Jerusalem, 12 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Police seized five M-16 rifles and ammunition during an operational activity in bedouin settlements, along with an economic enforcement operation during which dozens of vehicles were taken off the road.

In the settlement of Arara in the Negev, police conducting searches to locate weapons. At the end of the activity, four M-16 rifles, combat equipment and ammunition were located.

Over the weekend, a report was received of a shooting incident in the area of the old cemetery in the Abu Asa neighborhood. Police officers from the Tel Sheva Municipal Police Unit conducted searches and located a suspect holding a hunting rifle. The suspect was arrested and taken for questioning at the Towns Station.

In another operation by police officers from the Beer Sheva station, in cooperation with the 101st Dawn Unit and Southern District dogs, a weapons search was conducted in the Tel Sheva community. A suspect was arrested while in possession of an M-16 rifle and ammunition.

Alongside this, integrated economic activity took place as part of “Fan” operations, in conjunction with civilian enforcement agencies, during which dozens of vehicles were taken off the road, fines were issued to debtors totaling tens of thousands of shekels, and vehicles were seized for debts totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels.

Jerusalem, 12 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the banking services competition reform, which aims to increase competition in the banking system and lower interest rates for small and medium-sized businesses and households. The reform, led by the Ministry of Finance, will improve credit conditions and financial services and is a key component in the fight against the cost of living.

The reform will enable several dramatic steps:

– Competition in deposits: Introducing new entities that can be banks and offer the public higher interest rates on deposits and money in savings accounts.

– Easing credit for small and medium-sized businesses and households: Encouraging the establishment of new banks that will specialize in credit for small and medium-sized businesses and households, and will offer credit at lower interest rates.

– Dual solution: Encouraging the establishment of new banks that will be able to compete with existing banks in offering deposits to the public, and will also be able to provide cheaper credit based on those deposits. Thus, the reform also constitutes a central component in the fight against the cost of living, and will also help small and medium-sized businesses operate and grow through cheaper and more convenient financing.

According to the CEO, “As of today, approximately 73,000 foreign workers have arrived in Israel through all channels, the highest number recorded to date.” Morgenstern further emphasized that “the steps we have taken in the industry, led by Minister Haim Katz, through the private track, are yielding results on the ground. The approved quota stands at approximately 110,000, but the gap necessitates continued accelerated action.” He also noted that “with the end of the fighting, there is an increase in interest in the call for proposals for foreign companies, and data from the field shows that the private track is working well after adjustments were made according to the industry’s needs.”

The CEO added that “the construction duration in Israel has increased and currently stands at approximately 38 months on average, and increasing the workforce in the industry is a key condition for shortening timelines and increasing the actual supply of apartments.”

The committee chair, MK Eti Hava Attia, emphasized during the discussion the critical need to reduce fees in the construction industry and also mentioned that she is submitting a bill that will reduce the annual fees for foreign workers, ease the burden on employers, and encourage legal and fair employment.

Director General of the Ministry of Construction and Housing, Yehuda Morgenstern:
“I thank the committee chair, MK Eti Hava Attia, for the diligent work for the benefit of the construction industry. To accelerate construction and increase the supply of apartments, we must continue to expand the foreign worker system. This means integrating additional bilateral agreements, increasing the pool of foreign companies, extending and deepening the private track, and reducing bureaucracy and fees. Under the leadership of Minister Haim Katz, we have taken significant steps, but there is still work to be done to reach the pace the economy needs.”

Jerusalem, 12 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety and the Ministry of Finance have approved a significant budget addition of 10 million Shekels ($3.15 million) for 2025 for the Afula Eastern Bypass project. With the approval of the additional budget, the total government participation in the project, which is being carried out through the Israel Roads Company, stands at approximately 351 million Shekels ($110 million).

The approved budget, said the Ministry, is intended to complete the planning of the project, which includes the resurfacing of the intersection – an essential engineering and safety measure that will, among other things, allow for an orderly exit from the neighborhood toward the center of the country.

The Eastern Afula Bypass is a large-scale national infrastructure project, which is an essential step towards removing transportation “bottlenecks” that limit the development of the entire area. The project is designed to create a strategic transportation artery that will allow for the controlled diversion of heavy traffic and intercity traffic flows from the residential and business center of Afula to a modern axis with a high engineering standard.

Jerusalem, 12 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — In a new reform, the Ministry of Finance is offering Israel’s dairy farms quota redemptions – the opportunity for individual farmers to sell off their designated quotas for production limits – worth over one billion Shekels (more than $320 million).

As part of the implementation of the reform, dairy farms that choose to sell their milk quotas, as part of the progressive quota redemption program as part of the implementation of the dairy industry reform, will receive compensation of millions of shekels. Thus, dairy farm owners who are interested will be able to receive capital not only from the sale of cows and dairy equipment, but also on the quotas.

The program, said the Ministry, is designed to allow dairy farmers flexibility and choice in light of the structural changes in the industry, while providing a significant economic response to those who choose to exit the industry, along with strengthening the efficiency of dairy farms and increasing competition in the milk market for the benefit of the public.

Each dairy farm that sells its milk quotas will receive financial compensation in the amount of millions of shekels, depending on the size of the dairy farm and the scope of the quota. In addition, assistance will be provided in converting dairy farms to alternative uses, including agricultural tourism, industry or commerce.

