Overview

• Gaza Ceasefire and Diplomacy:The Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit produced a formal ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing Gaza’s demilitarization and reconstruction under international oversight. The U.S., Egypt, and Gulf states backed Israel’s demand for a Gaza free of terror infrastructure.

• Hostage Releases and Hamas Violations:30 hostages - 20 live hostages and 10 bodies of murdered hostages - were returned to Israel this week, though Hamas violated the agreement by withholding the remains of 18 hostages, who remain in Gaza

• Terror Rule in Gaza:Despite the ceasefire, Hamas executed civilians publicly and vowed to keep its weapons, proving it remains an ISIS-like regime ruling by fear and violence.

• Judea & Samaria Radicalization:The Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” policy continues to reward terrorism. Celebrations over prisoner releases showed that both Hamas and the PA remain committed to incitement, not peace.

• Regional and Global Arenas:The U.S. reaffirmed its alliance with Israel while uncovering a Hamas-linked operative on U.S. soil. Meanwhile, Turkey deepened ties with Syria’s al-Sharaa government and continued its anti-Israel rhetoric at the peace summit.

• Northern Front – Syria and Iran:Syrian President al-Sharaa’s visit to Moscow strengthened Russian-Syrian military cooperation near the Golan Heights, while Iran’s leadership intensified anti-Israel rhetoric and covert diplomacy with Washington.

• Iranian Axis Under Pressure:It was confirmed that the IDF had eliminated Houthi Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari during an August 28 strike, dealing a major blow to Iran’s regional proxy network. However, across Europe and Latin America, anti-Israel sentiment and Iranian influence continued to spread, demanding increased Israeli vigilance.

Gaza

Diplomatic Shifts and Regional Alignment

The week was marked by intensive diplomatic activity aimed at consolidating a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Following months of warfare and global pressure for stability, key regional and international players convened in Sharm el-Sheikh for a high-level summit attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders.

The summit produced a formal declaration of ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing demilitarization, reconstruction, and new civil governance for Gaza. Trump hailed it as “a great day for the Middle East,” stressing that the United States would support only a Gaza free of terrorist infrastructure. President Sisi, praised for his role as mediator, called the agreement “a remarkable achievement” and affirmed that “only a demilitarized and stable Gaza can rebuild and coexist peacefully with Israel.”

Notably, Prime Minister Netanyahu, though not attending in person due to the holiday, maintained active communication with summit organizers. Israel welcomed the framework’s focus on security guarantees, international oversight, and prevention of Hamas rearmament, objectives long championed by Jerusalem.

The diplomatic tone underscored a growing recognition across the Arab world that Hamas’s militarism has brought devastation, while Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf states increasingly support the principle of disarmament and pragmatic coexistence with Israel.

30 Hostage Released

• The release of 30 Israeli hostages, 20 remaining living hostages, and 10 deceased hostages, marked a moment of both relief and moral clarity. Israel’s measured response, coordinated by the IDF and Shin Bet, ensured the safe return of civilians while maintaining strategic restraint. The army’s dignified reception of the freed hostages contrasted sharply with Hamas’s cynical exploitation of captives as political tools.

• Despite Hamas’s attempts to claim victory, the reality was different: the terrorist group conceded under mounting military and diplomatic pressure. The partial failure of the exchange, 10 bodies of murdered hostages returned instead of the promised 28 releases exposed Hamas’s continued deceit and internal disarray. International outrage followed reports that the group had violated the agreement, strengthening calls for stricter international supervision over Gaza’s reconstruction.

• President Macron of France welcomed the hostage return but drew criticism in Palestinian media for ignoring the release of convicted prisoners, highlighting once again the widening gulf between Western and Islamist narratives of “justice.”

Terrorism Remains in Power in Gaza

• Even as diplomacy advanced, statements from Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders revealed that the terror factions remain defiant. Senior Hamas official Mohammed Nazzal rejected disarmament, demanding a multi-year truce instead of permanent peace. Others, including Ghazi Hamad, reaffirmed that Hamas’s weapons were “legitimate and national,” underscoring that the group still views armed struggle as its core identity.

