July 2: Katz says Israel won’t ‘give up or compromise’ on defeating Hamas, recovering hostages

Two French nationals detained in Iran charged with spying for Mossad, families say

Two French nationals detained for more than three years in Iran have been charged with spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, diplomatic and family sources tell AFP.

They have also been charged with “conspiracy to overthrow the regime” and “corruption on earth,” the Western diplomatic source and the sister of Cecile Kohler, who is being detained along with Jacques Paris, tells AFP.

“All we know is that they have seen a judge who confirmed the three charges,” said Kohler’s sister.

Report: Israel in talks with Russia about de-escalation in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 30, 2020. (MAXIM SHEMETOV / POOL / AFP)

Israel is conducting under-the-radar diplomatic talks with Russia concerning both Iran and Syria, the Kan Public Broadcaster says in an unsourced report.

The discussions began roughly a week after the war between Israel and Iran ended in a ceasefire last Tuesday, according to the network, which says Israeli officials see Moscow as a possible conduit for de-escalation in Syria, with whom talks for a potential peace agreement are ongoing, as well as in Iran.

In parallel, Israel is working to draft an enforcement framework with the United States on the Iranian nuclear issue, similar to the understandings reached with Washington regarding Israel’s ceasefire with Lebanon in November last year, the report adds. It says that the effort is expected to be a major topic in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week.

Israeli officials hope to establish basic red lines and a mechanism for coordination should Iran escalate its nuclear activity, according to Kan.

Russia played a key role in the deportation of Iran’s enriched uranium supply during the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under the Obama administration.

It is too early to say if Moscow would play a similar role at the current juncture, although Russia notably offered itself as a mediator between Iran and Israel during the June campaign, and did not provide any military support to Iran in the conflict, despite Iran’s assistance of Russia in its war against Ukraine, adds the network.

Pentagon says US strikes set Iran’s nuclear program back by up to two years

The Pentagon says that Iran’s nuclear program has been degraded by up to two years following US strikes that it says destroyed the three sites targeted by the United States.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, offers the estimate at a briefing to reporters, adding that the official estimate was “probably closer to two years.”

US President Donald Trump insisted in an interview with Fox News earlier this week that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated” by the Israeli and US strikes last month.

IDF issues evacuation warning for several neighborhoods in Gaza City after earlier rocket fire

The military’s Arabic-language spokesperson has issued an evacuation warning for residents in several neighborhoods of Gaza City — including Tuffah, Daraj and the Old City — ahead of expected IDF operations in the area.

The warning follows the launch of two rockets from Gaza earlier today toward Israeli territory near the northern Gaza Strip, both of which were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force.

The statement says the IDF is operating with “very strong force” and will strike “any area used to launch rockets toward Israel.”

Residents in the affected areas are urged to evacuate immediately southward to the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi and to refrain from returning to the designated combat zones.

Syrian media says talks of peace agreement with Israel are ‘premature’

Syrian state media says that statements on signing a peace agreement with Israel are “premature,” days after Israel said it was interested in striking normalization agreements with Syria and neighboring Lebanon.

“Statements concerning signing a peace agreement with the Israeli occupation at this time are considered premature,” state TV reports an unidentified official source as saying.

“It is not possible to talk of the possibility of negotiations over a new agreement unless the occupation fully adheres to the 1974 disengagement agreement and withdraws from the areas it has penetrated,” it adds.

Israel’s takeover of the buffer zone along the Syrian border following the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December is considered by the United Nations to be a violation of the 1974 disengagement accord.

Israel says the accord has fallen apart since one of the sides was no longer in a position to implement it, and that the takeover was a defensive move to protect the country from potential hostile forces that could have exploited the power vacuum.

While Israeli officials have said that ongoing talks with Syria are aimed at normalizing ties between the two nations, Syrian officials are reportedly urging mediators to consider a more limited agreement — one that would declare an end to hostilities with Israel without progressing toward full peace.

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.

Israel said hoping to clinch comprehensive truce, hostage deal before Netanyahu’s US visit next week

Israel is advancing major efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington next week, multiple Israeli outlets report.

Israel is now, for the first time, willing to engage in talks over a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release framework in Gaza that would see the release of all 50 remaining hostages from Hamas, the network says, citing sources involved in the talks.

Even if Hamas agrees to the framework in principle, potentially within the next 24 hours, the process will take time, the report adds.

Assuming a basic commitment from Hamas is reached, negotiations will then need to be held in Doha or Cairo to discuss the release of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the hostages, the process of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza, and the entry of humanitarian aid — talks which would take at least a week, according to the network.

At the same time, broader talks — led primarily by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Qatari officials — are currently underway to determine how far Israel is willing to go toward ending the war, and whether Hamas is prepared to accept the terms that Israel offers. Without such acceptance, the overall chances for a deal remain slim, despite growing optimism, concludes the report.

In another report, Channel 12 says that during Netanyahu’s planned meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday, the premier is expected to ask the US to pressure Qatar to threaten senior Hamas leaders with expulsion if they fail to advance a deal soon or show flexibility on Hamas’s core positions.

In recent high-level discussions, the issue of senior Hamas leaders receiving “preferential treatment” abroad resurfaced, according to the report.

Israeli officials believe targeted sanctions on senior Hamas leaders, especially one prominent leader living abroad, who was not named, being hosted by countries like Qatar and Turkey are essential to pushing Hamas toward a deal, despite Israel’s complex relationships with these countries, Channel 12 says.

“Hamas leaders are traveling freely around the world and feel no pressure — that’s why they’re in no rush to make a deal,” security officials involved in the talks were quoted as saying.

Earlier today, Hamas said it was open to a ceasefire with Israel, but did not accept the US-backed proposal announced by Trump hours earlier, in which he said that Israel agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, adding that during this period, “we will work with all parties to end the war.”

The proposal echoes earlier frameworks, though talks have repeatedly stalled over post-truce conditions, as Israel insists on preserving the right to resume fighting, while Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire.

According to the Kan Public Broadcaster, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have both expressed support for the framework in closed-door discussions, though Israel has not yet issued any official endorsement.

Channel 13 reports that Israel is preparing for the possibility that an agreement on a deal may be announced during Netanyahu’s trip.

Mother of hostage Alon Ohel says she hasn’t given up hope for hostage deal

Idit Ohel, mother of hostage Alon Ohel, addressed the Shift 101 vigil for the hostages outside the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv earlier this evening, telling them that she has not given up hope.

“Alon and the other hostages need us to do everything so that they will be here with us,” said Ohel. “This is a very unsettling time, and it seems like there is some kind of window of opportunity — we have to hold on to that faith and hope. But until we see them at home, it’s not over.”

Anat Angrest also speaks about her son, hostage Matan Angrest, an IDF soldier who was stationed on the Gaza border to protect Israel and was severely injured in battle with Hamas terrorists before being taken hostage to Gaza.

“Why is it always about a partial deal?” asks Angrest. “This saga can be ended, and everyone can be brought back. How is it that people are still talking about selections? Matan’s grandfather is a Holocaust survivor who is now experiencing a second selection — through his grandson, under the auspices of deals made by the Israeli government.”

Two protesters were arrested at the sit-in for the hostages, after they refused to leave the vicinity of the IDF headquarters without speaking to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

Acting Columbia U. president apologizes for calling to remove Jewish board member after Oct. 7

Columbia University acting president Claire Shipman speaks during a commencement ceremony on Columbia's main campus, in Manhattan, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP)

Acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman apologizes for calling to remove a Jewish university board member amid campus turmoil following the October 2023 invasion of Israel.

The Congressional Committee on Education and the Workforce exposed texts from Shipman yesterday.

The committee, which has been investigating antisemitism at Columbia, sent a letter to Shipman requesting “clarity regarding several messages you sent that appear to downplay and even mock the pervasive culture of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus.”

On October 30, 2023, Shipman wrote to then-university president Minouche Shafik, saying, “People are really frustrated and scared about antisemitism on our campus and they feel somehow betrayed by it. Which is not necessarily a rational feeling.”

On January 17, 2024, Shipman said, “We need to get somebody from the Middle East or who is Arab on our board,” according to texts obtained by the House committee. The committee said the texts raised concerns about the university’s compliance with non-discrimination rules, and its approach toward antisemitism.

Shipman also spoke out against Shoshana Shendelman, a Jewish member of Columbia’s board of trustees who had spoken out against the harassment of Jewish students.

