Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has delayed appointing a signatory for confidentiality certificates, halting over 1,250 criminal cases in Israel. Wednesday saw the first dismissal of an indictment against a Palestinian man who had been accused of entering Israel without a permit

Sources at the airport who had been waiting to receive the group said the authorities were refusing to allow the passengers to disembark. The IDF said in response that the departure of Gazans is typically coordinated by Israeli authorities before arriving at another country

One source told Haaretz that Herzog 'knew he would run for president and wanted to offer the pardon as a kind of goodwill gesture to Likud members, seeking their support.' He kept his stance quiet, partly out of concern over how it might be received by Israel's center-left voters