Israel · share of its news about armed violence, last 12 months
Israel: how tense is it right now?
13.0% of the news located in Israel this week is about armed violence (war and terrorism): #12 of the 74 countries we track. Compared with its own history since 2017, that is around its usual level (50 out of 100).
Armed-conflict intensity13.0%of its news, last 7 days
Rank#12of 74 countries
Vs its own history50around its usual level
Share of the world’s war news7.1%weighed by severity
Top story. Israel's final election results show no bloc has won a majority, covered by 5 newsrooms in the last 36 hours.
In the news nowAll headlines
31 OctWARIran's supreme leader warns U.S., Israel against new attacksCBS News31 OctWORLDEducation under fire: Gaza’s children face death on their way to schoolAl Jazeera31 OctWARIsraeli strike on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza kills PalestinianMiddle East Eye31 OctWARPalestinian man injured in Israeli strike on Gaza succumbs, report saysMiddle East Eye31 OctWARIsraeli air strikes target southern Lebanese town of Kfar TebnitMiddle East Eye31 OctWARPalestinian journalist returns home after 15 months in Israeli detentionMiddle East Eye31 OctDIPLOMACYDifficult negotiations lie ahead in Israel after Netanyahu's bloc lost its parliamentary majorityThe Hindu31 OctUNRESTAnyone attending, organising Palestine Action protest will be arrested, Metropolitan Police warnsMiddle East EyeIsrael · weekly average since 2017 (highest: 5 October 2024)
The tensest weeks for Israel since 2017share of its news about armed violence, 7 days
| Week ending | Intensity | Nearby event |
|---|---|---|
| 5 October 2024 | 30.5% | — |
| 8 March 2026 | 27.9% | Iran war |
| 20 June 2025 | 26.9% | Twelve-Day War |
| 15 May 2023 | 26.7% | — |
| 12 April 2023 | 26.4% | — |
Year by year
| Year | Average intensity | Highest week | Typical rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17.1% | 27.9% | #6 |
| 2025 | 15.3% | 26.9% | #7 |
| 2024 | 19.9% | 30.5% | #6 |
| 2023 | 16.4% | 26.7% | #7 |
| 2022 | 13.8% | 25.9% | #9 |
| 2021 | 11.6% | 23.5% | #14 |
| 2020 | 8.8% | 15.3% | #19 |
| 2019 | 11.6% | 24.0% | #12 |
| 2018 | 12.9% | 20.3% | #9 |
| 2017 | 10.1% | 15.9% | #15 |
Major events involving Israel
Full historyCompare Israel
Elsewhere in Middle East
All countriesFrequently asked questions
How tense is Israel right now?
13.0% of the news located in Israel over the last 7 days was about armed violence (war and terrorism), which ranks it #12 of the 74 countries Riftrate tracks.
Is Israel more tense than usual?
Compared with its own history since 2017, Israel is around its usual level: it has been calmer on 50% of days.
When was Israel most tense since 2017?
The highest reading was 30.5%, in the 7 days to 5 October 2024.
Which countries in Middle East are the most tense right now?
Yemen (29.3%), Gaza and the West Bank (23.7%), Jordan (22.9%).
Where does this data come from?
From the GDELT Project, which codes events reported in the world’s news in more than 100 languages and locates them. Riftrate measures the share of each country’s news about armed violence, excluding ordinary crime and policing. It measures the news, not casualties.
How it is measured: GDELT locates every event reported in the news. We take all the coverage of events located in the country over 7 days and measure the part about armed violence: war and terrorism, excluding ordinary crime and policing. It does not depend on the size of the country or on how many newspapers cover it. It measures the news, not the number of victims. Methodology