The rains are expected to continue on Thursday. By the afternoon – and particularly tomorrow – precipitation will intensify significantly, bringing a high risk of flooding. Localized rainfall is possible in the southern Negev. There is a serious concern regarding flash floods in the streams of the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, and the northern Arava. A severe flood warning is in effect for the coastal plain and the Shfela (lowlands). Winds will be brisk, and temperatures will dip below the seasonal average.

Video: Storm Byron in Israel / Credit: Omri Zinger, Moshe Ben Simchon

Minute by minute – all the updates

1:40 p.m. | A tree collapsed in the courtyard of an educational institution in Rishon LeZion. Magen David Adom teams provided medical treatment and evacuated two approximately 10-year-old girls in mild condition with head injuries to Shamir-Assaf Harofeh Hospital.

1:30 p.m. | Magen David Adom teams were dispatched in the last half hour to several locations in the Shfela (lowlands), where vehicles became trapped in floodwaters. Rescue units are currently assisting with extraction efforts and stand ready to provide medical treatment if required.

Video: Yavne floods on Dec. 11, 2025 / Credit: Usage under Article 27a of Israel's intellectual property law

1:22 p.m. | Floodwaters have inundated King George Street in Tel Aviv.

1:15 p.m. | Footage from the Gaza Strip shows the collapse of a four-story building in the al-Nasr neighborhood of western Gaza City.

12:20 p.m. | Intense rainfall has lashed the Shfela (lowlands) in recent hours, with flooding recorded in cities including Rehovot. Rishon LeZion recorded 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) of rain in just three hours. Heavy rains persist along the northern coast, raising concerns of flooding near Zichron Yaakov. These heavy rains will continue along the coastal plain – specifically the southern coast and the lowlands – before spreading inland. Flash floods are expected in the Dead Sea streams throughout the day.

Video: Gaza building collapses during Storm Byron / Dec. 11, 2025

11:50 a.m. | Heavy fog has been reported in Daliyat al-Karmel.

10:50 a.m. | Interim Summary – High daily rainfall totals were measured this morning, primarily in the Carmel and Carmel Coast regions. Because this area also received significant precipitation at the start of the current system, cumulative totals there are far higher than in the rest of the country.

In the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve, 205 millimeters (8 inches) have accumulated since Saturday, with 94 millimeters (3.7 inches) falling in the last 24 hours alone. Atlit recorded 193 millimeters (7.6 inches) over the past three days, including 93 millimeters (3.7 inches) in the last day. Storm-level totals of 130-150 millimeters (5.1-5.9 inches) were recorded in Haifa and the Carmel, while the coastal plain north of Haifa and the northern Sharon region saw 100-120 millimeters (3.9-4.7 inches).

Video: Tel Aviv flooding on King George Street / Credit: Adi Nirman

Additionally, highly developed cloud formations moved over the area in the last 24 hours, bringing reports of hail. Today, the weather map will finally balance out as northwesterly winds drive the main rain clouds toward the center and south of the country.

Rainfall in central and southern Israel is expected to intensify. Within less than 24 hours, accumulations of 50-100 millimeters (2-4 inches) – and locally even more – are possible in the central and southern coastal plain. Heavy rain is also forecast for the central mountains, with a high probability of flash floods in the Judean Desert and northern Negev.

10:15 a.m. | Flooding and rain from Storm Byron reported in Gaza – civilians were seen attempting to navigate flooded roads.

9:30 a.m. | A 53-year-old man was found lifeless in Netanya with signs of hypothermia following the cold weather.

8:30 a.m. | Rainfall records for the last 48 hours according to the Israel Meteorological Service: Ein Carmel 165 millimeters (6.5 inches), Haifa Technion 139.7 millimeters (5.5 inches), Zichron Ya'akov 112.6 millimeters (4.4 inches), Shavei Zion 104.8 millimeters (4.1 inches), Nahariya 99.9 millimeters (3.9 inches).

7:57 a.m. | The Haifa and Carmel areas are leading the accumulated precipitation amounts over the last two days with 160–170 millimeters (6.3–6.7 inches), and 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) in the last 12 hours.

From the afternoon hours, the rains will enter the central and southern coast with strong rainfall intensity and dozens of millimeters of accumulation. The heavy rains will continue until the evening hours at least.

