July 9: Qatar reportedly tells Israel that Hamas is gearing up for ceasefire

IDF says soldier killed, nearly abducted by Hamas gunmen in Gaza

An Israeli soldier was killed and nearly abducted in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military announces.

The name of the slain soldier is not immediately released for publication. The IDF says he will be named later.

According to an IDF probe, several Hamas gunmen emerged from a tunnel and attacked Israeli forces in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.

During the attack, the operatives attempted to abduct the slain soldier, who had been operating an excavator.

The IDF says the soldier “struggled with them and the terrorists shot and killed him.”

Israeli forces guarding the area opened fire on the operatives, hitting several of them, preventing the abduction attempt, the military adds.

The IDF says the incident is under further investigation.

US State Department spokesperson: Lebanon advancing in efforts to disarm Hezbollah in south but more work needed

WASHINGTON — The Lebanese government has made progress in disarming Hezbollah in the south of the country, but more work is needed to fully remove all of the weapons and infrastructure belonging to non-state actors, a US State Department spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.

Lebanese “parliament must act quickly to pass bank resolution legislation and independence of the judiciary legislation,” the State Department spokesperson says.

“We don’t want to see Hezbollah, or any other terrorist group in Lebanon, recover their ability to commit violence and threaten security in Lebanon or Israel,” the spokesperson adds.

US envoy says Syrian government, Kurds split on how to merge forces

DAMASCUS, Syria — A US envoy says that Syria’s central government and the Kurds remain at odds over plans to merge forces after the latest round of talks.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who is also a special envoy to Syria, tells The Associated Press after meetings in Damascus that differences between the two sides remain. Barrack speaks after meeting with Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in the Syrian capital.

In early March, the new authorities in Damascus signed a landmark deal with the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Under that deal, the SDF forces would be merged with the new national army. The agreement, which is supposed to be implemented by the end of the year, would also bring all border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, airports, and oil fields in the northeast under the central government’s control.

Detention centers housing thousands of suspected members of the Islamic State group would also come under government control.

However, the agreement left the details vague, and progress on implementation has been slow. A major sticking point has been whether the SDF would remain as a cohesive unit in the new army — which the Kurds have pushed for — or whether it would be dissolved and its members absorbed into the new military as individuals.
Barrack says that question remains “a big issue” between the two sides.

Netanyahu asserts Israel not seeking to displace Gazans, but allow them to leave if they want

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Israel is not seeking to forcibly displace Palestinians, rather simply wants to offer those interested in leaving the opportunity to do so.

“We’re not pushing out anyone, and I don’t think that’s President Trump’s suggestion,” Netanyahu says in response to a question from a reporter at the Capitol ahead of his meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

When Trump introduced his plan to take over Gaza for the first time in February, though, he talked about permanently relocating the entire population.

He has since distanced himself from such rhetoric and rarely speaks publicly of the plan while Israel has latched onto it, framing it as an effort to “encourage the voluntary migration” of Gazans.

However, Netanyahu has reportedly told Likud lawmakers that Israel is destroying every building in Gaza so that Palestinians have nowhere to go other than outside the Strip.

“It’s called the freedom of choice, and nothing more than that. No coercion, no forcible dislocation. If people want to leave Gaza, they should have the right to do so and not be held at the point of a gun by Hamas,” Netanyahu says.

Hamas: We agreed to release 10 hostages as part of talks; other points remain under discussion

Hamas addresses the ongoing negotiations with Israel — now in their fourth day — regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, stating that it has shown “flexibility” and agreed to release ten hostages as part of the deal.

However, it notes that other issues are still under negotiation, including the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of IDF forces from the territory and real guarantees for a permanent ceasefire.

In its statement, Hamas says that despite the challenges in the talks, it continues to act “seriously and in a positive spirit with the mediators in order to overcome the obstacles.”

This is an unusual statement from Hamas while negotiations with Israel are still ongoing. However, it does not indicate progress in the talks.

Netanyahu says he and Trump in sync on hostage deal efforts, but won’t agree to one at any cost

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he and US President Donald Trump are in lock-step in efforts to secure a hostage deal, but won’t agree to one at any price.

“President Trump and I have a common goal. I want to achieve the release of our hostages. We want to end Hamas rule in Gaza. We want to make sure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel anymore,” Netanyahu tells reporters at the Capitol before meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Netanyahu says he and Trump have the same strategy and tactics for securing a deal and that they don’t involve US pressure on Israel.

Yesterday, though, the US leaned on Israel to ease its stance regarding the partial withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza during the temporary truce under discussion, an Arab official told The Times of Israel.