President of Columbia University Nemat Shafik testifies before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing on “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Antisemitism” on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

In January 2024, Shipman said, “I just don’t think she should be on the board” and called Shendelman “extraordinarily unhelpful.” In April 2024, Shipman agreed with a colleague who suggested Shendelman was a “mole” and a “fox in the henhouse.”

“I am tired of her,” Shipman said.

Shipman was on the university’s board of trustees at the time.

“These exchanges raise the question of why you appeared to be in favor of removing one of the board’s most outspoken Jewish advocates at a time when Columbia students were facing a shocking level of fear and hostility,” leaders of the committee said in the letter to Shipman.

In a letter sent to some faculty members this afternoon, Shipman apologizes.

“The things I said in a moment of frustration and stress were wrong. They do not reflect how I feel. I have apologized directly to the person named in my texts, and I am apologizing now to you,” Shipman says, according to a copy of the email shared with The Times of Israel.

“It was a moment of immense pressure, over a year and a half ago, as we navigated some deeply turbulent times. But that doesn’t change the fact that I made a mistake,” she says, adding that she maintains her “deep commitment to fighting antisemitism and protecting our Jewish students and faculty.”

Shafik resigned last year amid intense turmoil of antisemitism and anti-Israel activism on campus, and her replacement, Katrina Armstrong, stepped down in March. Shipman took the mantle, and had been seen as a more effective advocate for Jewish students than her predecessors.

Retired senior IDF officer questioned under caution as part of Qatargate probe, suspected of taking bribe

IDF Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai speaks with then IDF chief Benny Gantz near Ramallah, February 27, 2013. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A retired senior IDF official was questioned under caution today by the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit on suspicion of having been involved in the so-called Qatargate scandal, Channel 13 reports.

According to the report, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Mordechai, the former head of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), is suspected of having contact with a foreign agent and accepting a bribe.

It alleges that Mordechai’s company Novard transferred large sums of money to key Qatargate suspect Jonatan Urich — a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — to fund an online influence campaign aimed at improving Qatar’s image in Israel.

The report adds that Mordechai’s business partner, former Mossad official Shaun Bouter, was also questioned under caution.

Novard, according to its mission statement, uses “innovation to bridge the gap between global business and the Middle East” in order to “establish long-term business partnerships that benefit the region and its residents.”

Minor involved in settler attacks on IDF soldiers released from detention to house arrest

A minor who was arrested Friday night for involvement in severe settler attacks against IDF soldiers at an illegal West Bank outpost in the Mount Hatzor region has been released from detention by the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court.

The individual will be confined to house arrest for five days and will then be banned from residing in the West Bank for a period of time.

Three other suspects detained in the Mount Hatzor incident were released from detention on Monday, after the Lod-Central District Court rejected a police appeal against a lower court decision to release the suspects.

Another two suspects who were arrested that night, both adults, remain in custody after their detention was extended until tomorrow.

Additionally, two residents of the Har Hatzor illegal outpost who returned to live there this week have been arrested.

Freed hostage Edan Alexander to meet Trump at White House tomorrow, thank US for securing his release

Former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander returns to his US hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, June 19, 2025. (Liri Agami/Flash90)

Former hostage Edan Alexander is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump tomorrow, following his release from Hamas in a US-brokered deal in early May, reports Channel 12.

The president, along with First Lady Melania Trump, will meet with the 21-year-old dual US-Israeli citizen at noon in the White House, according to the network.

Ahead of Trump’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next Monday, Alexander is expected to thank Trump for securing his release and to call for the return of the 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, adds Channel 12.

Alexander was released by Hamas on May 12 after 584 days as a hostage, and returned to his home in New Jersey last month. Hamas characterized the release as a goodwill gesture to Trump in the hope that he would coax Israel into agreeing to a deal to end the war.

Likud ministers publish letter calling for Netanyahu to annex the West Bank by end of month

Illustrative image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to his supporters after the first exit poll results for the Israeli parliamentary elections at his Likud party's headquarters in Jerusalem, March. 24, 2021. (AP/Maya Alleruzzo)

Senior Likud lawmakers are pushing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank before the end of the Knesset’s summer session on July 27, claiming that he must ride the “historic achievements” of the war against Iran and do so.

In a letter signed by all Likud ministers currently in government and by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the lawmakers declare that ‘after the State of Israel’s historic achievements in the face of Iran’s axis of evil and its sympathizers, the task must be completed and the existential threat from within must be eliminated, to prevent another massacre in the heart of the country.”

“The strategic partnership, backing and support of the US and President Donald Trump have made it a propitious time to move forward with it now, and ensure Israel’s security for generations,” the ministers argue.

The letter is praised by far-right Religious Zionism chair Bezalel Smotrich, who is a minister within the Defense Ministry.

He says that as soon as the prime minister “gives the order,” he will be ready to implement Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank “immediately.”

Israeli forces say they killed two Hamas operatives responsible for deaths of 7 IDF soldiers in Gaza last week

The IDF and Shin Bet announce that they have killed two Hamas operatives responsible for the deaths of seven Israeli soldiers in a deadly ambush in Khan Younis on June 24.

According to a joint statement, an Israeli Air Force drone, directed by the Shin Bet and the IDF’s 188th Armored Brigade, struck and killed Mosaab Yasser Abdallah Galban and Abd al-Latif Mousa Hagag Barbakh in the Khan Younis area last Thursday.

The two were involved in the ambush that killed seven IDF soldiers: Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21; Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20; Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20; Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19; Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21; Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20; and Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21.

Mother of hostage soldier Nimrod Cohen calls to end war at vigil outside IDF headquarters

Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, speaks at the Shift 101 silent protest near the IDF military headquarters in Tel Aviv, July 2, 2025. (Lizzy Shaanan/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Viki Cohen, mother of hostage soldier Nimrod Cohen, calls for Israel to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, at a Shift 101 sit-in vigil outside the IDF military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“We have received the painful news that another soldier has fallen in this cursed war — Sergeant Yaniv Michalovich, 19 years old from Rehovot, an Armored Corps soldier like Nimrod,” says Cohen, whose son Nimrod is also a Rehovot native, and was 19 when he was captured by Hamas from a tank on the Gaza border with three other soldiers, who were all killed and their bodies taken hostage.

The Cohen family has received indications that their son is still alive in captivity.

“We are here to say enough,” says Cohen. “We are asking to end this nightmare.”

Cohen touches on the reports that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich could thwart a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.

“A Jew who was raised on the values of mutual responsibility doesn’t speak that way,” says Cohen. “I sincerely hope that President Trump will use all his power and all his influence — on both Hamas and our prime minister — to push for a deal that will bring everyone back in one go, not in stages, and not in parts.”

Israel to open first embassy in Estonia, Sa’ar announces on Baltic visit

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addresses the press alongside Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, in Tallinn, Estonia, July 2, 2025. (Shalev Man/Foreign Ministry)

Israel will open a new embassy in Tallinn, announces Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar during a visit to the Estonian capital, his final stop on a three-day visit to the Baltic states.

The move follows meetings with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna earlier today, where Sa’ar praised Estonia’s digital innovation and Israel’s shared democratic values with the friendly European Union member state.

The new embassy “reflects our ongoing will to strengthen our relations,” Sa’ar says, speaking to the press alongside Tsahkna, adding that “this important move will contribute to our economic and defense partnership.”

Sa’ar’s trip also included visits to Latvia and Lithuania, where Israel has already established embassies.

Visiting troops in Gaza, Katz says Israel won’t ‘give up or compromise’ on defeating Hamas, recovering hostages

Defense Minister Israel Katz and Tourism Minister Haim Katz, along with senior IDF officials, visit troops in Rafah, southern Gaza, July 2, 2025. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Israel Katz visited IDF troops in Rafah today, accompanied by Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Gaza Division commander Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, Tourism Minister Haim Katz, and senior officers from reserve brigades operating in the Strip.

According to a statement from the defense minister’s office, Katz met with reservists, heard firsthand about the challenges they face and pledged continued support.

“The maneuver is aimed at achieving two goals — returning the hostages and ensuring Hamas no longer exists here. We will not let go of this objective,” Katz said.

“To kill the enemy, bring the hostages home and win — that is our mission. There’s no chance we’ll give it up or compromise on it,” he said. “Hamas has not changed. It wants to continue what it did and to destroy [Israel].”

Katz also accused Hamas of working with Iran to implement its plan to destroy Israel by launching missile attacks and coordinating invasions from Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and other fronts.

IDF intercepts two rockets launched from northern Gaza at southern Israel

The IDF says two rockets launched from the northern Gaza Strip were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force following sirens that sounded a short while ago in Sderot and Ibim.

