Overview

• French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN session in September. The move was swiftly condemned by Israel as “rewarding terror” and by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “reckless.” Hamas hailed Macron’s statement as a “positive step” toward justice for Palestinians.

• Both Israel and the United States recalled their negotiators from Qatar after weeks of indirect talks with Hamas failed to produce results. US envoy Steve Witkoff described Hamas’ latest response as “selfish,” adding that the group “does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith.”

• COGAT publicly stated that, after a situational assessment in response to the recent international “famine” campaign and the mobilization of Western countries to pressure Israel, there is no famine in the Gaza Strip despite Hamas’ latest attempts to blame Israel for causing the famine.

• Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of COGAT’s Gaza Coordination and Liaison, reported that approximately 1,000 trucks’ worth of aid are currently stuck inside Gaza, waiting for UN and aid group collection.

• Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Shaibani met in Paris, mediated by the US. According to official statements, both parties reached an agreement: Suwayda province will remain demilitarized of Syrian security forces, provided that the Druze do not possess heavy weaponry.

• Turkey finalized deals with the UK and Germany to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, strengthening its air force.

Gaza 

Hostage Deal

• The United States recalled its negotiation team from Doha after Hamas refused to compromise on a hostage deal. President Trump expressed growing impatience with Hamas, indicating that he now understands Hamas is not committed to any agreement without hostage releases. Since hostages are Hamas’ only leverage against Israel, they are unlikely to release all captives, instead dragging out negotiations and issuing unrealistic demands to gain time.

• On Friday, July 25, Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted that, in light of Hamas’ refusal to accept a deal, Israel is considering other military options, including possible operations against Hamas leaders abroad. According to Axios, Secretary of State Rubio conveyed deep frustration over the lack of progress after six months of Trump’s term, suggesting the US administration is re-evaluating its approach.

• The US Ambassador to the UN addressed the Security Council, urging the body to apply pressure on Hamas rather than Israel, and called for the terror group to accept the hostage deal that Israel had already agreed to.

• President Donald Trump declared on Friday that Hamas is not interested in a hostage deal and explicitly signaled support for Israel’s continuation of its military campaign. He stated, “Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die… When you get down to the last 10 or 20 [hostages], I don’t think Hamas is going to make a deal because that means they have no protection… I think what’s going to happen is they’re going to be hunted down.” Trump further argued that Israel is “going to have to finish the job” and “get rid of Hamas.”

• Both Israel and the United States recalled their negotiators from Qatar after weeks of indirect talks with Hamas failed to produce results. US envoy Steve Witkoff described Hamas’ latest response as “selfish,” adding that the group “does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith.”

Operational 

• On Thursday, July 24, a key Hamas operative responsible for managing the Rafah crossing’s commercial terminal, and notorious for years of smuggling weapons and military equipment into Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis.

• On Wednesday, July 23, in Gaza City, the head of Hamas’ counterintelligence directorate—the body tasked with suppressing dissent—was eliminated in an Israeli airstrike.

• Over the weekend, a Hamas militant attached an explosive device to a Namer APC (armored personnel carrier) belonging to a Golani Reconnaissance Unit, resulting in the deaths of three Israeli soldiers.

• Israeli military and Shin Bet forces killed Amjad Mohammad Hassan Sha’er, the head of Hamas’ Counterintelligence Directorate in northern Gaza. This division is responsible for suppressing dissent, counter-espionage, and securing top Hamas officials and their assets both within Gaza and abroad.

• A Southern Command investigation revealed that Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Holy Family Church compound, was damaged by a misfired munition during IDF activity. Following this, the IDF reinforced its protocols for the use of force around religious and sensitive sites.

• Israeli forces intercepted the boat Handala, which was attempting to reach Gaza with pro-Palestinian activists and limited humanitarian supplies. Among the detained were two French far-left parliamentarians, MEP Emma Fourreau (France) and MP Gabrielle Cathala (France).

Humanitarian

• The Wall Street Journal published an interview with Yasser Abu-Shabab, a local Gaza leader under Israeli protection in eastern Rafah. Abu-Shabab called for international support, declared their readiness to independently manage the Rafah area, and to absorb up to 600,000 Gazans into a newly proposed humanitarian city. He emphasized that residents are fed up with Hamas and claimed that, in eastern Rafah, there is currently security and no active fighting.

• The IDF implemented a daily pause in hostilities for humanitarian purposes between 10:00 and 20:00 in zones not ordered evacuated (from al-Mawasi to Deir al-Balah, including Gaza City), while military activity on truck routes was suspended between 06:00 and 23:00 to facilitate aid convoys.

• Israel carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza since the outbreak of the current conflict. The IDF also pledged to pause fighting in select areas and to open safe corridors for the UN to distribute aid.

• Starting this week, the IDF, COGAT, and humanitarian organizations began air-dropping aid to northern Gaza and securing new routes for truck convoys. Steps included connecting an electric line from Israel to the desalination plant in al-Mawasi to provide water for 900,000 Gazans, opening the Kerem Shalom crossing for trucks from Egypt, and an agreement for the UAE to lay a water pipeline from Egypt to Gaza to serve 600,000 residents.