“President Trump wants a deal, but not at any price. I want a deal, but not at any price. Israel has security requirements and other requirements, and we’re working together to try to achieve it,” Netanyahu says, dismissing reports to the contrary.

US accuses Houthis of kidnapping crew of cargo ship in Red Sea this week

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The US embassy accuses Yemen’s Houthi rebels of kidnapping crew members from the Eternity C during their deadly attack on the cargo vessel in the Red Sea earlier this week.

“After killing their shipmates, sinking their ship and hampering rescue efforts, the Houthi terrorists have kidnapped many surviving crew members of the Eternity C. We call for their immediate and unconditional safe release,” the embassy says in a statement on X.

Building council calls on Interior Ministry to reject request to rebuild Haifa oil refinery

The National Planning and Building Council calls on the Interior Minister to reject a request by the Bazan oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa to build a new power plant without a building permit.

The council proposes an examination of the alternatives and their respective environmental implications in cooperation with the Haifa Municipality and the Haifa Bay Cities Association for Environmental Protection.

The existing power station was badly damaged in an Iranian missile attack last month, along with other structures such as pipes and transmission lines.

On Monday evening — two days before the National Planning and Building Council was set to hold a discussion — the Interior Ministry posted a draft order for public comment on its website proposing to exempt the company from the need for a building permit.

The Haifa Municipality, the Haifa Bay Cities Association for Environmental Protection and other green groups immediately protested.

Residents, environmental activists and others have pressed for years to have the Bazan compound closed and the materials it produces imported, due to the heavy pollution it causes in Haifa and its surroundings; a reportedly high prevalence of cancer and asthma; and fears of a missile attack, which materialized during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last month. Two missiles hit the compound. One caused a fire that killed three workers.

Three years ago, the cabinet decided to shut down the refineries and related oil storage complex by 2030 and instead import the materials they produce, known as distillates. A Directorate for the Development of Haifa Bay was established within the Prime Minister’s Office to undertake this task and plan the transformation of Haifa Bay from a polluted industrial area into a green residential and tech hub.

The council agrees that the rebuilding of other components, such as boilers, piping and communication systems, can be carried out without building permits, so long as requests for pollution permits are submitted to the Environmental Protection Ministry and the Haifa Bay Cities Association before construction begins.

Qatar reportedly tells Israel Hamas is gearing up for ceasefire

Israel has received a message from Qatar that Hamas is currently making preparations for a ceasefire, readying itself both tactically and for the release of hostages, amid intensified negotiations for an agreement in Doha, Channel 12 reports.

Qatar senses that a deal is achievable, and only one gap remains to be filled — reportedly, the issue of IDF withdrawal positions, adds Channel 12.

For its part, Hamas denies that talks are going well and blames Israel for stalling the progress.

A senior Hamas official tells Channel 12: “The problem is not the details [of the talks,] the problem is in the seriousness of the Israelis. Their delegation in Qatar is unreliable and works slowly. Netanyahu is fronting a positive atmosphere that doesn’t reflect the reality in negotiations.”

Reports: 7 injured, 2 by gunfire during settler attack on villages near Nablus

Sources in the Palestinian Red Crescent tell the official Palestinian news agency that seven Palestinians were injured during a settler attack on the villages of Aqraba and Khirbet al-Tawil in the Nablus area.

According to Palestinian reports, two Palestinians in Aqraba sustained light injuries from gunfire. It is currently unclear whether the shooting came from settlers or Israeli soldiers who were documented arriving at the scene.

Additionally, five other Palestinians were reported to have sustained blunt-force injuries from settler assaults. It’s unclear how many settlers participated in the attack, according to the reports.

The IDF has yet to issue a response.

فيديو | لحظة نقل مصاب برصاص المستوطنين خلال تصدي أهالي عقربا جنوب نابلس للهجوم، وسط حماية قوات الاحتلال. pic.twitter.com/Vo7ySvEGDp

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) July 9, 2025

Trump says he will soon reach deal with ‘totally antisemitic’ Harvard

US President Donald Trump says that his administration will reach a deal with Harvard University.

“Harvard’s been very bad — totally antisemitic. And, yeah, they’ll absolutely reach a deal,” he tells reporters at the White House.

Trump has waged a political and economic campaign against Harvard, stripping it of funds and demanding extensive records linked to foreign students, whom it has repeatedly attempted to block the prestigious university from enrolling and hosting.

The administration has characterized widespread campus protests and sit-ins in the United States calling for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza as being “antisemitic,” and moved to expel foreign students and professors who took part in them.

