Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Thursday’s events as they happened.
Drone shot down near Iraqi airport housing US troops, say Kurdish security forces
A drone has been intercepted near Erbil airport, which houses US-led anti-jihadist coalition troops in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, Kurdish security forces say.
“At 21:58 an explosive-packed drone was downed near Erbil International Airport without causing casualties or damages,” says the counterterrorism services of the Kurdistan region.
Rights group says Palestinians have begun moving livestock out of village due to settler harassment
Families from the Palestinian community of Mu’arajat have begun moving their livestock out of the hamlet in the southern Jordan Valley this evening, the B’Tselem human rights organization reports, following harassment by settlers and the establishment of a rudimentary illegal settlement outpost inside Mu’arajat itself.
A B’Tselem official currently in Mu’arajat tells The Times of Israel that there are several dozen settlers currently there.
The organization says that the removal of the livestock could be the first step to the partial or full abandonment of the hamlet by the residents.
According to the B’Tselem official, IDF and Border Police officials recently arrived in Mu’arajat, but the settlers are still there.
Earlier this evening, the Looking the Occupation in the Eyes activist organization said that settlers were moving equipment into the hamlet and engaging in threatening behavior.
Settlers were documented breaking into a home in Mu’arajat Wednesday night and ousting a family living there, while establishing their outpost inside the village.
“Based on past incidents, there is a real concern that this is a first step toward the immediate eviction of the community,” says B’Tselem.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit does not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Settlers reportedly moving towards the Palestinian hamlet of Mu’arajat in the Jordan Valley region where they have set up an illegal outpost inside the dwelling.
Video taken night of July 3.
Credit: Bat Sheva Yanko pic.twitter.com/DE7d5rti2d— Jeremy Sharon (@jeremysharon) July 3, 2025
University of California reiterates student governments are barred from boycotting Israel
SAN FRANCISCO — The president of the University of California reiterates that student governments are prohibited from financial boycotts of companies associated with any particular country, including Israel, as the Trump administration continues its probe of alleged antisemitism on college campuses.
Michael Drake doesn’t mention Israel by name, but he does single out student governments in a letter he sent to chancellors of the university system. He says that while freedom of speech and inquiry are core commitments of the university, its policies also require that financial decisions be grounded in sound business practices, such as competitive bidding.
“This principle also applies to student governments,” he writes. “Actions by University entities to implement boycotts of companies based on their association with a particular country would not align with these sound business practices.”
UC spokesperson Rachel Zaentz says in a statement that the letter is in keeping with the university’s opposition to financial boycotts of companies associated with a particular country.
“While our community members have the right to express their viewpoints, financial boycotts are inconsistent with UC’s commitment to sound business practices, academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas,” she says.
Nearly 1/3 of New York voters support Mamdani’s statements on BDS, intifada — poll
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during the National Action Network's rally at House of Justice in Harlem, June 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A poll finds that 30% of New York City voters support statements about the anti-Israel boycott movement and the phrase “globalize the intifada” by Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic party nominee for mayor.
Mamdani is a longtime supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel.
During his campaign for the mayoral primary, he repeatedly refused to condemn and defended the phrase “globalize the intifada.”
A survey by the American Pulse polling firm asks New Yorkers about Mamdani’s backing for BDS and his refusal to “condemn the phrase ‘globalize the intifada,’ which some interpret as a call to violence against Jews.”
“Does knowing this make you more or less likely to vote for Mamdani?” the survey asks.
For all respondents, 30% say they are more likely to vote for Mamdani due to those statements, and 52% are less likely.
Among voters aged 18-44, 46% say they are more likely to vote for Mamdani due to his support for BDS and statements on an intifada.
Women are more opposed to the rhetoric than men.
The survey’s sample size is 568, and its margin of error is 4%.
Beersheba man suspected of spying for Iran arrested at Ben Gurion Airport
The Israel Police announce the arrest of another citizen on suspicion of spying for Iran.
The Beersheba resident, 25, was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport. He is suspected of contact with an Iranian agent.
A police statement says the Shin Bet provided intelligence helping lead to his arrest and that a court extended his remand in custody.
Iranian state media reports reopening of airspace after closure due to war with Israel
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran announces that it has reopened its airspace, including over Tehran, after closing it on June 13 due to the war with Israel, according to state media.
“Tehran’s Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini international airports, as well as those in the north, east, west and south of the country, have been reopened and are ready to operate flights,” the official IRNA news agency reports.
European broadcasters put off potential vote on Israeli participation in next year’s Eurovision
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael parades during the flag ceremony at the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel on May 17, 2025. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
Members of the European Broadcasting Union met today in London to discuss Israel’s future participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, but declined to hold a vote on whether the Jewish state can compete in next year’s competition — seemingly pushing off any such decision until December.
A number of EBU member countries, including Iceland, Spain, Slovenia and Belgium, issued public calls before and after this year’s Eurovision to kick Israel out of the competition due to its actions during the war in Gaza. Many also called into question Israeli singer Yuval Raphael’s landslide win in the popular vote earlier this year with her song “New Day Will Rise,” saying it highlighted the need for voting reform.
In a statement, the EBU says that its members held a “constructive exchange of views” on the topic and agreed that it is an “unprecedentedly complex situation” with a “wide diversity of opinions.” The EBU says that rather than make any immediate decision, it has decided to appoint a former senior TV executive to “lead a structured and in-depth dialogue with our member broadcasters in the coming weeks.”
The unnamed executive will “gather insights on how we manage participation, geopolitical tensions, and how other organizations have approached similar challenges,” the EBU says, noting that the point person will report back this fall, ahead of the next organization-wide meeting slated for December.
According to a report in the Ynet news site, the meeting was tense; Israel believes that if a vote were held today, it would not have gone in its favor. The media outlet reports that only Austria, Germany and Switzerland publicly backed Israel, though the UK called for not immediately holding any vote on the issue.
A spokesperson for Israel’s Kan public broadcaster declines to comment.
Trump to offer personal pledge on ending war in bid to secure hostage deal — report
As part of efforts to secure a hostage release and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, US President Donald Trump will offer the Palestinian terror group a direct guarantee that he will remain committed to ending the war in Gaza, Channel 12 reports.
To bridge the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas on ending the war, the network presents a Hebrew translation of what it describes as Trump’s likely formulation: Trump will “commit that negotiations over the terms for ending the war will continue even after a temporary ceasefire, and that I will do everything in my power to help the parties reach an agreement on the terms of a permanent ceasefire.”
