Aug. 25: Hamas health ministry says 11 more Gazans died from malnutrition in past day

While talks ongoing ‘in good faith,’ US envoy says Israel, Syria not close to security deal

US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack speaks during a joint press conference following his meeting with Lebanon's president at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on August 18, 2025. (ANWAR AMRO / AFP)

Following a report earlier that Israel and Syria were aiming to sign a security agreement by the end of September, US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack says the two countries are not close to inking a deal.

Barrack tells Channel 12 and Axios reporter Barak Ravid that Damascus and Jerusalem are “both negotiating in good faith.”

“They have mutual intent and desire, but at the moment, there is still more work to do,” Barrack says, adding that “constructive dialogue between these nation states is the on-ramp to a long-lasting understanding that will be the preface to stability and prosperity in the region.”

Israel downgrades ties with Brazil after its refusal to approve new ambassador

Israel has withdrawn its request to appoint a new ambassador to Brazil after the South American country refused to approve diplomat Gali Dagan, the Foreign Ministry says, declaring that ties with Brasilia are now being conducted “at a lower level.”

“After Brazil, unusually, refrained from replying to Ambassador Dagan’s request for agrément, Israel withdrew the request, and relations between the countries are now being conducted at a lower diplomatic level,” reads a statement from the ministry.

It notes that the “critical and hostile line that Brazil has displayed toward Israel” since the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023, “was intensified” by remarks from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last year.

Israel declared Lula a “persona non grata,” after he accused Jerusalem of “genocide” in Gaza, saying the only historical parallel was “when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”

“The Foreign Ministry continues to maintain deep ties with Israel’s many circles of friends in Brazil,” the statement adds.

Brazil recalled its ambassador to Israel last year and has yet to appoint a replacement.

Norway’s wealth fund divests from five Israeli banks on ethical grounds

OSLO, Norway — Norway’s $2 trillion wealth fund, the world’s largest, says it has divested from US group Caterpillar CAT.N, as well as five Israeli banks on ethics grounds.

While shunned by many in West, Ben Gvir hosted by Georgia’s interior minister in Tbilisi

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is hosted by his Georgian counterpart, Interior Minister Gela Geladze, in Tbilisi.

“Together with our Georgian partners, we look forward to expanding our good relations and cooperations,” Israel Ambassador to Georgia Walid Abu Haya writes on X.

While welcome in Georgia, Ben Gvir has been sanctioned and banned by several of Israel’s Western allies due to his rhetoric on Gaza and the West Bank.

Glad to have the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, visiting Georgia. He was warmly received by the Georgian minister of interior Mr. Gela Geladze.
Together with our Georgian partners, we look forward to expanding our good relations and cooperations. pic.twitter.com/5HzTJ7ExLY

— 🎗️ Walid Abu Haya 🇮🇱 (@WalidAbuHaya1) August 25, 2025

Goldknopf said to ask Netanyahu to allow draft dodgers to travel to New York for High Holidays

United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf attends a Knesset House Committee meeting, August 4, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

United Torah Judaism chair Yitzhak Goldknopf appeals to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews to fly to New York and other destinations over the High Holidays, despite travel bans due to their refusal to report for mandatory military enlistment, Hebrew media reports, citing a letter sent to the premier by the Haredi lawmaker.

The Ynet news site earlier claimed that Shas leader Aryeh Deri is seeking an agreement with the Defense Ministry and the army to allow Haredi men who are under travel bans to make the annual pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine, claiming that the journey is a religious necessity and should not be treated the same as travel for leisure.

Goldknopf reportedly writes to Netanyahu asking that trips for Hasidic Jews to New York and other destinations be included in the deal, calling them “a sublime spiritual experience that has no substitute, and it is our duty to allow them the right that is given to others.”

UN says 11 more Gazans die of malnutrition in last 24 hours, citing Hamas-run ministry figures

Eleven more people have died from malnutrition and starvation in the last 24 hours, bringing the total figure since the start of the Gaza war to 300, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says during a briefing, citing the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Updating reporters on developments in Gaza, Dujarric says roughly 5,000 people have been displaced from northern Gaza to Deir al-Balah in the central Strip and Khan Younis in the South since August 20. He adds that some 8,000 others have been displaced to the west of Gaza City, bringing the total number of new displacements since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March to more than 800,000.

Dujarric claims that Israeli authorities continue to inhibit the delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Gaza, denying or impeding eight of 15 UN missions to transport assistance over the past 24 hours.

Moreover, UN partners have reported that several education facilities, which are also used as shelters, were attacked last week, Dujarric says.

Israel, Syria said to eye September deadline for security agreement; Damascus denies report

Israeli security forces stand guard at the Israeli border fence with Syria, near the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, July 19, 2025. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

Israeli officials confirm that advanced talks are underway with Syria on a potential security agreement, with the end of September set as a target date, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who acknowledged the negotiations to Arab journalists yesterday, is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York on September 25 — the first time in years that a Syrian leader will speak at the forum. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to deliver his own speech the following day.

Arab media reports, citing Syrian sources, have suggested the US-brokered agreement could be signed on September 25, shortly after al-Sharaa’s address.

The officials cited by Kan confirm the date as a potential deadline, adding that Washington is pressing Jerusalem to accelerate the talks. “It’s important for [US President Donald] Trump to announce this agreement as soon as possible, and that’s the reason the contacts are advancing,” the officials are quoted as saying.

The deal is not expected to constitute a full peace treaty, but rather limited security arrangements designed to reduce tensions and address mutual concerns.

According to the Kan report, the September 25 date is desirable to Sharaa for both international and domestic reasons. A deal timed to his UN speech would bolster his global standing, while unrest among Syria’s Druze minority has left him looking to Israel — which he sees as influential in the south — for a quick arrangement.

Last week, Sky News Arabia reported that the US is trying to arrange a meeting between Sharaa and Netanyahu, and with the participation of Trump, during the UN General Assembly.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry denies both the report of a September 25 deadline and the report on efforts to arrange a meeting between Sharaa and Netanyahu.

Brazil said to refuse approval of new Israeli ambassador

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a ministerial meeting at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 13, 2024. (Evaristo Sa / AFP)

Brazil has refused to approve the appointment of Gali Dagan, the former Israeli ambassador to Colombia, as the new envoy to Brazil, leaving the position vacant, Hebrew media reports.

It marks a new low in relations with the South American country, whose president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, last year accused Jerusalem of “genocide” over the war in Gaza, saying the only historical equivalent was “when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”

Brazil recalled its ambassador to Israel last year and has not appointed a new envoy.

Kneecap nixes US tour due to court hearing for band member accused of terror support

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel Northern Ireland hip-hop trio Kneecap perform on stage at the Rock en Seine music festival, in Saint-Cloud, near Paris, France, on August 24, 2025. (Guillaume BAPTISTE / AFP)

LONDON — Irish rap trio Kneecap has canceled its 15-date US tour scheduled for October, it says, citing the proximity of a London court hearing where member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh faces a terrorism charge.

Ó hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag of Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah during a performance in London in November 2024.

The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, which prohibits displaying articles in a way that may suggest support for a proscribed organization.

The Belfast-based band, which has said the flag was thrown on stage during its performance, says the closeness of the September 26 hearing to the start of the tour made it impossible to proceed with the 15 scheduled dates.

