No contact for hours: Behind Netanyahu, IDF's failure to stop Hamas's massacre on October 7

EXCLUSIVE

Enmity between the prime minister, defense minister, and the IDF chief prevented communication for hours as Hamas was murdering 1200 and kidnapping hundreds in the early hours of Oct. 7.

Netanyahu asked for a 'quiet holiday period,' days before October 7

REPORT
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Palestinians take control of an Israeli tank after crossing the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023.
Scenes of houses destroyed by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be'eri during the massacre of thousands of Israelis on October 7, taken October 25, 2023

Chinese billionaire in talks to buy Israeli irrigation giant Netafim, valued at $1.5 billion

The company is currently under the control of the Mexican firm Orbia, which has been in talks over the past year with various parties to sell its Netafim holdings to reduce its leverage.

NETAFIM ARE leaders in drip irrigation systems
A person holds a sign in protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as supporters of Kneecap member Liam O'Hanna, also known as Liam Og O hAnnaidh and performing under the name of Mo Chara, hold placards outside the Westminster Magistrates' Court, in London, Britain, August 20, 2025.

UK saw second highest total antisemitic incidents ever recorded in 2025

CST recorded 3,700 anti-Jewish hate incidents in the UK in 2025, second in total only to 2023. The number in 2025 was 4% higher than in 2024, at 3,556 incidents.

A Palestinian Hamas terrorist displays guns on the day of the handover of hostages, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025.
REPORT

Hamas may be allowed to keep 'small arms' under drafted US demilitarization plan

IDF arrests suspect in West Bank, discovers M4-style rifle hidden in vehicle

US military forces boarded the crude oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean. The vessel was accused of breaching Washington's blockade on sanctioned vessels traveling to or from Venezuela. February 9, 2026.

Trump administration weighs seizing Iranian oil tankers to further pressue Tehran

REPORT
US President Donald Trump waves after speaking with members of the media on board Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, US, January 31, 2026.

US will 'do something very tough' if Iran negotiations fail, Trump warns - N12

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Special Envoy and Jared Kushner at Blair House in Washington on February 10, 2026.

Netanyahu meets with Witkoff, Kushner ahead of Trump meeting on 'principles' for Iran talks

WATCH
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) holds up a photo of US President Donald Trump with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a meeting of the the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to markup a resolution and report to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress, January 10, 2024; illustrative.

Trump told police chief 'everyone' knew about Epstein, newly uncovered FBI documents reveal

Hamas officials, Khalil Al-Hayya and Osama Hamdan, attend a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, November 21, 2023.

Hamas leader denies killing civilians on Oct. 7 on Norwegian state TV, receives little pushback

A masked and armed person seen on footage captured outside of now-missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s house.

FBI, sheriff release footage of armed person at Nancy Guthrie's door

Shaping Tomorrow: The Jerusalem Post Women Leaders Summit Returns for 2026

March 24, 2026| Check Point Offices, 5 Hasolalim, Tel Aviv. Event launch and opening remarks by the honorable First Lady Michal Herzog.

Women Leaders Summit 2026

Latest Articles   

Report: Tucker Carlson to visit Israel

Israel, ICE spark security debate at Milano Olympics

ICE may withdraw from Minnesota, Walz says

Report: Hamas disarmament plan drafted by US

IDF arrests suspect armed with rifle in West Bank

Report: US considers seizing oil tankers to pressure Iran

Chinese billionaire in talks to buy Netafim

New footage released in Nancy Guthrie disappearance

Trump told police 'everyone' knew of Epstein, FBI doc says

London police arrests teen suspected of attempted murder

Padel boom reaches northern Israel

Bereaved family members to lead Reservist Party

Beersheba widens gap on Beitar Jerusalem

Lemon sapling found at airport, could spread citrus disease

Trump warns about deploying second aircraft carrier to Iran

GOGAT refutes claims of Gaza water crisis

Netanyahu asked for 'quiet period' before Oct. 7

Venezuela sends first oil shipment to Israel in years

Satellite picture show US using mobile launch pads in Qatar

Netanyahu, IDF chief delayed Israel's response to October 7

IDF unveils new tank division, marking shift from defense to offense

The change marks some of the main lessons learned by IDF officials after October 7 and during the war with Hamas in Gaza, with one being the need for more tanks and a more offensive mindset.