5:45 a.m. | Starting this morning (Thursday), temperatures will drop below the seasonal average. Rain accompanied by thunderstorms will fall intermittently from northern Israel to the northern Negev, with light rain possible in the southern Negev. Furthermore, there is a risk of flash floods in the Judean Desert, Dead Sea, and northern Arava streams, and a severe risk of urban flooding along the Coastal Plain and in the Shfela (Lowlands). Strong wind gusts are likely.

11:08 p.m. | Municipalities across the country have raised their alert level to "full storm protocol" in anticipation of the weather system. Operational units specializing in drainage, infrastructure, enforcement, and security have been reinforced and placed on standby to handle flooding, road blockages, and debris removal. Pumping crews and heavy engineering equipment have been deployed, underground passage systems inspected, and municipal call centers are operating on an emergency footing. The public is urged to avoid crossing flooded roads on foot or by vehicle, to secure loose objects susceptible to strong winds, and to avoid entering basements or underground parking garages during flood events.

10:24 p.m. | Update from Netivei Israel (National Transport Infrastructure Company): Road 40 has been closed to traffic in both directions from Tzihor Junction to the entrance of Mitzpe Ramon due to flooding.

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Following last week's riots by Bedouin residents of the Negev in protest over JNF-KKL teams planting trees, the Israel Police on Tuesday said 13 suspects will be charged with disturbing the public order.

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Thirty additional suspects, according to the police, were also arrested on Tuesday.

During police operations, meanwhile, 28 illegal residents aboard a bus were also apprehended, along with 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of cannabis ready for distribution, several weapons, and 120 smuggled cigarette cartons.

Three suspects were arrested for allegedly attacking police officers. All of the suspects were taken in for questioning by the Israel Police's Southern District.

The Shin Bet security service aided the police in providing information about the suspects.

Thus far, some 96 suspected rioters have been arrested. The charges include throwing rocks at police patrol vehicles and officers, assaulting police officers, burning tires, throwing Molotov cocktails, and unlawful congregation.

Meanwhile, 38 suspects were still in police custody under ongoing investigation.

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The Israel Defense Forces hopes the launch of a new program will help reset its relationship with members of the country's Bedouin community in the Negev region.

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As part of the program, the IDF plans to teach the Bedouin Hebrew, work with them on social engagement, and even encourage them to enlist in the Israeli military.

The IDF has been in ongoing conflict with the country's Bedouin population in recent years. Incidents of Bedouin stealing vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment are proudly documented by members of the sector on social media. The sector has also made headlines recently over violence within the community and its takeover of the Negev region, where a majority of the community's members live.

While similar programs have failed to affect change in the past, the IDF hopes this plan will make a difference.

"In recent months, the IDF is in a 'multiorganizational' campaign to bolster security on bases and bolster security in the Negev" by bringing people together, Col. Liat Shavo, the commander of the IDF Southern Command's Personnel Directorate, explained.

As part of the program, units from the IDF's Southern Command will "adopt" schools in Bedouin communities.

Seven IDF units along with seven Bedouin schools will take part in the initial stage of the plan, which was launched on Tuesday. In the coming weeks, school principals and unit commanders will present a plan for the coming schoolyear aimed at kicking off cooperative efforts as soon as early December.

Among other things, the program will see IDF soldiers and students volunteer together in the Bedouin community. A number of activities aimed at promoting tolerance and improving the atmosphere will also be held. In addition, teachers in the IDF will tackle the language gap among many in the Bedouin community by providing additional Hebrew-language instruction in participating schools.

Shavu admitted it would be difficult to significant change on the ground but said the military was not looking to start a revolution.

"We won't succeed in correcting all the challenges we face, and that's not the objective." She said that by influencing a small portion of Bedouin society, the thinking is that "we may succeed in fixing something deeper."

The head of the Personnel Directorate unit tasked with integrating minorities in the military, Col. Shadi Othman, said that through the project, "We are promoting the integration of the Bedouin population in the South in Israeli society and acting to connect IDF units within the civilian space in the community and in Bedouin cities. The IDF's responsibility to change and influence is the basis of its existence as the people's army, a military that unites every portion of Israeli society into one significant body that cares for us all.

"We are working with the full cooperation of community members who are enlisting and taking part in the projects to change and lead to a future of peace and unified society. This project is one of many that we are leading to integrate all populations in the IDF and Israeli society," he said.

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Transportation Minister and Labor party head Meirav Michaeli is asserting that "for too many years, the State of Israel has been the Judea and Samaria state. The time has come for it to go back to being the Negev and Galilee state." 