“To all our US-based fans we have some bad news,” the band says in an Instagram post.

“Due to the proximity of our next court hearing in London to the first date of the tour, as the British government continues its witch-hunt, we will have to cancel all 15 US tour dates in October.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Trump claims war in Gaza to reach ‘conclusive ending’ in two to three weeks

US President Donald Trump (right) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attend a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 25, 2025. (Mandel NGAN / AFP)

US President Donald Trump claims that the Gaza war will reach a “conclusive ending” in the next two or three weeks.

“I think within the next two to three weeks, you’re going to have pretty good, conclusive — a conclusive ending,” Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office.

It is unclear what Trump is basing his prediction on, given that Israel has indicated it is not interested in the phased ceasefire proposal that Hamas agreed to last week and is instead moving ahead with plans to conquer Gaza City, which is expected to take at least several months.

Trump has repeatedly used a “two-week” timeline to predict when major developments will unfold, both at home and abroad —from the Russia-Ukraine war, to Iranian nuclear negotiations, to talks on tariffs — though it has often not held up.

He appears to hedge in his latest prediction regarding the Gaza war, adding, “It’s a hard thing to say because they’ve been fighting for thousands of years. But I think we’re doing a very good job.”

“But it does have to end, but people can’t forget October 7,” Trump says.

Following up on Trump’s prediction of an imminent end to the war, a reporter asks if the US is making a diplomatic push to advance that goal.

“There has been… a very serious diplomatic push,” the US president responds before asking US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to weigh in.

“It [has] never stopped. We’ve always looked to find a solution. We want it to end. [But] it has to end with no Hamas,” Rubio says, effectively adopting Israel’s position that has conditioned ending the war on Hamas’s complete surrender — something that the terror group is unlikely to do.

For his part, US special envoy Steve Witkoff reiterates his claim that Trump’s Truth Social post last week, declaring that the remaining hostages will only be freed after Hamas has been destroyed, is what sparked movement in long-stuck negotiations.

“We wouldn’t be anywhere but for the president’s truth last week, which was a statement to Hamas that they better get their act together and get to the peace table,” Witkoff says in the Oval Office.

Witkoff in an interview last week claimed that Trump’s post is what led Hamas to agree to the Arab mediators’ latest proposal for a phased hostage deal.

However, two Arab diplomats familiar with the negotiations told The Times of Israel that Hamas had already approved the latest ceasefire proposal by the time Trump posted on Truth Social on August 18.

Similar to Israel, the US has yet to say whether it backs the latest proposal accepted by Hamas, which the Arab diplomats said is nearly identical to the one sponsored by Witkoff several months ago after Egypt and Qatar succeeded in coaxing Hamas to walk back from demands it made in late July that led talks to stall.

The White House said last week that it was reviewing the proposal, but has yet to follow up on the matter.

Asked whether he has been in contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lately, against the backdrop of a UN-backed report declaring that famine has begun striking Gaza, Trump says he has a good relationship with the Israeli premier and that they worked together to strike Iran’s nuclear program.

Turning back to Gaza, Trump says, “Right now, they’re talking about Gaza City. They’re always talking about something.”

“At some point, it’s going to get settled… You better get it settled soon,” he adds, reiterating that “nobody can forget October 7.”

“With that being said, it’s got to get over with because between the hunger and all the other problems — worse than hunger, death, pure death, people being killed,” Trump says.

The president reiterates his claim that the US has donated $60 million for Gaza humanitarian aid. The US State Department confirmed two weeks ago that the figure is actually $30 million and that only half of that figure had been transferred for use by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Sa’ar slams France for summoning US envoy over antisemitism criticism

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticizes France’s decision to summon United States Ambassador to France Charles Kushner, after the envoy alleged in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron that the country was not doing enough to fight antisemitism.

Responding to a Hebrew-language post from the French embassy in Israel announcing the decision to summon Kushner, Sa’ar writes on X: “Instead of addressing the issue of the rising antisemitism in France in a substantive manner – France preaches against ‘interference in the internal affairs of states.’ The height of hypocrisy!”

In a letter to Macron that was released to the media over the weekend, Kushner alleged that recognizing a Palestinian state would “embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France,” echoing Israeli rhetoric on the issue.

“President Trump and I have Jewish children and share Jewish grandchildren. I know how he feels about antisemitism, as do all Americans,” he wrote.

Kushner’s son Jared is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

France condemned the ambassador’s letter, but noted: “The rise in antisemitic acts in France since 7 October 2023 is a reality that we deplore and to which the French authorities are responding with total commitment, as these acts are completely unacceptable.”

Washington earlier reiterated its support for the ambassador’s stance after Paris summoned him.

Macron last week came under fire in a letter from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the premier issued an ultimatum to the president to better address antisemitism in France by the Jewish new year in late September, while also condemning him for choosing to recognize a Palestinian state that month, saying the move “pours fuel on this antisemitic fire.”

Syrian leader meets US envoy during talks on Israel security arrangements

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed on Monday developments in Syria and the region with US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack, in Damascus, according to a statement from the Syrian president’s office.

The meeting comes after Barrack discussed Syria and Lebanon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel a day earlier.

Syrian and Israeli officials have been conducting US-mediated talks on de-escalating conflict in southern Syria.

Israel rolling ahead with Gaza City takeover to free hostages, beat Hamas, PM tells senator

US Sentator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), left, and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on August 25, 2025. (Haim Zach / GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his security cabinet’s decision to order the military to take over Gaza City in the coming months is “unequivocal.”

“Israel will act with determination and strength to bring back all of its hostages and to defeat Hamas,” Netanyahu told US Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa in his Jerusalem office today, his office says in a statement.

Netanyahu also told Ernst, a Republican whom he previously hosted in April, that “these missions are intertwined.”

‘Tragic mishap’: In English, Netanyahu expresses ‘deep regret’ over deadly strike on hospital

Israel “deeply regrets” the IDF strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis this morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says in a statement, as international condemnation mounts over the attack, which killed 20 Palestinians, including five journalists, according to Hamas-controlled health authorities in the Strip.

“Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians. The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation,” reads the statement, which is only released in English. It is also tweeted by the premier’s account on X.

“Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home,” the statement adds.

We still think at least 20 hostages alive, Israel says after Trump claims lower number

Israel’s point man on hostages, Gal Hirsch, reportedly says there is no change in Israel’s assessment regarding the fate of those held in Gaza, after US President Donald Trump repeated the claim that there are likely fewer than 20 hostages still alive.

Hirsch told families of hostages that Israel still believes at least 20 hostages are alive, Viki Cohen, the mother of hostage soldier Nimrod Cohen, confirms to Channel 12 news.

Israeli officials have previously expressed worries for the fates of two hostages, and believe 28 others are dead.

Newly released footage shows abduction of soldier Nimrod Cohen

The family of hostage soldier Nimrod Cohen approves for publication a video showing his capture by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.

The footage was recovered by the IDF during ground operations in Gaza. During the war, the IDF, upon finding footage or other findings of hostages in Gaza, has presented them to their families, who often release them to the public.

The family had previously claimed that the army was withholding publication of the footage and says the IDF is still holding more footage of Cohen.

The video shows Cohen being pulled from a tank by Hamas gunmen and being marched on his feet toward the Strip by armed terrorists. A voice in the clip tells him that he will be returned to Israel.

