Overview

• The IDF is currently focused on systematic demolition of buildings in the neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Jabalia village, Shejaiya, and eastern Gaza City. 

• Jerusalem rejected Hamas’s offer of a cease-fire deal which would have left Hamas standing and holding on to 10 Israeli hostages after the war ends, maintaining its demand for the release of all hostages in one deal and not partial deal like before. The Trump administration publicly backed Israel’s position, with Trump himself declaring that Hamas must be militarily defeated and eradicated.

• On August 21, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had approved the IDF’s plans to take control over  Gaza City. He emphasized that the war must end “on Israel’s terms” and that he had directed the immediate initiation of negotiations for the release of all hostages. The upcoming operation, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II”, will last for several months and is projected to continue well into 2026. It will involve five IDF divisions—three maneuvering directly inside Gaza City.

• Coordination with medical facilities in northern Gaza has intensified. An Israeli liaison officer instructed a senior hospital official to begin preparing for the transfer of all patients to southern hospitals.

• In Paris, a significant meeting took place between the Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and senior Israeli officials to discuss security arrangements in southern Syria. Damascus publicly acknowledged the meeting—the first time it has done so.

•  According to reports, Israel and Syria are preparing to sign a security agreement on September 25, which would establish new security arrangements but not full normalization.

Gaza 

Hostage Deal

• Talks mediated in Cairo between Hamas and international envoys produced a new proposal: a 60-day ceasefire, a partial Israeli pullback one kilometer from certain occupied zones (except Shejaiya and Beit Lahia), and the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 140 serving life sentences as well as all minors and female detainees. Additionally, Hamas proposed the exchange of 180 bodies of Palestinians for 18 Israeli hostage corpses.

• During the ceasefire, negotiations would aim for a permanent end to the war, the formation of a technocratic government in Gaza, and the entry of large-scale humanitarian aid for reconstruction of civilian infrastructure such as clinics and bakeries.

• Jerusalem rejected the offer outright, maintaining its demand for the release of all hostages in one deal. The Trump administration publicly backed Israel’s position, with Trump himself declaring that Hamas must be militarily defeated and eradicated to ensure that no future governing arrangement leaves the group intact.

Operational 

• Over the past five months since the resumption of fighting on March 18, the IDF has carried out a massive campaign across the Strip. According to official data, 2,100 militants have been killed and more than 10,000 strikes were launched by ground, air, and naval forces. Dozens of tunnels were destroyed during these operations, with six divisions taking part in the two campaigns “Might and Sword” and “Gideon’s Chariots.” Currently, the IDF controls about 75% of the Gaza Strip, marking its deepest penetration since the war began.

• The army is currently focused on the systematic demolition of buildings in the neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Jabalia village, Shejaiya, and eastern Gaza City, along with intensive airstrikes in Sabra. In the past ten days alone, around 500 buildings have been demolished, many of which were schools or public facilities repurposed by Hamas into shelters for displaced civilians. This method of controlled destruction is designed both to strip Hamas of urban cover and to push the civilian population southward, thereby clearing the way for the coming assault on Gaza City.

• Khan Younis Incident: A major security incident occurred in the southern Khan Younis sector where Hamas attempted to kidnap Israeli soldiers. At least 15 heavily armed militants emerged from a tunnel shaft, carrying RPGs, machine guns, mortars, and small arms. They stormed an IDF outpost with the apparent goal of abducting troops. The Israeli soldiers quickly activated battle procedures, repelling the assault with reinforcements from tank units. At least nine militants were killed, including an elite Nukhba fighter armed with an RPG, who was run over and killed by an Israeli tank during the counterattack.

• An Israeli aircraft struck a mortar-launching system that had been used to fire on an IDF defensive position. The launcher was hidden beside a UN building in Deir al-Balah, and its destruction triggered secondary explosions, revealing that additional rockets had been stored nearby. This underscores Hamas’s continued practice of embedding military infrastructure close to civilian and UN facilities.  The UN has refused to condemn Hamas’s blatant disregard for the safety of UN personnel and facilities, which raises genuine concerns of the UN’s independence from Hamas.

Gideon’s Chariots 2.0

• On August 21, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had approved the IDF’s takeover plans for Gaza City. He emphasized that the war must end “on Israel’s terms” and that he had directed the immediate initiation of negotiations for the release of all hostages. This marks a shift in tone toward a more defined “endgame strategy”—a combination of military pressure, hostage talks, and political conditions for ending the conflict.

