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A sharp disagreement over what was said during a private phone call between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has emerged as a key episode in the rapidly deteriorating relationship between Israel and Britain, culminating this month in British measures targeting Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron and retaliatory steps by Yerushalayim.

According to a New York Times report published yesterday, the tense conversation took place on August 11, approximately four weeks before Britain announced its new policy. The discussion centered on Israel’s plans for construction in the E1 area between Yerushalayim and Maale Adumim. The two governments, however, now give significantly different accounts of what Sa’ar communicated during the call.

Three officials familiar with the conversation told the Times that British officials came away believing Sa’ar had clearly signaled that Israel would not open construction tenders for E1 before Israel’s elections in October.

Just one week later, however, the Israeli government published tenders for approximately 1,200 housing units in E1, allowing construction companies to begin submitting bids. British officials viewed that development as contradicting what they believed they had been told during the August 11 conversation.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly disputed that version of events. According to the ministry, Sa’ar had said only that there would be “no change on the ground itself in E1” before the elections.

The ministry further maintained that publication of the tenders was “nothing new,” noting that the broader E1 construction plan had already received final approval more than a year earlier.

Miliband’s office declined to discuss the specifics of the private conversation. The British government has instead reiterated its broader position that continued Israeli construction in Yehuda and Shomron threatens the prospects for a future Palestinian state. Britain officially condemned the E1 tender when it was announced in August and summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires over the decision.

The dispute over the August phone call is only one component of a much wider diplomatic breakdown between London and Yerushalayim.

According to the Times, the E1 tenders were not the sole reason Britain moved against Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron. Miliband became foreign secretary in July after Andy Burnham became prime minister and quickly began developing a new British policy toward Israel, including possible action targeting the communities. Burnham had already signaled that his government would take a different approach to Israel from that of his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

That policy was formally unveiled on September 8, when Miliband addressed Parliament and announced measures targeting Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron, including restrictions on trade in goods from those communities. Britain also stated that it considers Israel’s continued presence in what it calls the Palestinian territories unlawful under international law.

Miliband specifically pointed to E1 as one of the developments behind Britain’s response, describing the project as “a longstanding red line for the international community, which is why we saw such an outpouring from our allies.”

The British foreign secretary also invoked allegations of “ethnic cleansing” in discussing Palestinian displacement in Yehuda and Shomron. The phrase has been sharply disputed by Israeli officials, while Britain has cited settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians as part of its rationale for the new measures.

Sa’ar responded forcefully, rejecting Britain’s policy and asserting Israel’s historical and national rights in Yehuda and Shomron.

“We did not return to our land after 2,000 years only to lose it under pressure from jihadists, Islamists, antisemites, far-leftists and wokes,” he said. “Not only will you fail to harm us, you will harm yourselves and your own influence.”

Israel subsequently announced retaliatory measures, including the closure of the British consulate in Yerushalayim and restrictions involving British officials dealing with Palestinian affairs. Israel also barred several British politicians and other individuals whom Sa’ar accused of involvement in antisemitic or anti-Israel activity.

The British action also drew criticism from Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who argued that it would “strengthen extremist voices in Israel” shortly before the election.

“It’s clear to everyone that this is a decision motivated by domestic politics,” Lapid said, accusing the British government of using a “cynical attack on Israel to satisfy disillusioned voters.”

At the center of the entire dispute is E1, a strategically significant tract between Yerushalayim and Maale Adumim where large-scale Israeli construction has been discussed for decades.

Successive Israeli governments held back from implementing major construction there amid international pressure. Britain and other governments argue that building in E1 could impede the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state by making movement between the northern and southern portions of Yehuda and Shomron more difficult and further separating Palestinian areas from eastern Yerushalayim. Israel disputes international claims regarding the illegality of Jewish communities in Yehuda and Shomron, while members of the current government have openly said that E1 construction is intended in part to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of the leading advocates for expanding Jewish construction in the area, has previously said the E1 project “buries the idea of a Palestinian state.”

The dispute has intensified further as Israel advances additional housing plans. Reuters reported this week that a new tender for 2,167 units was added to the E1 expansion, bringing the combined number involved in the latest tenders to 3,401.

According to the New York Times, each additional procedural step makes the E1 project increasingly difficult to reverse. The deadline for companies to submit bids for approximately 1,200 of the units is October 19, shortly before Israel’s election.

The Israeli government has also announced another tender involving more than 2,100 units, with bidding scheduled to open later in October.