Cohen was the only survivor of four soldiers who were in a tank that was attacked by Hamas terrorists with RPG fire and explosive devices on the border on October 7.

Previously aired footage from the attack showed Palestinians in civilian clothing standing on and around the tank while it was wreathed in smoke and flames, and the soldiers being dragged out by Hamas terrorists.

Footage obtained by the IDF in the Gaza Strip shows Hamas terrorists abducting hostage soldier Nimrod Cohen on October 7, 2023. The video was published by Cohen’s family on August 25, 2025. (Courtesy)

UN chief, French president decry attack on Gaza hospital

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns the killing of Palestinians in Israeli strikes that hit Nasser Hospital in Gaza and calls for a prompt, impartial investigation, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says.

“The secretary-general recalls that civilians, including medical personnel and journalists, must be respected and protected at all times. He calls for a prompt, impartial investigation into these killings,” Dujarric tells reporters.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron calls the strikes, which reportedly left 20 dead, “intolerable.”

Moldovan PM tells Netanyahu: Israel must cover costs of getting pilgrims to Ukraine

A boy watches three Israeli pilgrims sleep by their minivan in Palanca, Moldova on September 14, 2023. (Canaan Lidor / Times of Israel)

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean told his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will need to cover the cost of logistics and security to assist Israelis who wish to travel to Moldova to reach Uman, Ukraine, where Hasidic leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is buried, according to a statement shared with The Times of Israel by Moldovan Ambassador to Israel Alex Roitman.

The two discussed arrangements for the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage, “including security and logistical aspects, which are to be covered by the Israeli side,” in a phone call earlier today, the statement reads.

Pilgrims will need to travel through Moldova because there are no direct flights to Ukraine, which has discouraged visits since Russia invaded the country in 2022.

The government has allocated NIS 10 million ($3 million) to support the traditional Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage, according to reports.

Funds for Israelis to visit the war-wracked country will come from the Foreign, Transportation, Interior, and Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage ministries, according to Hebrew outlet Ynet.

There is no immediate comment from Ukraine, which warned pilgrims not to come in prior years, along with Israeli officials.

The Ynet report claims that Shas leader Aryeh Deri is seeking an agreement with the Defense Ministry and the army to allow Haredi men who are under travel bans due to their refusal to report for mandatory military enlistment to make the trip anyway, claiming that the journey is a religious necessity and should not be treated the same as travel for leisure.

Deri is said to have discussed the arrangement with Netanyahu on Thursday, touting plans for 50,000 to travel to Ukraine, despite the ongoing war.

After strikes on hospital, IDF denies targeting civilians, says war zone ‘extremely complex’

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, in an English-language video statement, says the IDF does not “intentionally target civilians” in the Gaza Strip, but troops are fighting in “impossible conditions,” after tank shelling today killed 20 Palestinians, including five journalists, at a hospital in Khan Younis, according to Hamas-controlled health authorities in the Strip.

“Earlier today, IDF troops carried out a strike in the area of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. We are aware of reports that harm was caused to civilians, including journalists,” he says. “I would like to be clear from the start: The IDF does not intentionally target civilians. The IDF makes every effort to mitigate harm to civilians, while ensuring the safety of our troops.”

“We are operating in an extremely complex reality. Hamas terrorists deliberately use civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields. They have even operated from the Nasser Hospital itself,” Defrin continues.

“Hamas began this war, created impossible fighting conditions, and is preventing its end by still holding 50 hostages,” he adds.

“Having said that, as a professional military, committed to international law, we are obligated to investigate our operations thoroughly and professionally. The chief of the general staff has instructed that an inquiry be conducted immediately to understand the circumstances of what happened and how it happened,” Defrin says.

Addressing the deaths of several journalists, he notes that “reporting from an active war zone carries immense risk, especially in a war with a terrorist organization such as Hamas, who cynically hides behind the civilian population.”

Defrin says that “as always, we will present our findings as transparently as possible.”

“We regret any harm to uninvolved individuals and are committed to continue fighting Hamas, while taking all the necessary precautions,” he adds.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issues a video statement, August 25, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Germany urges probe into Nasser Hospital strikes

The German foreign ministry says it is shocked by the killing of several journalists, emergency responders and civilians in an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza.

“The attack must be investigated,” the ministry writes in a post on X.

We are shocked by the killing of several journalists, rescue workers, and other civilians in an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Hospital in #Gaza. This attack must be investigated. 1/2

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) August 25, 2025

The IDF said earlier it was investigating the deadly incident.

Germany also calls for independent access to the Strip by journalists.

Jewish visits to tinderbox Temple Mount up 15% last month – NGO

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, left, at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on August 3, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

More than 7,500 Jews ascended the Temple Mount during the Hebrew month of Av, marking a 15 percent increase, compared to the same period last year, according to the Temple Mount Administration, an NGO that facilitates Jewish visits to the site.

According to the organization, 54,231 Jews have ascended the flashpoint holy site since the beginning of the year, including 951 people who visited the site on Sunday and Monday, which marked the start of the Hebrew month of Elul.

The Temple Mount, which was the site of the ancient Jewish Temples, today houses the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine. While Jews are permitted in the compound, many Muslims see the rise in visits, especially by religious Jews, as part of a plot to undermine the status quo agreement governing the site, under which only Muslim prayer is sanctioned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has committed to safeguarding the arrangement, despite attempts by some of his political allies, particularly National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, to challenge the prohibition on Jewish prayer there.

Trump, learning of Gaza hospital strike, says he is ‘not happy’

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump says he’s “not happy” about the Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital that reportedly killed 20 people, including rescue workers trying to evacuate the wounded and five journalists.

Asked for his reaction to the strike by a reporter in the Oval Office, Trump says he didn’t know about it.

Pressed to provide a response anyway, Trump says, “I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it.”

“At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare,” he adds.

He then reiterates his assertion that he is the one responsible for deals securing earlier hostage releases.

He also repeats his claim that there are likely fewer than 20 hostages still alive. Israel tepidly pushed back against the claim last week, saying its intelligence still suggests that as many as 20 are alive.

“I said a long time ago, I’m going to get them out, but when we get down to that final 10 or 20, these people aren’t going to release them,” Trump says of the Hamas terror group.

On several occasions in June and July, Trump emphatically declared that a ceasefire and hostage release deal was around a week away.

Only in late July after talks hit a snag did he change track and begin claiming that he knew all along that a deal to free the remaining hostages would not be possible and that Israel should go ahead and “finish the job” against Hamas — something it has not be able to do over 22 months of fighting.

Father of hostage soldier says footage being suppressed to avoid pressure for deal

Yehuda Cohen, left and his wife Viki Cohen at a press conference calling for the release of their son Nimrod Cohen in Tel Aviv on August 25, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

The father of Nimrod Cohen says the video of his capture set to be published in about 90 minutes is just part of the footage of his son found by the army in Gaza, demanding that all of it be cleared for publication.

“These videos are just part of what we were shown [by the IDF], there’s a cache of videos of Nimrod in Gaza speaking to the camera, and the army is refusing to give it to us,” Yehuda Cohen says in a brief press conference.

He alleges the footage is being suppressed to serve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal of avoiding reaching a deal that frees the hostages and ends the war.