According to the unsourced report, Trump’s message to Hamas is that if it agrees to the so-called Witkoff framework — which includes the release of 10 living hostages in two phases and 18 bodies in three phases over the course of a 60-day ceasefire — the US will ensure efforts continue to reach a lasting end to the conflict.
Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House visit on Monday, Israel is optimistic about Hamas’s formal response, expected either tonight or tomorrow, and believes proximity talks could begin within days, the report adds.
US Congress approves Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill,’ which now awaits his signature
House Republicans propel US President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.
The tight roll call, 218-214, comes at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to him to sign into law. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York delayed voting by holding the floor for more than eight hours with a record-breaking speech against the bill.
“We have a big job to finish,” says House Speaker Mike Johnson. “With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.”
Russia recognizes Taliban as government of Afghanistan, becoming the first nation to do so
Russia says it has accepted the credentials of a new ambassador of Afghanistan, making it the first nation to recognize the Taliban government of the country.
“We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,” the Russian Foreign Ministry says in a statement.
Meeting Trump, freed hostage Edan Alexander calls for release of all remaining captives
This handout photo shows US President Donald Trump, seated, posing for a photo with American-Israeli freed hostage Edan Alexander at the White House in Washington on July 3, 2025. (White House)
Meeting with US President Donald Trump for the first time since his release from Hamas captivity, American-Israeli former hostage Edan Alexander urges him to act to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages, a source familiar with the matter tells the Axios news site.
During the 30-minute Oval Office meeting, Trump told Alexander that the US at one point feared that Alexander had been killed during an Israeli strike on a tunnel where he was held.
Alexander, who managed to escape before the tunnel collapsed on top of him, told Trump that his life indeed was in danger and that the same case remains for the hostages still held in Gaza, who must be released as soon as possible.
Trump responded that he is aware of the dire situation of the remaining hostages and is working to quickly secure their release, the source tells Axios.
In footage of the Oval Office meeting, US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff can be heard asking Alexander to share with the president what happened after Trump won the election last November.
“They immediately took me to a new place, a good place,” Alexander shares.
“They weren’t too afraid of [former US president Joe] Biden,” Trump quips in response.
He adds that he and First Lady Melania Trump were very proud to have helped Alexander and noted that the fact that he is an American citizen ultimately worked in his favor.
עידן אלכסנדר ומשפחתו בחדר הסגלגל עם הנשיא טראמפ. סטיב וויטקוף אומר ברקע לעידן לספר מה קרה לו כשטראמפ נבחר לנשיאות והוא מספר שהעבירו אותו למקום טוב יותר. וויטקוף אומר לטראמפ ״אתה נבחרת והם (חמאס) פחדו ממך״ טראמפ: ״הם לא פחדו מביידן״ טראמפ: ״גאים שעזרנו לך, למלניה היה חשוב להיות… pic.twitter.com/NoijVR7yBv
— יוּנה לייבזון Yuna Leibzon (@YunaLeibzon) July 3, 2025
Yair Netanyahu provides police testimony in diplomatic passports affair
Yair Netanyahu arrives for a court hearing in Tel Aviv, on November 29, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)
Yair Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, gave testimony today to police investigators from the Lahav 433 major crimes unit in the diplomatic passports affair, Hebrew media reports.
The investigation is looking into the allegedly unlawful issuance of diplomatic passports by the Foreign Ministry at the behest of then-foreign minister Eli Cohen to several people who did not meet the criteria to receive them, including Yair Netanyahu and three mayors or regional council heads.
Yair Netanyahu is not himself a suspect in the affair.
Israeli official says ceasefire could start next week if Hamas gives ‘positive answer’
Israel believes that Hamas will give an answer to the latest hostage deal offer within the next 24 hours, a senior Israeli official tells Channel 13. “If it comes back with a positive answer, it could take place by next week,” says the senior official.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a meeting on the terms of a potential deal.
The 60-day deal is expected to see five separate releases of dead and living hostages, with Channel 13 saying that on day one, eight living hostages will be released; on day seven, five bodies, on day 30, another five bodies, on day 50, two living hostages and on the last day eight more bodies.
The security cabinet will meet on Saturday night to vote on the proposal before Netanyahu takes off for Washington. The ceasefire could start while Netanyahu is in the United States, according to the report.
IDF officer confronts Katz during Gaza visit over Haredi enlistment exemptions
During a visit to IDF troops in the Gaza Strip yesterday, Defense Minister Israel Katz was confronted by a senior commander over the issue of the ultra-Orthodox community’s continued exemptions from mandatory military service, according to a video aired by Channel 12 news.
In the clip, the unnamed officer expresses frustration over the personal toll of extended service, while other Israelis are not required to serve at all.
“We are on our 500th day [of service]. We have left our families behind for 500 days,” the commander tells Katz in the footage.
“My father passed away last year, my son is having his bar mitzvah in three weeks — I want to take my 80-year-old mother to the hospital and I can’t,” he continues.
“Your job is to make sure…that everyone gets under the stretcher,” the officer says, referring to shared burden and sacrifice.
When questioned by Katz, the commander makes his criticism explicit: “I am speaking about the ultra-Orthodox.”
Huckabee says hoping Gaza ceasefire ‘a done deal’ but up to Hamas if agreement sealed
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attends a memorial event at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem for two murdered staffers from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, May 26, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says he hopes the ceasefire and hostage release agreement being negotiated is “a done deal,” but whether it will get across the finish line is ultimately up to Hamas.
“Let’s hope they understand it’s time for this to end… the reason it hasn’t been [ended] before is because Hamas has been unwilling to let go of their grip on these hostages,” Huckabee says in an interview with Channel 12 news.
He also insists that “Hamas has no future in Gaza.”
Asked whether US President Donald Trump is threatening to condition aid to Israel with his demands for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial to end, Huckabee doesn’t answer directly but indicates that is not the case.
“It wasn’t that he was trying to get in the middle of Israel’s business or telling the Israeli courts what they should or shouldn’t do; it was a mere observation. An observation of something that was happening to a friend that he knew happened to himself, and he was recognizing that,” Huckabee says.
Trump has “been through an enormous amount of lawfare in the United States,” and this “distracted him” from doing the job he was elected to do.
Huckabee also cites assessments by Trump and others that Iran’s nuclear sites were “obliterated” in the 12-day war, and says, “Iran’s nuclear aspirations — they’re over. They need to give it up.”
Huckabee says he has no predictions on the possible timing of an Israel-Syria agreement, but says he believes, more widely, that “we’re looking at a realignment of the Middle East.”