• Israeli authorities also warned hospitals and international aid organizations in northern Gaza to prepare for mass evacuations of civilians, as preparations accelerate for the offensive into Gaza City. This is the most significant urban battle anticipated since the war began, expected to involve heavy fighting and displacement.

• Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the operational plans for the conquest of Gaza City, which remains Hamas’s central stronghold and hosts an entire brigade supported by an extensive tunnel network. To prepare for the battle, Katz authorized the call-up of 60,000 reservists over the next two weeks, with a total of 130,000 reservists expected to serve during the campaign across all fronts.

• The upcoming operation, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II”, will last for several months and is projected to continue well into 2026. It will involve five IDF divisions—three maneuvering directly inside Gaza City (Divisions 98, 36, and 162) and two others holding previously secured territory and conducting clearing operations. In total, 12 combat brigades will participate, nine of them regular and three reserve formations.

• One of the immediate challenges is the evacuation of Gaza City’s civilian population southward. However, current humanitarian zones, particularly around Mawasi, are already overcrowded. Israeli planners are considering reallocating certain corridors, such as the “Magen Oz” corridor in southern Gaza, to accommodate displaced residents and enable the attack.

• Defense Minister Israel Katz escalated warnings, stating that if Hamas does not surrender, Gaza City will face the same fate as Rafah—reduced to rubble and left in ruins. His remarks highlight Israel’s intent to use total urban demolition as a tool of warfare unless Hamas capitulates. Preparations are already underway for the evacuation of civilians southward, with the goal of relocating them into “sterile humanitarian zones” between the Morag and Magen Oz corridors. To prevent infiltration by militants, all evacuees will undergo screening processes.

• Coordination with medical facilities in northern Gaza has intensified. An Israeli liaison officer instructed a senior hospital official to begin preparing for the transfer of all patients to southern hospitals. Although the official objected, saying that hospitals in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis were already at capacity, the IDF replied that space is being prepared, including the reactivation of the European Hospital, which should be ready within ten days. Notably, this same hospital was the site of the killing of Mohammed Sinwar, though the tunnel beneath it was not destroyed but sealed with concrete.

COGAT showing that the UN underreports trucks entering Gaza, not counting 6000 trucks since MAY| Source: COGAT on X

Humanitarian

• Israel has continued the humanitarian airdrop campaign, now with participation from Indonesia—a country with no official ties to Israel. However, the airdrops are largely symbolic since 30 dropped packages equal the aid of a single truck. More significant has been the steady flow of aid trucks. Since May, about 9,200 trucks have entered Gaza. Close to 2,500 trucks were collected and distributed from the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim Crossings over the past week.

• A major infrastructure project is underway with Emirati financing: the construction of a water pipeline from Egypt to Khan Younis. At the same time, a budgetary dispute erupted inside the Israeli government. The Finance Ministry approved a ₪1.6 billion transfer to fund the GHF humanitarian framework, since the UN and other aid groups refused to underwrite it.

• Meanwhile, the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) accused Israel of causing famine in Gaza. Israel’s COGAT and Foreign Ministry strongly denied these claims, arguing that over 300 trucks enter Gaza daily and accusing IPC and UN diplomat Tom Fletcher of spreading misinformation. Jerusalem accused IPC of bending its own methodology, lowering the global standard famine threshold from 30% to 15%, and ignoring the required mortality-rate criterion. The ministry argued the report is “based entirely on Hamas lies laundered through organizations with vested interests.”

• Israel accuses the IPC of not collecting all of the required data and ignored months in which there was much more aid., This includes the past 2 months when more aid than ever was consistently entering the enclave.  There were  many videos that were produced that demonstrated marketplaces in Gaza that were flooded with food and leading to significantly lower food prices. Social media evidence has also circulated in recent days, showing half-empty humanitarian aid food boxes and discarded sacks of potatoes that Gazans voluntarily left behind, controverting the allegations that Gazans don’t have access to food.

• Hamas has opposed the GHF distribution system, has targeted one distribution site, firing a rocket toward a truck convoy near one of the aid points. 

Café shop in Nuseirat where the shelves are filled with food| Source: @doozan.cafe on Instagram

Domestic Israel

• The Ministry of Defense confirmed the acquisition of two additional KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft, adding to the four already approved. Once delivered, the Israeli Air Force will possess six tankers, a critical capability for long-range missions against Iran and in Yemen.

The IDF faces an acute personnel shortage and is launching two major initiatives:

• “Starting Anew” Program (August 16–21): This amnesty window will allow 14,600 draft-dodgers and deserters to enlist without penalty and undergo full induction.