Trump: Very good chance for Gaza deal this week or next week

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump tells reporters there’s a “very good chance that we’ll have a [Gaza hostage] settlement, an agreement, of some kind this week, and maybe next week if not.”

“I think we have a chance this week or next week — not definitely. There’s nothing definite about war and Gaza,” he says.

“We want to have a ceasefire, we want to have peace, we want to get the hostages back, and I think we’re close to doing it.”

Trump said last week that he believed a deal would be reached this week. The week before that, Trump said a deal would likely be reached within a week.

Revised Israeli pull-back map brings progress in Gaza ceasefire talks, Arab diplomat confirms

In a report confirmed to The Times of Israel by an Arab diplomat, Channel 12 says Israel’s submission of new maps to the Doha mediators — showing a broader, partial withdrawal of IDF troops during the proposed 60-day truce — has moved the Israel-Hamas hostage-release and ceasefire negotiations forward.

Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting yesterday with US President Donald Trump, and as Washington reportedly pressures Israel to scale back its military presence in the Strip, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with a senior Qatari official on the matter. Channel 12 now reveals that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was also present at the meeting.

Sources directly familiar with the talks say the meeting focused on the scope of IDF deployment during the ceasefire, and saw some tense exchanges. Witkoff and the Qatari representative told Dermer that Israel’s initial troop-deployment map was unacceptable and would doom the agreement. Qatar added that Hamas would reject any deal featuring the limited withdrawal and asked that Doha not be blamed if negotiations collapse over the issue.

Witkoff further warned that any map “resembling the [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich plan” — leaving extensive, continuous Israeli control of Gaza — was a “No Go” for the Trump administration. Dermer responded that Netanyahu is under heavy coalition pressure and would need full cabinet approval for major concessions.

After the meeting, Israel submitted a revised map featuring a larger pull-back. According to sources, the new proposal has led to progress in the talks, though notable gaps still remain.

US imposes sanctions on UN Palestinian rapporteur, citing anti-Israel, anti-US campaigns

WASHINGTON —The US is imposing sanctions against UN rapporteur on Palestinian rights Francesca Albanese “for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces.

“Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense,” Rubio tweets.

“The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies,” he adds.

Last month, the Trump administration penned a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging him to remove Albanese from her post, alleging “virulent antisemitism and support for terrorism.”

Albanese, an Italian national, who regularly accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and has said that the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas must be put in a “context of decades of oppression imposed on the Palestinians,” has come under harsh criticism from both the Biden and Trump administrations.

Israeli mother kidnapped her premature baby from the hospital, abandoned him at Jericho hotel — report

An Israeli woman last week kidnapped her premature baby from Hadassah Medical Center at Mount Scopus and abandoned him at a hotel in the West Bank city of Jericho, Channel 12 news reports.

The reported incident occurred overnight Monday-Tuesday last week.

According to the report, Israel’s security establishment was informed of the incident a short time after and worked with the Palestinian Authority’s security forces to locate and return the two-week-old.

PA forces returned the baby to the Israeli Civil Administration’s Jericho branch, and the mother was arrested by police, the report says.

Jericho resides in Area A — parts of the West Bank under PA security and civil control. Israelis are forbidden by law to enter such areas.

No more meetings planned between Netanyahu and Trump, source tells ToI

WASHINGTON — At the moment, no further meeting is planned between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, a member of Netanyahu’s entourage tells The Times of Israel.

“If such a meeting is needed, it will be arranged,” says the official.

Regarding talks in Doha, the official says that “all the sides are interested in an agreement for a ceasefire. We are making efforts and trying to reach one.”

After meetings at White House, hostage families say Trump administration committed to returning all captives

Families of hostages held in Gaza have wrapped up a meeting with Trump administration officials at the White House, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says in a statement.

“We heard for an additional time about the Trump administration’s commitment to returning all the hostages. They won’t stop until all 50 hostages return home. These moments are critical, and we trust the Trump administration to bring everyone with a complete agreement,” the statement reads.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said yesterday that the administration would hold the meeting in order to update the families on the state of the hostage talks in Doha.

The hostage families currently in Washington are opposed to the hostage deal framework that is being advanced, as it only secures the release of roughly half of the remaining hostages, while leaving the fate of the other half to the whim of subsequent negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.

Israel has preferred this framework, though, as it doesn’t want to give an up-front commitment to permanently end the war.

Trump officials have reportedly assured the families that the deal will ultimately see the release of all the families.

IDF chief: Ongoing Gaza op advanced conditions for hostage deal

Speaking at a National Security College course graduation ceremony, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the ongoing offensive against Hamas can enable a hostage deal with the terror group.

