Head of Arabic-language social media at Foreign Ministry says department overwhelmed by 'flood of excited posts' from Sudan; commenters include one user who declared normalization is 'best decision' the country has ever made

Cross-country train from Nahariya in north to Be'er Sheva in south was severely overcrowded, in violation of 50% of maximum occupancy rule; 'I went to the inspector and he just ignored me,' says one traveler

Khartoum's foreign ministry says Sudanese and Israeli delegations would meet in the coming weeks to negotiate deals for agriculture, aviation, trade and migration

1st and 2nd grade students to attend school for just half of week after Netanyahu rules out NIS 6 billion cost of making classes smaller; Gamzu tells coronavirus cabinet that Israel should 'pounce' on local areas with growing morbidity

Jerusalem supplies Baku with medical equipment as Azerbaijan and Armenia continue clashing in the contested territory, claiming more victims on both sides; Israeli envoy 'prays for a peaceful solution'

Deal signed between Jerusalem and Manama to establish formal diplomatic ties still requires final ratification by the Knesset, with the date on the parliament hearing yet to be set

Army says the military exercise is the biggest of 2020 even though it had been significantly scaled back due to coronavirus pandemic; IDF says there will be increased presence of jets, army vehicles and troops across the country

Coronavirus czar tells Ynet health officials have 70,000 daily COVID tests at their disposal but use only 20,000 as the public is reluctant to get tested; professor adds he backs reopening of barbershops, beauty salons and alternative medicine next week

Dozens attend a rally in Jaffa after the French president defends the publication of cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed, which resulted in a beheading of a schoolteacher in Paris; Gaza's Hamas and Islamic Jihad also slam Macron

While many express hope over prospect of returning to a more peaceful and democratic home, others worry that many military officers, suspected of taking part in the deadly Darfour conflict that forced them to flee, are now in power

Among the most vocal opponents is the National Consensus Forces Alliance, a leftist coalition that opposes the current government; another opposition leader threatened to pull support of his Umma Party from government over the deal

Clocks go back one hour at 2am, giving Israelis more time to sleep; summer clock returns on March 26, just in time for Passover; plan to extend DST due to discourage nighttime gatherings during pandemic was scrapped

Islamic Republic's FM tweets that Sudan opted to 'close eyes to the crimes against Palestinians'; meanwhile, small-scale protests against the deal take place in Khartoum, with demonstrators burning Israeli flags

While both UAE and Egypt said they value any effort to secure regional peace and stability, both Ramallah and Gaza issue statements slamming the deal, which they claim benefits 'only Netanyahu'

After decades of hostility, Israel, Sudan and the U.S. release a joint statement on the establishment of formal ties between Jerusalem and Khartoum, following recent agreements with the UAE and Bahrain

Gantz and U.S. counterpart Esper sign agreement to ensure Israel's military superiority as more arms deal with Arab states take shape; defense ministry official hints at imminent peace talks with Saudi Arabia

Out of the 17,869 patients currently battling the disease, 580 are hospitalized in serious condition, among them 227 patients on ventilators; seven more Israelis succumb to COVID-19

U.S. pharmaceutical company says it could begin vaccinating people against coronavirus as early as January; Institute for Biological Research announces 'major advancement' in development of its vaccine

Move would not be imminent as parliament is yet to be formed; subject remains sensitive in Sudan, which used to be among Israel's hardline Arab foes under autocrat Omar al-Bashir

Data obtained under Freedom of Information Law shows almost 6,000 military personnel flew abroad in 2019; exact cost of flights, which include to cooking competition in Russia, is unclear but believed to run to tens of millions of shekels

Police say organizers committed to mourners remaining in small, separate groups during Jerusalem burial ceremony for head of Bohush Hassidic dynasty, even though commitment was clearly not kept

Health Ministry reports 1,089 new virus cases, bringing Israel close to target of 1,000 daily cases before further lockdown restrictions lifted; 40,915 tests yield positivity rate of 2.7%, far below peak of some 14% before lockdown began

The workers directed their anger at both Israel, which has heavily restricted the entrance of Palestinians from Gaza, and at the decision by the Makassed hospital to lay them off arbitrarily after working there for more than 20 years

Israeli radio report comes after U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo says United States working 'diligently' to get Khartoum to recognize Israel as part of the process of removing Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism

Family says senior PLO diplomat remains in critical condition, intubated and connected to ECMO machine; treatment especially complicated given history of health issues, including lung transplant in 2017

The Abraham Fund will mobilize more than $3 billion in private sector-led investment and development initiatives to promote regional economic cooperation and prosperity in the Middle East; Israel, UAE, U.S development office to open in Israel to identify and initiate strategic projects

Coronavirus cabinet postpones decision on safe reopening of schools and shops to next week; Netanyahu suggests exit strategy cut from nine to five stages; Katz calls for businesses to be allowed to reopen as soon as Sunday

Doha pushing for monetary aid to go to infrastructure projects such as a gas pipeline to operate the enclave's only power station while the Gaza rulers push for more money to be delivered to families in need in the run-up to internal elections scheduled for early 2021

Backed by Joint List deputy speaker, Levin justifies cancellation on grounds of confusion over format of voting; second vote, boycotted by opposition lawmakers, wins no support as 44 oppose; Meretz bill sponsor demands full review

Justice Ministry says unnamed Border Police officer will be charged with reckless killing in death of 32-year-old East Jerusalem resident Iyad Halak in May, pending hearing to dispute charges; victim's family say he should face tougher indictment

Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis tells Army Radio announcement about another normalization agreement is set to come sometime before the November 3 U.S. vote

Coronavirus chief and Health Ministry DG also demand all students, even those in first grade, and teaching staff wear face masks while in school; Galant slams the capsule proposal; 'Further easing of curbs is dangerous', says Gamzu

Syrian state TV reports the srtike hit a school located in a village in Quneitra's northern countryside; Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, says the attack targeted a base for pro-Iran militias

The Health Ministry reports 1,165 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, after 41,193 tests had been conducted, putting the contagion rate at below 3%; another 7 patients die in the past 24 hours

Tunnel reportedly stretched dozens of meters into Israel but failed to breach an underground barrier system, therefore posing no real threat to border communities; military says it holds Hamas responsible

Gamzu says every Israeli could get tested without seeing a doctor first, an option reserved so far only for those residing in virus hotspots; virus cabinet postpones meeting due to disagreement on outline for reopening of education system

The Emirates' top diplomat sends warm words to Israeli counterpart, hoping to see reciprocal opening of diplomatic missions in both countries' financial hubs as soon as possible

City hall says decision was made due to 'low demand' in testing that can be managed locally; health officials accuse mayor of largely Haredi city of trying to artificially bring caseload down in order to avoid threat of further localized closures

Ahead of ministerial meeting to discuss next stage of exiting the nationwide lockdown, coronavirus czar says predominantly ultra-Orthodox communities of Bnei Brak and Elad are eligible to have restrictions lifted from them

Ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport includes announcement of Abraham Fund, joint U.S.-Israeli-Emirati foundation based in Jerusalem to develop projects across Mideast, North Africa; two countries sign visa exemption deal, Israel's first with Arab state

Hadassah Medical Center says veteran Palestinian negotiator intubated and sedated due to respiratory distress, says treatment is challenging given history of health problems, including a lung transplant in 2017

Health Ministry says tally of active patients currently ill with COVID-19 now stands at 23,347, much lower than nearly 68,000 that was recorded at the start of October; death toll increased to 2,268

IDF says measures are part of 'engineering operation' in coastal enclave's vicinity, claiming 'there is no threat to nearby communities'; Israeli media reports move linked with concerns over possible Hamas sniper fire

Gamzu asks ministers to lift restrictions imposed on several ultra-Orthodox communities after decline in coronavirus infection rates; Health Ministry reports 896 new cases of coronavirus

Netanyahu blasts the opposition for impeding the government's efforts to tackle the crisis while wasting precious time; Lapid calls the premier 'out of touch' and accuses him of playing politics with the pandemic

Report states that the IDF has failed to properly train ground forces in dealing with chemical and biological threats as recommended by a 2014 review on the issue

Ministers say peace deal would be 'an avenue of peace and stability to support the ambitions of the region's people, and enhance efforts for prosperity and advancement'

Yaakov Asher tells Netanyahu that areas no longer seen as 'red' zones must be released from lockdown, after prime minister says some Haredi cities will still remain under closure, even though infection rate seems to be falling

Blue & White #2 warns that if no headway made on state budget, professional appointments or regular cabinet meetings by end of month, party will work to dissolve Knesset; 'If this does not change, it is all over,' he says