COGAT refutes claims made by Doctors Without Borders of Gaza water crisis

An Israeli soldier looks on from a Merkava tank while operating in a location given as Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in this handout picture released on December 7, 2023

Russian-Israeli journalist removed from Netanyahu's US flight amid 'security concerns'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara seen boarding the Wing of Zion ahead of a trip to the United States, July 6, 2025
REPORT

Venezuela sends first oil shipment to Israel in years in sign of relations improving - Bloomberg

Oil tanker Bronco sits anchored in Lake Maracaibo, near the Bajo Grande crude port operated by state oil company PDVSA, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, February 9, 2026. (Ilustration)

Bereaved family members chosen for Reservist Party leadership after internal elections

Spotlight

Iranians attend the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025.

February 11: The Iranian Revolution’s 2026 anniversary could well be its last

COMMENT
US Vice President JD Vance gets out of a car before boarding Air Force Two upon departure for Azerbaijan, at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia, February 10, 2026.

JD Vance’s visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan is a milestone for peace

ANALYSIS
Israel Police and Border Police officers arrest suspected assassins in northern Israel, February 10, 2026.

Israel Police arrests hit squad in Triangle region, seizes weapons and drugs

Homes in kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel, which were burned and runied during the October 7 massacre, August 7, 2025.

'Failures must be fixed': Englman blasts delayed Gaza border communities rebuild in new report

'Stay proud, Jewish, and Zionist': Herzog reassures Australia's Jews as anti-Israel protests rage

President Isaac Herzog participated in two public events with Australian Jews during his visit, the first one since the Bondi Beach attack where 15 people were killed.

BBC claims that there was more than one Holocaust in article correction

REPORT
President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Australia.

'Mutual responsibility': Israel recognizes Bondi casualties as victims of antisemitism

World Zionist Organization Chair Yaakov Hagoel and Jewish Agency Chair Doron Almog are seen alongside families of the Sydney terror attack victims during a solidarity visit to Australia, February 10, 2026.

Jewish group threatens lawsuit over ban on publicly funded religious schools

Peter Deutsch, founder of the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation, addresses the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board on Jan. 12, 2026, in Oklahoma City.

AIPAC ads against pro-Israel New Jersey candidate open to conditions for US aid backfires

Iran preparing for possible US strike – experts

The images revealed the regime has covered the middle and southern entrances of the nuclear facility with soil, and the northernmost tunnel entrance, which features additional passive defense measure

Mobile missile launchers used by US in Qatar as Iran tensions rose

A satellite imagery taken on February 1, 2026, shows a new roof over a previously destroyed building at Isfahan nuclear site, Iran.

IDF brings Syrian child across border into Israel for emergency medical care

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani speaks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon August 13, 2025

Khamenei's advisor visits Oman as Iran and US prepare for 'meaningful' talks

Shin Bet, IDF, publish infographic identifying a Lebanon-linked terror cell operating in the West Bank, published on February 10, 2026.

Shin Bet foils West Bank terror network operated by entities in Lebanon

'To succeed as a Jew is to survive,' Natan Sharansky tells 'Post'

INTERVIEW

Natan Sharansky is an Israeli politician, author, and former Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency. He was born in 1948 in what is now Donetsk, Ukraine, to a Jewish family

Syria steps into leadership role after Riyadh anti-ISIS meeting

ANALYSIS
Natan Sharansky.
ANALYSIS

Kurds’ monumental role in defeating ISIS deserves recognition

Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 24, 2026.
COMMENT

Peaceful predators: How abusers in Israel's coexistence community hide in plain sight

An illustrative image of Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Yarrow set to a background of Israeli and Palestinian flags.
OPINION

Multicultural pride to ‘social cohesion’ panic: How Australia fails to address Jew-hate

ByANAT VIDOR

Elbit announces new $100 million in contracts to develop IDF’s next generation digitalization array

One of the key capabilities of the Tzayad system will be supporting operational and tactical decision-making through advanced artificial intelligence tools.