“The army needs to give us everything to fight for Nimrod against the Netanyahu government, which refuses to reach a deal, in order to press Netanyahu and his government to reach an agreement and free all the hostages,” he adds.

Soldiers said to have shelled hospital after fearing camera being used to track them

A live feed of Gaza provided by Reuters, seen moments before the camera position was seemingly struck by an apparent IDF shell, on August 25, 2025. (Screen capture)

Military officials tell Hebrew-language media outlets that an Israeli army tank team shelled a camera stationed at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis earlier today after believing the device was being used to track troops.

Two shells were fired by the tank, with the first targeting the camera and the second hitting rescuers who were operating at the scene. The strike killed 20, including five journalists, according to media reports and Hamas health officials.

According to the Foreign Press Association, the strikes “hit the exterior staircase of the hospital where journalists frequently stationed themselves with their cameras.”

Reuters says its journalist, Hussam al-Masri, had been operating a live video feed from the hospital, which suddenly shut down at the moment of the initial strike.

Reuters and other news providers often deliver live video feeds to media outlets worldwide during major news events to show the scene from the ground in real time. Reuters had frequently broadcast a feed from Nasser hospital during the Gaza conflict, and for the past several weeks had been delivering daily feeds from the Nasser hospital position that was hit.

A review of Masri’s live feed from before the strike did not appear to show any soldiers.

The IDF has not confirmed the details of the Hebrew media reports, but says it has launched an investigation into the deadly incident, which is set to include the question of who approved the strike.

Previously, the military has said that striking sensitive sites in Gaza, such as hospitals, requires the approval of senior officers, including the chief of the Southern Command and the IDF chief of staff.

US backs envoy’s criticism of flaccid French antisemitism fight

The United States is refusing to back down on its ambassador’s allegations that ally France is not doing enough to combat antisemitism, after Paris summoned him.

“We stand by his comments,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott says of Ambassador Charles Kushner, the father-in-law of President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

“Ambassador Kushner is our US government representative in France and is doing a great job advancing our national interests in that role,” Pigott says.

New pictures show soldier Nimrod Cohen being abducted on October 7

A screen capture from a video showing the capture of hostage Nimrod Cohen on October 7, 2023, approved for release on August 25, 2025.

The family of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen approves for publication two pictures showing his capture on October 7, 2023.

The pictures are taken from a video set to be released at 7:55 p.m. apparently recovered by troops in Gaza.

They show Cohen being pulled from a military vehicle by a group of attackers, and being marched on his feet by two armed individuals.

A screen capture from a video showing the capture of hostage Nimrod Cohen on October 7, 2023, approved for release on August 25, 2025.

Cohen was the only survivor of four soldiers who were in a tank that was attacked by Hamas terrorists with RPG fire and explosive devices.

Now-infamous footage from the attack showed Palestinians in civilian clothing standing on and around their tank while it was wreathed in smoke and flames, and the soldiers being dragged out by Hamas terrorists.

His family calls for leaders to reach a deal for his release, accusing the government of abandoning him.

UK, Spain foreign ministers lead condemnation of hospital strikes

British Foreign Minister David Lammy says he is “horrified” by Israel’s strikes on a Gaza hospital this morning, after officials in the Strip’s Hamas-controlled administration reported 20 people killed, including five journalists.

“Horrified by Israel’s attack on Nasser hospital. Civilians, healthcare workers and journalists must be protected. We need an immediate ceasefire,” writes Lammy on X.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also condemns Israel’s strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

“The Israeli attack today against a hospital in Gaza and against journalists, the deaths it has caused, the induced famine, all of these are extremely serious violations of international humanitarian law,” Albares writes in a Spanish-language post on X, referencing allegations of widespread starvation in Gaza.

“The war in Gaza must end now. Spain works every day for that,” adds the minister.

In June, Albares asked the European Union Council to approve an immediate suspension of the pact that governs the bloc’s ties with Israel over what he called human rights violations in Gaza, and said he would also seek approval for an embargo on weapons sold to Israel and sanctions on individuals working against the two-state solution.

UN leaders speak out after attack on Gaza hospital, killings of journalists

A woman takes a picture of the image "The Angel," painted earlier this year by street artist Harry Greb, dedicated to journalists killed in Gaza, showing an angel wearing a bulletproof vest with the word "Press" written on it and holding the body of a child, in Rome, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP/Gregorio Borgia)

The United Nations insists that journalists and hospitals should never be targeted, after Israeli strikes on a hospital killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

“The killing of journalists in Gaza should shock the world — not into stunned silence but into action, demanding accountability and justice,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says in a statement, insisting: “Journalists are not a target. Hospitals are not a target.”

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, separately decries what he says is “shocking” global inaction over the Gaza conflict.

He accuses Israel of “silencing the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently amid famine,”  in a post on X.

#Gaza: more journalists killed today.
Silencing the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently amid #famine .

The world’s indifference & inaction is shocking.

Like Hannah Arendt said: “The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs…

— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) August 25, 2025

The head of the World Health Organization says 50 people were wounded in the strikes, including critically ill patients who had already been receiving care..

“While people in #Gaza are being starved, their already limited access to health care is being further crippled by repeated attacks,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says on X. “We cannot say it loudly enough: STOP attacks on health care. Ceasefire now!”

Government said to earmark NIS 10 million to send pilgrims to Ukraine, in talks to let draft dodgers travel

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men traveling to Uman in Ukraine for the Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashanah, seen at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on September 5, 2018. (Avi Dishi/Flash90)

The government has allocated NIS 10 million ($3 million) to support the traditional Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine, where Hasidic leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is buried, according to Hebrew media reports.

Funds for Israelis to visit the war-wracked country will come from the Foreign, Transportation, Interior and Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage ministries, according to Ynet.

Because there are no direct flights to Ukraine, which has discouraged visits since Russia invaded the country in 2022, pilgrims will need to travel through Moldova. Part of the money will be used to pay for flights for 50,000 Israelis, 15,000 more than visited last year, and part to compensate Moldova for assisting with logistics for transiting Israelis, the report says.

There is no immediate comment from Ukraine, which has warned pilgrims not to come in prior years, along with Israeli officials.

The report claims that Shas leader Aryeh Deri is seeking an agreement with the Defense Ministry and the army to allow Haredi men who are under travel bans due to their refusal to report for mandatory military enlistment to nonetheless make the trip, claiming that the journey is a religious necessity and should not be treated the same as travel for leisure.

Deri is said to have discussed the arrangement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

“Rabbi Deri has for weeks been engaged in discussions with the Prime Minister in order to enable the travel of some 50,000 Israelis, from across the public spectrum, who customarily pray each year on Rosh Hashanah at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman — this in light of the absence of direct flights,” his office is quoted telling Ynet in a statement.

File: Jewish men in the street near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman, on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, September 25, 2022 (Flash90)

Earlier today, United Torah Judaism MK Meir Porush, who served as Jerusalem Affairs minister until July when his party quit the government over the draft crisis, claimed earlier today to have played a part in securing the NIS 10 million for the pilgrimage.

“Before I resigned, I approved the transfer of a budget of NIS 2 million to the Foreign Ministry, which is coordinating the matter,” he is quoted telling Haredi news site Kikar Shabbat. Together with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Foreign Ministry, the Transportation Ministry and the Interior Ministry, we raised a total of NIS 10 million for this issue.”