Prof. Ronni Gamzu says Israel R number successfully brought down to 0.6, finding asymptomatic carriers key to halting pandemic; also warns communities against viewing reopening of kindergartens as sign to reopen schools as well

Military Intelligence task force warns morbidity still high even while outbreak now contained, calls for exit plan be implemented more slowly with specific closures for virus hot spots and some parts of economy shuttered for prolonged period

Hadassah Medical Center says veteran Palestinian negotiator intubated and sedated 'due to respiratory distress', warns virus treatment 'poses a huge challenge' for someone who underwent a lung transplant

Sukhoi Su-27 approaches and flies alongside Israir Airbus A320 heading from Greek island of Rhodes to Tel Aviv until Cypriot air control warns him away, no injuries or damage reported

The Etihad flight will return to Abu Dhabi later in the day carrying businessmen, tourism industry executives and journalist; Flight captain says historic flight was made possible by the actions of brave leaders as he expressed hope for peace and harmony in the region

Manama ceremony also saw the signing of several memoranda of understanding including trade, air services, finance, banking and agriculture; 'It was indeed a historic visit, to start opening relations between both countries,' says Bahraini FM

Spokesman of the terror group says the kingdom had supported normalization with Israel by opening its airspace for Israeli flights to neighbouring Gulf states; 'Start by hitting oil pipelines, factories and facilities,' he tells supporters

Health minister urges parents not to send children to educational institutions that operate in violation of the law, most of which are religious; adds if reopening of kindergartens will lead to another spike in infection, decision will be reversed

Transportation ministry says it's been agreed El Al flights between Ben Gurion Airport, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as charter flights from UAE to Eilat's Ramon Airport, will become operational within a few weeks

Ynet photographer and news correspondent say they were cursed, pushed and spat on by dozens of residents of the Haredi city, while trying to cover a story about reopening of religious institutions in violation of government orders

Chief Palestinian negotiator and longtime diplomat, who fell ill on earlier in October, is en route to Jerusalem for treatment after his condition worsens; concerns over his vulnerability due to a lung transplant in 2017

Government says Britain's status as a red virus country will go into effect on October 23, adding it the list of 185 other nations from which travelers are required to self-quarantine for a 14-day period

Religious leaders instruct flock to open learning institutions despite gov't decision to keep lockdown restrictions on virus hotspots; locals outraged at government policy they claim singles them out, join protests in call for PM's ouster

National Security Adviser Ben-Shabbat opens remarks in Arabic, calling for change in the region for the benefit of both nations and invites Bahraini officials to a reciprocal visit in the Jewish state

Jewish state seeks to cement nascent relations and broaden Gulf cooperation; U.S. dignitaries will continue on Monday to UAE, accompany the UAE's first delegation to Israel

Kindergartens and nurseries reopen as part of the lockdown exit plan's preliminary stage; several travel restrictions, alongside restrictions on commerce, lifted

Death toll stands at 2,128; 713 patients are in serious condition, with 247 connected to ventilators; contagion rate drops to 4.2%; ministers approve reopening of some small businesses, kindergartens, take-away food services and beaches

Rabbi Uri Regev, who leads Israel-based NPO promoting religious freedom and equality across denominational lines, calls for stricter law enforcement after head of Belz Hasidic sect tells adherents to ignore regulations

Health Ministry's liaison officer with Hardi sector reaches agreement with leaders to open winter semester in religious institutions despite fear new outline may fail like the last one, which led to at least 20% of students to contract COVID

Mandelblit says won't pursue criminal investigation due to lack of evidence; case saw PM purchase shares worth $600,000 from a holding company owned by his American cousin, only to sell them back to him for $4.3 million 3 years later

Violent clashes erupt between anti-PM protesters and Netanyahu supporters in Holon, who attacked the demonstrators, spraying them with an unknown gas; no protesters needed medical attention, but some claimed to have filed police complaints

Israel becomes 24th country in the world with more than 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses and is the only one with less than 10 million inhabitants

With only Arab Joint List voting against treaty, PM takes the Knesset stand as the last of over 100 speakers to praise the agreement and make a claim about warm relations with Saudi Arabia due to its opposition to Iran

Heath minister says during press briefing the easing of lockdown restrictions is not a 'victory party' and the public must not be complacent; adds he is worried about potential virus outbreaks at kindergartens

Top U.S. diplomat meets Lebanon's parliament speaker to cement understandings between the Levant country and the Jewish state, reached during indirect negotiations over disputed maritime border

After nearly 5 hours of deliberating, coronavirus cabinet votes to reopen some parts of the economy starting Sunday; ministers also approve weddings with up to 20 participants, which Deri slammed as 'impossibly' low

Peace Now says latest round of approvals, which saw construction of nearly 5,000 new housing units being greenlit, may not be the last this year and warns of de facto annexation of some West Bank lands

Defense minister makes the claim following a leak apparently proving Netanyahu's involvement in the affair known as Case 3000, which alleges Israeli officials were bribed to advocate for procurement of submarines from German shipbuilder

Coronavirus cabinet meets to debate gradual exit strategy with some businesses and kindergartens expected to reopen Sunday, while ultra-Orthodox areas still showing high morbidity rates could remain under closure

'Netanyahu is throwing us into the depth of despair' said one small business owner who claimed to have been a lifelong supporter of the PM and his Likud party; president of the Israel Federation of Small Business Organizations called government action 'collective punishment'

Netanyahu lauds rare agreement with Arab state, again denies secret arms deal; predominantly Arab Joint List to vote against treaty, says agreement 'ensures continuation of conflict, suffering and bloodshed,' slams PM for 'deceptive vision of peace for peace'

Although target of 2,000 new cases reached coronavirus czar says figures must be monitored over a week before restrictions can be lifted; ministry notes daily hospitalization number still high though serious cases in decline

Thanks to Israel-Jordan deal to open more flight paths over both countries and signing of Abraham Accords, travel time of Etihad Airways flight from Italy to UAE shortened by 90 minutes

Health Ministry reports a slight decrease in the contagion rate from the day earlier; number of serious COVID-19 patients drops to 755, of whom 241 patients on ventilators

U.S. further pushes Riyadh into joining Abraham Accords between Israel, UAE and Bahrain, of which Gulf kingdom has quietly acquiesced, but stopped short of full endorsement

Planning council greenlights construction of 1,800 new housing units in West Bank, expected to approve 4,000 in total; settlement watchdog says 'PM pokes finger in our new Gulf friend's eye', calls move 'de-facto annexation'

Educators say government's proposed outline is 'neither moral nor educational and pushes education to the bottom of the national agenda' while causing much harm to student's well-being

Head of Beirut delegation seeks deal in 'reasonable time,' says 2-hour initial meeting was 'first step in thousand-mile march'; joint statement by mediators UN and U.S. calls meeting 'productive' as warring neighbors play down possibility of normalization

PM releases statement defending the lockdown and says on Thursday the cabinet will mull reopening small businesses that don't involve interaction with the public, kindergartens and take-away services at restaurants

Iran-backed terror group and its Shi'ite political ally demand negotiating teams include only military officials 'to reflect framework agreement,' say talks did not signal peace-making

Army says one trooper was lightly wounded and another moderately hurt after being hit by shrapnel from an explosive device thrown at the unit during an arrest operation in the Balata Refugee Camp near Nablus

U.S.-brokered talks take place at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura; both sides play down possibility of normalization; Hezbollah slams talks as 'a moment of unprecedented political weakness for Lebanon'

The Health Ministry reports 2,255 tested positive for COVID on Tuesday, after 44,369 tests, putting the contagion rate at 5.4%; death toll continues to increase and currently stands at 2,055

Ministers delay final decision on matter until Thursday; PMO attributes extension to still high morbidity rate despite weeks of closure and lack of data over influence of Jewish High Holy Days on national infection rate

Kindergartens, schools for early grades and small business to remain closed; National Security Council warns targeted number of 2,000 new cases daily would still over burden hospitals and cost the economy 84,000 work days

Israel's second lockdown, which now has one of the world's highest infection rates per capita, has put on hold any tourism and business opportunities between Israel and the UAE until January

Israel's northern neighbor sends a team of experts rather than officials in signal that U.S.-mediated negotiations with long-term enemy to south are purely technical and do not herald normalization of ties

Ministry reported 1,424 new cases with positivity rate of 4.9%; There are 1,464 in hospitals with 802 of them in serious condition of which 254 are on ventilators; since midnight, 14 people have died from COVID-19 bringing fatality toll to 2,040 since the start of the pandemic.

While Palestinians traditionally refrain from taking explicit public position in American presidential elections, Mohammed Shtayyeh expresses hope that a Democratic victory would revive prospects for a peace deal with Israel

Maher al-Akhras has been held in administrative detention for more than 70 days since his arrest over suspected ties with Islamic Jihad terror group; 32 Palestinian prisoners at Ofer Prison begin hunger strike in solidarity

For first time ever, an Israeli prime minister's spouse is assigned an armored vehicle for her personal use due to security concerns; finance and defense ministers are only cabinet members to be granted reinforced vehicles

Likud MK Shasha-Biton tells Knesset panel that Israel must take into account societal cost of outbreak, not just focus on halting spread; ministerial debate on lockdown exit looks delayed as ministers war over strategy

Inter-ministerial expert team tasked with finding solutions to difficulties bedeviling country's transgender population, facilitate relations between LGBT community and state's various administrative agencies

Report by anti-corruption monitor Transparency International finds only four countries out of 47 analyzed are actively enforcing rules designed to prevent companies from paying bribes in foreign markets

Health Ministry's liaison officer with ultra-Orthodox sector backs on previous demand to postpone opening of winter semester in religious institutions and holds talks with prominent Haredi figures to allow resumption of studies by next week

Health Ministry says 3,266 of 6,061 active elderly patients in the country are from the ultra-Orthodox sector; in addition, contagion rate in the country has gone down to 7% after 47,136 tests were conducted, of which 3,097 came back positive

Republican leader wins over 63% support among Israelis compared to Democrat rival Biden's 18%; little over half of the respondents believe U.S.-Israel ties will be harmed if Biden is elected

Israel's northern neighbor leaves diplomats homebound, sends a team of experts to show negotiations with Jewish state are purely technical and do not herald normalization of ties

With 1,915 new cases and 31,380 tests conducted by Monday evening, nation sees its lowest infection rate in months with 6.1%; virus czar says he believes kindergartens will open as soon as Sunday

Under the current emergency measures, protests could only take place in groups of 20 and prayer sessions in groups of 10 AND not farther than one kilometer from a citizen's home

Netanyahu says Israel 'would have been marching right into an abyss' without stringent measures, noting recent decline in coronavirus infections nationwide and promises economy will reopen 'in a safe, careful and gradual manner'

Likud and Blue & White again at odds over passage of state budget, with Netanyahu's party refusing to approve fiscal plans for 2020, 2021 simultaneously in what is believed to be bid to call fresh elections without violating coalition deal and putting Gantz in PM's seat

Prof. Ronni Gamzu tells Ynet that kindergartens and even first and second grades should reopen next week, directly contradicting Health Ministry's public health chief; private daycare centers warn of collapse without government aid

Berlin has promised Jerusalem will receive any viable European inoculation as soon as possible, despite prior EU decision to only supply it to nations on the continent; FM: Move symbolizes special friendship between countries

Sources say the UAE delegation is expected to arrive in Israel on October 20 to finalize the normalization deal, approved by the government to be brought for ratification; PM and UAE's de-facto leader to meet on a separate occasion

Business sector appears livid with the Health Ministry's outline, which they claim prioritizes businesses abroad, with officials in hotel and restaurants businesses say their industries will go under if reopened close to winter as planned

Health Ministry reports a slight increase in the contagion rate from the day earlier, but tally of active patients drops by 8,000 in 24 hours; in October so far, 394 patients succumbed to COVID, 354 more than over whole month of June

If family testimony that he was born in 1903 is verified, Yemenite-born Shlomo Sulayman could be one of the oldest males to ever live; survived by large family who say his longevity was due to staying active and eating small meals

Troops instructed to communicate politely with residents but face opposition in religious seminaries in Haredi areas of northern city as well as in Ashdod; forces brought in to assist local authorities meet population's needs during lockdown

Israel's economy hit hard by coronavirus, expected to contract in 2020 for first time in nearly two decades; uncertainty regarding 2021 budget threatens to topple fractious coalition formed to help country weather pandemic

Drop in new coronavirus cases also seen in ultra-Orthodox community, where proportion of positive tests fell from 26.7% rate at the start of month to 20.9% on Saturday; top health official warns shift does not yet warrant easing lockdown