“During Operation Gideon’s Chariots, we dealt a severe blow to Hamas’s governmental and military capabilities, and thanks to the operational strength we demonstrated, the conditions to advance a deal for the release of hostages have been created,” he says.

“The IDF does not surrender to voices attempting to weaken it. From various directions, the attacks and accusations against the morality of our actions are disgraceful,” Zamir says.

“We act solely based on professional and objective considerations, in line with the goals of the war and according to the directives of the political leadership,” he continues.

“Before us stands the security of the state and its citizens. The campaign will end when we win. We will ensure our security and our future. We will not stop until we achieve all the objectives of the war in the correct operational order. This is our duty, this is our oath, and this is how we will act,” he says.

Also in his speech, Zamir says, “the lessons of the war underscore [that] we must strengthen our national resilience, significantly expand the circle of service, and ensure that the IDF stands strong, ready and determined in every arena and at all times.”

Herzog says Israel must push for ties with Arab world after military successes

President Isaac Herzog calls for Israel to push for the normalization of relations with neighboring Arab countries after the war in Gaza, in a speech at the National Security College graduation ceremony.

“This is our ‘day after,’ and we must start to speak about it and work for it,” Herzog says, adding the “complete victory” will only come when the country knows how to turn its military victory into a political move.

It would be “a serious strategic mistake” if Israel were to give up on the opportunities presented.

DOGE official hurriedly approved $30 million grant to GHF despite staff objections, memorandum shows

WASHINGTON — A top US State Department official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30 million award last month to a Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters.

Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency associate, signed off on the award despite an assessment in the memorandum that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s funding plan failed to meet required “minimum technical or budgetary standards.”

The June 24 action memorandum to Lewin was sent by Kenneth Jackson, also a former DOGE operative who serves as an acting deputy US Agency for International Development administrator. The pair has overseen the agency’s dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department.

Lewin also overrode 58 objections that USAID staff experts wanted GHF to resolve in its application before the funds were approved, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Lewin, who runs the State Department’s foreign aid program, cleared the funds only five days after GHF filed its proposal on June 19, according to the June 24 “action memorandum” bearing his signature, seen by Reuters.

“Strong Admin support for this one,” Lewin wrote to USAID leaders in a June 25 email — also seen by Reuters — that urged disbursement of the funds by the agency “ASAP.”

The action memorandum was first reported by CNN.

Lewin and Jackson did not respond to requests for comment.

The documents underline the priority the Trump administration has given GHF despite the group’s lack of experience and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its Gaza aid distribution hubs.

GHF, which closely coordinates with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence but says they occurred beyond its operational area.

Lewin noted in the email that he had discussed the funds with aides to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office.

He acknowledged that authorizing the funds would be controversial, writing: “I’m taking the bullet on this one.”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Witkoff and Rubio did not reply to a question about whether they were aware of and supported the decision to waive the safeguards.

The State Department says in a statement that the $30 million was approved under a legal provision allowing USAID to expedite awards in response to “emergency situations” to “meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible.”

“The GHF award remains subject to rigorous oversight, including of GHF’s operations and finances,” the statement said. “As part of the award, GHF was subject to new control and reporting requirements.”

In response to a request for comment, a GHF spokesperson says: “Our model is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources — which will eventually include American taxpayer funds — reach the people of Gaza.”

The spokesperson adds that such requests for clarification from the US government about fund applications were routine.

Speaking about the nine conditions that were waived, the spokesperson says: “We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required.”

Trump administration subpoenas Harvard for files on students allegedly linked to anti-Israel rallies

NEW YORK — The US government says it subpoenaed Harvard University for records linked to students allegedly involved in a wave of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian student protests that the Trump administration labeled antisemitic.

Since being sworn in again in January, US President Donald Trump has targeted top US universities over claims they are politically biased towards anti-Jewish hate and “woke” politics.

Trump has waged a political and economic campaign against Harvard, stripping it of funds and demanding extensive records linked to foreign students, whom it has repeatedly attempted to block the prestigious university from enrolling and hosting.

The administration has characterized widespread campus protests and sit-ins in the United States calling for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza as being “antisemitic,” and moved to expel foreign students and professors who took part in them.

“After many previous requests to hand over relevant information concerning foreign students, DHS will now send subpoenas forcing Harvard to comply,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says in a statement.

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says in a statement that “Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus.”

The subpoena demands that Harvard turn over “relevant records, communications, and other documents relevant to the enforcement of immigration laws since January 1, 2020,” according to the statement.