“I commend Prime Minister Netanyahu for becoming involved, and Foreign Minister Sa’ar, who from the very beginning was a full partner in this matter,” he adds. “I recall how two years ago I had to fight for a budget of NIS 4 million, and I took quite a bit of heat for it, and now, thank God, there are already other ministries asking to join.”

Rosh Hashanah begins on September 22.

Turkey says Gaza hospital strike ‘attack on press freedom’

Turkey’s presidential communications office on Monday says Israel’s strikes on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital are “an attack on press freedom and another war crime,” after officials in the Strip’s Hamas-controlled administration report 20 people killed, including five journalists.

“Israel, which continues its atrocities without regard for any humanitarian or legal principles, is under the illusion that it can prevent the truth from being revealed through its systematic attacks on journalists,” Burhanettin Duran, head of the communications directorate, says in a post on X.

Reporters Without Borders rates press freedom in Turkey 159th out of 180 countries polled.

Damascus says Israeli military incursions near border a ‘dangerous escalation’

Syria says it “strongly condemns” what it says was an Israeli military incursion into an area in the country’s south, calling it a “dangerous escalation.”

According to Damascus, dozens of soldiers and over 10 military vehicles were involved in a raid in the area of Beit Jinn, which sits near the border with the Golan Heights.

It also condemns Israel’s “control” of an area in the Mount Hermon foothills, saying it is a “blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.”

The IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.

Troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers deep into Syria, including Beit Jinn, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”

There is no information from the Israeli military on any specific military raids today.

The statement comes hours after Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa reportedly confirmed that his government was in “advanced” talks with Israel on a security agreement which would seek to clinch an Israeli retreat back to the 1974 disengagement lines that previously formed the de facto border between the countries.

Israel says it killed Hezbollah man trying to rebuild group in southern Lebanon

A Hezbollah operative was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanon town of Tebnine earlier today, the military says.

According to the IDF, the operative was involved in restoring Hezbollah military infrastructure in the nearby town of Beit Lif, which it says is a violation of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

The Lebanese health ministry reported one dead in a strike on a car in Tebnine.

The strike is the first since the IDF said it hit a Hezbollah arms depot on Friday.

On Thursday, news site Axios reported that the US had asked Israel to dial back its attacks inside Lebanon as it sought to bolster Beirut. According to the report, the US believed a temporary reduction in strikes would help the Lebanese government carry out a promised operation to disarm Hezbollah.

Since a November 2024 ceasefire, the IDF says it has killed over 230 Hezbollah operatives in strikes in Lebanon, saying they were violating the terms of the truce.

3-year-old in critical condition after piano falls on him — rescuers

A toddler is fighting for his life after apparently being struck by a falling piano near Jerusalem, the Magen David Adom rescue service says.

The 3-year-old was rushed to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in critical condition by paramedics, who performed CPR, MDA says. He is described by the rescue service as having no pulse and not breathing, with extensive injuries to his chest and stomach.

According to MDA, the injuries were caused when a piano fell on the child. No other details are immediately available.

Jerusalem police say they have opened an investigation into the incident, which occurred at the child’s home in an unnamed community south of the capital.

Paramedics did not collect the boy from his home but rather met up with those transporting him at the Ein Yael nature site in the south of the city.

Foreign Press Association decries killing of journalists in Nasser Hospital strikes, demands answers

The Foreign Press Association says it is “outraged and in shock” after five journalists were killed in Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, earlier today.

“A group of journalists from several major international news outlets — including Reuters, AP, and Al Jazeera — have been killed together in Israeli military strikes,” says the FPA, which represents journalists working for international media in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

“This is among the deadliest Israeli attacks on journalists working for international media since the Gaza war began,” it says.

“These strikes hit the exterior staircase of the hospital where journalists frequently stationed themselves with their camera,” the FPA says, adding that they occurred “with no warning.”

The organization demands an explanation from the IDF and the Prime Minister’s Office and an end to Israel’s “abhorrent practice of targeting journalists.”

“This has gone on far too long. Too many journalists in Gaza have been killed by Israel without justification,” it says, adding an appeal to world leaders: “Do everything you can to protect our colleagues. We cannot do it ourselves.”

#Palestine🇵🇸: [UPDATE 25.08.2025] An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis killed 4 journalists: Hossam Al-Masri of @Reuters, Mohammed Salama of @AlJazeera, Moaz Abu Taha of @NBCNews and Maryam Abu Deqa of @AP and Independent Arab. pic.twitter.com/OClwQ7HBBt

— IFJ (@IFJGlobal) August 25, 2025

Israel says four countries, including Indonesia, airdropped 116 pallets of food into Gaza today

Aircraft from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Indonesia airdropped 116 pallets of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip today, the IDF says.

Each pallet contains several hundred kilograms of food, according to the military.

Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, does not have relations with Israel.

Israel re-adopted a policy of allowing aid airdrops on July 26, amid mounting international criticism over the hunger crisis in Gaza. But airdrops are only able to deliver a small fraction of what can come into Gaza by land. They also pose safety risks for the civilians who can be hit by the packages from above.

Since then, over 540 tons of aid have been airdropped in Gaza, according to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

Putin discusses Iranian nuclear program with Iran’s Pezeshkian

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian today in which they discussed Iran’s nuclear program and Putin’s recent summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, the Kremlin says.

Putin and Pezeshkian agreed to hold a bilateral meeting at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China, the Kremlin says.

Melbourne police arrest ‘Ghostface’ synagogue vandal

Police in Melbourne have arrested a 37-year-old man for six separate incidents of graffiti on a synagogue in South Yarra over the course of this year.

On several occasions, the man was seen on security cameras spraypainting “offensive phrases” on the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation while wearing a Ghostface mask from the movie Scream, reports say.

The Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit charged the man with six accounts of criminal damage and offensive graffiti, as well as five accounts of driving an unregistered motor vehicle and driving without a license, the Victoria Police say. Investigators seized several items allegedly related to the offenses in a search of his home Monday morning.

The man is accused of vandalizing the synagogue on March 11, June 21, June 22, July 22, July 30, and August 19, according to the police report. He has been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on November 21.

Synagogues have been common targets of attacks as antisemitism skyrockets in Australia. Last week, Australian police said they had arrested a second suspect for an arson attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue in December.

State Comptroller’s office says undeterred by IDF’s ‘inappropriate’ attempt to prevent Oct. 7 probe

The office of State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman lashed out at the Military Advocate General’s office for seeking to stop his investigation into the failure to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023 invasion and atrocities, and says he will continue to advance his audit of the events surrounding the catastrophe.

The Military Advocate General’s office filed an “urgent update” of its petition to the High Court earlier on Monday, objecting to Englman’s probe into the “core issues” of the October 7 failures and saying that investigation of those issues must be reserved for a commission of inquiry.

The State Comptroller’s office calls the military’s update “half-truths,” and says that Englman had stated from the beginning of his probe into the October 7 disaster that he would investigate the core issues which led to the failure to prevent the Hamas assault and atrocities which he labels “the most severe failure in the history of the country.”

The State Comptroller’s office also insists that Englman has always stated he would be examining all relevant parties, be they political, military or civilian.

And Englman’s office maintains that his review of the IDF’s actions is in accordance with an agreement with the IDF, sanctioned by the High Court earlier this year.