Russian cyborg pigeon drones begin real-world testing phases, sparking concern over military misuse

Defense firm Elbit Systems announced new $100 million contracts with the Defense Ministry to develop advanced digitization capabilities for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). February 9.

Israel Aerospace Industries delivers 350th fighter jet wing for F-35 to Lockheed Martin

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems at the 2024 Singapore Airshow

Israel’s battle‑tested tech sees demand in Asia amid tensions with China

ANALYSIS
An illustration of an AI software running on a laptop, with a silhouetted soldier and Israeli flag in the background.

An army of algorithms: How MAFAT is fighting Israel's wars with artificial intelligence

INTERVIEW

London counter terrorism police investigating stabbing of two teenagers

The suspect, 13, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody for questioning.

Brexit was 'biggest act of self harm,' reversing it is 'ultimate goal,' London Mayor Khan says

Police officers stand outside New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, in London, Britain March 21, 2023.

Governor Walz says Trump immigration crackdown in Minnesota may end within days

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to reporters after he announced that he would not seek reelection, at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, US January 5, 2026.

Iran could dilute 60% enriched uranium if all US sanctions lifted, nuclear official says

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), speaks at the opening of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, September 15, 2025

Gideon Sa'ar attends Washington conference on breaking mineral dependency in China

Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem December 2, 2025.

In Collaboration

Bishop Robert Stearns' fight for justice and the next generation

Bishop Robert Stearns ,Founder and Executive Director Eagles' Wings

The anchor that holds reservist families together

Children of reservists in Or Akiva attend a week-long summer camp organized by HaOgen

How a Ben-Gurion University scientist is filling climate science’s biggest blank spots

The implications go beyond farming efficiency: Prof. Ilya Gelfand's research in Hatzeva.

Shaping Israel’s next generation of entrepreneurs

WATCH

The Scholar: Insights from the Faculty of the Hebrew University Business School. An in-conversation interview with Dr. Dan Marom, hosted by acclaimed Israeli director Maor Zaguri.

Alphabet sells bonds worth $20 billion to fund AI spending, including rare 100-year bond

Dr. Dan Marom in conversation with Maor Zaguri, Acclaimed Israeli Director

Raftt sues Wiz for NIS 200m., alleges ‘phantom’ acquisition, misuse of tech as Google deal nears

Wiz and Google company logos seen on the smartphone and laptop screens.

Israeli start-up Matia secures $21 million investment to create AI-powered data pipeline platform

The team working at Matia.

Israel to build new international airport in Negev, PMO announces

Infected lemon tree discovered at Ben-Gurion, could destroy citrus industry

The one-meter-tall sapling was found alongside citrus propagation materials during an anti-smuggling operation done in collaboration with inspectors from the Ben-Gurion Airport.

From Ukraine to Gaza, war's ecological toll sparks ecocide accountability push

JERUSALEM REPORT
A LEMON tree sapling, illegally brought to Israel.

Tropical Cyclone Mitchell intensifies as it nears northwest Australia

A Levantine Vernal Copper (Tomares nesimachus) butterfly

INPA releases Red Book for Butterflies detailing extinction, endangerment threats

US President Donald Trump walks during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026

Israeli companies that miss the climate split at Davos will pay a heavy price

OPINION

Three hundred Israelis took own life in 2025, some 7,000 attempted suicide, Health Ministry reveals

"We need to be ready for a rise in suicidal ideation for the foreseeable future," said Yael Pomerantz, director of the Health Ministry's suicide prevention unit.