  
  

International Campaign: “Famine in Gaza”

• Aid organizations, relying on local (Hamas) sources, accused Israel of starving the population, despite increasing the amount of aid trucks on the Gaza side of the crossings—as documented by the IDF and COGAT. International journalists were invited to view the trucks parked on the Gaza side, with aid held up due to local logistical failures. Hamas exploited images of sick or malnourished children—sometimes using images from other conflicts, such as Yemen—to portray Israel as responsible for the famine, seeking to pressure the international community to pressuring Israel into ending the war.

• COGAT publicly stated that, after a situational assessment in response to the recent international “famine” campaign and the mobilization of Western countries to pressure Israel, there is no famine in the Gaza Strip. However, there has been a significant decrease in the number of aid trucks entering daily, dropping from an average of 70–80 trucks per day to fewer than 30.

• The main reason for the decrease is the UN’s insistence that Hamas accompany the trucks to its aid centers. This has led to repeated scenes of mass looting—crowds rushing trucks, stripping them of their contents, assaulting and robbing drivers. Israel categorically refuses to allow Hamas to escort the convoys.

• Currently, 50% of all food distribution is handled through GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) distribution points, with the remainder distributed via trucks. The goal is to expand the use of these distribution points. Israel is demanding that the UN transfer all aid exclusively through the Israeli-monitored points, aiming to undermine Hamas’s governing authority.

• According to the IDF and COGAT, over 250 aid trucks were unloaded at Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings this week, with a total of about 600 trucks’ worth of aid distributed inside Gaza. However, Israel blamed the limited delivery on “a lack of cooperation from the international community,” with hundreds of truckloads still awaiting collection by the UN and other organizations inside Gaza.

• Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of COGAT’s Gaza Coordination and Liaison, reported that approximately 1,000 trucks’ worth of aid are currently stuck inside Gaza, waiting for UN and aid group collection.

• In the wake of Hamas’ “famine” campaign, pro-Palestinian activists have launched efforts to close the embassies of Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab states with ties to Israel, accusing them of colluding against Gaza and its resistance. Demonstrations and confrontations were reported outside Egyptian embassies in various Middle Eastern and European capitals, including clashes in Lebanon between Lebanese protesters and the army, as activists demanded that Egypt open the Rafah crossing. As part of the “famine and humanitarian crisis” campaign, Hamas called for “rage marches” and protests in front of Israeli and US embassies worldwide, as well as in city squares and universities.

Hamas’ Opposition to GHF

• Hamas launched a rocket from Khan Yunis that landed 250 meters from one of the distribution points on the Morag corridor, apparently in an effort to disrupt the operations of the GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation).

• As part of a potential hostage and ceasefire deal, Hamas is demanding that Israel cease all food distribution through the Israeli-controlled points.

• Hamas is deflecting blame outward onto Israel amid the crisis. Protests erupted in al-Mawasi with chants of “Hamas Out.” The terror group continues to steal and resell humanitarian food aid as a means to maintain its grip on power. Protesters are reportedly subject to execution or torture during ceasefires.

• GHF operations are considered a threat by Hamas. One incident documented Hamas thugs catching a group of Gazans taking food from GHF and stripping them naked in public as an act of humiliation.

Domestic Israel

• IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced that the IDF’s next multi-year plan will focus on strengthening maneuverability, integrating robotics, and enhancing the capabilities of brigade and battalion combat teams. The year 2026 will be a year of military transformation, incorporating lessons from the current war, particularly regarding underground warfare and the threat from explosives.  The IDF is expected to emerge as a pioneering force globally, with unmatched experience and specially adapted units for Israel’s unique security challenges.

• The Knesset passed a declarative resolution supporting the application of Israeli sovereignty over the Judea and Samaria. The resolution, which is not binding and does not amount to annexation, but does demonstrate broad support, that spans parties in the government and opposition, passed by a wide majority of 71 to 13.

Judea and Samaria

• Sixteen wanted individuals were arrested in Palestinian Authority controlled regions of Judea and Samaria. Weapons including an M-16 rifle, improvised firearms, a pistol, and magazines were confiscated.

• In Bethlehem, a terrorist cell was arrested before carrying out an imminent attack. The Palestinian Authority Police in Nablus detained a cell linked to the Islamic State, who were found with explosives and were planning an imminent attack.

• Israeli settler extremists set fire to several homes in the Palestinian village of Kisan. IDF forces responded, detaining several suspects who were handed over to the police.

Lebanon

Diplomatic

• On July 20 and July 22, President Trump’s Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, met with Lebanese leaders to discuss the monopoly over weapons and the disarmament of Hezbollah and other Palestinian militias. In June, Barrack presented Hezbollah with a proposal (details not published).

• Hezbollah’s demands are that Israel end daily airstrikes in Lebanon, withdraw from five military posts, and release all its prisoners captured during the ground maneuver before it will consider disarmament.