“There is nothing new in the announcement issued by the State Comptroller last week, and there is nothing new under the sun in the attempts of the Military Advocate General’s Office to stymie the audit while trying to undermine a ‘gatekeeper’ operating under the Basic Law: the State Comptroller,” says Englman’s office.

“It is inappropriate and it is very severe that those in uniform should get brief and attack gatekeepers, as the Military Advocate General’s office is doing at the moment.

“None of this will deter the State Comptroller from carrying out his duty and providing the citizens of Israel with the answers they have been expecting for some two years.”

IDF chief orders immediate inquiry into Nasser Hospital strikes, ‘regrets harm’ to civilians

Palestinians gather outside Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip on August 25, 2025, following Israeli strikes that were said to leave at least 20 dead, including five journalists. (AFP)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has ordered an immediate inquiry into this morning’s strike against Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the military says.

The IDF confirms that troops carried out a strike in the area, which, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, killed 20. Four journalists are said to be among the dead.

“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved [civilians] and in no way directs strikes at journalists,” the military says, adding that it works to “minimize harm to them while safeguarding the security of our forces.”

Death toll of Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital rises to 20, Hamas-run health ministry says

The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip raises the death toll of the Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to 20.

The Strip’s civil defense agency, also run by the terror group, says five journalists are among the dead.

Syria’s Sharaa to address UN General Assembly next month, first Syrian leader to do so since 1967

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, will speak at the United Nations General Assembly next month, a Syrian foreign ministry official tells AFP.

Sharaa “will take part in the United Nations General Assembly in New York where he will deliver a speech,” the official says, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media.

The official adds that he will be the first Syrian president to address the assembly since 1967.

Three hours after Nasser Hospital strikes, IDF still has yet to comment

Three hours since Israeli strikes hit Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the IDF has yet to issue a statement on the attack.

In response to a query by the Times of Israel shortly after reports of the strikes emerged, the IDF said it was looking into the incident.

Earlier, a military official told The Times of Israel the attack was not an airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force, indicating it may have been conducted by ground forces.

Palestinian media reports that 15 were killed in the strikes, including four journalists. Footage showed rescue workers being hit in a second strike following the initial attack.

Germany’s development minister to depart today for visit to Israel, Palestinian territories

Germany’s development and foreign aid minister, Reem Alabali Radovan, will depart today for a three-day visit to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, according to a ministry spokesperson.

“The minister is thus continuing her commitment to the future of Gaza and the stabilization of the entire region. This requires a joint approach by the international community and important regional powers such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia,” the spokesperson says at a press conference in Berlin.

Associated Press freelancer killed in Nasser Hospital attack, news agency says

Palestinians try to reach casualties following an Israeli strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on August 25, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Mariam Abu Dagga, one of four journalists killed in an Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, was a freelance journalist who had worked with the Associated Press since the outbreak of Israel’s war with Hamas in October 2023, the news agency says.

Abu Dagga, 33, had reported for AP on issues including child malnutrition in Gaza, and earlier this month reported on Nasser Hospital doctors struggling to save children with no prior health issues who were wasting away from starvation.

The Reuters news agency said earlier that its contractor cameraman, Hussam al-Masri, was killed in the same strike, and Al Jazeera said photojournalist and cameraman Mohammad Salama was as well.

Report: Likud minister under investigation on suspicion of pocketing ministry funds

Social Equality Minister May Golan at the (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Social Equality Minister May Golan is reportedly being investigated by police in Lahav 433’s fraud investigations unit on suspicion of attempting to pocket money from her own ministry through a deal with senior figures in several emergency response organizations, Channel 12 reports.

The Likud politician and several prominent figures involved in Israeli social-welfare groups are alleged to have engineered a deal in which her ministry would give money to ZAKA for a program ostensibly aimed at aiding the elderly, while in reality, the money would go to her and associates.

Golan rejects the allegations, saying that “this is a false claim from start to finish.”

Earlier this year, police received authorization from the State Attorney’s Office to investigate Golan on suspicions of widespread nepotism in her office and dubious fundraising methods for an anti-migrant NGO she founded.

Military official says Israel’s attack on Nasser Hospital wasn’t an Air Force strike

The Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis was not an airstrike carried out by the Israeli Air Force, according to a military official.

The IDF has not yet commented on the attack, which according to Palestinian media killed 15, including four journalists.

Reuters says one of its journalists killed, another injured in Nasser Hospital strikes

One of the four journalists reported to have been killed in the Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis worked for Reuters, the news agency says, citing unnamed Palestinian health officials.

Cameraman Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters contractor, was killed in the first strike, according to the officials. Photographer Hatem Khaled, who was also a Reuters contractor, was wounded in a second strike, Reuters says.

Witnesses say the second strike on the hospital took place after rescue workers and journalists rushed to the site of the initial attack.

The Reuters live video feed from the hospital, which was operated by Masri, suddenly shut down at the moment of the initial strike, Reuters footage shows.

Health officials in Gaza name the three other journalists as Mariam Abu Dagga, Mohammed Salama and Moaz Abu Taha. A rescue worker was also among those killed, they add.

Salama was employed by Al Jazeera as a photojournalist and cameraman, the Qatar-based news network says.

The IDF has not yet commented on the strikes, which left at least 15 people dead, according to Palestinian reports.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Lebanese media reports one killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reports one dead in an Israeli drone strike near the southern Lebanese town of Tebnine.

The IDF has not yet commented.

The strike comes shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would reduce its military presence in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese Armed Forces “take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah.”

Senior Shas rabbi appears to backtrack, says Haredim who don’t study full-time can serve in the IDF

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri meets with Moshe Maya, a senior member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, June 26, 2024. (Courtesy)

In what appears to be a dramatic reversal of his position, one of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party’s senior spiritual leaders states that Haredim who are not enrolled full-time in yeshiva can serve in the IDF on condition that the military obligates itself to allow them to observe their way of life.

Speaking with Radio Kol Hai, Rabbi Moshe Maya, a member of Shas’ ruling Council of Torah Sages, states that “if there is an arrangement whereby someone who enlists would not come to desecrate the Sabbath and would preserve his holiness and purity — why shouldn’t he enlist? But there is one condition: that it be an official IDF General Staff order. As long as it’s just declarations, it’s worthless.”

Last summer, following the High Court of Justice’s ruling ending service exemptions for yeshiva students, Maya took a very different tone, telling Kol Barama Radio that it was “forbidden for those who don’t study to go to the army,” arguing that “those who do will end up violating the Shabbat.”

This June, the rabbi was one of several senior Shas rabbis who signed an open letter expressing opposition to any enlistment compromise that would lead to the conscription of yeshiva students. In the letter, the rabbis declared that it was forbidden for those not in yeshiva to enlist, even into “the so-called ‘ultra-Orthodox’ tracks.”

However, he started softening his position not long after, stating several weeks later that while at the moment no Haredim at all may enlist, “if military frameworks are established with the approval of the rabbis, which will certainly safeguard every Haredi—and we know that this will have legal validity—then only those who do not study at all should be drafted.”

The IDF currently maintains several service tracks for ultra-Orthodox soldiers, including the Netzach Yehuda battalion (also known as Nahal Haredi) and the recently-established Hasmonean Brigade.

Footage shows second Israeli strike hitting rescue workers at Nasser Hospital after initial blast

Graphic footage from the Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis shows a strike hitting rescue workers following an initial strike.