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Speaking at a conference in the Galilee on Thursday, Michaeli said, "We will make an immense effort to bridge the infrastructure gap between Arab municipalities and those in the rest of the country. Together with the Social Equality Ministry, around 2 billion shekels (around $621 million) will be invested in infrastructure in Arab municipalities over the coming year. In addition, there is a plan, led by Ayalon Highways Ltd., that is beginning to be executed, within the framework of which roads will be paved inside Arab municipalities."

Commenting on infrastructure in the country's north, she said: "We realized that as soon as a road is built, it quickly becomes congested. For this reason, public transportation must be prioritized and that is why the region's light rail will come before the extension of Highway 6, which will be advanced later on."

Michaeli said her ministry would double the number of slow service buses in operation as well as bus service in the Galilee Region and the North.

"Likewise, there are local authorities where there are no sidewalks to walk on, that's unacceptable," she said. "We will create a standard so that every road that is paved, every station that is set up will come with the appropriate connectivity – a bicycle path, sidewalks, and infrastructure for light commercial vehicles."

Likud MK Fateen Mulla criticized Michaeli for her remarks, saying: "I have to correct you. The State of Israel is both [the state] of the Galilee and of Judea and Samaria."  

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In the wake of an Israel Hayom report on Tuesday that some 3,500 tons of waste have been illegally dumped in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council in the northern Negev Desert, council head Nir Zamir spoke with Israel Hayom to expand on the severity of the situation.

"This is ecological terrorism," Zamir said. "We're talking about illegal waste, mountains of which can be seen in almost all corners of the Negev. Whether it's domestic waste, construction waste, or from factories – it is a growing environmental hazard which, if it isn't handled seriously right now, will make it almost impossible to live in the area in 20 years without being directly harmed by it."

According to Zamir, the Finance Ministry, Interior Minister, and Environmental Protection Ministry, and the Israel Police must work together to confront the phenomenon.

"The problem will only start being solved through inter-ministerial action with an organized work plan that includes the school system, greater enforcement and waste removal.  Additionally, it's imperative to have a suitable annual budget that can give a financial backbone to the various elements fighting this grave problem. I believe the government has the ability to fix the situation. The solution depends on the ability to focus all the various bodies on one job," Zamir said.

He added: "Once all the various elements understand we are all responsible for turning the Negev into an Israeli pearl, the cooperation between all sides will improve and the war on this phenomenon will be far more effective."

Ortal Perelman Shmueli, a former city councilwoman in Bersheeba and activist in the Committee to Save the Negev, also addressed the Israel Hayom report.

"The most under-represented part of the country has become the State of Israel's backyard – in terms of violence, crime, protection, unruly driving, and now illegal waste scattered all over the place. The Negev comprises 60% of Israel's sovereign territory and is treated like excess baggage. The time has come to change priorities and think about our future generations in the Negev and in general. The people of Israel are losing the Negev, and we will all lament it," said Shmueli.

MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of the Otzma Yehudit party, said: "It's not just collecting protection money anymore or illegal construction and wild driving on the roads that puts lives in danger. Segments of the Bedouin sector also dirty and pollute our country and the Negev is drowning in garbage. What do they care? As far as they're concerned the country can burn and they do whatever they want. The Israel Police needs to wake up, put things in order in the country and enhance enforcement. I will turn to the relevant bodies and demand this intolerable situation is changed. Enough is enough."

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Just three months after the latest war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the border town of Sderot appears to be on the road to recovery.

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The streets are bustling, and the town is filled with well-kept parks and playgrounds. The local real-estate market is booming.

But underneath the veneer of normalcy, the scars of years of rocket fire run deep.

Metal rocket fragments are on display outside the main police station, as a museum of sorts. Next to every park and bus stop is a small concrete bomb shelter – often decked out with colorful murals and street art. An Iron Dome rocket defense battery sits on the eastern edge of town, a few hundred meters (yards) from a new apartment complex.

Some Sderot residents say they jump at the smallest noise. Parents report children still wetting their beds or being too scared to sleep alone.

Noam Biton says she has enjoyed a normal childhood in Sderot. But the 16-year-old high school student says it hasn't always been easy. One of her strongest memories was an air-raid siren that sounded while she was attending a bar mitzvah celebration on what had been a quiet day.