Operational

• The IDF conducted multiple strikes against military sites in southern Lebanon, including the destruction of a rocket launcher and the killing of a Hezbollah operative in Aita ash-Shab.

• On Friday, July 25, with intelligence from the Galilee Division, the IDF eliminated the Hezbollah personnel chief in Bint Jbeil. This marks the third Hezbollah operative killed in Bint Jbeil this week, highlighting continued Israeli efforts to degrade Hezbollah’s command structure.

Syria

Military Activity

• Reserve soldiers from the Bashan Division apprehended several arms traffickers in the Bashan region and confiscated their weapons. The division, together with the medical corps, plans to establish a forward medical evacuation post to provide treatment for Druze communities in Hader.

• US forces conducted a helicopter-borne raid in the city of al-Bab in northern Syria, arresting senior ISIS members with foreign citizenship, including Iraqis. Multiple ISIS operatives were reportedly killed in the operation, which was supported by Kurdish ground forces. Among those captured was an “emir,” the head of an ISIS province.

• The Syrian government evacuated 1,500 Bedouin family members from Suwayda province as part of what Syrian sources described as a prisoner swap deal with the Druze.

Diplomacy

• On Thursday, July 24, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met in Paris, mediated by the US. According to official statements, both parties reached an agreement: Suwayda province will remain demilitarized of Syrian security forces, provided that the Druze do not possess heavy weaponry. Humanitarian aid will enter from Israel, backed by US guarantees.

• A Saudi delegation visited Damascus to sign nearly $4 billion in agreements, led by Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih and over 130 businesspeople, marking a significant move in Saudi-Syrian economic cooperation under the direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Iraq

• The Iraqi parliament’s security committee announced that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or al-Hashd al-Shaabi)—an umbrella for mostly Shiite, pro-Iranian militias—are now officially part of the Iraqi armed forces.

• Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais Khazali, referencing recent events in Syria, argued there is no justification for calls to disband Iraqi militias. He warned that any group relinquishing its weapons would face humiliation, alluding to images of Druze men having their mustaches shaved in Suwayda.

Turkey

• Turkey finalized deals with the UK and Germany to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, significantly upgrading its air force. Approval was granted following Turkey’s assurances that the aircraft would not be used against Greece, a stipulation Germany insisted on.

• Turkey is also developing its own the fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet and is negotiating with the US for 40 F-35 stealth fighters.

• Military Aid to Syria:  Turkey has begun supplying Ejder 6x6 armored vehicles to the Syrian army. Each vehicle can transport 10 soldiers plus a crew of 2 at speeds up to 110 km/h.

Iran

• On July 25 in Istanbul, senior Iranian officials met with counterparts from the E-3 (France, UK, Germany) and the European Union to restart nuclear deal negotiations.

• President Vladimir Putin met with Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, in Moscow to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue.

• Iran has experienced a series of at least ten fires and explosions—mainly reported as gas leaks—from June 26 to July 14, with seven incidents in Tehran province and additional cases afterward. These incidents have damaged warehouses and factories, and resulted in casualties, including regime-linked figures. While Iran has not directly accused Israel, it is widely believed there is cooperation between Mossad and Iranian opposition networks in these operations.

• Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf announced Iran’s support for Syria in response to “Zionist regime” strikes on Damascus, emphasizing Iran’s commitment to Syrian unity and territorial integrity.

• There are continued reports of drone activity and the activation of air defense systems across Iran since the conclusion of Operation “Rising Lion”.

• Iranian President Pezeshkian gave an interview to Al Jazeera, acknowledging that Iran has suffered severe blows from Israel, but insisted that the nuclear program remains intact due to the expertise of Iranian nuclear scientists. He reiterated Iran’s refusal to surrender its right to enrich uranium independently, denying any intent to develop nuclear weapons.

• Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Iran asserts its right to uranium enrichment. He admitted that Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered significant damage (“the extent is being assessed”), but asserted that Iran cannot abandon its enrichment program, describing it as a national achievement and matter of pride. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated that a renewal of hostilities with Iran is a real possibility.

• At least nine people were killed when the jihadist separatist group Jaish al-Adl attacked a courthouse in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. This is part of a wider insurgency spanning both the Iranian and Pakistani sides of Balochistan.

International

• The US is advancing a $4.7 billion sale of NASAMS air defense systems to Egypt, capable of intercepting helicopters, aircraft, and missiles up to a range of 40 km.

• French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN session in September. The move was swiftly condemned by Israel as “rewarding terror” and by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “reckless.” Hamas hailed Macron’s statement as a “positive step” toward justice for Palestinians.

Yemen

• The US Treasury imposed sanctions on two Yemeni nationals and five companies in Yemen and the UAE, citing their involvement in money laundering and the importation of refined petroleum products to Houthi-controlled areas in violation of US sanctions.

Fallen Soldiers

• Staff sergeant Amit Cohen z"l

• Sergeant major (res.) Vladimir Loza z"l

• Sergeant major (res.) Betzalel Yehoshua Mosbacher z"l

• Captain Amir Saad z"l

• Sergeant Inon Nuriel Vana z"l