Jerusalem doctor uses bird photos to comfort PTSD and elderly patients

FEATURE
‘INADEQUATE SLEEP raises the risk for numerous health conditions, including heart attacks, diabetes, obesity, and cancer, and too little sleep is also linked with an increased likelihood of developing mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and even suicidal tendencies.’

Court bars Gazan child in West Bank from entering Israel for life-saving treatment

Psychologist shortage, war deepens Israeli-Arab mental health crisis

STUDY

Study reveals surprising trends in sick leave use across Israel in 2025

Emergence of a new Anglo demographic in Israel requires a change of priorities

OPINION

The English-speaking Aliyah map is changing; can our communal structures and our collective vision change with it?

A people without a plan is a people without a land: Zionism, goal-setting go hand in hand

OPINION
RABBI JOE and the JLIC TLV community members bring an ice cream truck to evacuees in Tel Aviv hotels.
EDITORIAL

People, not products: Ehud Barak’s 'quality control' aliyah comment is a moral failure

Ehud Barak and Jeffrey Epstein

New Epstein Files audio reveals Barak-Epstein conversation on Israel 'immigrant quality'

Former prime minister Ehud Barak attends a conference held by the Movement for Quality Government in Tel Aviv, January 28, 2026.

Argentinian oleh celebrates his Bar Mitzvah, conversion to Judaism 20 years after making aliyah

An Argentine oleh (new immigrant to Israel) who made aliyah 20 years ago celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in Eilat after a long period of conversion.

The grand advantage: High-end within reach

The Grand Netanya offers resort-style living at a surprisingly reasonable price, combining vacation vibes with premium amenities and international lifestyle standards for everyday life.

Yamim ha’Tzeira. Your home by the sea, in Netanya

The Grand project developed by Dar Nofarim.

French Hill renewed: 1,300 apartments to be built by Terra Real Estate & Rotshtein

High participation in Israel Lands Authority tenders reflects developers’ confidence in the long-term Israeli real estate market.

High response to Israel Lands Authority tenders: A sign of developers’ confidence in the market

The urban renewal plan for the Yoseftal neighborhood in Kfar Saba.

3,200 new units: Local committee approves Yoseftal neighborhood urban renewal in Kfar Saba

All JPost Conferences   

Jerusalem Post Miami Conference returns, shaping the future together

Miami Summit 2026

Past Event - Building tomorrow, today: Jerusalem Post Washington Conference heads to Capitol Hill

Jerusalem Post Washington Conference

Past Event - The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference - where diplomacy meets the future

Diplomatic Conference, September 2025

Conference   

Women Leaders Summit 2026

Shaping Tomorrow: The Jerusalem Post Women Leaders Summit Returns for 2026

Israel’s Economic Leadership convenes for National Economic Conference

The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference - where diplomacy meets the future

MDA Heroes   

Michaela Berku: "Doing good is the best therapy."

Michaela Berku on volunteering, MDA, and saving lives through service

MDA Women's Circle launches new year with "Adopt a Paramedic" initiative

'I’ll keep showing up': MDA paramedic who saved dozens on Oct 7 recounts 600 days

Podcasts   

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a televised message in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2026. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader.

Could a nuclear Iran start an arms race?

Former pro-Palestinian activist from Stanford explains why she left the movement

Israel warns US they may attack Iran, Matti Caspi dies at age 76

US Politics   

Demonstrators rally on Cambridge Common in a protest organized by the City of Cambridge calling on Harvard leadership to resist interference at the university by the federal government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. April 12, 2025.