The IDF has not yet commented.

According to Palestinian media, at least 14 were killed in the strikes, including three journalists.

مشاهد توثق معاودة الاحتلال قصف مبنى في مستشفى ناصر الطبي مستهدفا رجال الدفاع المدني والصحفيين .. مشهد يوثق جريمة مكتملة الاركان pic.twitter.com/LaMjpHmCnD

— Tamer Almisshal | تامر المسحال (@TamerMisshal) August 25, 2025

Palestinian media says 15 killed in Nasser Hospital strike, including 4 journalists

The death toll in the Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis rises to 15, according to Palestinian media.

The reports say four journalists are among the dead.

The IDF has not yet commented on the strike.

Welcoming Beirut’s decision to disarm Hezbollah, PM’s office says Israel will reduce military presence in Lebanon in return

A view from the IDF's Margaliot Defender military post in southern Lebanon, on the outskirts of Markaba, April 2, 2025. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

Israel will implement a phased reduction of its military presence in Lebanon as a “reciprocal measure” if the Lebanese government takes “necessary steps” toward the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.

If the Lebanese Armed Forces “take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the US-led security mechanism,” the statement reads.

“Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations,” it continues.

The PMO praises Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for their recent “momentous decision” to work toward Hezbollah’s disarmament by the end of the year, calling the move “a crucial opportunity for Lebanon to reclaim its sovereignty and restore the authority of its state institutions, military, and governance—free from the influence of non-state actors.”

The statement comes a day after top US envoy Tom Barrack, accompanied by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, reportedly met in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to discuss Syria and Lebanon.

Barrack said in Beirut last week that Israel should comply with a plan under which Hezbollah would be disarmed by the end of the year in exchange for a halt to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.

Last week, Axios reported that Washington had asked Israel to scale back “non-urgent” military action in Lebanon, warning that continued IDF strikes risk undermining Beirut’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah. The US also reportedly pressed Israel to consider withdrawing from one of five outposts the IDF has established inside Lebanon.

IDF says state comptroller accelerating probe into Oct. 7 failures, including topics that should be ‘reserved solely for a commission of inquiry’

The Military Advocate General’s Military Defense unit has filed an “urgent update” to its High Court petition against the State Comptroller’s Office, demanding it halt an investigation into the “core issues” surrounding the army’s failure to prevent the Hamas terror group’s invasion and attack on October 7, 2023, and other events in the ensuing war.

“The update concerns the accelerated activity of the state comptroller regarding the events of October 7. Despite the petition of the Military Defense and a request for an interim injunction to suspend the audit proceedings, the comptroller accelerated his activity, approached the most senior officials in the state and the defense establishment, sent questionnaires ahead of meetings for the delivery of their testimony, and even began preparing draft reports,” the Military Defense says.

Last week, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman announced that he and his team were seeking meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior political and defense officials, amid a wide-ranging probe into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught.

The meetings were slated to focus on key political and security failures, the State Comptroller’s Office said, including the conduct of the security cabinet, intelligence processes, and border defense in Gaza.

“These are precisely the issues at the heart of the petition submitted by the Military Defense, issues which… are reserved solely for a commission of inquiry,” the Military Defense adds.

The comptroller’s probe is currently the only state-sanctioned comprehensive investigation into the October 7 attack, in which thousands of Hamas-led terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 to Gaza as hostages, sparking the ongoing war.

Some critics, including opposition members and government watchdog groups, have raised concerns that Englman, who has no legal background and was appointed under a Netanyahu-led government, may minimize political responsibility for the brutal attack.

Rothman addresses Melbourne Jewish conference over Zoom after Australia barred his entry

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman addresses a Melbourne conference of local Jewish community leaders via Zoom, on August 25, 2025. (Office of Simcha Rothman)

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman addresses a Melbourne conference of local Jewish community leaders via Zoom after Australia barred him from visiting the country last week.

Rothman is speaking at the conference “about Israel and its challenges, joined by several rabbis and community leaders who condemn the Australian government’s treatment of Israel and its representatives,” according to a statement from his office.

The far-right lawmaker had planned to travel to Australia last week to meet with Jewish schools, synagogues, and victims of recent antisemitic attacks in Melbourne at the invitation of the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), when Australia blocked his visit, accusing Rothhman of intending to “spread division.”

Israel responded by revoking the residency visas of Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority and taking other diplomatic measures.

Defense Ministry publishes footage it says shows Hamas gunmen abusing civilians in Gaza

The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) publishes graphic footage it says depicts Hamas gunmen “beating, abusing, and shooting at Gaza residents across the Strip.”

According to COGAT, the footage has circulated on social media in recent days. COGAT does not provide any further details on the videos.

“Hamas embodies the essence of evil. The shocking footage illustrates how the terrorist organization Hamas oppresses the population, abuses civilians, and uses unrestrained violence against people in order to maintain its bloody rule and consolidate its power,” says COGAT chief Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian in a post on X.

“Hamas once again proves that it does not represent the residents of Gaza — it rules over them with force, fear, and cruelty,” he adds.

Palestinian reports say Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza

Palestinian media reports an Israeli airstrike against the upper floor of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.

According to the reports, two people were killed and others were wounded in the strike.

The IDF has not yet commented.

عاجل| طيران الاحتـ."لال يقـ.صف الطابق العلوي بمبنى الاستقبال في مجمع ناصر الطبي غرب خانيونس. pic.twitter.com/NPeJf4S5iB

— فلسطين بوست (@PalpostN) August 25, 2025

المبنى الذي قصفه الاحتلال في مجمع ناصر الطبي بخانيونس. pic.twitter.com/zTEerq1SSA

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) August 25, 2025

Iran nuclear talks with European powers to be held in Geneva tomorrow

Talks between Iran and Britain, France, and Germany on Iran’s nuclear program are scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, Iranian state media reports.

“On Tuesday, Iran and the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, along with the European Union, will hold a new round of talks at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Geneva,” state television says.

The meeting will be the second since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in mid-June, during which the United States also carried out strikes against Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

The previous round of talks was held in Istanbul on July 25.

Gantz doubles down on plea to form unity government with Netanyahu despite opposition leaders rejecting the idea

National Unity-Blue and White chair Benny Gantz is doubling down on his call for a unity government, even as nearly every major opposition party has rejected the idea.

In a post on X, Gantz says that “military pressure has proven itself” and that the “conditions have been created for the return of all the hostages,” and inquires whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “the courage to make a decision.”

He says that the opposition party leaders and the “Zionist forces” are required to “act immediately to establish a government for the redemption of the hostages and enlistment for all,” — the two main demands he laid out in his appeal to merge forces.

“This is the most urgent matter for the State of Israel,” he stresses.

The remarks follow his Saturday evening press conference, in which he urged Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman to form a unity government with a six-month mandate to focus on securing the hostages’ release and advancing legislation on ultra-Orthodox enlistment in the military.

He also called on Netanyahu to cut ties with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who have threatened to topple the coalition if the prime minister agrees to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Opposition leaders have dismissed his proposal for a “government of hostage redemption” as “pitiful,” insisting there is “no reason” to join Netanyahu’s coalition.

Ex-Dutch FM, former ambassador to Israel, says Netanyahu’s policies endanger the country

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp arrives for the EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on July 14, 2025. (NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP)

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who resigned over the weekend after failing to secure new sanctions against Israel over the war in Gaza, tells Channel 12 that he believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is harming the country.