Israeli political leaders to decide which captives will be freed after reviewing medical reports — TV
Israeli political leaders will decide which of the hostages will be freed as part of the brewing ceasefire deal with Hamas after being presented with information about the medical conditions of the captives, Channel 12 news reports.
IDF says southern Lebanon strikes targeted weapons depots and other Hezbollah targets
The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon a short while ago, which the IDF says targeted weapons depots, military buildings and terror infrastructure.
The operation was conducted with intelligence support from the Military Intelligence Directorate and the IDF’s Northern Command.
According to the IDF, Hezbollah operational activity in the area and the presence of weapons constitute a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
⬆️غارة تستهدف جبل صافي
▪️سلسلة غارات إسرائيلية على مناطق في الجنوب اللبناني
▪️غارة حربية في محيط النبطية
▪️غـارتين على #العيشية @LBpresidency
▪️مجرى الليطاني زوطر ثلاث غارات pic.twitter.com/wi0aYqBQ7m
— Nadine Barakat (@nadinebarakatlb) July 3, 2025
At Nir Oz, Netanyahu cites his ‘deep commitment’ to returning the hostages and rehabilitating kibbutz
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara with freed hostage Gadi Mozes, at Kibbutz Nir Oz on July 3, 2025. (X screenshot)
During his visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expresses his “deep commitment” to return the remaining hostages still held in Gaza and to help rebuild the community devastated in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack.
“You feel, deep in your soul, the magnitude of the pain, the depth of the sorrow, the trauma that struck an entire community — and still strikes it,” Netanyahu says in a video message shared by his office, alongside his wife, Sara Netanyahu.
The visit is Netanyahu’s first to Nir Oz since the massacre, despite repeated appeals from the kibbutz’s residents.
“I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our hostages, all of them. Twenty lives are still being held, and there are still the fallen. We will bring everyone back,” Netanyahu continues, referring to the 50 total hostages held by Hamas.
“But also, a deep commitment to act here to rehabilitate this kibbutz and bring life back to its people. We will cut through the bureaucracy — and rebuild,” he adds.
During the visit, Netanyahu met with Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker and a vocal critic of the prime minister.
Following the visit, kibbutz residents released a statement saying they expect the government to advance the return of the remaining hostages, among them the nine from Nir Oz, as well as the rebuilding of the community.
Kremlin says Putin told Trump that Iran and Mideast conflicts should be solved diplomatically
L: Russian President Vladimir Putin at Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside of Moscow, Russia on April 24, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP); R: US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
MOSCOW — Russian leader Vladimir Putin stressed in a call with US President Donald Trump that the Iran conflicts and others in the Middle East should be solved diplomatically.
“From the Russian side, the importance of settling all disputed issues, disagreements and conflictual situations be solved exclusively by politico-diplomatic means was stressed,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov tells reporters after the call.
Macron slams charges against French citizens detained in Iran, says not ruling out retaliatory moves
French President Emmanuel Macron calls the accusations against two French citizens held in Iran unacceptable and says he hasn’t ruled out taking retaliatory measures.
Agence France Presse reported late on Wednesday that Iran had charged Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, with spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. France has said the couple is being held arbitrarily and labeled the conditions they have been kept in as akin to torture.
IDF spokesman calls return of hostages ‘the ultimate goal’ of Gaza war
The IDF will persist in its military campaign in Gaza until all hostages are returned and Hamas is dismantled, IDF Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference, reaffirming the war’s central objectives.
“That is the ultimate goal that every fighter and every commander in the Gaza Strip and beyond has in their sight,” Defrin says about returning the hostages.
He adds that Israeli forces are operating with “high intensity” across most of the Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas strongholds in ground maneuvers and with a coordinated combination of air, naval and artillery fire.
Defrin highlights the killing of senior Hamas commander Hakem al-Issa, described as a key planner of the October 7 massacre, as well as two terrorists involved in the deaths of seven IDF soldiers in Khan Younis last week, declaring them operational successes in recent days.
According to Defrin, the IDF is simultaneously working to enable humanitarian aid deliveries via the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which Defrin says delivered over a million food packages to Gazan civilians to date, while countering ongoing attempts by Hamas to sabotage the effort.
Freed hostage Edan Alexander and his family arrive at White House to meet Trump
Edan Alexander arrives at the White House with his family on July 3, 2025. (X screenshot)
Former American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander arrives with his family at the White House for his meeting with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Alexander was released by Hamas on May 12 after 584 days in captivity in a decision framed as a goodwill gesture to Trump by the terror group.
לקראת הפגישה עם טראמפ: שורד השבי עידן אלכסנדר ומשפחתו הגיעו לבית הלבן@nathanguttman pic.twitter.com/1FJSAMVMKJ
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) July 3, 2025
Kibbutz Nir Oz says it expects PM’s visit ‘to advance return of the hostages’
Kibbutz Nir Oz releases a statement on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the Gaza border community, 636 days after it was devastated in the Hamas-led terror atrocities.
“We expect this visit to advance the return of the 50 hostages, among them nine from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and that the Israeli government will be committed to the rebuilding of the kibbutz and rehabilitation of its members wherever they choose to live,” the statement says.
IDF source says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation building new distribution site in Rafah
The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it distributed almost 29,000 boxes of food today.
Almost all of the aid was distributed at the two GHF sites in southern Gaza, with only 1,300 boxes given out at the Wadi Gaza site in central Gaza.
The organization says it has delivered over 1 million boxes of food since it started operations in late May.
The GHF is building a new site in Rafah, an IDF source tells The Times of Israel.
GHF says its boxes contain enough food for 5.5 people for 3.5 days, but the contents are dry food products that require preparation elsewhere in war-ravaged Gaza, where community kitchens and cooking supplies are limited.
As Netanyahu visits Nir Oz, Gantz says ‘now the time’ for state inquiry into Oct. 7
Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, 636 days after the community was devastated in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror atrocities, “is better late than never.”
“The decision to go is important and now the time has come to form a state commission of inquiry,” says Gantz, referring to the high-level investigative committee that Netanyahu has refused to commit to being formed to probe the failures surrounding October 7.
Tiberias man convicted of harassing key witness in Netanyahu’s graft trial
Hadas Klein arrives at a court hearing in the trial against former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the District Court in Jerusalem on September 19, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court convicts Tiberias resident Menachem Raviv of witness intimidation for “defamatory and offensive tweets” he posted on social media against Hadas Klein over her testimony in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial.
“Damn the Bolshevik, Mapainik Hadas Klein, her and every member of her family who made false accusations against Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu,” wrote Raviv several weeks after Klein ended her testimony.