US Department of Defense to cut ties with Harvard University, claims campus ‘celebrated Hamas’

Trump threatens to bar new US-Canada bridge from opening, demands talks with Ottawa

Vance signals flexibility on Iran enrichment while keeping negotiation strategy private

Diaspora   

Police officers remove demonstrators gathered at Town Hall Square to protest against President Isaac Herzog's state visit to Australia, in Sydney, Australia, February 9, 2026

Anti-Israel protests erupt in Australia as President Herzog visits Sydney in aftermath of Bondi

Dana Bash, Matan Sivek to headline 4th annual Jewish Digital Summit

Zionism evolutions: American Jews struggle to define support for Israel in today’s terms

Judaism   

Female emissaries of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement gather for a group photo in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on Feb. 6, 2026.

From far corners of the Jewish world, the women of Chabad gather in freezing Brooklyn

Most US Jews do not identify as ‘Zionists,’ even when they support Israel, JFNA survey finds

First values, then holy places: Lesson from Sinai and Jerusalem

Christian World   

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Jerusalem Orthodox churches don’t represent all Christians

Israel turns to Christian pilgrims, diaspora ties, AI to reboot post-war tourism

Jesus gets a makeover as Sistine Chapel artwork undergoes restoration

Food   

PHD STUDENT Yulia Melnik-Kesler.

Early warning system for undrinkable wine glows in the dark

Iconic Eucalyptus and chef Moshe Basson to serve final meals in Jerusalem

Fedrik: Modi'in's upscale restaurant becomes kosher

Archaeology   

Target practice for jousting: consisting of a cross-bar turning upon a pivot with a broad part to strike against. Illustration after a manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. An engraving from The Sports and Pastimes of the people of England, by Joseph Strutt, (London, 1833).

Archaeologists discover Anglo-Saxon child buried with shield, spear in medieval cemetery in Kent

Researchers discover world’s oldest sewn hide, dated to Ice Age, in Oregon caves

Authorities reveal discovery of fourth century Roman shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast

Science   

Technion–Israel Institute of Technology

Cell-based implant offers new hope for diabetes management, Technion study shows

Weizmann Institue, NASA discover Jupiter is smaller and flatter than previously believed

War trauma can hinder development of children's teeth, study finds

Culture   

NESHER'S NEW padel courts mark the arrival of northern Israel’s first padel club and the sport’s rapid rise beyond the country’s center.

Northern Israel’s 1st padel club launches

Beersheba widens gap on Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv blanks Maccabi Bnei Reineh for third

Musician Lazer Lloyd speaks on trading career in US for life and blues in Israel

History   

Kai Höss at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin. January 27, 2026.

Grandson of Auschwitz commandant: 'My grandfather was greatest mass murderer in history'

'It is impossible to believe, but it happened': Holocaust survivor recalls childhood in Nazi camps

Holocaust education: Why telling Lithuania’s Jewish story matters more than ever

OMG   

Chappell Roan poses at the red carpet during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 1, 2026.

Chappell Roan drops representation over Epstein connections

Hamas leader's awkward on-air slip: 'Free Israel, with God’s help'

Bad Bunny celebrates Puerto Rico at Super Bowl halftime with Gaga cameo

Consumerism   

Digital Marketing.

Rainmaker: An AI marketing agency responding to global and Middle Eastern market shifts

Why AI alone won’t cut it in healthcare

Can you predict a pitchers' duel before betting odds shift?

Astrology   

Horoscope.

Daily Horoscope for December 15, 2025 – all Zodiac signs

Daily Horoscope for December 11, 2025 – all Zodiac signs

Daily Horoscope for December 10, 2025 – all Zodiac signs

Sponsored Content

President-CEO Eric Fingerhut addressing attendees at the 2024 General Assembly.

“We know what needs to be done”: Eric Fingerhut enters JPost DC Conference with hopefulness

Chen G. Schimmel and the demands for truth: A new generation bearing witness

From vision to action

JPost Store   

Ivrit magazine

Read Israel news in easy Hebrew with Ivrit

The Ivrit magazine is for people with basic reading abilities in Hebrew who want to improve their knowledge of the language.
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The International Jerusalem Post, a weekly digest, publishes the best of the Jerusalem Post's news for the readers abroad.