There are no reports of injuries.

Sirens sound in Sderot and Ibim, close to Gaza border; IDF investigating cause

After sirens sounded in Sderot and Ibim, close to the Gaza border, the IDF says it is looking into the circumstances.

UTJ lawmaker takes over as housing minister following Goldknopf’s resignation last month

MK Yisrael Eichler attends a United Torah Judaism faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on October 28, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler is set to take over the Housing Ministry from Tourism Minister Haim Katz, the Prime Minister’s Office announces.

Katz was appointed to head the ministry in June, following the resignation of Yitzchak Goldknopf, who quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet as part of an ongoing fight over the military conscription of yeshiva students. Despite Goldknopf’s resignation, his party remained in the coalition, and he was replaced only on an interim basis.

Both Eichler and Goldknopf are part of UTJ’s Hasidic Agudat Yisrael faction.

“After Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf resigned from his position, Knesset members from Agudat Yisrael approached the prime minister with a request to appoint MK Yisrael Eichler to the position,” the PMO says in a statement.

“Due to the security situation at the time,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to appoint Katz in an acting capacity but now the premier “intends to uphold the coalition” and officially appoint Eichler on Monday following a Knesset vote, the PMO says, adding that “the door is open to [Goldknopf] to return to his position.”

“Upon MK Goldknopf’s return to office, MK Eichler will resign from his position and return to serve as chairman of the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee,” the statement reads.

IDF soldier killed in northern Gaza fighting, three others seriously injured

Sgt. Yaniv Michalovitch, 19, of the 7th Armored Brigade. (Israel Defense Forces)

An IDF soldier was killed during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Sgt. Yaniv Michalovitch, 19, a tank crew member in the 82nd Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, from Rehovot.

According to the IDF, Michalovitch was killed in combat in the northern part of the Strip. A tank commander and another soldier from the same battalion were seriously wounded in the same incident.

In a separate battle in northern Gaza, a soldier from the Egoz unit of the Commando Brigade was also seriously wounded.

All of the wounded soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families have been notified.

Amazon resumes deliveries to Israel after suspending service during war with Iran

Online retail giant Amazon has resumed delivery services to Israel after halting new orders during the Iran conflict in June, since the country’s airspace remained largely closed.

“We are experiencing shipping delays in your area,” Amazon says on its Israel site, in a message that has been on the site for years. “Please expect extended delivery time.”

During the 12-day war with Iran, which started on June 13, Ben Gurion Airport was largely closed to commercial flights, as well as incoming and outgoing cargo flights.

Report: Gantz could return to Netanyahu’s coalition if far-right parties quit over hostage deal

File - War cabinet Minister Benny Gantz (standing), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center), and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, at a press conference at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, November 22, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The coalition is considering inviting Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party to join the government if the far-right Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism parties quit in the wake of Israeli acquiescence to a deal that ends the Gaza war, Army Radio reports.

According to Army Radio, contacts between Blue and White and the coalition are being handled by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who hopes that Gantz can help broker an agreement on ultra-Orthodox conscription. Both Deri’s office and Blue and White deny the report.

“We are not aware of such an appeal. As we have said before, we will provide a safety net for the return of the hostages and for appropriate political moves from the outside,” Blue and White tells Army Radio.

Otzma Yehudit chair Itamar Ben Gvir is said to have reached out to Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich to discuss working together to torpedo a US-backed deal to end the war and secure the release of all hostages, although Smotrich’s office denies that he agreed to meet on the matter.

In response, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and Gantz both promised that their parties will provide any support from across the aisle to ensure that the deal isn’t torpedoed.

Gantz, who once built his political career on being a viable alternative to Netanyahu, has not categorically ruled out sitting in government with the premier again if necessary.

Netanyahu insists Israel can free hostages without giving up on goal of defeating Hamas

Amid reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shifted toward prioritizing freeing the hostages and ending the war in Gaza through a deal over fighting until Hamas gives in or is defeated, he stresses that both war aims are still possible.

“I am telling you, there will be no Hamas,” Netanyahu says during a visit to the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company headquarters in Ashkelon. “There will be no Hamastan. We are not going back to that. It is over. We will release all our hostages.”

He says any suggestions that these are two opposing goals are “nonsense.”

“It works together. We will complete this together, contrary to what they say. We will eliminate them to the end.”

According to Channel 13, Netanyahu said in a meeting on the Gaza war on Monday that Hamas would remain in Gaza “over my dead body.”

“That won’t happen. We need to kill everyone holding a weapon. Nothing less. Will the great Israel fall to them? Will Hamas defeat the great IDF?”

Turning to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Netanyahu reportedly told him the military was poor at making “political assessments” and reiterated: “Hamas will surrender. I’m putting my cultural and political assessment on the line. You, the IDF, are not good at political assessments. We can’t win? Of course, we can.”

Netanyahu is set to fly to Washington next week to meet US President Donald Trump, who has said he would push Israel to end the war in Gaza.

In Ashkelon, the premier says that there are “huge” opportunities now. “We are not going to miss them.”

He also teases an energy network running through Israel, saying that there is “a huge opportunity here, both to defeat our enemies and to secure our future — economically, nationally, internationally and energetically.”

“We will connect Asia and the entire Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, with its vast energy resources, to the West,” he continues. “And this is about to happen.”

Netanyahu adds that Israel is expected to see a revenue of NIS 300 billion over the next decade from natural gas.

US senator apologizes to NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani for ‘global jihad’ remark

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference to protest cuts in the World Trade Center Health Program on Capitol Hill, May 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

JTA — New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has apologized to NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over comments she made on WNYC last Thursday in which she falsely claimed Mamdani had made “references to global jihad.”

The apology, which is first reported by Politico, comes after Gillibrand had previously backed away from the comments she made on WNYC last Friday, telling Rolling Stone that she “misspoke.”

In the Thursday interview, Gillibrand responded to a caller who had asked her about holding Mamdani accountable for “glorifying” Hamas.

In response, Gillibrand said, “The caller is exactly the New York constituents that I’ve spoken to that are alarmed. They are alarmed by past public statements. They are alarmed by past positions, particularly references to global jihad.”

Among those criticizing Gillibrand for her characterization of Mamdani was New York Gov. Kathy Hochul when asked by a reporter to “comment on the racism [Mamdani] is already facing, including from New York’s own Kirsten Gillibrand.”

“No one should be subjected to any comments that slur their ethnicity, their religious beliefs, and we condemn that anywhere it rears its head in the state of New York,” replied Hochul. If elected, Mamdani would be New York’s first Muslim mayor.

In a readout of the call held Monday between Gillibrand and Mamdani obtained by Politico, Gillibrand’s team said the two had “discussed the need to bring down the temperature around the issue” of the war between Israel and Hamas, and that she “regretted not separating her own views from the radio show caller’s more clearly.”

“Gillibrand said she believes Mr. Mamdani is sincere when he says he wants to protect all New Yorkers and combat antisemitism,” the readout continued. “She said the GOP attacks on him are outrageous and unacceptable.”

Gillibrand’s team said the pair agreed to meet in person in New York City in the near future to discuss other issues, including affordability and public safety, according to Politico.

Hamas confirms it is examining ceasefire proposal received from mediators

Hamas confirms in a statement that it is discussing a proposal received from mediators to “end the aggression in Gaza, ensure [the IDF’s] withdrawal, and provide urgent aid” to Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

The terror group says that it received a proposal from the mediators and is holding talks with them to “bridge gaps” on returning to the negotiating table to try to reach a ceasefire agreement.

A Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo today to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official.

Earlier today, a Hamas official indicated that the group was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but stopped short of accepting the US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hadash-Ta’al chair Odeh vows to ‘stand firm’ amid efforts to expel him from Knesset

MK Ayman Odeh attends a meeting at the Knesset on January 21, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh promises to “stand firm” after Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana announces that a vote to expel him from parliament will take place on July 14.

“We will stand against fascism, against Kahanism, against Jewish supremacy, against the occupation, and against all the anti-democratic forces that try to silence us and destroy our common space,” Odeh writes on X.

“We will stand firm. For equality, for freedom of expression, for democracy, for peace, and for a better future – for all of us!”

Members of the Knesset House Committee voted 14-2 in favor of impeaching the Arab lawmaker on Monday, paving the way for the matter to be referred to the Knesset plenum, where 90 MKs would have to vote in favor in order to oust Odeh.

At issue is a statement Odeh made earlier this year that appeared to equate Israeli hostages held in Gaza by terrorists with Palestinian security prisoners held in Israel.