• Overseas Recruitment: A plan is in place to recruit 10,000 Jewish volunteers from the diaspora, aged 18–25, to bolster the ranks.

The continued exemption of the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) remains a critical weakness in sustaining manpower, forcing the army to find alternative methods of filling its combat units.

Egypt

• IDF surveillance on the Egyptian border identified a drone that had infiltrated from Sinai into Israeli territory as part of an attempted arms smuggling attempt. IDF fighters acted quickly, located and confiscated the drone, on which were found six rifles, ten pistols and several ammunition magazines.

Judea and Samaria

• Over the past week, the IDF conducted widespread counter-terror operations, arresting 90 wanted militants. Special forces from Duvdevan carried out a covert raid in central Jenin, arresting a senior operative from Tubas.

• Israeli forces confiscated tens of thousands of shekels in terror financing, along with an arsenal of weapons, including two pistols, an M16 assault rifle, hunting rifles, and even a Negev light machine gun. 

• Incitement of Hamas: The terrorist organization Hamas marks the 56th anniversary of the burning of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a Hamas statement, the terrorist organization calls on Palestinians to barricade themselves in a mosque, confront Israel, incite the Muslim world, and call for mass demonstrations around the world on Friday.

• Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa visited Egypt and met with his counterpart Mustafa Madbouly and Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati. He discussed with them the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, including efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and the struggle against the “annexation and displacement” plans in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria. Mustafa praised Egypt’s support for the Palestinians and conveyed a message from Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that the Authority is ready to bear all responsibilities in the Gaza Strip under one government, one law, and one weapon, while uniting with Judea and Samaria. Mustafa also discussed with Abdel Ati preparations for convening an international conference for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

• Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa said in a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Ati at the Rafah Crossing on the Egyptian side that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the “State of Palestine” and that the Palestinian Authority government is the sole executive body authorized to manage the affairs of the Strip, as was done in Judea and Samaria. He added that a temporary committee to manage the affairs of the Strip will soon be established, subject to the authority of the Palestinian government alone, and is not a new political entity. 

Lebanon

• American envoys visiting Beirut advanced a four-stage plan to disarm Hezbollah. The Lebanese government insists on a halt to Israeli strikes and the withdrawal from five military outposts, while Israel demands Hezbollah’s disarmament first. Israel is also demanding that Shi’ite villages in the south, destroyed in fighting, not be rebuilt. Instead, Jerusalem proposes creating a “special economic zone” with factories to provide employment, especially for residents living near the Litani River.

• The World Bank is preparing a $250 million loan for Lebanon’s recovery, with the possibility of scaling up to $1 billion.

• Lebanon’s political class sharply criticized Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem after he threatened civil war, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denouncing his statements. At the same time, U.S. envoy Thomas Barak and Deputy US Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus met President Joseph Aoun to push the Hezbollah disarmament plan. Their presence was also meant to counterbalance Iranian influence, particularly the recent visit by top Iranian official Ali Larijani, which emboldened Hezbollah.

• The IDF revealed that Suheil Gharb, a senior Lebanese Army intelligence officer, assisted Hezbollah in covering up the 2022 killing of UNIFIL soldier Sean Rooney, an Irish peacekeeper. Gharb allegedly obstructed internal investigations and leaked operational intelligence to Hezbollah. This revelation exposes deep infiltration of the Lebanese state by Hezbollah, further undermining its sovereignty.

• Israeli strikes this week targeted multiple Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, while UNIFIL observers and the Lebanese Armed Forces uncovered a tunnel, underscoring Hezbollah’s ongoing entrenchment despite international monitoring.

• The Lebanese Army, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, began symbolic collection of weapons from two Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut and Tyre. Lebanon hosts twelve such camps, but only a small number of weapons were actually collected, as Hamas and other Palestinian factions refused to cooperate.

• In parallel, an Israeli civilian, Salah Abu Hussein, who had been jailed in Lebanon for a year without his family’s knowledge, was returned to Israel following negotiations mediated by the Red Cross.

Syria

• Anti-government sentiment in Suwayda has surged following July’s massacres of the Druze population. Another Druze militia pledged loyalty to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who maintains direct communication with Israeli Druze leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif. 

• The Trump administration has expressed readiness to back the creation of a humanitarian corridor from the Golan Heights into the Hauran region, reinforcing Druze security. Parallel discussions occurred between Tom Barak and Sheikh Tarif on the future of Druze autonomy.