“From one testimony to the next, it turns out that the evil and sickness of Hadas Klein and every member of her family is growing at an ever-increasing pace and we must stop her, otherwise she, God forbid, could spread just like the exponential spread of the deadly coronavirus,” he further tweeted.
The court rejected Raviv’s argument that his comments were protected free speech, stating the witness is entitled to peace of mind and not to be harassed which outweigh freedom of expression, and that “it is not permissible to harass a witness with comments like these defamatory and offensive tweets, including the call to stop Klein which the defendant published.”
Raviv is given a two month suspended prison sentence and a NIS 500 ($150) fine.
He is the third person to be convicted of witness harassment in connection to Netanyahu’s trial.
The State Attorney’s Office has filed another five indictments to the courts against defendants for allegedly harassing Klein, a key witness in the trial.
In addition, the State Attorney’s Office filed indictments in February against three senior aides to Netanyahu, — Ofer Golan, Jonatan Urich, and Yisrael Einhorn — on charges of witness harassment against Shlomo Filber, another key witness in Netanyahu’s trial.
Urich and Einhorn are both also suspects in the leaked documents and Qatargate investigations.
US planning to hold nuclear talks with Iran in Oslo next week — report
The United States plans to hold talks with Iran about its nuclear program in Oslo next week, Axios reports, citing two unidentified sources.
At Nir Oz, Netanyahu meets hostage mother who has been his fierce critic
Video from Kibbutz Nir Oz shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker.
Zangauker, who has been a harsh critic of the premier, is also seen embracing the prime minister’s wife Sara.
ראש הממשלה נתניהו ועינב צנגאוקר: תיעוד ראשון מתוך המפגש כעת בניר עוז pic.twitter.com/cHV1umfvVW
— almog boker (@bokeralmog) July 3, 2025
IDF says airstrike near Beirut targeted operative working for Iran’s Quds Force
The IDF says it carried out an airstrike earlier today targeting a terrorist operative in the village of Sil, near Beirut, in Lebanon.
According to the military, the individual was involved in smuggling weapons and advancing terror plots against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, acting on behalf of the Quds Force in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
معلومات أولية عن استهداف سيارة في خلدة#ملحق pic.twitter.com/yHjafz6MRg
— Mulhak – ملحق (@Mulhak) July 3, 2025
Former commander of 162nd Division officially takes over as head of IDF Operations Directorate
Outgoing head of the IDF's Operations Directorate Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk (left), Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (center), and incoming head of the directorate Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen (right) at a change-of-command ceremony at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, July 3, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen officially assumes his new role as head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate, replacing Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, who is retiring after 34 years of service.
The change-of-command ceremony is held at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, led by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and attended by senior officers and the commanders’ families.
Zamir praises Basiuk’s leadership during one of the most complex periods in Israel’s history, including the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught and the recent 12-day conflict with Iran.
“You led the directorate through one of the most challenging periods we’ve faced,” Zamir says. “You did so with responsibility and sound judgment, out of a deep sense of mission and commitment to the citizens of Israel.”
Turning to Cohen, Zamir calls him “a brave and determined commander” who led the 162nd Division to “significant achievements” during the Gaza war.
“I have no doubt that you will continue to lead with professionalism, accountability, and deep commitment to the homeland,” he says.
In his farewell remarks, Basiuk reflects on the failures of October 7 and the military receovery that followed.
“The campaign in Gaza is not over, and the mission will not be complete until all the hostages return home,” he says. “This is an operational, moral, and national mission.”
Taking up the post, Cohen says he is stepping into the role “with reverence and a deep sense of responsibility.”
“We will remember and never forget those who fell in battle — civilians and heroic fighters — and we will do everything to bring the hostages home and defeat our enemies wherever we are needed,” he adds.
Ben Gvir’s driver convicted of reckless driving for crashing into car after running red light
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's car after an accident in Ramle, April 26, 2024. The minister was lightly injured. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)
The driver for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was convicted of reckless driving in an incident in which he crashed into another vehicle while chauffeuring the minister last year, Hebrew media reports.
The indictment against Moshe Eichenstein was watered down significantly due to a plea deal with the prosecution, leading to the revocation of his driver’s license for 30 days over the April 2024 incident.
Prosecutors accused Eichenstein in the Petah Tikva Traffic Court of running a red light while escorting Ben Gvir from the site of a terrorist attack in Ramle, colliding with another vehicle and injuring its driver as a result.
Idan Domatov, the driver wounded in the accident, tells Channel 12 News that “justice was served” with Eichenstein’s conviction.
Domatov was hospitalized for several days with a serious knee injury due to the crash. He required surgery and was rendered temporarily immobile.
“The punishment doesn’t interest me,” he says. “I’m very pleased that he was convicted in the accident because all this time they blamed me for causing the crash, even though I wasn’t at fault, and today, thank God, they decided that I am not guilty.”
Domatov tells the outlet that he hopes to receive financial compensation for the injuries he continues to suffer from as a result of the crash.
Netanyahu enters Kibbutz Nir Oz through side entrance, avoiding demonstrators at front
Over six hundred and thirty days after the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Kibbutz Nir Oz for the first time.
With demonstrators gathered at the entrance to the kibbutz, Netanyahu’s convoy enters through another gate, where signs calling him “mister abandonment” are seen in the background.
Voices in the background can be heard shouting “disgrace” and denouncing Netanyahu as “corrupt,” an “abandoner” and a “murderer” as the vehicles drive by.
ביבי מגיע לא מהכניסה הראשית של ניר עוז ומקבל קריאות מהמפגינים גם שם pic.twitter.com/vtOhcyjxC3
— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) July 3, 2025
Ministers to discuss bill to block non-Jews whose grandparents are Jewish from immigrating to Israel
Noam party leader Avi Maoz speaks at the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 31, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday is set to discuss a bill from far-right coalition MK Avi Maoz that would amend the Law of Return to remove from the grandchildren of Jews the right to immigrate to Israel and obtain citizenship.
The Law of Return was formulated in 1950, two years after the State of Israel was established, giving every Jew from around the world the automatic right to immigrate to the Jewish state. While Orthodox religious authorities traditionally only recognize as Jewish those who have a Jewish mother or who converted to Judaism through an Orthodox track, the law was expanded in 1970 to also allow any grandchild of a Jew to immigrate even if they themselves are not Jewish.
“In its current form, the Law of Return also allows the grandson of a Jew to receive immigrant status and rights, even if he himself, and sometimes even if his parents, are no longer Jewish,” the law’s explanatory notes read.
“This situation means that the law is being exploited by many who have severed all ties with the Jewish people and their traditions, and in effect empties the law of its original intention, which was to open the country’s gates to Diaspora Jews.”