Switzerland to close inactive Geneva branch of US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Switzerland says it will close the Geneva branch of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation because it had neither a Swiss address nor a representative in the country.

An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into Gaza for more than two months. Its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of mass casualty incidents.

The GHF is based in the US state of Delaware, with a subsidiary registered in Geneva.

In the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the Swiss Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) publishes “a call for creditors following the liquidation” of the GHF.

The ESA can “order the dissolution of the foundation if no creditor comes forward within the legal period of 30 days,” an interior ministry spokeswoman tells AFP.

“The GHF confirmed to the ESA that it had never been active in Switzerland and that it intended to dissolve the Geneva-registered foundation,” she adds.

The Geneva subsidiary “was failing to comply with certain legal obligations,” the spokeswoman says, adding that the ESA had asked the GHF to clarify the situation by the end of June.

She says there were five shortcomings: the foundation did not have a board member authorized to sign documents domiciled in Switzerland; it did not have the minimum three board members; it did not have an account in Switzerland; or a valid address; or an auditing body.

Four arrested on suspicion of throwing Molotov cocktails at civilians near Efrat, in the West Bank

A terror cell responsible for hurling Molotov cocktails at a civilian road near the West Bank settlement of Efrat last month has been apprehended, the IDF and Israel Police announce in a joint statement.

According to the IDF, the four suspects carried out the attack on June 9, targeting a road near Efrat, south of Bethlehem. No injuries were reported.

Acting on intelligence from the Israel Police’s West Bank division, IDF reservists arrested the suspects this week in the Palestinian village of al-Khader. The men confessed to the attack during interrogation and were transferred for further investigation.

In separate overnight operations, IDF forces arrested four additional wanted individuals in the Hebron-area village of Beit Ula and seized weapons near Bethlehem. Several suspects were also questioned in the area.

Director of Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital said killed in Israeli strike on his home

Media outlets in Gaza report that Marwan Sultan, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, has been killed in an Israeli strike.

According to the reports, he was killed along with his wife and other relatives when his home in Gaza City was hit.

In the past, the IDF has said that Hamas used the Indonesian Hospital as a base for its terror activities and had fired at Israeli forces from the site. The hospital was cleared by the IDF several weeks ago and is no longer operational.

The IDF has not yet responded to the reports.

IDF issues demolition order for Hebron home of terrorist behind deadly 2024 Jaffa attack

The IDF issues a demolition order for the Hebron apartment of Ahmad Himouni, one of the perpetrators of a deadly terror attack in Jaffa on October 1, 2024.

According to the military, Himouni and Mohammed Mesek carried out the attack, which killed seven Israeli and foreign civilians and wounded 15 others. Municipal security officers and armed civilians at the scene shot the attackers, killing Mesek and seriously injuring Himouni.

The demolition order, signed by Central Command head Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, was delivered to the property earlier today.

Senior Khamenei adviser previously thought dead attended funeral in Tehran over the weekend — report

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, speaks during the first meeting of national security secretaries in the Iranian capital Tehran, September 26, 2018. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was previously reported killed in an Israeli airstrike last month, appeared publicly over the weekend at a funeral in Tehran, The New York Times reports — contradicting earlier claims by Iranian state media and other outlets that he had died from his injuries.

According to The Times, Shamkhani, a longtime political and military figure, was seen walking with a cane, visibly weakened and hunched over, at a procession honoring senior Iranian military officials killed in the recent Israeli-Iran conflict.

It was his first public appearance since Israel targeted his penthouse apartment in northern Tehran on June 13, in a strike that began a 12-day military campaign aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and military command infrastructure.

In an interview aired on Iranian state television on Saturday, Shamkhani recounted being buried under rubble for three hours following the strike, suffering serious internal injuries and broken bones.

He did not disclose why he was targeted but claimed he had played a role in “making Israel miserable.”

Initial reports had placed him among some 20 senior Iranian officials killed, including top IRGC and Armed Forces commanders.

Knesset to vote on expelling Arab MK Ayman Odeh on July 14

The Knesset will vote on the expulsion of Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh on July 14 following a debate in the plenum, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana informs lawmakers.

Members of the Knesset House Committee voted 14-2 on Monday in favor of impeaching the Arab lawmaker, paving the way for the matter to be referred to the Knesset plenum, where 90 MKs will have to vote in favor of ousting Odeh from the parliament for it to pass.

At issue in the impeachment hearings was a statement Odeh made earlier this year that appeared to equate Israeli hostages held in Gaza by terrorists with Palestinian security prisoners held in Israel.

The Arab lawmaker had posted on X that he was “happy for the release of the hostages and prisoners” under a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Odeh later defended his statement, characterizing the released Palestinian prisoners as minors and insisting that “most of the prisoners released that day were not charged with anything at all.”

Odeh has called the effort to expel him from the Knesset an attempt to silence Arab Israelis. Taking to X ahead of Ohana’s announcement, Odeh posted a cartoon of himself walking out of the Knesset with a box of his possessions while an armed settler waves goodbye.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” he wrote, quoting Psalm 23:4.

גַּם כִּי אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת לֹא אִירָא רָע. pic.twitter.com/YyWcGIsKyf

— איימן עודה أيمن عودة Ayman Odeh (@AyOdeh) July 2, 2025

The coalition does not have enough votes in the plenum to expel Odeh without the support of members of the opposition. Representatives of the Blue and White and Yesh Atid parties voted to impeach earlier this week.

Speaking with The Times of Israel, a Yesh Atid source says that the party’s lawmakers will be free to vote as they see fit. Blue and White has yet to announce its position.

IDF partially reduces closed military zone along Gaza border

The IDF announces a partial reduction of the closed military zone in Israel along the Gaza border in line with a new situational assessment, allowing additional civilian areas in the Western Negev to reopen this afternoon for the first time since October 7, 2023.

The affected areas had been closed to civilian movement since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, which triggered the ongoing war and led to the imposition of broad security restrictions in the border area.

The updated order, signed by the head of the Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, limits the closed military zone to areas outlined in a revised map, which includes key roads and areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip.

Entry into these zones remains restricted. Only permanent residents, authorized agricultural workers, and individuals conducting essential work — coordinated through the IDF Gaza Division and Home Front Command — will be granted entry. Violators of the order may face legal action.

The order remains in effect until August 31, unless modified earlier.

A map showing the updated boundaries of the closed military zone along the Gaza border, as outlined in an order signed by Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, July 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Gantz suggests he’ll join Lapid in helping coalition clinch Gaza deal if needed

Following reports that far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet will try to thwart the emerging ceasefire and hostage release deal being pushed by the Trump administration, Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz appears to join Opposition Leader Yair Lapid in offering the premier a political safety net to advance an agreement.

“There is no bloc in the world that will stop the return of the hostages,” he states in a video message posted to social media. “Netanyahu, petty politics will not be an obstacle to historic moves. You have a large majority to return the hostages, both among the people and in the Knesset.”

Lapid had reached out to Netanyahu to offer support for a ceasefire after reports claimed that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had discussed forming a united bloc within the government against the deal.

Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich’s Religious Zionism have 13 votes between them, whereas Yesh Atid has 23.

In a statement released via Smotrich’s spokesman, the finance minister denied any such cooperation and instead accused Ben Gvir of playing “a game” via leaks to the media.

Germany says Iran sending ‘disastrous signal’ by cutting out IAEA, though inspectors remain

Germany says Iran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency sends a “disastrous signal.”

“For a diplomatic solution it is essential for Iran to work with the IAEA,” foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese tells reporters, after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian formally enacted the suspension following Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

It remains unclear what the effect of Pezeshkian’s move is. A diplomat with knowledge of the watchdog’s operations says that nuclear inspectors were still there after the announcement and had not been told by the government to leave.

Ministers to meet on firing attorney general on July 14

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Isaac Amit as president of the Supreme Court, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, February 13, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A new ministerial committee for firing the attorney general will hold a dismissal hearing for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on July 14.

It is unclear as yet whether Baharav-Miara will attend.

Last month, the government approved a cabinet resolution bypassing the existing procedure for firing an attorney general, which had required the government to seek the recommendation of a professional statutory committee headed by former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis before firing Baharav-Miara.

Instead, a five-member ministerial committee will hold a hearing and then recommend to the government whether or not to fire her.

Petitions have been filed to the High Court of Justice asking the court to annul the resolution, and the court has given the government and other respondents until July 15 to respond.

The court stated, however, that if a hearing for the attorney general is set before that date it will provide an updated schedule for the submission of responses to the petitions.