• Meanwhile, Hamas carried out public executions across the Gaza Strip only days after the IDF withdrew to the agreed-upon lines. These brutal acts serve as a stark reminder that Hamas remains an ISIS-like terrorist organization, ruling Gaza through fear, violence, and totalitarian control.

• As the week closed, Israel’s strategy remained twofold: consolidating diplomatic gains while maintaining readiness against renewed aggression. The Sharm summit marked a turning point, an acknowledgment that regional peace depends on dismantling Hamas’s military power and restoring legitimate governance in Gaza.

• Israel’s leadership reiterated its position clearly: reconstruction will come only after demilitarization, and peace will follow only when terror ceases to define Gaza’s rulers.

Judea & Samaria

Palestinians

• Western governments continue to describe the Palestinian Authority as a moderate partner for peace. In reality, its leaders glorify convicted terrorists as “martyrs” and elevate those who murder Israelis to the status of national heroes.

• The PA’s “Martyrs’ Fund” still channels hundreds of millions of dollars each year to imprisoned terrorists and the families of attackers. A new lawsuit filed in New York this week exposed that these “pay-for-slay” stipends remain active, directly rewarding the killing of Israelis and encouraging further violence.

• Palestinians in Gaza and Judea and Samaria celebrated the release of nearly 2,000 prisoners, chanting for the liberation of the remaining 4,000. Hamas leaders declared their commitment to secure their release “by any means necessary,” reaffirming that abductions and terror remain legitimate tools in their eyes.

• From Israel’s standpoint, these developments underscore that both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority continue to embrace terrorism as a political strategy. Despite ongoing Western funding and diplomatic recognition, Palestinian leadership remains dedicated not to peace—but to perpetuating conflict, incitement, and a culture of martyrdom that is incapable of resolving the conflict peacefully.

United States

• President Donald Trump reaffirmed America’s strategic alignment with Israel, emphasizing that “Hamas once had Iran’s support, but today Iran is struggling to survive.” He announced progress toward expanding the Abraham Accords, expressing optimism that Saudi Arabia will soon join. Reports indicate that Riyadh and Washington are finalizing a new defense agreement providing formal U.S. security guarantees to the kingdom—a major step toward regional normalization and a united front against Iranian aggression.

• On October 16, pro-Palestinian hackers infiltrated airport audio systems and flight information screens across the United States and Canada, broadcasting antisemitic and anti-Israel messages such as “Free Palestine” and “F** Netanyahu and Trump.”* Airports in Pennsylvania, British Columbia, and Ontario were affected. The “Turkish Cyber Islam” group claimed responsibility, demonstrating the global spread of Iran-backed and Hamas-aligned propaganda efforts targeting Western infrastructure.

• The U.S. Department of Justice charged Mahmoud Amin Yaqub al-Muhtadi, a 33-year-old resident of Louisiana, with participating in Hamas’s October 7th massacre in Israel. Evidence shows he fought alongside Hamas operatives in Gaza before entering the U.S. on an immigrant visa. The indictment highlights the transnational nature of Hamas’s networks and reinforces Israel’s claim that Hamas terrorism threatens not only the Middle East but Western democracies as well.

Turkey

• During the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan positioned Turkey as a self-styled “guardian of peace,” yet his statements exposed Ankara’s deep hostility toward Israel. While praising the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Erdoğan accused Israel of atrocities and demanded that Washington “ensure Israeli compliance.” He reiterated his call for a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, fully adopting the Hamas narrative. His comments urging Western recognition of “Palestine” and warning Israel of a “high price” for future military action underscore Turkey’s intent to constrain Israeli sovereignty diplomatically and morally on the global stage.