"We lay on the ground, three of us," she said. "The only thing protecting us was a car." The rocket landed nearby, spraying shrapnel in the area.

Outgoing and active in her local scout troop, Biton says she is always careful to sit next to the door when she rides the bus – just in case there is an air-raid siren and she needs to evacuate quickly.

Her mother Dvora, a lifelong resident, says uncertainty is a constant companion. "It saddens you that at any moment someone controls your life," she said. "We can't escape."

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and numerous skirmishes since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, a year after winning a Palestinian Authority election.

No place in Israel has been hit harder by Palestinian rocket fire than Sderot, located some 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the Gaza border. Yet two decades after the first rudimentary rockets landed in town, experts are still struggling to figure out their long-term effects on a generation of parents and children who have come of age in this traumatic environment.

"People who are living in the south of Israel live with the understanding that it's just a question of time until the next time," said Talia Levanon, director of the Israel Trauma Coalition.

"You are literally trying to heal from the last time while preparing for the next time, which makes our job very, very tough," she said.

Levanon's nonprofit operates a series of "resilience centers" throughout southern Israel that provide a variety of services, including counseling and workshops for families and communities.

In an indication of how widely people have been affected, she said that during a brief round of violence in 2019, nearly two-thirds of the area's 60,000 residents received services from a resilience center.

May's 11-day Operation Guardian of the Walls was the latest reminder of Sderot's precarious position. Nearly 300 rockets were fired at Sderot, according to the municipality. Despite the protection of the Iron Dome, 10 rockets scored direct hits on buildings – including a strike that killed a five-year-old boy.

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Sderot residents often use the word "resilience" when describing the community. And in many ways, Sderot appears to be thriving.

Once known as a dusty backwater in the Negev desert, it has evolved into a bustling town of some 27,000 people, with new apartment complexes and expensive villas seeming to pop up in any piece of open space. It has a heavily fortified train station linking it to major cities. There are shopping centers, bars and restaurants popular with students from a college in town.

Researchers say that people who grow up here tend to remain in the area as adults, out of pride and a strong connection to its tight-knit community.

Yaron Sasson, spokesman for the local government, said veteran residents and newcomers are drawn by special tax breaks, generous services made possible by government support and overseas donors as well as the small-town feel. At a time when much of the country is now within rocket range, he said Sderot is even seen as relatively safe, thanks to its many bomb shelters and reinforced schools and kindergartens.

Yet according to the trauma coalition, residents suffer from a wide range of symptoms. Teens suffer from higher rates of diabetes, aggression and hypertension than their counterparts in other communities.

Anxiety, depression, sleeping difficulties and general exhaustion are common symptoms among adults, and researchers only now are beginning to study the effects of growing up in Sderot on young parents' child-rearing skills. Another question is how Sderot's youths – who  are frequently spooked by loud noises – can perform in the military.

Dvora Biton said that whenever she goes out in the car, she plans a route that will take her past any of the dozens of bomb shelters scattered throughout town. The car window is always open, the volume on the radio is kept low and the pantry is filled with canned goods. Any loud sound, even a popping balloon, makes her jump.

"It's something that you think about 24 hours a day," she said. "You can't escape it, even when you are sleeping."

Fifteen years ago, before there was the Iron Dome, a rocket landed outside the family's home, leaving a metal fragment embedded in her front door. Biton left the fragment in the door for years, only recently finding the strength to remove it during a home renovation.

"I wanted to leave it there as a reminder that we live in an unhealthy reality," she said. "But on the other hand, there is a feeling you want to be released from these things."

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Immersive kibbutz experiences, stargazing sessions, camel treks through the luminous Negev desert or floating in the Dead Sea – These are just a few of the adventures you can experience when you visit the luxurious Six Senses Shaharut Hotel, which will open on Aug. 5 in northern Israel.

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The hotel belongs to a global chain that is considered one of the most luxurious in the world. Six Senses Shaharut is expected to be Israel's most expensive hotel.

The most basic room is currently priced at 5,000 shekels ($1,560) per night, while the largest suite, which has three rooms and can accommodate up to seven guests, costs a staggering NIS 30,000 ($9,000) per night. Some rooms even have a private pool.

Located just north of Eilat, the hotel provides guests with an authentic desert adventure with the advantage of complete privacy.

Its 60 suites and villas are located across the expansive desert landscape, along with a signature spa that offers guests a much-needed place for respite.