The government and the attorney general have clashed repeatedly over the last two and a half years, with the government claiming Baharav-Miara has unjustifiably thwarted the government’s policies and legislation, while the attorney general has argued she has merely restrained the government from acting illegally.

Netanyahu to kick off five-day trip to Washington Saturday

Though no official schedule has been circulated, Prime Minister Benjamin is planning to take off from Israel on Wing of Zion late Saturday, and will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, an Israeli diplomat tells The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu is currently scheduled to return to Israel on Thursday, though he almost always extends his official visits abroad through the Jewish Shabbat.

Protest convoy makes way south calling for end to Gaza war

An anti-war convoy heading south toward the Nova site next to Kibbutz Re'im on July 2, 2025 ( Tzvika Golan/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Protesters have joined a Stop the War convoy to mark 635 days of war, with dozens of cars heading south from Israel’s center calling for a a deal to end the war in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Drivers string banners across their cars and vans, reading “Rescuing Israel,” “Hostage Deal Now,” and “The continuing war endangers the hostages.”

In Caesarea, cars are set up in the formation of the number 50 to signify the number of remaining hostages, before setting off toward the site of the Nova desert rave next to Kibbutz Re’im, with music blaring and yellow ribbons and Israeli flags affixed to the vehicles.

National Unity’s Eisenkot officially resigns from Knesset

National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot (right) presents his letter of resignation to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on July 2, 2025. (Courtesy)

Two days after announcing his intention to step down, National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot submits his letter of resignation to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. The former IDF chief is expected to be replaced by Eitan Ginsburg.

Eisenkot posts a copy of the one-sentence letter online, with a handwritten addition that reads: “It was a great privilege to serve the people. I will act with faith and determination to create a leadership alternative that is fitting for the State of Israel.”

Asked by The Times of Israel Tuesday if he intended to establish his own political party, Eisenkot hedged, merely stating that “the goal is to replace this bad government and establish a Zionist, patriotic, statesmanlike, democratic alternative” and that he “will do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.”

Speaking with national broadcaster Kan, Blue and White lawmaker Chili Tropper says Eisenkot’s push to unite the current opposition in an effort to “present a governing alternative” is unrealistic.

“I would have liked him to stay, but I respect his choice,” says Tropper. “He thinks there should be a political union from Yair Golan through Yair Lapid and up to Naftali Bennett – this is not feasible and not correct politically.”

Tropper expresses his objection to the idea of creating a bloc that is “only concerned with… defeating the other side,” arguing that managing a postwar Israel will require “a broad, Zionist, patriotic government of consensus.”

Minister says Haredim, Bedouin missing rocket warnings due to IDF reliance on phones

Israeli air defenses intercept a missile fired from Yemen on July 1, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accuses the IDF’s Homefront Command of ignoring the needs of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Negev Bedouin by limiting incoming missile warnings to electronic devices and stationary klaxons.

Writing to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman, the senior Likud politician alleges that “extraneous considerations” stand behind “the Homefront Command and the IDF [Information and Communication Technology] Division refusing to take responsibility for the serious gaps in warning reaching the ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities,” according to a copy of the letter published by the ultra-Orthodox Kikar Hashabbat news site.

When Houthis in Yemen fired a ballistic missile at Israel yesterday evening, most Israelis “received warnings on their smartphones, television, radio, and alarm sirens. In contrast, ultra-Orthodox Israeli citizens, who have kosher phones, no television, and listen to the ultra-Orthodox radio networks, did not receive advance warnings and life-saving instructions in the north and south,” he writes.

Complaining of the alleged “inexplicable stubbornness and irresponsibility on the part of those responsible for the security of the country and its citizens,” Karhi says that the IDF has declined to allow regional radio stations to expand their areas of broadcast in order to reach niche sectoral audiences with warnings.

According to Karhi, Bedouins in southern Israel “do not receive the two regional Arabic-language channels because they only broadcast in the north” and Haredim in northern Israel are unable to tune into Haredi channels which serve their community in other areas of the country. This is critical as many Haredim lack internet access while some members of the Arabic-speaking public “suffer from poor cellular coverage,” he asserts.

According to the Israel Democracy Institute, a 2018 report by the State Comptroller found that 46 percent of Arab citizens live in buildings without protected spaces, compared to 26% of the general population. The report also found an almost total lack of public shelters in most Arab locales, including in large cities like Umm al-Fahm and Rahat.

The Home Front Command and Defense Ministry have begun implementing a NIS 100 million ($29 million) plan to revamp Israel’s protective infrastructure following the war with Iran, but Arab Israeli locales — despite a glaring shortage of protected spaces — have been largely overlooked in the campaign, say local officials.

Former senior cop convicted of peeping at women in station bathroom

A former high-ranking cop has been convicted of filming female officers in his police station’s bathrooms, the Department for Internal Police Investigations says.

Oren Ben-Moshe, who headed the central fraud unit, confessed in a plea deal to installing police-issued surveillance cameras in the women’s restrooms in his station.

Ben-Moshe filmed dozens of women undressing, using these cameras, which were intended for investigative use. He at times even snuck into restrooms to record female officers with his phone. He then downloaded the videos to his computer.

When policewomen spotted one of the recording devices in the bathroom and brought it to Ben-Moshe, he lied and told them he would handle the matter. He instructed them not to tell others in the unit about the discovery, the DIPI says. He was later charged in the case, and fired from his post.

Ben Moshe is convicted of indecent acts, abuse of power and obstruction of justice in the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court.

“These are extremely serious acts committed by a senior officer in a police station, who cynically exploited his authority, access to the unit’s facilities and the trust placed in him,” says DIPI attorney Natalie Haggai.

Prosecutors are seeking jail time for Ben-Moshe, Haggai says, “because such actions, especially when committed within law enforcement, must be met with significant punishment, to ensure justice for the women he harmed.”

First independent rabbinical court established in settlement, extending judiciary into West Bank

Chief Rabbi David Yosef (right) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (second left) at a ceremony granting official status to the rabbinical court in the settlement of Ariel on July 2, 2025. (Rabbinical court spokesperson)

A rabbinical court in the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the West Bank is granted official status as an independent court, a spokesperson for the rabbinical courts announces, marking the first time Israel has established a civilian court within the territory and outside Israel’s sovereign borders.

A statement from the rabbinical court system describes the move as “advancing sovereignty in religious services.”

“We came here today to strengthen settlement in the Land of Israel, as the establishment of the first permanent court in Judea and Samaria is a significant step for the approximately half a million [Israeli] residents” of the territory, Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef says, using a biblical term for the West Bank.

Rabbinical courts in Israel are part of the judiciary and enjoy extensive powers, including over divorce, the Jewish status of Israelis, and conversions. The Ariel court had previously operated as a branch of the rabbinical court in Petah Tikva.

It will now be open five days a week, as opposed to two, and serve the approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers residing in the West Bank.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says the court will “strengthen [our] grip on the land of the Land of Israel.”

Smotrich also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry with authority over numerous responsibilities of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the Civil Administration, the two Defense Ministry agencies in charge of civilian affairs in Area C of the West Bank, where Israel has full security and civilian control.

Critics say the transfer of civilian authority and services into occupied territory is prohibited under international law and marks a form of creeping annexation.

Earlier, Justice Minister Yariv Levin told settler leader Yossi Dagan that Israel should annex the West Bank.

Court lets Netanyahu skip testimony next week for US trip

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv District Court before the start of his cross-examination in his trial, June 3, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Jerusalem District Court cancels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled testimony in his criminal trial for next week due to his upcoming visit to the US.

Netanyahu’s attorney Amit Hadad says that during Netanyahu’s trip from Sunday to Thursday or Friday, he will meet with US President Donald Trump, as well as the US vice president, secretary of state, national security adviser, envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, the defense secretary, and senior Congressional leaders.

The court agrees to cancel the hearings scheduled for Netanyahu’s testimony on Monday and Wednesday next week, extending a hiatus for the premier taking the stand to over a month.

Netanyahu’s testimony was canceled this week due to unspecified national security matters, and he did not attend court during the war with Iran. He last took the stand on June 11.

Smotrich accused of failing voters by letting Haredim escape draft

Blue and White MK Chili Tropper slams Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in an interview with Kan news radio, accusing the leader of the Religious Zionism party of failing to represent the interests of the national-religious community by not expanding military conscription to the ultra-Orthodox community.

“We have almost no synagogue or community that hasn’t paid a huge price,” Tropper says of the national-religious demographic considered a major part of Smotrich’s voter base.

