Tuesday, October 13

A suspected Hezbollah unexploded ordnance detonated during a school trip near Israel's northern border, killing a 15-year-old and critically injuring three children, mignews reports, with security forces now sweeping the area for additional explosives.

Haaretz (via Channel 12) reports that Netanyahu advisor Yonatan Urich is under investigation for allegedly using ChatGPT to find ways to improve Qatar's image during the war, a revelation that has drawn sharp criticism including from hostage survivor Rachel Goldberg-Polin.

Ynet reports schools in Kiryat Ata reopened Tuesday after high benzene levels near the Bazan refinery forced a temporary closure, with authorities now demanding a prevention plan from Bazan before maintenance resumes.

TheMarker reports Microsoft is cutting dozens of jobs at its Israeli development center amid global restructuring, even as average high-tech salaries rose in July—a contradictory trend prompting the government to weigh new tax incentives for tech entrepreneurs.

Bhol reports Israel's Tel Aviv planning commission has approved construction of the UAE's permanent 15-story embassy in Herzliya Pituah, a project tied to the 2020 Abraham Accords that will include staff residences on state-leased land.

Maariv reports the IMF has sharply raised its growth forecast for Israel to 4.5%, well above Finance Ministry projections, pointing to easing inflation alongside a slight uptick in unemployment.

9tv cites The Wall Street Journal in reporting Amazon is in talks to acquire Israeli AI startup Decart for up to $7 billion, a deal that would rank among the largest in Israeli tech history after earlier talks with Anthropic and Nvidia fell through.