Previous proposals to change the grandchild clause were submitted in late 2022 and early 2023 and were part of coalition deals ahead of the current government’s formation.
“The timing of the proposed change to the grandchild clause is deeply troubling,” says Rabbi Seth Farber, the director of the ITIM nonprofit, which helps Israelis navigate their country’s religious bureaucracy.
“At a time when thousands of immigrants — some not halachically Jewish — are showing courage and sacrifice on the battlefield, it is morally absurd for government officials, many of whom never served in the IDF, to question their right to belong.
“In the long term, however, it is legitimate to consider thoughtful and inclusive adjustments to the Law of Return that strengthen Jewish identity while preserving Israel’s role as the homeland of the entire Jewish people.”
PM’s office says Netanyahu today to visit Kibbutz Nir Oz for first time since Oct. 7 attack
A woman looks at photos of slain hostages in the dining hall at Kibbutz Nir Oz, in southern Israel, on February 25, 2025. (AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will today visit Kibbutz Nir Oz, his office tells The Times of Israel.
The prime minister has not visited Nir Oz since Hamas devastated the kibbutz on October 7, 2023, despite appeals for him to do so from the residents of the tight-knit community.
The small kibbutz was among the hardest hit in the Hamas onslaught, with 117 of the community’s approximately 400 residents either kidnapped or murdered during the massacre. Despite the widespread carnage, most government politicians, including Netanyahu, have stayed away from Nir Oz, which has traditionally been viewed as a dovish bastion.
IDF says troops arrested 10 Palestinians, seized firearms in overnight West Bank raids
IDF soldiers operate in the West Bank, in a handout cleared for publication on July 3, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli forces arrested 10 wanted Palestinians and seized firearms during overnight operations across the West Bank, the military says.
In Tubas, undercover troops from the IDF’s Duvdevan commando unit arrested three suspects affiliated with a local terror cell. In Balata, near Nablus, troops destroyed a lathe used to manufacture weapons and explosives.
In Tulkarem and nearby Shuweika, soldiers detained three more suspects and confiscated a M-16 rifle, Carlo submachine gun and other military gear. No injuries were reported among the Israeli forces.
Nefesh B’Nefesh says 2,000 North American immigrants expected in Israel this summer
A handout photo of a new immigrant arriving in Israel on July 3, 2025. (Nefesh B'Nefesh/Igor Farberov)
Some 45 new immigrants from the United States and Canada have arrived in Israel on the first Nefesh B’Nefesh immigrant flight this summer.
Some 2,000 new immigrants are expected to arrive from North America in the coming weeks, says the organization, which helps facilitate immigration to Israel.
The new immigrants arriving today range from infants to septuagenarians, and include professionals such as engineers, lawyers, educators and a chef.
Another 60 individuals already in Israel have been granted citizenship during the past 24 hours as well, Nefesh B’Nefesh says.
Later this summer, over 220 immigrants will arrive in Israel on the first charter immigration flight since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. More than 4,430 North Americans have immigrated to Israel since Hamas launched the war against Israel, with more than 13,500 additional requests filed, Nefesh B’Nefesh says.
Twelve additional flights will bring smaller groups throughout the season, the organization notes.
“In other countries, when there is war, people flee the country, but here, people come to the country,” says Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer. “Our job is to welcome the immigrants, embrace them, and build the future of the country with them. The immigrants who are arriving these days are real heroes.”
Iran still committed to nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, says FM Araghchi
Iran remains committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its safeguards agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says in a post on X.
“Our cooperation with the IAEA will be channeled through Iran’s Supreme National Security Council for obvious safety and security reasons,” Araghchi adds.
Top US general in Mideast visits Israel in wake of Iran strikes
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and US CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla discuss the IDF's achievements in Operation Rising Lion against Iran, in a handout photo published July 3, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
US CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla visited Israel yesterday as the official guest of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the military says.
During the visit, Kurilla joined Zamir and senior Israeli commanders for a joint panel discussion on the IDF’s recent achievements in Operation Rising Lion against Iran and broader regional security developments.
Kurilla also toured the Israeli Air Force’s underground command center alongside IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
The IDF says it places great importance on its ties with the US military and thanks CENTCOM for its strategic coordination during recent operations.
High Court freezes IDF order to demolish 104 buildings in West Bank’s Tulkarem refugee camp
The High Court of Justice freezes a military order to demolish 104 civilian buildings, including some 400 housing units, in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank.
The residential buildings are home to approximately 2,000 Palestinians, the Adalah civil rights organization says.
According to Adalah, the IDF claimed the demolitions were needed for “military-operational purposes,” although it did not provide evidence for the claim.
In response to Adalah’s legal challenge to the demolitions, the IDF cited general concerns about “terror infrastructure” and “security needs.”
The court issued an interim injunction on Wednesday, freezing the demolition orders, and gave the state until September 2 to submit a detailed response to Adalah’s petition.
“The interim decision marks a rare acknowledgment by the court of the severity of the demolition orders and the urgent need to give the affected families a meaningful opportunity to defend their right to remain in their homes,” says Adalah’s legal director, Dr. Suhad Bishara.
“As Adalah argued in the petition, over the past year, the Supreme Court has repeatedly approved mass demolitions—endorsing acts that amount to grave breaches of international law—and has handed the military near-blanket authority to issue and implement sweeping demolition orders without due process,” Adalah says. “To fulfill its legal obligations, the Court must go beyond temporary injunctions and strike down these unlawful orders outright.”
BBC to stop live-streaming ‘high risk’ performances after punk duo led ‘Death to the IDF’ chants live on air
The Bob Vylan duo performs on the West Holts Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. England, June 28, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
The BBC says it will no longer live-broadcast musical performances deemed “high risk” following controversy over the behavior of punk-rap duo Bob Vylan during their Glastonbury set last weekend.
The British broadcaster has attracted criticism for having failed to pull a livestream of the performance after its frontman made anti-Israel comments and led chants of “Death, death to the IDF” at the festival in southwest England last week.
British police said Monday they were launching a criminal investigation into the remarks made by Bob Vylan.
“We fully understand the strength of feeling regarding Bob Vylan’s live appearance at Glastonbury on the BBC,” the broadcaster says in its latest statement. “Errors were made both in the lead-up to and during” the appearance, it admits.
“We are taking actions to ensure proper accountability for those found to be responsible for those failings in the live broadcast,” while setting out some immediate changes to the streaming of music events, the BBC adds.
“Any music performances deemed high risk will now not be broadcast live or streamed live,” the statement says.
