Israeli Education Ministry officials said that the policy aims to reduce distractions, to strengthen social ties in school, and to provide the best possible setting for learning. According to ministry data, 60 percent of the country's youth are addicted to social media

Kibbutz Ein Carmel, near Haifa, recorded more than seven inches of rainfall since the powerful storm reached the region

According to the bill, passed in a preliminary vote with 54 lawmakers in favor and 41 against, if a group is designated a terrorist organization, the Shin Bet would have the authority to use means against them that it would ordinarily employ against threats to state security