Israeli President Isaac Herzog has pardoned former Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting a wounded Palestinian man in Hebron in 2016, erasing his criminal record, Haaretz reported on Saturday.

Azaria's pardon comes more than 10 years after he shot Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the head after the Palestinian man was wounded by Israeli soldiers' fire.

Azaria welcomed the scraping of his criminal record by thanking God, his family, Herzog and Defence Minister Israel Katz, telling Channel 14 News that it was "a blessed week".

On average, vehicles were traveling 14.5 mph over the posted speed limits in those work zones, according to the MTA. The agency said that in some cases, drivers were recorded going as fast as 111 mph in a 45 mph work zone and 109 mph in a 35 mph work zone.

On average, vehicles were traveling 14.5 mph over the posted speed limits in those work zones, according to the MTA. The agency said that in some cases, drivers were recorded going as fast as 111 mph in a 45 mph work zone and 109 mph in a 35 mph work zone.

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum appeared in court Tuesday for a status hearing, as attorneys debated his confinement conditions and a trial date remained unset.

Elias Rodriguez entered the hearing unshackled and wearing a medical mask. He remained calm and quiet as attorneys on both sides discussed whether he should remain in solitary confinement, where he has been held since his arrest in May 2025.

Rodriguez is accused of opening fire outside the Capital Jewish Museum following an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, killing two young Israeli Embassy staffers. He reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” at the scene and later said he carried out the act “for Gaza.”

The defense asked Judge Randolph Moss to move Rodriguez to general population and ensure he has access to a laptop, citing difficulty meeting with him and allowing him to review evidence. The prosecution argued any decision on confinement should be deferred to the Department of Corrections.

Governments across the Middle East are bracing for an escalation of violence after Iran claimed it had received intelligence that the US was preparing for a renewed bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.

In a potential sign of growing tensions before the UN general assembly in New York this week, Donald Trump cut short a weekend visit to the Camp David presidential retreat on Sunday with no official explanation, and a new security alert was issued by the state department to all US citizens in the Middle East.

Keeping his options open, Trump reportedly told a Fox News reporter “very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future” and that the options he was considering were “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned that if an attack does take place, “all US bases and interests in the region will become targets of continuous, effective and painful attacks without any limitations or considerations”.