Harvard says in a statement that “while the government’s subpoenas are unwarranted, the university will continue to cooperate with lawful requests and obligations,” adding that the measure was “retaliatory.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Displaced Palestinians rally in Tulkarem against IDF home demolitions

More than a hundred Palestinians displaced from refugee camps by an ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank gather in the city of Tulkarem to protest the army’s recent home demolitions.

The two refugee camps adjacent to the northern city have seen dozens of residential buildings torn down by Israel’s military in recent months, with more slated for destruction in the coming weeks.

Israel says its months-long operation in the territory’s north is aimed at cracking down on several camps that are strongholds of Palestinian terror groups fighting against Israel.

“Today is a clear message from the community inside the camps demanding their right — the right to return to the camp and to stop the assault on the camps, the destruction of homes,” says Nihaya al-Jundi, a displaced woman from Tulkarem camp who took part in the protest.

Demonstrators also demand support from Palestinian authorities and the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which has historically provided health, education and other services to camp residents.

Israel says UNRWA has been infiltrated by terror groups, and that its schools indoctrinate students with violent anti-Israel and antisemitic material.

The displaced people of Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps hold a vigil in the Tulkarm city center in protest of the ongoing Israeli demolition campaign targeting their homes. pic.twitter.com/xgf00qqrlw

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 9, 2025

Women and children from the Tulkarem camp hold signs calling for an end to the demolitions and for housing allowances to support the displaced.

“The protest was about demanding legitimate rights — human rights, social rights — such as continuous relief aid, housing, medical treatment, and medicine, and for UNRWA and the Palestinian government to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid,” Faisal Salama, head of Tulkarem camp’s popular committee, tells AFP.

Um Moataz Abu Shala, a displaced woman from Nur Shams, Tulkarem’s other refugee camp, says she first and foremost wanted to return home.

“We don’t want food aid, donations, caravans, or any handouts. We want to return to our land in Nur Shams,” she tells AFP.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Hegseth calls Israel a ‘model ally’; PM: Iran, Middle East ‘took notice’ of our alliance

WASHINGTON — Ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Pentagon, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Israel a “model ally,” one that fights to protect itself.

“There are many allies. And then there are allies that act.”

Hegseth lauds “the skill of what you accomplished” in Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program.

He notes the “skill and bravery and courage” of US pilots involved in the operation, including “in the defense of Israel.”

US President Donald Trump gave Iran 60 days to negotiate before Israel struck, notes Hegseth. “After 60 days of negotiation, President Trump was very clear. After 60 days, he gave them every opportunity, then Operation Rising Lion took place.”

He praises “the skill of your professionals, and what was accomplished was absolutely incredible.”

Hegseth notes the presence of US Centcom Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, and says he operated “in his own quiet way. Incredibly effective.”

Netanyahu says the Israeli pilots and the B-2 pilots “sent a message to the world.”

“I think Iran took notice. I think the Middle East took notice” of the strength of the US-Israel alliance, says Netanyahu.

He offers the gratitude of Israel’s people to the US for its part in the strikes on Iran: “We have absolute thanks and gratitude and admiration for Centcom, for the US military, for the Secretary of Defense, for the President of the United States. Magnificent.”

“You have the gratitude of the people of Israel, of the State of Israel, and I think many, many other people around the world.”

Houthis claim responsibility for deadly attack sinking merchant ship

SANAA, Yemen — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claim responsibility for a deadly attack earlier this week that sank a merchant vessel — the second ship to be hit in less than 24 hours as the rebels resume their campaign in the key waterway.

“The naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the ship (ETERNITY C),” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and saying the vessel was headed towards Eilat in Israel.

US won’t let Israel renew war post-truce, but doesn’t want demand in deal to keep Israel on board, Hamas at bay — sources

WASHINGTON — While the US plans to leave a window in the text of the Gaza truce that would technically enable Israel to resume the war at the conclusion of the 60-day ceasefire under discussion, the Trump administration has told mediators that it does not intend to allow Jerusalem to do so, an Arab diplomat and a source familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.

Despite opposing an Israeli resumption of the war, the US does not want that possibility ruled out in the text of the ceasefire proposal in order to hold Hamas’s feet to the fire and make sure that they negotiate in good faith, the two sources say.

Moreover, explicitly instituting a permanent ceasefire in the text of the proposal would lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the source familiar with the negotiations says, indicating that the mediators are trying to avoid such a scenario in order to keep the Israeli premier on board.

For his part, Netanyahu has pledged to “finish the job” against Hamas, indicating that he would seek to resume the war after the 60-day truce. He says he is prepared to end the war if Hamas gives up its weapons and its leaders go into exile — conditions that the group has long rejected.