Iranian media publishes footage of Israeli strike on Tehran’s Quds Square last month
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency publishes footage from an Israeli strike on Quds Square in Tehran during the recent 12-day war.
Several people can be seen milling about in the moments before the strike, and cars are driving down the road.
Then, two huge explosions detonate one right after the other, the force of which sends a number of parked cars flying into the air.
Car parts rain down as the camera’s view becomes partially obscured by smoke, and the video cuts off.
▶️ Moment when Israeli projectiles hit Tehran's Quds Square
#BREAKING #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/fScrfanhEp— Mehr News Agency (@MehrnewsCom) July 3, 2025
Mossad chief says Israel inflicted ‘significant damage’ on Iran during 12-day war
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) speaks to Mossad chief David Barnea on a visit to the Mossad headquarters, on July 2, 2025. (Haim Zach/GPO)
Mossad chief David Barnea says that Israel inflicted “significant damage” on Iran in last month’s 12-day operation, but indicates that Jerusalem needs to continue its operations against the Islamic Republic, in comments released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“We are committed to continuing to act resolutely to prevent a future threat from Iran to Israel and to strive to maximize the strategic opportunities before us,” Barnea said during a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mossad headquarters last night.
Netanyahu told the Mossad leadership that its beeper and walkie-talkie operation against Hezbollah in September 2024 “set in motion everything that happened later – the elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah, the collapse of [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, and subsequently our joint operation to remove the immediate existential threat” in Iran, says the PMO.
Foreign Ministry says envelope of suspicious powder sent to Israeli embassy in Denmark
An envelope of suspicious powder was sent to Israel’s embassy near Copenhagen, the Foreign Ministry confirms in a statement, after Danish police said they were investigating a suspicious shipment.
The incident is being handled by Danish law enforcement, according to the ministry.
In May, Israel’s embassies in Belgium and France received similar suspicious packages.
‘No longer the same little girls’: Hostage David Cunio’s twin daughters celebrate fifth birthday
Former hostage children Emma and Yuli Cunio, the twin daughters of former captive hostage Aloni Cunio and hostage David Cunio, celebrate their fifth birthday -- their second birthday without their father, on July 2, 2025. (Ziv Koren)
Former hostage Sharon Aloni Cunio, whose husband, David Cunio, is still held in Hamas captivity, shares a photo of the couple’s twin daughters, Emma and Yuli, marking their fifth birthday — their second birthday without their father.
The twin girls were taken captive with their parents from their Kibbutz Nir Oz home on October 7, 2023, and freed along with their mother in November 2023. David remains captive in Gaza.
Aloni Cunio shares a photo of her daughters taken by photographer Ziv Koren with Hanoch Daum, an Israeli comic who shares images and stories of survivors and victims of October 7, as well as stories of reservists and their families.
“Hi Hanoch, my name is Sharon Cunio, the mother of Emma and Yuli, who at their young age hold the grim title of being captivity survivors, and the wife of David, who has been wasting away for 636 nights and days in the tunnels of Gaza,” writes Cunio.
“Emma and Yuli celebrated their 5th birthday yesterday without their father — for the second year in a row. The last time David saw them, they were 3 years old! They are no longer the same little girls he once saw.”
“Through you, I want to appeal to every citizen of Israel: Please share the photo of Yuli and Emma and join us in demanding the return of their father, David, home – along with his brother Ariel and all the hostages. They need him, I need him – we cannot heal without him.”
Danish police investigating suspicious package received by Israeli embassy
Danish police say they are present at the Israeli embassy, just north of Copenhagen, and are investigating a suspicious shipment received by the embassy.
They say the area around the embassy is cordoned off.
Report: Ceasefire deal will require Hamas to inform Israel about health of hostages who won’t be freed
The proposed framework for a ceasefire and hostage release deal would require Hamas to provide mediators with information about the health conditions of the hostages not slated for release in the initial 60-day ceasefire period, the pan-Arab Al-Ghad news outlet reports.
In return, it says, Israel will be required to share information about the health of all Palestinian security prisoners arrested since the October 7, 2023, onslaught.
It adds that throughout the 60-day ceasefire, mediators Qatar, Egypt, and the US will guarantee a “serious” negotiation process, which if successful, would lead to the end of the war.
IDF says Gaza terrorists behind Wednesday rocket fire killed in drone strike
IDF troops operate in Gaza, in a handout photo published July 3, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says the Gaza terror cell responsible for yesterday’s rocket fire at Sderot and Ibim was “eliminated” in a drone strike just minutes after the launch from northern Gaza.
Separately, it says troops across multiple divisions have continued to operate in the Strip.
Troops of the 162nd Division have targeted terrorists and underground infrastructure in the north, it says, while the 188th Armored Brigade in the south recently uncovered rifles, pistols, magazines, and mortars in the Khan Younis area.
Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force struck around 150 targets, including underground routes, military structures, sniper positions, and other terror infrastructure, the military says.
The IDF says its operations, carried out with intelligence from the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence Directorate, aim to eliminate threats against Israeli civilians.
Two Tiberias men indicted on accusations of carrying out missions for Iran, plotting to assassinate senior Israeli figure
State prosecutors file an indictment against two young men from Tiberias accused of carrying out missions on behalf of Iran, including a plot to assassinate a senior Israeli figure.
According to the indictment, 18-year-old Yoni Segal and 20-year-old Omri Mizrahi maintained contact with several Iranian agents for around a month, from mid-May up until their arrest on June 15.
The pair began with small tasks, writing “Bibi is a dictator” on slips of paper and banknotes, then filming videos of themselves burning the messages.
The agents later employed them to gather intelligence on shopping malls and hospitals, paying them NIS 1,000 ($298) each to film videos documenting several locations each day.
The two provided information on the number of entrances to each building and on the number of security guards stationed at each site, prosecutors say.
They were arrested while allegedly preparing to travel to Iran to undergo shooting training with the goal of assassinating a senior Israeli figure whose identity was not disclosed to the defendants.
Channel 12 previously reported that the agents sought to kill a high-ranking Israeli scientist.
The handlers promised each defendant NIS 200,000 ($60,000) in cryptocurrency, as well as to relocate them and their families to Iran if they were to carry out the assassination.
The two men planned to meet the agents in Turkey or Greece, where they would be brought to Iran for training.
Segal suggested to one of the agents, who went by the alias “Dior,” that he leave Israel by boat to Cyprus or Greece. He received NIS 7,000 ($2,083) from the agent as an advance payment for the trip.