• Erdoğan’s government, alongside his son Bilal Erdoğan, continued its anti-Israel rhetoric. Bilal demanded that Israel pay $70 billion in war reparations for Gaza’s reconstruction—echoing Hamas talking points. Ankara remains one of Hamas’s key foreign enablers, granting its political wing safe haven and promoting narratives that vilify Israel while legitimizing terrorism under the guise of humanitarianism.

• Turkey has deepened cooperation with Syria’s new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF, holding high-level security talks in Ankara. Plans include sending Turkish drones, missiles, and air-defense systems to northern Syria and expanding cross-border operations. This alliance brings Turkey closer to forces historically hostile to Israel, signaling Ankara’s regional realignment toward anti-Israeli and anti-Western coalitions, and positioning it as a potential strategic adversary in the evolving Middle East order.

Syria

• Syrian President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa met Vladimir Putin in Moscow to expand military and economic cooperation. Discussions included restructuring Russia’s bases, rebuilding the Syrian army, and redeploying Russian military police near the Golan Heights, a development viewed in Israel as a direct security concern.

• The Salafi-jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah threatened Christians and Alawites with suicide bombings and car attacks across Syria, revealing the continued spread of extremist ideology under the new regime’s fragile control.

• The combination of Russian re-entrenchment and sectarian violence underscores Syria’s instability and its growing alignment with anti-Israel powers. For Israel, these moves reinforce the need for vigilance along the northern border and highlight the danger of renewed militarization and radicalization on its doorstep.

Lebanon

• The IDF carried out precision airstrikes in southern Lebanon, eliminating a Hezbollah operative rebuilding terror infrastructure and destroying engineering equipment used to reconstruct underground weapons sites.

• Israel confirmed these strikes were part of an effort to block Hezbollah’s attempts to re-establish its military presence near the border, stressing that any reconstruction activity linked to the terror group will be treated as a direct security threat to Israel.

Yemen - Houthis - Iran Proxy

• On August 28, 2025, the IDF carried out a precision strike that ultimately eliminated Muhammad al-Ghamari, Chief of Staff of the Houthi terrorist army, along with other senior regime figures. The operation was executed by the Air Force under Intelligence Directorate guidance.

• Al-Ghamari, trained by Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC, was responsible for directing missile, drone, and cruise attacks against Israel and international shipping. His elimination marks a significant blow to the Iran-backed terror network, disrupting Houthi offensive capabilities and reinforcing Israel’s regional deterrence.

Iran

• Kamal Kharazi, head of Iran’s Strategic Council for Foreign Relations and a close adviser to the Supreme Leader, openly called for resistance to what he termed the “Greater Israel plan.” In his statement, Kharazi accused Israel of seeking “global domination” and likened Zionism to ISIS, using extremist rhetoric that reflects Tehran’s ongoing effort to demonize Israel and justify regional aggression under the banner of religious struggle.

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted concern over domestic divisions, declaring that he fears “internal discord more than America or Israel.” His comments highlight growing political fractures within Iran’s leadership amid economic crisis and international isolation.

• These statements reveal a dual Iranian strategy: maintaining ideological hostility toward Israel to unify the regime’s base, while quietly pursuing talks with the United States to ease sanctions. From Israel’s perspective, Iran continues to promote hatred and terrorism abroad while masking deep internal instability at home.

International

• Sudan: Signed a $230 million defense deal with Pakistan, acquiring aircraft, drones, and armored vehicles signaling Khartoum’s intent to modernize its forces amid shifting regional alliances.

• Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Israel of committing “genocide in Gaza” and demanded prosecution of Israeli officials remarks reflecting growing anti-Israel sentiment within parts of Europe’s political leadership.

• United Kingdom: MI5 Chief Ken McCallum warned of a rising security threat from Iran, China, and Russia, emphasizing Iranian influence operations targeting British politicians underscoring Iran’s expanding global subversion efforts.

• Colombia: Violent anti-American protests erupted in Bogotá, where demonstrators attacked the U.S. Embassy with arrows and Molotov cocktails to protest President Trump’s support for Israel illustrating the export of Middle Eastern tensions into Latin America.