The dispute over precisely what Sa’ar told Miliband on August 11 therefore remains unresolved. British officials say they understood Israel to be signaling that the E1 project would not advance before the election; Israel says Sa’ar promised only that no physical change would occur on the ground during that period.

That disagreement has now become part of a much larger confrontation, as Britain moves forward with measures against Israeli activity in Yehuda and Shomron and Israel responds with diplomatic restrictions of its own — marking one of the sharpest periods of tension between London and Yerushalayim in recent years.

{Matzav.com}

National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir on Sunday called for the execution of the terrorist accused of murdering Netanel Shakron in the shooting attack near Neve Tzuf, arguing that the case should become the first in which Israel’s newly enacted death penalty law for terrorists is applied. The Knesset approved the law in March.

“This is the first case in which the Terrorist Death Penalty Law can be implemented,” Ben-Gvir said.

Ben Gvir maintained that the circumstances of the Binyamin attack fall within the provisions of the new law and said the death sentence should therefore be imposed.

“In this case, the punishment is mandatory, and therefore we are demanding that this punishment be imposed and that the terrorist be executed.”

The National Security Minister insisted that the recently passed law should now be put into practice.

“The law is the law. This is the law we passed. This is the law that allows the terrorist to be executed, and this is the opportunity. Now, execution.”

The legislation, which passed the Knesset in March by a 62-48 vote, established capital punishment for certain Palestinians convicted in military court of lethal terrorist attacks against Israelis. The law has also faced legal challenges and criticism from Israeli and international rights organizations.

Ben Gvir’s demand followed Sunday’s deadly shooting at the Ein Raya spring near Neve Tzuf in Binyamin. The victim was identified as Netanel Shakron, a resident of Alei Zahav and father of six who had gone to the spring with his eldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur.

According to Israeli authorities, the terrorist arrived at the area by vehicle and opened fire toward people at the spring. After the shooting, he left the vehicle while armed and escaped on foot, prompting an extensive manhunt by Israeli security forces.

IDF troops surrounded the village of Deir Nizam as the search intensified. Several hours later, soldiers from the elite Duvdevan Unit apprehended the suspect at a hospital in Ramallah following the pursuit. Israeli authorities also recovered the vehicle believed to have been used in the attack.

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President Donald Trump is considering a range of options for dealing with Iran, including additional military action, continued economic pressure and a possible diplomatic agreement, as Iranian leaders prepare to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Trump also indicated that he would likely be willing to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian while he is in the city.

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Sunday that he had spoken directly with Trump about the administration’s next steps toward Tehran. According to Yingst, the President said he remains in the process of deciding among several possible approaches, including renewed military operations or an attempt to reach an agreement with the Iranian government. Trump has separately said in recent days that he is approaching a major decision over whether to resume large-scale military operations against Iran.

Asked about the possibility of sitting down with Pezeshkian during the UN gathering, Trump indicated that he would likely be open to such a meeting. Pezeshkian and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to be among the Iranian officials attending the General Assembly after the United States approved visas for the core Iranian delegation.

Trump also addressed heightened security warnings issued to Americans in the Middle East. According to Yingst, the President said he does not regard this weekend as fundamentally different from other recent weekends, despite the continuing regional tensions.

The conversation also touched on the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have recently been involved in escalating regional hostilities, including threats to major shipping routes. Yingst said Trump indicated that Washington remains in contact with the Houthis and that the group has agreed not to engage in hostilities against the United States. Trump separately said last week that Washington was in talks with the Houthis about the possibility of an agreement.

According to Yingst, Trump stressed that he has not yet settled on his next move toward Iran and cautioned Tehran against taking provocative action while the administration evaluates its options.

No firm timetable was provided for when Trump expects to reach that decision. The President has been publicly weighing whether to intensify military operations or pursue another diplomatic track, with the U.S.-Iran conflict now stretching into its seventh month.

Yingst said Trump also spoke about difficulties determining which Iranian officials have the authority and willingness to negotiate an agreement. According to the President’s account, some Iranian officials have been attempting to avoid being located amid the conflict.

The administration is also confronting divisions within Iran’s leadership, Yingst reported, pointing to Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on one side and harder-line figures within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the other. The extent to which those internal divisions would affect any potential negotiations remains unclear.

Meanwhile, the U.S. naval blockade of Iran remains in effect, continuing to place additional strain on Tehran’s economy amid the broader conflict. Iran, for its part, has warned the United States and its allies against another escalation and threatened further retaliation if additional attacks are launched.