According to prosecutors, the defendants were fully aware that they were in contact with Iranian agents. They are charged with contact with a foreign agent and providing intelligence to the enemy.
Segal is also charged with obstruction of justice for deleting messages he exchanged with one of the agents in an attempt to conceal evidence.
Saudi report estimates 4,000 Hezbollah fighters killed in war with Israel, another 2,000 deserted after Nasrallah’s death
Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reports, citing unnamed sources, that approximately 4,000 Hezbollah operatives, including fighters, commanders, and senior figures, were killed during the Lebanon-based terror group’s war with Israel, which ended in a ceasefire in November 2024.
On top of that, the report says around 2,000 others deserted following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September last year.
Despite these losses, the report claims Hezbollah still maintains a force of approximately 60,000 members.
The outlet also reports that 80% of the territory south of Lebanon’s Litani River — once under Hezbollah’s exclusive control — is now controlled by the Lebanese Armed Forces. The terms of the ceasefire require that Hezbollah maintain no control in that area.
It says Hezbollah has also shut down most of its training centers in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon, and much of its medium and heavy-grade weaponry has either been destroyed by Israeli strikes or seized by the Lebanese army.
‘We’re dead men walking’: Families of hostages Maxim Herkin, Bar Kuperstein publish clip from Hamas propaganda video
Hostages Bar Kuperstein (left) and Maxim Herkin (right) are seen in a Hamas propaganda video released by the terror group in April 2025, and cleared for publication by their families on July 3, 2025. (Screenshot)
The families of hostages Maxim Herkin and Bar Kuperstein allow the media to publish a brief snippet from a Hamas propaganda video released by the terror group in April.
The snippet is part of a larger video calling for a comprehensive ceasefire deal rather than another round of staggered, partial hostage releases.
The 44-second video published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum features excerpts from multiple Hamas propaganda videos, all of which have been approved for publication by their families.
The video begins with a video of US President Donald Trump saying that the US “wants to get the hostages back,” before it cuts to clips of the hostages.
In the footage, Herkin and Kuperstein sit with their backs against the wall.
Herkin, whose hand is bandaged, says that the two are “dead men walking.”
“We don’t feel like human beings,” he says.
In a second, shorter clip, Kuperstein only says: “Please!” in what appears to be an appeal for his release.
A video published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on July 3, 2025, features clips of the hostages taken from Hamas propaganda videos in a call for the Israeli government to agree to a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
The other videos in the compilation had previously been published by the families of the hostages, either in part or in full.
“The video is intended to amplify the cry of the hostages’ families and the hostages, in the face of the possibility of a partial deal, of cruel selections,” says the hostages forum in a statement accompanying the video.
“The families demand a comprehensive agreement that will ensure the return of every last hostage. This is the correct and moral act, one which doesn’t require separating siblings and the immoral choice of one hostage over another.”
38 people said killed while waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza overnight
Members of the Hamas-linked civil defense try to extinguish a fire at a building hit by an Israeli strike in Gaza City in the central Gaza Strip, on July 2, 2025. (Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP)
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says 82 people were killed by Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip overnight, including 38 people who were shot dead while trying to access humanitarian aid.
It says that five people were killed outside aid distribution sites operated by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and 33 others were killed while waiting for aid trucks in other locations across the Strip.
Dozens of people were also said to have been killed in airstrikes overnight, including 15 people in the sprawling tent city in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza. The Hamas-linked civil defense says a separate strike at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City killed at least 12.
The figures provided by the Gaza health ministry cannot be independently verified and do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
There have been repeated instances of Palestinians being shot near aid distribution sites. The IDF says it is investigating but has denied that troops are ordered to open fire on civilians.
New ceasefire proposal said to include IDF withdrawal to March positions, reimplementing UN aid mechanism
This aerial photo shows displaced Gazans walking toward Gaza City on January 27, 2025, after crossing the Netzarim corridor from the southern Gaza Strip. (AFP)
Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reports that the latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza is focused on three central issues.
Firstly, it says that the agreement requires Israeli forces to withdraw to the positions they held before the collapse of the last ceasefire on March 2. At that time, the IDF had not fully withdrawn from Gaza, and remained stationed along the so-called Philadelphi Corridor.
The second item is the matter of humanitarian aid. According to the report, the United Nations mechanism for delivering aid would be reinstated, “to ensure uninterrupted supply.” While the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is not explicitly mentioned, the report suggests that the UN mechanism would be used exclusively.
Finally, the proposal includes a commitment to continue negotiations over the broader future of the ceasefire, even if an agreement on ending the war is not reached before the initial truce begins.
Settlers break into homes in Palestinian village of Mu’arajat al-Sharqiya overnight, forcing residents to flee
Two Israeli settlers sit outside the home of a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Mu'arajat al-Sharqiya after breaking in and forcing the family to flee, on July 3, 2025. (Looking the Occupation in the Eye)
Israeli settlers were documented breaking into a home in the Palestinian village of Mu’arajat al-Sharqiya, in the southern Jordan Valley area of the West Bank, overnight and ousting the family living there, reportedly amid efforts to establish a new outpost inside the village.
Photos from the scene show settlers relaxing and smoking outside the home after the family fled.
According to the left-wing activist group Looking the Occupation in the Eye, they also stole cash and an air conditioner unit from the home.
Elsewhere in the village, other settlers took over an uninhabited house and remained there throughout the night and into the morning.
An Israeli activist assisting residents of the village tells The Times of Israel that at the height of the incident, around 25 settlers were present at the scene. She says they threw stones at activists and villagers, and chased them with clubs. There were no injuries.
After the incident, it was discovered that about 60 sheep had been stolen from one of the residents, she says.
Mu'arajat, southern Jordan Valley.
At theses moments, settlers from nearby illegal outposts are invading the community's arre and are starting to build an outpost very close to the community's homes – as recently happened in Maghayer a-Dir, where the residents were forced to… pic.twitter.com/HYPZjwoMSy— מסתכלים לכיבוש בעיניים (@Mistaclim) July 2, 2025
The activist says that dozens of calls were made to the police overnight but no officers were dispatched to the scene. One of the villagers later filed a complaint.
Footage from the night shows IDF soldiers were present at the scene, but according to the activist, they did not intervene.
IDF soldiers sit with an Israeli settler who broke into the Palestinian village of Mu’arajat al-Sharqiya, in the southern Jordan Valley, on July 3, 2025. (Looking the Occupation in the Eye)
A group of soldiers was later seen sitting with two of the settlers in what appeared to be a relaxed setting, with the soldiers drinking energy drinks and using their phones.
