IDF counterstrikes Houthis, Israel sets deadline for Hamas for Gaza deal

The security cabinet passed a new plan for the war in Gaza that envisions taking control of territory and conquering parts of or all of Gaza. Israel’s leadership has said that the goal now is to hold ground.

Its plan also envisages having Gazan civilians move to an area where they can receive humanitarian aid and be separated from Hamas.

Israeli air defense systems, supported by American technology, failed to intercept a ballistic missile fired early Sunday morning by the Yemen-based Houthi terrorist group.

This past weekend was the first time the momentum toward a US-Iran new nuclear deal was broken after three consecutive weeks of rounds of negotiations.

IDF senior officer Brigadier General Shai Taib, head of the Manpower Directorate, said at a Knesset session on Monday that the military is falling short of its goal for haredi (ultra-Orthodox) recruits.

President Donald Trump repeated a US pledge to help get food to Palestinians in Gaza when he was asked at the White House on Monday about Israeli plans for an expanded offensive in the territory.

Trump did not offer his views on Israel's operations. He made the comments to reporters in the Oval Office.

Israel Police located an Iranian explosive device near Kibbutz Alumim, where fierce battles were fought against dozens of terrorists on October 7, 2023, KAN reported on Monday.

On October 7, fifty-seven Israeli nationals and foreign workers were killed in the area around Alumim.

IDF troops arrested a suspect involved in weapons trafficking and seized hundreds of combat items in Nablus, in the West Bank, the military announced Monday.

When the troops apprehended the suspect, they discovered in the building where the arrest took place hundreds of tactical gear items and operational equipment for sale, including knives, electric shockers, airsoft weapons, pepper spray canisters, and more.

"The arrested suspect and the confiscated weapons were transferred for further handling by security forces," the military concluded. 

"If the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) factions boycott government votes and harm the ability to maintain a normal routine — Likud must also stop automatically supporting their legislation," Likud MK Dan Illouz said on social media on Monday. 

מיטב בנינו עולים כעת לסבב לחימה נוסף. הם משאירים מאחוריהם חיים שלמים, ומסכנים את חייהם למען השבת החטופים ומיטוט החמאס.
בזמן כזה - חשוב לומר בצורה ברורה:

אם הסיעות החרדיות יחרימו את ההצבעות של הממשלה ויפגעו ביכולת לקיים שגרת חיים תקינה - גם הליכוד צריכה להשתחרר מהצבעה אוטומטית…

— דן אילוז - Dan Illouz (@dillouz) May 5, 2025

"We support partnership. But those expecting submission will be disappointed," he added. 

Haredi parties issued a deadline this week that the conscription law must pass by Shavuot, at the end of the month, even as the intensifying fighting in Gaza complicates efforts to pass the legislation.

Within the haredi political camp, there are growing warnings of a crisis that could bring down the government and trigger elections. 

The IDF prevented an attempt to smuggle weapons from Jordan into Israel, the military announced Monday.

During a Sunday operation, troops and police officers located four pistols in the northern area of ​​the Jordan Valley that were being smuggled.

The confiscated weapons were transferred to the Israel Police for further processing, the military said. 

The Houthis in Yemen said on Sunday night that they are working on imposing a "comprehensive air blockade" on Israel by repeatedly targeting the country's airports. This followed a strike from a missile fired by the group that injured three near the airport, and repeated previous attempts to strike Israel.