One of its biggest assets is abundant space, essential for meetings the current coronavirus safety standards. And don't forget about enjoying a Bedouin-style desert picnic created by famous Israeli chef Amir Kalfon, together with the region's best wines.

"After months of anticipation during these unprecedented times, I am very excited about this new opening, General Manager Thomas Fehlbier said. "It brings the Six Senses ethos of sustainability, local sensitivity, and wellness together with our unique desert culture and traditions."

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The Ben-David family from Beersheba was on a trip to HaBesor Creek in the northern Negev when one of their children, 11-year-old Zvi, caught sight of an unusual object. It turned out to be a rare archeological find, the Israel Antiquities Authority reported.

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The figurine, which is in a shape of a woman, turned out to be so rare that the National Treasures Department possesses only one such example in its collection.

Archeologists at the IAA estimate that the object dates back to the 5th-6th century BCE, toward the end of the First Temple Period.

Ceramic figurines of women "were common in the home and everyday life, like the hamsa [palm-shaped] symbol today, and they apparently served as amulets to ensure protection, good luck, and prosperity," curators Oren Shmueli and Debbie Ben Ami explained.

Zvi's mother, Miriam Ben-David, a professional tour guide, immediately recognized the item's archeological importance and delivered it to the IAA.

As is customary in situations like these, young Zvi was awarded a commendation.

"The exemplary citizenship of young Zvi Ben-David will enable us to improve our understanding of cultic practices in biblical times and man's inherent need for material human personifications," the archeologists said.

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Israel Hayom has partnered with the organization Hashomer HaChadash and the Farmers Federation of Israel to present a conference devoted to fighting crime in southern Israel, the Galilee, and other regions plagued by lawlessness.

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The conference, scheduled to take place in a virtual format on Monday, March 15, will include government ministers, MKs, local authority leaders, defense and security officials, organizations, journalists, and civil society activists.

The goal of the conference is to hold an orderly discussion about governability and sovereignty and make the issue an urgent one on the public agenda. According to the conference organizers, the best way to handle the issue is to convene "round tables" at which all relevant players can grapple with the question in an attempt to create a special community of dialogue.

At the events, participants will be presented with facts and figures as well as personal stories about the situation on the ground. Decision-makers will also discuss various options that could help improve the situation.

Participants scheduled to take part include Public Security Minister Amir Ohana; Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Alon Schuster; Community Affairs Minister Tzachi Hanegbi; former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked; MK Yoaz Hendel; chairman of the Knesset Agriculture Lobby MK Ram Ben Barak; chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee Y'aakov Mergi; and Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit.

Other scheduled speakers include head of the Merhavim Regional Council Shay Hajaj; head of the Omer Local Council Pini Badash; chairman of the Farmers Federation of Israel Dovi Amitai, chairman of Hashomer HaChadash Yoel Zilberman, and others. Israel Hayom correspondents and analysts will moderate the event.

"Since it was founded, Israel Hayom has set a goal of shining a spotlight on dark, lesser-covered parts of the public agenda in Israel," said editor-in-chief Boaz Bismuth.

"We run articles and exposes about what is happening in the Negev and the Galilee as a matter of course, and the newspaper sees the issue of Israeli governability and sovereignty in the farther-flung areas as a central challenge," Bismuth said.

Zilberman of HaShomer HaChadash said, "When it comes to public security, Israel is in a palpable, dangerous crisis. These challenges demand a change in our approach."

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The Six Senses Shaharut, opening in April, was described by CNN as "the perfect destination for the intrepid luxury traveler."

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The 60-room resort offers "a menu of unique and thrilling desert-centric diversions," including camel safaris and rappelling into the Ramon Crater, the largest wind-erosion crater in the world, located at the peak of Mount Negev. "Afterwards, guests can retreat to their sumptuous sandstone villa and watch the sunset over the arid landscape from their private outdoor plunge pool."

The hotel was also recently featured by The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom on its list of the best new hotels in 2020. According to the publication, one night with bed and breakfast costs £775 ($863).

The Times said about the hotel: "Hand-chiseled into the bedrock of the Arava Valley, its interiors focus on local materials, including stone, copper and reclaimed 200-year-old teak to accentuate its indoor/ outdoor design. Farmers from the nearby kibbutzim provide fresh produce for fire-pit feasts, there is a natural amphitheater that will screen alfresco films and camel stables for those who want to head out into the luminous Negev Desert. Don't worry, there's a spa for post-ride pampering."

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