“As a friend of Israel, I believe that I must now warn that the military operation in Gaza City and the current actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet are harmful to Israel’s security — and ultimately to Israel’s identity,” the news outlet quotes him as saying.

Veldkamp had proposed a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in response to the planned military offensive.

The ex-foreign minister served as the Netherlands’ ambassador to Israel between 2011-2015.

Channel 12 says that Veldkamp stressed the need to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible, as it is no longer the “defensive and justified” war that it was in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre.

“I attach great importance to Israel’s security and future, but I disagree with the current government’s policy and conduct in Gaza. The war must end,” it quotes Veldkamp as saying.

The Dutch politician also expressed his belief that “the Netanyahu government has definitely lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the world,” Channel 12 says, adding that he holds this opinion “as someone who has made clear efforts to exert additional European pressure on Hamas, and has always raised the issue of the hostages at every opportunity.”

“I remain close, for professional and personal reasons, to Israeli society — a creative, free, and inspiring society in many ways,” he added.

Veldkamp resigned on Friday after finding himself unable to secure support for new measures against Israel in response to its planned offensive in Gaza City and other heavily populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

He told reporters that he felt he was unable “to implement policy myself and chart the course I deem necessary.”

Women of the Wall hold prayer service with Torah scroll at Jerusalem’s Western Wall

Female worshippers and activists from the Women of the Wall organization pray at the Western Wall on the first day of the month of Elul, on August 25, 2025. (Livestream screenshots/Women of the Wall Facebook page)

Women of the Wall, an activist group that advocates for egalitarian prayer and women-led Torah readings to be allowed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, holds a prayer service at the holy site to mark the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul.

The group gathers each month for a service that includes a Torah reading marking Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the Hebrew calendar month.

There are over 100 Torah scrolls in the Western Wall compound, according to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which manages the site, but none of them are located in the women’s section, in accordance with the customs of Orthodox Judaism.

The Foundation also sets the rules for the holy site, barring private worshippers from bringing scrolls into the area, thus preventing women from bringing in their own.

Last month, ushers from the Foundation clashed with Women of the Wall worshippers.

The Foundation said one of its ushers was taken to a hospital after the women allegedly attacked him when he tried to prevent them from using a Torah scroll smuggled into the site in a baby carrier.

Videos released by both the Foundation and Women of the Wall of the incident last month showed an usher sitting against the wall with his head in his hands.

In the footage released by the prayer group, a man identifying himself as the usher’s boss accuses one of the women of having elbowed him.

Others could be seen trying to grab a bundle — apparently the smuggled Torah scroll — from the hands of one of the women.

In the past, the activists have also been often insulted or harassed by other worshipers at the site.

Established in 1988, Women of the Wall has been fighting the current arrangement at the Western Wall, advocating to allow for female-led and mixed gender prayers. In 2023, it had a minor win when the High Court ruled that security guards at the Western Wall were not permitted to search visitors for Torah scrolls.

Report: Heritage Ministry investing NIS 1 million in search for sunken Irgun ship Altalena

The Altalena ship burns after being shelled near Tel Aviv, June 22, 1948. (Hans Pinn/GPO)

The Heritage Ministry, led by Amichay Eliyahu, has invested one million shekels in its efforts to recover the Altalena ship, an Irgun cargo ship that was sunk on the orders of then-prime minister David Ben-Gurion in 1948, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

The outlet first reported last week that Eliyahu was investigating how to recover the ship.

The Heritage Ministry funds will go toward operating Israel’s “Bat-Galim” marine research vessel, which is equipped with the necessary technology to locate the remains of the Altalena, Kan reports.

The Altalena ship, carrying a large consignment of arms and weapons, was brought to Israel by Menachem Begin’s Irgun militia during the country’s War of Independence in June 1948.

However, the nascent government of Ben-Gurion, at bitter odds with Begin, demanded that the ship and its supplies be turned over to the newly formed IDF.

As the ship reached the coast and then ran aground, a standoff ensued that ended in a shootout between Irgun members aboard and IDF soldiers on the shore, who were ordered to destroy the vessel. The ship was set ablaze by fire from cannon used by the forces on the shore under the command of a young Yitzhak Rabin, later the IDF chief of General Staff and prime minister.

Sixteen Irgun members and three IDF soldiers died in the incident, and the ship’s cargo was lost.

‘No reason to sit with Ben Gvir and Smotrich’: Lapid dismisses Gantz’s call to join government

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid again criticizes National Unity-Blue and White chair Benny Gantz’s suggestion that they — along with Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman — join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for the sake of securing a hostage deal.

“There’s no reason to sit in government with [Itamar] Ben Gvir and [Bezalel] Smotritch,” Lapid tells the Kan public broadcaster, reiterating that his Yesh Atid party will offer support to ensure that a hostage deal can pass a vote without joining the coalition.

The opposition leader accuses the government of ignoring the hostage release and ceasefire deal that is reportedly on offer in favor of “dealing with nonsense.”

He tells Kan that the rhetoric from the government about the IDF’s planned operation to capture Gaza City is reminiscent of the promises it made in the run-up to last year’s operation in Rafah, when it insisted that invading the southern Gaza city would create the necessary conditions for the hostages to be released.

“And what happened?” Lapid asks. “The hostages died. Soldiers were killed — and we didn’t return anyone.”

IDF chief reportedly says there is a hostage deal ‘on the table, we need to take it’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meets with top officers on August 13, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

While visiting the Haifa naval base, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that “there is a [hostage] deal on the table, we need to take it,” according to Channel 13 news.

The report quotes Zamir adding that “the IDF brought about the conditions for a deal, now it is in Netanyahu’s hands.

Syria’s president said to confirm ‘advanced’ talks with Israel on security agreement

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa receives the final version of the provisional electoral system for the people's assembly, in Damascus, Syria, July 27, 2025. (SANA via AP)

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa confirms to Arab journalists that his government is in “advanced” talks with Israel on a security agreement, according to Sky News Arabic.

The broadcaster reports that Sharaa said any agreement would be be based on the lines from the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria that followed the Yom Kippur War the previous year.

Sharaa also reportedly said that while he doesn’t believe the time is right for a peace deal with Israel, he “will not hesitate to take” any agreement that benefits Syria and the region.

France summons US ambassador for criticizing Macron’s response to rising antisemitism

US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner leaves the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France, after a meeting with the French president on July 18, 2025. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

PARIS — France says it will summon US Ambassador Charles Kushner over a letter he wrote to President Emmanuel Macron saying the French government’s action on antisemitism was insufficient, days after similar criticism from Israel.

“France firmly refutes these latest allegations,” says a French foreign ministry statement. “The allegations from the ambassador are unacceptable.”

France is “fully committed” to fighting antisemitism, the ministry adds.

The foreign ministry statement says Kushner’s comments went “against international law, and in particular the duty not to interfere in internal matters of states” by diplomatic personnel.

“Furthermore, they do not live up to the quality of the transatlantic relationship between France and the United States and the trust that should result between allies,” it adds.

In his letter, ambassador Kushner argued that hatred of Jews “has exploded since Hamas’s barbaric assault on October 7, 2023,” which triggered the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and accused France of “lack of sufficient action” in facing down antisemitism.