• Damascus officially denied reports of an Israeli-supported humanitarian corridor from the Golan Heights into the Huran region. The Syrian government insisted that all humanitarian aid to the Druze community will flow directly from Damascus, underscoring its determination to block any Israeli foothold in southern Syria.

• In Paris, a significant meeting took place between the Syrian Foreign Minister Shaibani and senior Israeli officials to discuss security arrangements in southern Syria. Damascus publicly acknowledged the meeting—the first time it has done so.

•  According to reports, Israel and Syria are preparing to sign a security agreement on September 25, which would establish new security arrangements but not full normalization.

• Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with a delegation of U.S. congressmen. Al-Sharaa is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in September, marking the first appearance of a Syrian head of state at the UN in 58 years. His planned speech is expected to focus on Syria’s fractured sovereignty and attempts to reposition his leadership internationally.

• The IDF’s Mountain Brigade this week completed a raid against several former Assad army commando outposts on the slopes of Mount Hermon. Israeli troops seized nearly 300 weapons and munitions items and arrested suspects involved in weapons smuggling from Syria into Lebanon. 

Yemen

• The Israeli Navy conducted its 14th naval operation since July 2024, striking south of Sanaa. The targets included a power station used by the Houthis for military purposes. The attack was a direct response to ongoing Houthi missile launches at Israel, intended to deter further aggression.

• The IDF intercepted and shot down a Houthi drone over southern Israel.

Iran

• Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh declared that Tehran would a deploy new-generation of missiles in response to any “hostile adventure.” He acknowledged that the missiles used in the “Twelve-Day War” were outdated and stressed that Iran’s current arsenal is far more advanced. He underlined that the conflict was not only with Israel, but also with U.S. logistical and intelligence backing. President Masoud Pezeshkian added: “Without our missiles, our situation would be like Gaza’s today. We must strengthen our power.”

• Deputy FM Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that Europe’s activation of the “snapback” mechanism is a “waste of their last card” and that any negotiations with Washington would be “armed”—implying Iran would enter talks from a position of confrontation.

• Meanwhile, European foreign ministers held a tense call with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi on August 22, during which he revealed that a stockpile of 60% enriched uranium lies buried under rubble and is currently inaccessible. French FM Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed that fresh talks with Iran will be held next week.

• The Iranian Navy has concluded a two-day naval exercise in the northern Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman called “Enduring Force 1404.” The maneuvers were designed to enhance combat readiness and enhance Iran’s defense capabilities. The exercise combined missile launches, electronic warfare exercises, and drone operations based on lessons learned from previous exercises and operational guidelines set for this exercise. In addition, a wide range of short-, medium-, and long-range precision cruise missiles were used to target and destroy surface vessels.

• Iranian authorities announced the foiling of Ansar al-Furqan plots in Sistan- Balochistan, dismantling a Sunni Baloch militant cell that had planned large-scale bombings against military, judicial, and religious sites. This highlights Iran’s vulnerability to internal insurgent threats even as it confronts external pressure.

International

• Germany reiterated that recognition of a Palestinian state must come only after final negotiations on a two-state solution, calling current recognition “premature.”

• Donald Trump, after meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska, told Fox News: “Israel’s war against Iran is not over. I do not consider the Iran-Israel issue settled.”

• Turkish President Erdoğan, in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, demanded that the international community “restrain Israel, which is rapidly implementing its plan to conquer Gaza.”

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met  in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for talks focused on deepening bilateral cooperation.

• The Trump administration sanctioned four additional ICC officials over attempts to prosecute Israeli and American leaders.

• Britain and France, joined by 19 other states, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s approval of a major residential construction project in the Maale Adumim region of Samaria, calling it “unacceptable and a violation of international law.”

• At the “Gaza Conference” in Turkey, Hamas representative Marwan Abu Ras—also the head of the Palestinian branch of the World Union of Muslim Scholars—called on Muslim states to arm Hamas and other jihadist groups in Gaza. His statements illustrate Hamas’s efforts to frame the war not only as a Palestinian-Israeli struggle, but as part of a broader pan-Islamic confrontation.

• In the Netherlands, Foreign Minister Casper Veldkamp resigned after the Dutch cabinet rejected his proposal to impose additional sanctions on Israel.  After the resignation of NSC Minister Veldkamp of Foreign Affairs, the PVV (party of Geert Widlers) resolution stating that the Islamic terrorist organization Hamas must be completely destroyed was adopted by the House of Representatives.

Fallen Soldiers

• Lieutenant Ori Gerlic z"l