Mu’arajat is one of the few remaining Palestinian communities between Ramallah and Jericho. Most of the area’s roughly 1,000 residents have fled or were forcibly displaced by settler violence over the past two years.
The IDF and police have not yet issued a response.
Report: Hamas officials abroad told to hand over weapons as symbolic nod to Israeli demand for disarmament
Senior Hamas officials abroad have been told to hand in their personal weapons amid negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, the Times newspaper reports.
The directive came from Qatari mediators, the Times reports, and is largely a symbolic initiative and a nod to Israel’s demand for Hamas’s disarmament, which the terror group has thus far rejected.
It says that among the senior Hamas officials instructed to hand over their weapons are lead negotiator and senior politburo official Khalil al-Hayya; the Istanbul-based leader of Hamas in the West Bank, Zaher Jabarin; and the chair of Hamas’s Shura Council, Muhammad Ismail Darwish.
The report comes as Hamas is reviewing the latest ceasefire proposal, and as mediators and Israel await its response. Earlier today, a Saudi report suggested that Hamas was satisfied with the framework of the deal and would submit its response by Friday.
Armored vehicle hit by Hamas in deadly Gaza attack last week didn’t have working exit hatch or cameras, report finds
New details published by the Kan public broadcaster from the deadly armored vehicle attack in southern Gaza last week reveal that defects in an IDF armored personnel carrier allowed a Hamas operative to throw an explosive device into the vehicle, killing seven combat engineering soldiers in Khan Younis on June 24.
According to the report, the exit hatch of the Puma APC was broken and had been tied shut with a rope. The APC’s cameras were not functional and hadn’t been for an extended period.
Soldiers said commanders were aware of the issues.
The incident sparked criticism from families of soldiers in the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion, who accused the army of negligence and demanded updated equipment in a letter to the battalion commander.
The incident was “unnecessary and preventable,” they said.
Parents noted that other battalions have more advanced vehicles, such as the Namer, while the 605th continues to rely on outdated Pumas.
The IDF and Shin Bet announced yesterday that two Hamas operatives involved in the deadly attack had been killed in a drone strike.
Ben Gvir again urges Smotrich to join forces, torpedo ‘reckless’ hostage deal
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir leads an Otzma Yehudit faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tells the Kan public broadcaster that he will not support the ceasefire and hostage release deal currently on the table as he believes it is “reckless.”
After reports yesterday that he was hoping to involve Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party in a plan to torpedo the deal, Ben Gvir again urges him to join forces and vote against it.
“I won’t allow this reckless deal to happen,” he says. “I hope that Smotrich will join forces with me. We were elected with 14 mandates by people who do not want us to surrender in Gaza,” he says, stressing that Israel has a “historic opportunity” for victory there.
“We must not stop the war without victory,” Ben Gvir reiterates. “What do you think will happen if we stop the war now? That Hamas will hand out flowers?”
As he has often done in the past, the ultranationalist minister insists that the only thing standing between Israel and victory is the delivery of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip.
“It was a giant mistake” to allow aid to begin entering the Strip again in late May after an almost three-month total blockade, he says. “I’m embarrassed that I was the only cabinet member who voted against it. If we want to win, we need to go all the way.”
Report says Hamas satisfied with assurances to end Gaza war included in truce proposal
Citing a knowledgeable source, the Saudi news outlet Asharq reports that Hamas is satisfied with the guarantees to end the Gaza war included in the ceasefire proposal it received.
According to the report, the proposal contains assurances from the mediators that both sides will not resume fighting as long as negotiations are ongoing. Additionally, it says US President Donald Trump is expected to announce the agreement once both parties have approved it and will serve as the clear sponsor for its implementation.
However, another source close to Hamas tells the outlet that the new proposal presented to the group does not contain any substantial changes from the one submitted by US mediator Steve Witkoff, only includes minor modifications.
According to Asharq, Hamas is expected to deliver its response to the proposed framework on Friday.
Hamas reportedly won’t hold hostage handover ceremonies during Gaza ceasefire
Hamas terrorists stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025. (AP Photo/ Abdel Kareem Hana, File)
As part of the hostage release and Gaza ceasefire deal being negotiated, Hamas will not hold public ceremonies while freeing captives, an Israeli defense official and Palestinian source close to the terror group tell the New York Times.
The report notes the proposal being discussed would see the return of 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 captives to Israel, with Hamas releasing them on five separate occasions over the 60-day truce.
Columbia University says student data recently stolen by politically motivated hacker
FILE - Students sit on the front steps of Low Memorial Library on the Columbia University campus in New York City, February 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
NEW YORK — A politically motivated hacker breached Columbia University’s data systems last week, stealing troves of student documents while briefly shutting down the school’s computer systems, a university official says Wednesday.
The June 24 cyberattack prompted widespread network outages on campus, locking students and staff out of their email accounts, coursework and video conference software for several hours. On the same day, images of US President Donald Trump’s smiling face appeared on several public monitors across the Manhattan campus.
A spokesperson for Columbia declines to elaborate on the political motivations behind the attack. But officials describe a highly sophisticated “hacktivist” who had gained access to private student records in an attempt to further a political agenda.
The spokesperson says it’s unclear if the Trump photo display was connected to the data breach.
“We are investigating the scope of the apparent theft and will share our findings with the University community as well as anyone whose personal information was compromised,” the school says.
US lawmakers propose giving Israel access to bunker-busting bombs, stealth bombers in bipartisan bill
Two US lawmakers, a Republican and a Democrat, have presented a bill that, if passed, would give Israel access to the bunker-busting bombs and stealth bombers used by the US in its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month.
The bill, put forward by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (Democrat-New Jersey) and Rep. Mike Lawler (Republican-New York), would give the US president the authority to transfer a supply of the 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs and the B-2 stealth bombers to Israel in the event that Iran continues working on developing a nuclear weapon.
The US dropped more than a dozen of these bombs on the Fordo and Natanz underground nuclear facilities on June 22, amid Israel’s 12-day war with Iran.
While Israel struck hundreds of other nuclear and military targets across the Islamic Republic, it was unable to target these underground sites, as it lacks the weapons and planes needed for such a strike.
Accordingly, the bipartisan Bunker Buster Act would authorize the US to “take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon.”
The bill has been proposed by Gottheimer twice previously, first in 2022 and then in 2024. It did not progress beyond the House floor either time.
“Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans,” he writes on X. “As Iran rebuilds its nuclear program, we must maintain maximum deterrence.”
“My bipartisan Bunker Buster Act will give Israel the tools she needs to deter Iranian aggression and take out their underground nuclear sites — strengthening US national security.”
read more: