yael Israeli Nevo. During the team’s work, the positions of all relevant field and headquarters personnel will be heard.

Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar Siman Tov: “We see shortening shifts for interns as an important step for the benefit of male and female doctors, patients, and the entire system. In the past two years, the healthcare system has worked day and night, in emergencies and routine, to save lives and provide care for the many injured in body and soul. Now, as a learning system, we are working to examine the need to update the work method, and to create a balance that will protect the interests of caregivers and patients. We request to examine how the change has affected medical response in hospitals, while placing the well-being of the patient and doctors at the Center. 

The long and exhausting working hours, 26 hours in a row, sometimes almost without a break, have not only harmed the intern doctors but could also harm the quality of medical care received by the public. The committee headed by Prof. Kodish will be required in the coming months to address this important issue, and I am confident that its findings and recommendations will assist us in formulating an updated framework.”

Dr. Sefi Mendlovic, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Health: “In recent months, we have thoroughly examined the framework for assessing the workload of interns. As part of the meetings we held and the extensive dialogue with the medical teams, we understood that adjustments are needed in the framework to ensure that working conditions are indeed improved and the level of training is maintained. 
The next step we are taking now reflects the overall responsibility we have to create a comprehensive framework that can be implemented in the field and that aligns with the needs of interns and the entire healthcare system.”

Director-General of Soroka Medical Center, Prof. Shlomi Kodish, Head of the Working Team: “We see great importance in promoting the working conditions of interns in hospitals, especially during shift hours. 
During the two years in which the framework for shortening the workday has been implemented, we have learned about the framework’s implications and its impact on team well-being and on systemic aspects of departmental activity. 
Now we will examine the issues that have arisen, hear from those involved, and together formulate recommendations for the future, so that they will strengthen our healthcare system and ensure continued professional and high-quality medical care for patients and their families. This is while being committed to female and male doctors – for their welfare and their ability to fulfill their mission responsibly, professionally, and humanely.” 

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Ministry of Transportation and the Cross-Israel Railway Company have officially submitted the Southern Railway (Goral) Plan, marking a key step in connecting the Negev to central Israel.

The 13-kilometer railway, featuring a 4.5-kilometer double tunnel under the Goral Hills, will link the Tel Aviv–Beer-Sheva line to Ashkelon–Beer-Sheva tracks, improving passenger travel, freight transport, and safety by diverting hazardous cargo outside Beer-Sheva. A new accessible station with bus and bicycle facilities will serve the region.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said the project “strengthens the Negev, encourages development, employment and growth, and provides residents with a quality connection to Israel’s economic centers.”