The prime minister has also conditioned the end of the war on the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take over Gaza and encourage the mass migration of its Palestinians.

Trump has spoken less about the plan after introducing it in February, sparking widespread pushback from the international community. But Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have embraced the “voluntary migration” idea, which critics have said is a euphemism for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, given that the premier has reportedly told lawmakers that Israel is working to destroy every building in the Strip so Palestinians have nowhere to go after the war but outside of the enclave.

Police arrest far-left Haredi reporter after tweet celebrating deaths of soldiers

Tel Aviv police arrest reporter Israel Frey, a far-left Haredi journalist, on suspicion of incitement to terrorism after he posted that “the world is a better place” following the deaths of five Israeli soldiers.

Law enforcement yesterday opened a probe into the reporter after he tweeted out the remarks earlier that morning, appearing to rejoice after a Hamas-detonated roadside bomb killed the five soldiers in northern Gaza.

Police say that Frey is currently in custody and will be brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court tomorrow for an extension on his remand.

Video shows manager kicking Israelis out of restaurant in Spain

A group of Israelis was booted out of a restaurant in Spain by a restaurant manager, according to a video circulating on social media today.

It is unclear exactly where the video was taken. Some claim it was taken in the city of Vigo and some in Malaga.

After realizing the guests were Israelis, the video shows the manager swearing at them, accusing them of supporting “genocide” in Gaza, and calling out, “Long live Palestine.”

The guests appear to have already ordered drinks when they were kicked out.

⚡️🇪🇸JUST IN:

A restaurant server in Malaga, Spain, refused to serve pro-Israel supporters and expelled them in protest of their support for the genocide in Palestine.
pic.twitter.com/XSgiZvUVVC

— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) July 9, 2025

Netanyahu meets US defense secretary at Pentagon

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, arrive at the Pentagon and are greeted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife.

A military band plays the Hatikvah national anthem, then the Star-Spangled Banner.

Netanyahu arrives at the Pentagon pic.twitter.com/PteOfBNjif

— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) July 9, 2025

AG’s office details fresh measures against draft dodgers, drawing ire from Haredi parties

The Attorney General’s Office releases a letter detailing the military’s new plan for increased enforcement against draft evaders, eliciting harsh condemnations from representatives of the coalition’s Haredi parties.

The letter was sent to participants of a meeting held on Sunday, which had been attended by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the head of the IDF manpower directorate, and other senior officials.

According to the letter, only 1,721 Haredi soldiers were recruited to the IDF over the most recent enlistment cycle, with an additional 54,000 enlistment orders expected to be sent out to members of the Haredi community by the end of July.

It also stated that increased enforcement would commence on July 25. This will include significantly shortening the timeline for declaring a candidate for military service an evader. Under the new guidelines, there will only be two and a half months between the sending of an initial order to report for duty and the issuance of a so-called tzav 12, whose recipients are barred from leaving the country and can be arrested during any encounter with the police.

There will also be greater enforcement at border crossings and checkpoints throughout the country, with increased coordination between the military and civilian police.

“As part of the enforcement plan, proactive, intelligence-driven enforcement operations will be carried out regularly,” the letter states, adding that in September, evaders will be presented with “a one-time… limited opportunity” to report for service without being arrested.

Due to a lack of jail space to hold those arrested for dodging the draft, new solutions are currently being examined, the letter continues, noting that “the enforcement tools available to the army under existing law are not enough to carry out effective enforcement.”

“It is of great importance to expand the basket of enforcement tools, including the denial of benefits to evaders,” it asserts, calling on Defense Minister Israel Katz to promote the expansion of such sanctions “through administrative tools, without the need for legislation.”

The Attorney General’s Office “welcomed the progress in formulating the military recruitment and enforcement plan for this year” and stated that an additional meeting on the subject will be held next month.

In response, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri slams Baharav-Miara, stating that “the draconian guidelines issued today by the attorney general against Torah students in the Jewish state are a disgrace and a loss of sanity.”

“The use of extreme measures… against yeshiva students who support the world with their Torah should shock every Jew who loves and respects the Torah. No one can prevent a yeshiva student from diligently studying Talmud,” he declares.

Addressing the Knesset Finance Committee, chairman Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) also attacked Baharav-Miara, stating that she had “declared herself the main fighter against the world of Torah, Torah students and the upholders of the Jewish people.”

“We will not allow a single yeshiva student to be prevented from studying Torah,” he declared, adding that the Jewish people have learned from history what happens to people who “tried to prevent the study of Torah, and their end is known.”