Yingst cited CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper as saying that more than one billion barrels of crude oil have been escorted out of the Persian Gulf since the blockade began, an effort aimed at maintaining the movement of energy supplies while increasing economic pressure on Iran.

Trump has yet to provide a specific date for deciding which course the United States will pursue. His comments indicate that military, economic and diplomatic options remain under consideration as the administration evaluates its next move.

The arrival of Pezeshkian, Araghchi and other Iranian officials in New York for the UN General Assembly could provide an opportunity for diplomatic contact. Whether such a meeting will actually take place has not been announced, leaving open the possibility of negotiations even as Trump continues to consider further military action against Tehran.

Israeli soldiers thwarted an attempted ramming attack near the Ganim military post in northern Shomron on Sunday, killing one terrorist and apprehending a second, approximately an hour after a separate shooting attack in Binyamin claimed the life of a father of six.

The two terrorists approached the Ganim post in a vehicle and attempted to ram soldiers stationed there. Troops from the IDF’s 890th Battalion responded by opening fire at the vehicle, killing one of the attackers and taking the second into custody.

Following the attempted attack, additional IDF and Border Police forces were deployed to the area and began operating at the scene.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan praised the soldiers for their response and called for stepped-up operations against terrorism in the area.

“I commend the IDF soldiers who acted decisively and neutralized the terrorists. This incident proves once again that offensive operations in the terrorist villages must be intensified and the security checkpoints must be restored. Terror must not be allowed to raise its head.”

The attempted ramming came roughly an hour after a deadly terrorist shooting at the Neba spring, also known as Ein Raya, near Neve Tzuf in Binyamin. The victim, Netanel Shakron, a resident of Alei Zahav and father of six, had gone to the spring with his oldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur.

In the earlier attack, a terrorist drove to the spring and opened fire. Shakron was discovered unconscious inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Magen David Adom personnel treated him at the scene before rushing him to Beilinson Hospital while continuing efforts to save his life. He was subsequently pronounced dead.

After carrying out the shooting, the armed terrorist left his vehicle and escaped on foot. The IDF responded by imposing a closure on the nearby village of Deir Nidham, where the attacker was believed to have fled.

The IDF launched a large-scale manhunt involving troops from the Binyamin Brigade and the elite Duvdevan Unit, along with reinforcement companies and Israel Police personnel. Security forces erected roadblocks and conducted searches on foot, while drones and Israeli Air Force assets were deployed from the air as part of the pursuit.

{Matzav.com}

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Netanel Shakron, a father of six from Alei Zahav, was murdered Sunday morning in a terrorist shooting at the Ein Raya spring near Neve Tzuf in Binyamin, where he had gone with his oldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur. The terrorist fled the scene and was captured several hours later by Israeli forces at a hospital in Ramallah.

The Samaria Regional Council announced Shakron’s death Sunday afternoon, identifying him as a longtime resident of Alei Zahav. He leaves behind his wife, Meirav, and their six children. Their oldest child is in 11th grade, while their youngest is just four years old.

Shakron worked as an information systems analyst for Hachshara Insurance Company. His wife, Dr. Meirav Shakron, is a lecturer at Ariel University.

According to Israeli authorities, the terrorist drove to the spring and opened fire at those at the site. He then emerged from his vehicle while armed and escaped on foot. Israeli security forces launched an extensive manhunt, surrounding the village of Deir Nizam as they searched for him.

Several hours later, soldiers from the IDF’s Duvdevan Unit apprehended the terrorist at a hospital in Ramallah. Drones and Israeli Air Force aircraft were also used during the pursuit.

Magen David Adom paramedic David Trachtenberg described the desperate efforts to save Shakron’s life after emergency personnel arrived at the scene.

“We arrived at the scene and saw a male in his 30s inside a vehicle, unconscious, with multiple gunshot wounds. We removed him from the vehicle and immediately began providing life-saving medical treatment. We placed him in the ambulance, and with the assistance of a physician and a paramedic, immediately began evacuating him to the hospital while fighting for his life, providing medical treatment and blood products, in the hope of stabilizing his condition.”

MDA EMT Yosef Rimal said emergency personnel arrived with substantial forces and immediately began treating the critically wounded victim.

“We received a report of a man who had been injured by gunfire. We arrived at the scene with a large number of forces and found the man unconscious. We immediately began providing advanced medical treatment, including controlling bleeding, bandaging and administering medications, and evacuated him in an MDA ambulance in serious condition.”