Conscripting more ultra-Orthodox would ease that burden on the community, but Smotrich “has not brought about any change or addition to the expansion of the ranks since the beginning of the war,” he says.

In response, Smotrich, who is also a junior minister in the Defense Ministry, tells Kan he backs ultra-Orthodox conscription, despite being part of a government that has failed to bolster Haredi draft numbers. “Drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews is the need of the hour — ethically, morally, and religiously.”

He asserts that the government “will bring about a fundamental change in drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the IDF, period.”

Hitting back, Blue and White says a different government, one that is not subject to Haredi “political blackmail,” would have already made it happen.

According to government data published today by financial daily The Marker, the cost of the mass mobilization of reservists for the first half of the year has been in the billions of shekels, a number that would have been significantly lower had the IDF been able to recruit more regular service troops.

Speaking with Radio Kol Barama on Tuesday evening, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Roth warned that the ultra-Orthodox could increase pressure on the government to pass a law granting draft exemptions for yeshiva students unless the coming days see progress on the issue.

UTJ is already boycotting private member bills by coalition MKs and could soon turn to its rabbinic leadership to discuss “intensifying measures,” he said.

IAEA says it’s waiting to hear from Iran on suspension

The International Atomic Energy Agency says it is waiting for an official communication from Iran on what the decision to suspend cooperation with the body means.

“We are aware of these reports. The IAEA is awaiting further official information from Iran,” the UN nuclear watchdog says in a statement.

Justice minister calls for government to actively advance West Bank annexation

Justice Minister Yariv Levin says the time has come to annex the West Bank, during a meeting with settler leader Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council.

“I think that this period, beyond the current issues, is a time of historic opportunity that we must not miss,” in reference to annexing the disputed territory.

“The time for sovereignty has come, the time to apply sovereignty. My position on this matter is firm, it is clear,” Levin tells Dagan, according to a statement from Dagan’s office and a video released by Levin.

Israel captured the territory in 1967 during the Six Day War, but has never formally annexed it. Israel began moving toward annexation in 2020 under a peace plan released by US President Donald Trump, but dropped the idea in exchange for normalization with the United Arab Emirates.

Levin says the issue must be “at the top of the priority list.”

“I think it is both realistic and possible. And it is essential, first of all, to realize our right to the land. Certainly to contribute to security, and to do justice to the settlers and the settlement [movement] who deserve to be equal citizens in every respect who live in settlements that are part of the fully sovereign State of Israel,” he says of the approximately half million Israelis living in the disputed territory.

Dagan thanks Levin for his “brave partnership,” calling the territory “not just the heart of the land but also the safety belt for the State of Israel.”

Australia voids Kanye West visa over Hitler song

Australia has canceled a visa for rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, after he released “Heil Hitler,” a song promoting Nazism, the country’s home affairs minister says.

The song, released in May, came a few months after West made a string of antisemitic posts on X, which included comments such as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says that while previous offensive comments made by West had not affected his visa status, officials “looked at it again” after the song’s release.

“It was a lower level (visa) and the officials still looked at the law and said you’re going to have a song and promote that sort of Nazism, we don’t need that in Australia,” he tells national broadcaster ABC.

“We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry,” he says.

Burke notes that West, married to Australian architect Bianca Censori, has family in Australia and was a longtime visitor prior to the visa cancellation.

Burke’s office declines to comment on the exact date of the visa cancellation. West’s management does not respond immediately to a request for comment outside US business hours.

Last month, Australia banned pro-Israel influencer Hillel Fuld from entering, and in October barred US conservative pundit Candace Owens.

Sa’ar presses Netanyahu to clinch Gaza deal with Knesset behind move

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says a “large majority” of the government and Israeli public are in support of reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, urging action to push an agreement over the finish line.

“There is a large majority in both the government and the public in favor of the outline for releasing the hostages. If there is an opportunity to do it — it must not be missed!” writes Sa’ar on X.

The post comes after Opposition Leader Yair Lapid promised to lend his party’s support for a deal in case hard-right coalition members attempt to block approval in the Knesset. Earlier in the day, Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly suggested forming a unified bloc with Religious Zionism to torpedo a deal, but party leader Bezalel Smotrich’s office denied that they had agreed to meet to discuss coordination on blocking the measure.

IDF looking into reports of seven killed near Gaza aid site

Following reports in Palestinian media that seven people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor last night, the IDF says it is looking into the incident and has launched an investigation.

The military says it has no information at this stage confirming any casualties but is reviewing the details.

الصحافي أحمد قنن: 7 ضحايا في غزة جراء استهداف إسرائيل منتظري المساعدات الإنسانية في محور نتساريم.. ونزوح متواصل داخل القطاع #إسرائيل#غزة#قناة_الحدث pic.twitter.com/lMgu2ynAND

— ا لـحـدث (@AlHadath) July 2, 2025

Hamas gives Abu Shabab clan boss 10 days to surrender

Members of the Abu Shabab gang in Gaza, in screen captures from a recent video posted by the group. (screen capture: Facebook)

The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza says the leader of a clan supported by Israel operating in the Rafah area must turn himself in to the “relevant authorities” — i.e., Hamas — for prosecution within 10 days.

In a statement, Yasser Abu Shabab, an armed gang leader opposed to Hamas, is accused of treason, forming an illegal armed gang, and leading an armed rebellion.

The Abu Shabab clan operates in western Rafah, an area under Israeli security control. According to footage published by the clan, it has been securing humanitarian aid entering the area and has even established residential compounds. Israel recently acknowledged that it had transferred weapons to local actors as part of its effort to weaken Hamas, after reports that it had armed Abu Shabab.

The statement does not specify what measures would be taken if Abu Shabab fails to surrender to Hamas. Gazan media outlets have reported in recent weeks that Hamas has attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Yasser Abu Shabab, whose gang is thought to have previously been involved in drug running and aid looting.

The ministry also called on the public to come forward with any information regarding his whereabouts.

Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, and while it allows the presence of smaller groups and various local clan power structures, it has allowed little space for political dissent or support for Israel, executing Gazans who have protested the terror group’s control of the Strip and many others it accuses of collaboration.

Sa’ar urges Europeans to reimpose Iran sanctions after IAEA freeze-out

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemns Iran’s “scandalous” announcement that it okayed a law freezing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear monitor.

“This is a complete renunciation of all its international nuclear obligations and commitments,” he says on X.

Saar urges European nations that were part of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal to implement its so-called snapback clause and reimpose all UN sanctions lifted by the JCPOA, repeating a call made earlier this week as well.

“The international community must act decisively now and utilize all means at its disposal to stop Iranian nuclear ambitions,” he writes.

The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!
I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!
Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy…

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 2, 2025

Responding to Trump, Hamas says Gaza deal must ‘clearly lead to complete end’ of war

Hamas says it is open to a ceasefire agreement with in Gaza but is stopping short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump that he said Jerusalem had agreed to.

Hamas official Taher al-Nunu says the group is “ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.”

Hamas is “ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,” he says.

The question of whether a ceasefire will end the war or allow Israel to resume fighting has been the main sticking point keeping the sides from coming to an agreement, according to sources familiar with the talks.

Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which he would “work to end the war,” in comments that seemingly attempted to thread the needle between the warring sides’ positions.

Israel says it will not accept an end to the war until Hamas is defeated, while Hamas has demanded that any deal permanently end the war.

A Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official speaks on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the talks with the media.

Opposition head offers to help coalition clinch Gaza deal if hard right tries to block it

Responding to reports that coalition hardliners Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich may work together to sink a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his party will provide any needed support from across the aisle.

In place of Otzma Yehudit’s and Religious Zionism’s 13 votes in the Knesset, “you have 23 votes from me as a safety net for the hostage deal,” Lapid says in a statement. “We need to bring everyone home now.”

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan, meanwhile, tweets that Ben Gvir and Smotrich are a “pair of failed Kahanists” whose actions show that they are “neither Zionist nor worthy of sitting around the government table.”

Ben Gvir reportedly seeking Smotrich’s help to block Gaza hostage deal

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has reportedly reached out to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to request that the two senior ministers form a united bloc within the government against the ceasefire deal in Gaza currently being pushed by the Trump administration.

According to Hebrew language media reports, the two — who represent the far-right Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism parties, respectively — may meet in the coming hours to discuss possible coordination regarding their opposition to the American initiative.

However, Smotrich’s office denies that Ben Gvir has reached out. In a statement to the press sent via Smotrich’s spokesman, “a source close to Smotrich” says rather than ask Smotrich directly for help, Ben Gvir “briefed the media about a meeting that has not been set.”