Israel hands mediators in Doha new maps depicting partial IDF withdrawal after US pressure — sources

WASHINGTON — Israel has submitted a new set of maps to mediators in Doha depicting the partial withdrawal of IDF troops during the 60-day truce under discussion following pressure from the US to limit Israeli presence in the Strip, an Arab diplomat and a source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

The previous partial withdrawal from Gaza had been rejected by Hamas, and the issue has become the main sticking point in the negotiations, the sources say.

Israel has insisted that it remain in the Morag Corridor in southern Gaza, near where it says it plans to create a “humanitarian city” into which the Strip’s entire population will be herded and prevented from leaving once vetted.

The sources didn’t say whether Israel has now dropped the demand.

Report: PM set to meet Mauritanian leader, as US seeks to widen Abraham Accords

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reportedly meet today with Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in a meeting brokered by the Trump administration, which is seeking to expand the Abraham Accords normalization agreements between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors.

The meeting will take place on the sidelines of a US-Africa summit being held in Washington, the Semafor news site reports, citing an unnamed person familiar with the plans.

The Times of Israel revealed at the very end of US President Donald Trump’s first term that his administration had been on the verge of brokering normalization agreements between Israel and Mauritania and Israel and Indonesia, but ran out of time before Trump left office.

Mauritania became the third member of the Arab League to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1999, but severed ties 10 years later against the backdrop of the 2008-2009 Gaza war.

In an interview earlier today, Netanyahu expressed optimism about the chances for expanding the Abraham Accords following the US and Israeli decision to strike Iran.

“First comes strength, then peace. We have shown a lot of strength, and it seems to us that there are many fruits of peace, and we will be able to expand the Abraham Accords, creating a reality in the Middle East that is unimaginable, bringing prosperity and stability,” he said.

Report finds Netanyahu hasn’t met with families of the 62 soldiers killed in Gaza war since start of 2025

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not met with any of the families of the 62 soldiers who have been killed since the start of the year in the ongoing war in Gaza, the Haaretz daily reports, citing information that it received from the Prime Minister’s Office after a freedom of information request.

While Netanyahu has met the families of killed hostages in the first months of this year a few times, he has only paid condolence visits to two families who lost soldiers in previous wars and whose bodies were recovered this year — Zvi Feldman, who had been missing since the First Lebanon War, and Oron Shaul, who was killed in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, the report says.

Up until July 8, Netanyahu has met with freed captives and relatives of hostages 50 times and held phone calls with them 36 times throughout the entire war  — including six meetings organized by the right-wing Gvura and Tikva forums, according to Haaretz.

Netanyahu says Israel ‘didn’t deal with’ Iran’s enriched uranium during war, insists it can’t have material

Speaking on Fox Business during his visit to Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel remains concerned about Iran’s supply of enriched uranium following the IDF’s 12-day aerial campaign last month against Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

Addressing Israel’s campaign against Iran, Netanyahu says, “The one thing that we didn’t deal with that we knew we didn’t deal with was the enriched uranium.”

“So it has to be made clear to them, and I think it has been, that they don’t get this enriched uranium,” he continues.

Netanyahu adds that enriched uranium “is not enough to make atomic bombs — it’s a necessary component, but it’s not sufficient.”

Israel “want[s] that necessary component to be under control too,” he says, adding that “I think the Iranians understand that what the US and Israel did once we could do twice, and thrice.”

Asked by Fox why anyone should trust that Iran won’t attempt to renew nuclear efforts, Netanyahu replies: “Because they’re afraid.”

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran didn’t have time to remove the highly enriched uranium from nuclear facilities before they were struck by the US, declaring that the stockpiles are covered in granite.

IDF says it has expanded ground assult against Hamas in Gaza’s Beit Hanoun

The military says it has expanded its ground offensive against Hamas in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun.

Troops of the Givati Brigade joined forces of the 99th Division in efforts to surround Beit Hanoun, where the military estimates dozens of Hamas operatives are holed up in tunnels.

“The forces are operating to destroy terror infrastructure, eliminate terrorists and destroy Hamas’s military capabilities in the area,” the IDF says.

In an ambush earlier this week, five IDF soldiers were killed and 14 were wounded in Beit Hanoun.

Dutch mosque severs ties with imam after he visits Israel

A mosque in the Dutch city of Alkmaar severs ties with an imam after he joins a delegation visiting Israel.

Youssef Masbeh is currently visiting Israel on a tour for Europe-based Muslim community leaders organized by ELNET, an organization that promotes ties between the Jewish state and Europe.

On Monday, the group met with President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence.

When Masbeh introduced himself to Herzog, he took the opportunity to sing a special chant in Arabic, offering a reinterpretation of the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah. Masbeh also invited his colleagues and the other participants to join him in singing and dancing.