As part of the reform’s implementation, dairy farms that choose to sell their milk quotas, within the framework of the quota redemption program advancing as part of the milk industry reform, will receive compensation of millions of shekels. Thus, dairy farm owners who are interested will be able to receive capital not only from the sale of cows and farm equipment, but also for the quotas.
The program is designed to allow dairy farmers flexibility and choice in light of the structural changes in the industry, while providing significant economic support to those who choose to exit the industry, alongside strengthening efficient farms and increasing competition in the milk market for the benefit of the public.
Quota Redemption Program – Significant Compensation for Dairy Farmers:
The state will advance a quota redemption program with a total scope of over one billion shekels. Within the framework of the program, the state will purchase the milk quotas of dairy farmers who choose to sell them and exit the industry.
The Highlight of the Move:
Every dairy farm that sells its milk quotas will receive financial compensation in the amount of millions of shekels, depending on the size of the farm and the scope of the quota. In addition, assistance will be provided in converting the farms for alternative uses, including agricultural tourism, industry, or commerce.
Safety Net for Efficient Farms – Stable and Adjusted Protection Price:
Alongside the redemption program, an “protection price” will be maintained for efficient farms that choose to continue operating, a fixed mechanism that provides long-term certainty regarding quantity and price. The protection price will be competitive and will reflect the production costs of efficient farms, with the aim of ensuring economic stability and continued sustainable operation in the industry.
Program to Strengthen Dairy Farms – Investment in Upgrading and Expansion:
As part of the reform’s implementation, the state will invest in upgrading and expanding existing dairy farms, and will provide significant assistance to dairy farmers interested in improving production capacity, in the scope of hundreds of millions of shekels.
A More Competitive, Stable, and Efficient Milk Market:
The overall move is expected to reduce dependence on large dairies, improve competitiveness in the milk industry, and strengthen local production. In the medium and long term, the reform is expected to contribute to lowering the cost of living for consumers, improving the availability of dairy products, and ensuring stable supply capacity both in routine and in emergency situations.

During December 2025, reports were received of three cases of armed robbery at supermarkets on Ha’Busem Street and Kiryati Street in Tel Aviv. According to the reports, a masked individual threatened the sellers with a handgun, robbed them of thousands of shekels, and fled the scene.

detectives and investigators from the Tel Aviv South station opened an investigation, during which, using advanced technology, they managed to identify the suspect.

Yesterday, detectives, along with combatants from the Tel Aviv branch of the Border Police, arrived at the suspect’s home, arrested him, and conducted a search under a court order. During the search, an airsoft pistol was seized, which, according to suspicion, the suspect used to threaten and rob the sellers. Several knives, unique clothing items, and mobile phones were also seized.

The suspect, a 41-year-old resident of Tel Aviv, was transferred for investigation at the Tel Aviv South station and will be brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court for a hearing regarding the extension of his arrest.
 

Jerusalem, 12 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Palestinian Authority President mahmoud abbas was released from a hospital in Ramallah after undergoing “routine medical tests,” according to the P.A.-run Wafa News Agency.

Arab media reports earlier in the day said he had been hospitalized.

The 90-year-old Abbas is in the 21st year of a four-year term as P.A. President.

Under the direction of the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, Miri Regev, the Director-General of the Ministry, Moshe Ben Zaken, held a preparedness meeting with all subsidiary companies in anticipation of the expected storm tonight. During the meeting, it was decided to raise the alert level across all land, sea, and air systems.

Roads and Infrastructure: Full Readiness on Routes

Netivei Israel: Field teams have been reinforced, snow plows and salt spreaders have been deployed in the north, and the advanced sensor system for real-time monitoring of flash floods in streams has been activated for the safety of road users.

Netivei Ayalon: Flood hotspots in the Gush Dan area have been mapped, pump operations and the “bioviot” (likely referring to drainage systems or water pumps) have been reinforced, and patrol teams have switched to continuous round-the-clock operation.

Moriyah (Jerusalem): Work has been carried out to strengthen fences and elements at construction sites, drainage systems have been cleared to prevent blockages and flooding, and municipal maintenance teams have been reinforced.

חוצה ישראל (Cross Israel): Heavy machinery and emergency teams have been put on alert at all company projects.

Trains and Public Transportation:

Israel Railways and NTA (Metropolitan Mass Transit System): Scaffolding and infrastructure have been secured, drainage systems at stations and along routes have been cleaned, and drivers have been briefed on driving in poor visibility conditions.

Jerusalem (Public Transport and Light Rail): The Transportation Management Center has been moved to an emergency mode. Drainage and proactive pruning operations have been carried out along the light rail route.

Aviation and Ports

Israel Airports Authority: Preparations for schedule changes due to weather conditions.

Raspan (likely referring to a maritime authority): A directive has been issued to the public to avoid maritime activities and surfing on beaches until conditions stabilize.

Road Safety (Ralp”ad – National Road Safety Authority)
Guidelines have been published for the public, emphasizing adjusting speed, maintaining distance, and prohibiting crossing flooded roads. A severe warning to motorcyclists due to the risk of skidding.