“The issue of victory in Gaza is too significant and the lives of the hostages are too precious to play a game of briefings to the media. The finance minister has been working on this issue with full force and seriousness for quite some time now,” the source states.

Smotrich and Ben Gvir have both opposed Israel agreeing to halt fighting before Hamas is completely destroyed, though only Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit quit the government in January to protest the previous ceasefire and hostage deal. The party returned to the coalition in March with the resumption of hostilities in Gaza.

The bid by Ben Gvir comes after US President Donald Trump announced last night that Israel had agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We will work with all parties to end the war” during the prospective two-month truce, Trump said in a Truth Social post, summarizing the development that came out of meetings top US officials held on Tuesday in Washington with visiting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House next week and Trump has said that he will be “very firm” with the prime minister on the need to end the war in Gaza.

Unclear if Iran implementing freeze on cooperation with nuke watchdog

The IAEA has yet to comment on the report by Iranian state media that President Masoud Pezeshkian has enacted a law suspending cooperation with the UN atomic watchdog, and it remains unclear what the move means for nuclear monitoring there.

After the passage of the law last month, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council was to oversee its implementation.

While the council itself hasn’t said anything publicly, Pezeshkian is the head of the council, so his reported order signals that the bill would be implemented.

However, under Iran’s theocratic government, there is room for the council to implement the bill as it sees fit. That means that everything lawmakers asked for might not be done.

Army says gun-smuggling attempts thwarted on Egypt border

Smuggled weapons captured by IDF forces along the Israel-Egyptian border, in a photo released on July 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF forces thwarted two separate weapons smuggling attempts along the border with Egypt over the past 24 hours, the military says.

Troops on Tuesday night intercepted a drone that crossed into Israeli territory carrying 10 firearms, the army says.

This morning, soldiers stopped a suspicious vehicle near the border, finding 14 guns inside. The driver was arrested and transferred for questioning.

IDF says troops arrested Iranian terror cell in southern Syria

IDF troops operate in southern Syria in a photo released on July 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israeli troops arrested several members of a terror cell deployed by Iran in southern Syria in an overnight raid, the military says.

The cell was operating in two locations near the border with Israel and was targeted based on intelligence gathered over recent weeks, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

During the raid, troops from the 474th Golan Regional Brigade, who carried out the raid together with field investigators from Military Intelligence’s Unit 504, also seized weapons, including firearms and grenades.

The IDF says it will continue efforts to thwart the entrenchment of Iranian-linked terror groups in Syria, particularly near the Israeli border.

Israeli troops have been stationed in Syria since the fall of the former Assad regime in December, where they are holding a small buffer zone near the border.

Iran enacts law suspending cooperation with IAEA, state media says

This handout picture made available by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran shows Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, center, during a tour of the organization's headquarters in Tehran on April 17, 2025. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran / AFP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has given final approval to a law passed by parliament last month to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Iranian state media reports.

“Masoud Pezeshkian promulgated the law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” state TV says, meaning the measure drawn up in the aftermath of the Iran-Israel war last month is now in effect.

Ex-reality star Nicol Raidman says grenade attacker likely hit her home by mistake

Nicol Raidman at a launch party for her book 'No Masks' in Tel Aviv, on February 2, 2018 (Miriam Alstre/FLASH90)

Nicol Raidman, a wealthy socialite and close friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara, has been named as the woman whose Herzliya home was hit by a grenade.

In a statement from a representative carried by Hebrew-language media, Raidman says she does not think she was targeted.

“As we understand it, they got the wrong address and we’re sure the police will immediately wrap up the investigation,” the statement reads.

According to Kan news, the grenade landed in a swimming pool, which absorbed the blast at her Herzliya Pituah home. The seaside neighborhood is home to some of the wealthiest people in Israel, as well as a number of foreign ambassadors.

Raidman, a former model who was once married to industrial tycoon Michael Cherney, became a breakout star on Israel’s version of “Real Housewives” from 2011 to 2013 and later launched a luxury clothing and fragrance brand, which has since closed.

Iran says Fordo, other nuke sites ‘seriously damaged’ by bombings

This satellite picture by Planet Labs PBC shows Iran's underground nuclear enrichment site at Fordo following US airstrikes targeting the facility, on June 22, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

The US bombing of Iran’s key Fordo nuclear site has “seriously and heavily damaged” the facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says in an interview with CBS News.

“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordo. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” Araghchi says in the interview, excerpts of which were previously released.

“The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran… is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment, the report of which will be submitted to the government,” he says.

On Tuesday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told a press conference that the country’s nuclear sites had sustained “serious damage” in the Israeli and US bombing campaigns, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news outlet reports.

However, the Washington Post reported on Sunday that intercepted Iranian communications downplayed the extent of damage caused by US strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, citing four people familiar with classified intelligence circulating within the US government.

President Donald Trump has said the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, but US officials acknowledge it will take time to form a complete assessment of the damage caused by the strikes.

Grenade explodes outside Herzliya home, reportedly of Netanyahu-tied businesswoman

Police say they are investigating after a grenade exploded in Herzliya, reportedly outside the home of a businesswoman with ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family.

Police say the grenade went off in the yard of a home in the well-off seaside neighborhood of Herzliya Pituah, home to many of Israel’s wealthiest citizens, causing light damage to a structure. No injuries are reported.

No suspects or motive is named.

According to reports, the home belongs to a well-known businesswoman who is close to the Netanyahu family. She is not named in the reports.

Cash-strapped Hezbollah said to freeze funds for home repairs in war-ravaged Beirut stronghold

Displaced residents, some carrying a Hezbollah flag, return to Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on November 27, 2024. (Bilal Hussein/AP)

Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group has informed homeowners in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh district that it is freezing compensation for repairs to homes damaged or destroyed during the war with Israel in October and November of last year, the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

According to the report, the suspension of funding is due to a cash shortage affecting Hezbollah, with no clear indication if or when the group will resume payments.

The Saudi paper does not specify the cause of Hezbollah’s financial shortfall.

Last week the newspaper Al-Jadeed reported that the recent assassination of Said Izadi, a commander of Iran’s Quds Force and head of a unit responsible for funneling Iranian funds to Lebanon, was expected to impact financial support for Hezbollah and its ability to pay for the rebuilding of Dahiyeh.

The densely populated neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold, was rocked by an intense Israeli air campaign over several weeks last year as part of a military campaign aimed at dismantling the Iranian proxy group following nearly a year of daily cross-border rocket and drone attacks.

In the past, Hezbollah has used payouts and other forms of social welfare to build up its popularity among Lebanese Shiites.

Paramount agrees to settle Trump suit over edited Harris comments on Israel

CBS parent company Paramount says it has settled a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump over an interview broadcast in October in which the network allegedly edited comments from then-vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris regarding ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and efforts to end the war in Gaza.

Paramount says it will pay $16 million to settle the suit, with the money allocated to Trump’s future presidential library, and not paid to Trump “directly or indirectly.”

“The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret,” the company statement adds.

Trump filed the $10-billion lawsuit against CBS in October, alleging the network deceptively edited the “60 Minutes” interview to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” in the election. He later bumped his claim for damages to $20 billion.

The suit, filed in federal court in Texas, revolved around a teaser clip released by “60 Minutes” ahead of the show airing, in which Harris gave a drawn out response to questions about US leverage over Netanyahu. The final version that aired used a shorter, edited part of the clip.

Monday, on a 60 Minutes election special, Bill Whitaker asks Vice President Kamala Harris if the U.S. lacks influence over American ally Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A pic.twitter.com/IH6MXMjuCP

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 6, 2024

BREAKING: Paramount, CBS's parent, to pay $16M in settlement over Trump’s lawsuit alleging edited 60 Minutes Kamala Harris interview. pic.twitter.com/QFg4jPjBnh

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 2, 2025

The settlement comes as Paramount prepares for an $8.4-billion merger with Skydance Media, which will require approval from the US Federal Communications Commission.

CBS has been rocked by high-profile departures amid claims by staffers that they are being made to kowtow to Trump, who has repeatedly targeted media companies over what he claims is false or misleading content.

CBS previously said the lawsuit was “completely without merit” and had asked a judge to dismiss the case.

Iranian foreign minister writes to Saudi counterpart as new regional alliance sought

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi passed a message to his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan, Riyadh says, amid what appears to be a push by Tehran to rally the region behind it following attacks on the country by Israel and the United States.