Before the terrorist was captured, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were conducting an intensive search and vowed that those responsible for terrorism would be pursued.

“Our security forces are currently pursuing the vile terrorist who carried out the murderous attack in Binyamin. No terrorist is immune, neither are those who assist them; we will settle scores with all of them – in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Judea and Samaria. At the same time, our heroic fighters eliminated another terrorist who attempted to carry out a terrorist attack in Samaria.”

Netanyahu said he had also ordered the IDF and Shin Bet to intensify operations throughout Yehuda and Shomron in response to the attack.

He added that he has “instructed the IDF and the Shin Bet to carry out operations in Judea and Samaria with reinforced forces, to impose closures and carry out offensive measures and arrests in order to safeguard the security of Israeli citizens. I have instructed that steps are taken to demolish the terrorist’s home immediately. On behalf of all citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the victim murdered in the terrorist attack and share in their heavy grief.”

The IDF chief of staff traveled to the area following the shooting and said the military was maintaining heightened readiness throughout the country ahead of Yom Kippur. Reinforced forces have been deployed in multiple areas, with the increased alert expected to remain in effect throughout the fast.

“Our mission is clear and ongoing – to thwart terrorism, to act decisively against any threat and to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Chief of Staff said.

Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, arrived at the scene while the manhunt was still underway. He said the victims had come to the spring specifically to immerse before Yom Kippur when the gunman struck.

“Residents came to the spring ahead of Yom Kippur to immerse themselves in the water. A terrorist arrived armed with an M16 and opened fire on them. One of the residents was very seriously wounded and is being evacuated to the hospital.”

Ganz said at the time that multiple branches of Israel’s security establishment were participating in the search for the attacker, while pledging that the spring would continue to be visited despite the attack.

“IDF forces, the police, Shin Bet, and Border Police are all pursuing the terrorist, who is still in the area. This is a very difficult incident, but we are strong, and we will get through this as well. With God’s help, during Sukkot this place will once again be filled with visitors. No one will drive us away from here.”

After Israeli forces located and captured the terrorist, Ganz praised the speed of the operation but expressed regret that the attacker had been taken alive.

“I commend the security forces for their swift action, which removed the threat to the residents of Binyamin. I am deeply sorry that the despicable murderer remains alive. On the eve of Yom Kippur, he sought to take lives and break our spirit, but he failed. The people of Israel will not be intimidated or broken by terrorism.

“The capture of the terrorist is not the end of the incident. Judea and Samaria are flooded with illegal weapons, and the Palestinian Authority’s security forces possess tens of thousands of weapons that could be turned against us. Nearly three years after October 7, we must not wait for another disaster. I call on the Government of Israel to immediately launch a broad operation to collect illegal weapons, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and disarm the Palestinian Authority and its security forces.”

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan later visited the Shakron family home, where he described Netanel as a quiet and giving person devoted to his family and community.

“We are facing a very difficult event, together with the entire people of Israel. We are grieving, embracing and supporting the family. Netanel was a man of kindness, a humble person who loved others, a devoted family man and part of a deeply rooted, longtime family in Alei Zahav. He was murdered after immersing with his son ahead of Yom Kippur. Our hearts are broken. We will embrace Meirav and the six children and stand by their side. These barbarians will never break us.

“From here, I say before the entire world: You will never break the communities of Samaria, the people of Israel or the State of Israel. We will build the Land of Israel even more. I strengthen and embrace the IDF soldiers, Border Police officers, Israel Police officers, ISA personnel and all the security forces in their fight against terrorism.

“I expect the Israeli government and the senior command to shift from defense to offense, launch an operation throughout the entire area, go from house to house, collect every weapon and restore the security checkpoints. On the eve of Yom Kippur, we are grieving, but we are not broken. A thousand despicable terrorists like these will not defeat us.”

In Alei Zahav itself, Shakron’s murder left the community mourning a husband, father and neighbor described as humble, kindhearted and deeply devoted to those around him.

“The Alei Zahav community bows its head and mourns the murder of our beloved friend, Netanel Shakron. Netanel was a man of kindness, humble, modest and beloved, a devoted husband to Meirav and a devoted father to their six children. The Shakron family is a deeply rooted, longtime family in the community and an inseparable part of Alei Zahav. We all embrace Meirav and the children and will stand by their side during this difficult time and in every way necessary. May his memory be a blessing.”