Israeli officials and business leaders reacted with dismay on Wednesday night to U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to impose a 17% tariff on imports from Israel, calling the move a “regression” in economic relations and a blow to decades of close trade cooperation. The sweeping tariff initiative, which includes a baseline 10% duty on all U.S. imports and elevated rates for key trading partners, stunned Israeli policymakers, especially following Israel’s own recent decision to eliminate remaining tariffs on American goods in hopes of deepening bilateral ties.

In what could mark a pivotal shift in Middle East geopolitics, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has reportedly offered to temporarily absorb up to half a million Gazans, according to a Lebanese media report. The proposal, allegedly made during a regional summit in Riyadh, comes as part of wider discussions on the future of Gaza and the long-term consequences of Hamas’s war against Israel.

In a moment of childhood curiosity turned historic discovery, 3.5-year-old Ziv Nitzan unearthed a 3,800-year-old Canaanite scarab while on a family outing near Tel Azekah in central Israel an archaeological site linked to the biblical battle of David and Goliath. The Nitzan family was walking along a trail when young Ziv spotted what looked like a stone. Her sister, Omer, recounted the moment: “Out of all the stones around her, she picked up this one. When she rubbed off the sand, we saw that it looked different.”

After a 12-year break, El Al Airlines is returning to Israel’s southern skies with the relaunch of its domestic route from Ben-Gurion Airport to Ramon Airport near Eilat. Starting next month, El Al will operate two weekly flights between the central hub and the Red Sea resort city, the Airports Authority announced Thursday. The move follows close coordination with the Transportation Ministry, Airports Authority, and Civil Aviation Authority, with all regulatory approvals finalized for the route’s revival.