According to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the message deals with “relations and ways to support and enhance them across all fields.” It was passed to Riyadh by Iran’s envoy during a lower-level meeting in Saudi Arabia, a statement says.

#Riyadh | Foreign Minister HH Prince receives a written message from Iranian Foreign Minister @araghchi. pic.twitter.com/KIsrbvVecm

— Foreign Ministry ???????? (@KSAmofaEN) July 1, 2025

The message coincides with an op-ed published by Araghchi in Lebanese paper An-Nahar claiming that Iran’s performance in the war last month “opens a new window for comprehensive diplomacy” in the Middle East, calling for unity among Islamic countries with a goal aimed at deterring Israel.

“The fundamental pillar of deterrence is now embodied in cooperation among the countries of the region. Consensus in confronting shared threats, understanding on regional stability, economic security, and combating all forms of terrorism constitute the four cornerstones around which diplomatic negotiations should be conducted,” he writes, urging special attention for Gaza and Lebanon.

The piece may mark a shift in Iran’s approach to the region, which placed Tehran in opposition to moderate Gulf states as it attempted to express regional strength via a network of proxy organizations that terrorized Israel and Gulf monarchies. Those groups have been decimated or rendered ineffective over the past 20 months since the October 7, 2023, leaving Iran largely on its own during Israel’s 12-day air offensive aimed at destroying its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

White House confirms US halting some shipments of key military aid to Ukraine

The United States says it’s halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the Biden administration — a likely blow to Kyiv as it fights Russia’s invasion.

“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD (Department of Defense) review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly tells AFP in an email.

Palestinian family said deported from Argentina as Milei toughens immigration stance

A Palestinian family of five were detained for more than 24 hours at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires before being deported, despite traveling with tourist visas issued by the Argentine embassy in Herzliya, a letter of invitation, certificates of good conduct, medical insurances, hotel reservations and return tickets, according to reports in left-leaning local newspaper Pagina 12 and Tiempo Argentino.

According to the newspapers, the family arrived in Buenos Aires on June 16 after having been delayed leaving the West Bank for Jordan, from where they travelled to Istanbul and then Brazil before arriving in Argentina.

The family says they were tricked into signing documents entirely in Spanish at the airport stating they were “false tourists,” thus allowing them to be deported.

The newspapers also reported that the Palestinian Authority ambassador in Argentina tried to intervene on their behalf but did not help.

Argentine Attorny Uriel Biondi filed a writ of habeas corpus with the Federal Criminal and Correctional Court of Lomas de Zamora for violation of their constitutional rights and international human rights treaties. The family, which has boarded a plane to Istanbul, claims their rights were violated and they were mistreated by being detained inhumanly.

This incident came as pro-Israel President Javier Milei’s has toughened his stance on immigration with increased deportations, restrictions on citizenship and charging foreigners for using public healthcare and universities. Milei seemingly has modeled his reforms on US President Donald Trump.

Iran readied to mine Strait of Hormuz after Israel began strikes — US sources

This handout natural-colour image acquired with MODIS on NASA's Terra satellite taken on February 5, 2025 shows the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz (upper left) (NASA Earth Observatory / AFP)

WASHINGTON — The Iranian military loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf last month, a move that intensified concerns in Washington that Tehran was gearing up to blockade the Strait of Hormuz following Israel’s strikes on sites across Iran, according to two US officials.

The previously unreported preparations, which were detected by US intelligence, occurred some time after Israel launched its initial missile attack against Iran on June 13, says the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters.

The loading of the mines — which have not been deployed in the strait — suggests that Tehran may have been serious about closing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, a move that would have escalated an already-spiraling conflict and severely hobbled global commerce.

About one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz and a blockage would likely have spiked world energy prices.

Global benchmark oil prices have instead fallen more than 10% since the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, driven in part by relief that the conflict did not trigger significant disruptions in the oil trade.

Reuters was not able to determine precisely when during the Israel-Iran air war Tehran loaded the mines, which — if deployed — would have effectively stopped ships from moving through the key thoroughfare.

It is also unclear if the mines have since been unloaded.

The sources do not disclose how the United States determined that the mines had been put on the Iranian vessels, but such intelligence is typically gathered through satellite imagery, clandestine human sources or a combination of both methods.

Asked for comment about Iran’s preparations, a White House official says: “Thanks to the President’s brilliant execution of Operation Midnight Hammer, successful campaign against the Houthis, and maximum pressure campaign, the Strait of Hormuz remains open, freedom of navigation has been restored, and Iran has been significantly weakened.”

The Pentagon doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Iranian mission at the United Nations also doesn’t respond to requests for comment.

Trump says Israel ‘agreed to necessary conditions to finalize’ 60-day Gaza ceasefire

US President Donald Trump speaks with the press on board Air Force One as he travels from Ochopee, Florida, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on July 1, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

US President Donald Trump announces that “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza.

During that two-month truce, “We will work with all parties to end the war,” Trump says in a Truth Social post, summarizing the development that came out of meetings top US officials held today in Washington with visiting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

Trump says Qatar and Egypt will deliver the final proposal to Hamas.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal because it will not get better — it will only get worse,” Trump writes.

Trump appears to be referring to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire that has been discussed the past several months. Those talks have been at an impasse, largely over the terms for what happens at the end of that truce, with Israel demanding that it maintain the ability to resume fighting, while Hamas seeks for the temporary truce to become permanent.

In declaring that he will “work to end the war,” Trump appears to be trying to appease both sides, mentioning an end to the war without speaking definitively.

Arab mediators have been seeking to reconvene Israeli and Hamas negotiators for proximity talks in Cairo in order to close remaining gaps.

Freed hostage Omer Wenkert says remaining captives are ‘starving, humiliated, miserable’

Released hostage Omer Wenkert speaks at Hostages Square on July 1, 2025. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages Forum)

Thousands of people gather in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square for the weekly “Singing for Their Return” event, praying and singing for the return of the 50 hostages, with speakers from bereaved families, wives of reservists and soldiers.

Released hostage Omer Wenkert shares details from his 505 days of captivity in Gaza, including meeting former hostage Liam Or in the Hamas tunnels during those first days, and who told Wenkert not to lose hope. Or was released in the November 2023 ceasefire.

Wenkert also spent eight months in captivity with Tal Shoham, who was released with him, leaving behind Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David, who are still hostages.

“They are still living an ongoing nightmare every single moment, experiencing endless and intensifying hell, starving, humiliated, miserable, and crying out to return to freedom,” says Wenkert. “I stand here today — and I am their voice! I cry out their pain and their pleas to come home!”

Tuval Rosenberg, a reservist tank commander, speaks at the Hostages Square event, describing his personal connections to six hostages, both living and dead.

He describes meeting Matan Angrest in basic training, now held hostage and meeting Daniel Perez in the commander’s course. Perez was killed on October 7, and his body was taken captive. Rosenberg says that he, Angrest and Perez served under Omer Neutra, another soldier killed and taken hostage, along with Oz Daniel and Itay Chen, also killed and taken hostage. Hostage Nimrod Cohen was under Rosenberg’s command during training.

“He’s known to us as a kidnapped soldier,” says Rosenberg of Cohen, “but he is much more than that. He is a world in and of himself.”

Rabbi Doron Perez, father of Daniel Perez, also speaks, praying that his son will merit a dignified burial in the land of Israel, and that the hostages return home.

After rocket fire from Gaza, IDF issues evacuation order for parts of Khan Younis

Paratroopers operating in Khan Younis in a photo released on July 1, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The military’s Arabic spokesperson has issued an evacuation warning for residents in parts of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip ahead of expected IDF operations in the area.

The announcement comes after two rockets were fired from Gaza earlier today toward Israeli territory near the southern Gaza Strip, both of which were intercepted by the Air Force.

The statement warns that the IDF is operating with “very strong force to destroy the terrorist organizations in the area,” and will strike “any location used for launching rockets.” Residents are urged to evacuate immediately northward to known shelters in Deir al-Balah and not to return to the designated combat zones.

#عاجل ‼️ الى جميع المتواجدين في منطقة خان يونس في أحياء الجلاء، مدينة حمد، النصر والقرارة 6 في بلوكات 36, 40, 89
⭕️جيش الدفاع يعمل بقوة شديدة جداً لتدمير المنظمات الإرهابية في المنطقة وسيهاجم كل منطقة يتم استخدامها لاطلاق قذائف صاروخية
⭕️من أجل أمنكم، أخلوا فوراً شمالاً الى… pic.twitter.com/rAYYs7VNLK

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 1, 2025