“The mosque’s position is clear and unequivocal. Once again, there is no place for the imam within the mosque. The board bears no responsibility whatsoever for his statements or actions outside the mosque. There is no longer any formal or substantive relationship between him and Mosque Bilal Alkmaar,” reads a statement published on the mosque’s website in Dutch, Arabic, and English.

While the statement does not mention Masbeh by name, a spokesperson for ELNET confirmed to The Times of Israel that it refers to the imam.

A video of a lecture by Masbeh was also taken down from the mosque’s YouTube channel.

It is not immediately clear what Masbeh’s position within the mosque was.

According to the biography provided to the media by ELNET ahead of the meeting with Herzog, Masbeh pursued his studies at Al-Azhar University in Egypt and then at the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of Imams and Mourchidines in Rabat, Morocco. He has been serving as an imam in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway for nearly 20 years.

“The mosque and its community must be kept out of this matter,” the statement by the Bilal Mosque adds. “The imam acted in a personal capacity, and his actions are entirely separate from the vision of the mosque and its congregation. We therefore strongly urge everyone not to place pressure on or interfere with the board, the volunteers, or the members of the mosque. Tolerance and wisdom are our strength.”

On Monday, the imam delegation also held meetings at the Knesset, and visited Jerusalem’s Old City and Muslim, Jewish, and Christian holy sites, including the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound stands.

Other highlights of the trip include a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, meetings with Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef and with IDF Arabic Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee, and visits with family members of former Bedouin hostages in Gaza and Druze victims of the Majdal Shams massacre at the hands of Hezbollah.

Syrian activist tells Knesset Sharaa told him chance for Israel ties is ‘unique opportunity’

Against the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington and public optimism about potentially expanding the Abraham Accords normalization agreements, a Syrian activist and a Saudi Arabian journalist make a rare visit to the Knesset to speak at the inaugural conference of a parliamentary lobby aimed at advancing a regional security arrangement.

Earlier today, Syrian businessman and political activist Shadi Martini and Saudi journalist Abdalaziz Alkhamis attended a caucus of the Lobby for Advancing a Regional Security Arrangement, which was jointly founded by opposition MKs Ram Ben Barak, Gilad Kariv, and Alon Schuster.

Speaking about new opportunities for cooperation between Israel and the new Syrian government, Martini — who fled Syria during its civil war in 2012 — told lawmakers at the conference that he had an “interesting meeting” with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa about two weeks ago.

“I was with two other colleagues, one is a priest, and one is a rabbi… We entered the presidential palace in Damascus. I really appreciated that meeting. It went on for two hours, and the topic of Israel was dominant,” he said.

“One thing that stuck with me that President al-Sharaa said was: ‘We only have these opportunities one time every 100 years, it’s a very unique opportunity — but the window will not always stay open.'”

Addressing the prospect of Saudi-Israel normalization, Alkhamis said, “From the Saudi lens” the fate of Palestinians in Gaza “lies [at] the heart of the matter.”

“No state can expect to be impressed when our people next door are encaged and disenfranchised. Normalization from Saudi Arabia’s perspective is not merely a dual agreement, but a regional realignment, and such realignment must include a credible and real path to Palestinian sovereignty.”

“From Riyadh to Abu Dhabi, the lesson is not about who won the battle, but what comes after,” he said.

Also speaking at the conference, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said that if Sharaa were to take demands for the Golan Heights off the table in a potential peace agreement, he intends for Israel to lead a regional effort to rebuild his country.

“I told the Emiratis in Abu Dhabi: We will know how to build a complete regional coalition around [Sharaa] that will assist in the reconstruction of Syria if he takes the Golan Heights issue out of the equation,” Lapid declared.

Last week, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Israel is interested in expanding “the circle of peace,” including with Syria and Lebanon, adding that the Golan Heights “will remain part of Israel” under any future peace agreement.

Netanyahu touts ‘good chance’ for ceasefire-hostage deal, potential expansion of Abraham Accords

Speaking on Fox Business, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expresses optimism about the chances for a hostage release deal with Hamas.

“I think there is a good chance we’ll have the ceasefire,” he says, ahead of his meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

The main sticking point in talks in Doha is the deployment of IDF troops in the event of a ceasefire. Israel is insisting that troops remain on the Morag Corridor north of Rafah, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

“Trump and I believe in the doctrine of peace through strength,” he says. “First comes strength, then peace. We have shown a lot of strength, and it seems to us that there are many fruits of peace, and we will be able to expand the Abraham Accords, creating a reality in the Middle East that is unimaginable, bringing prosperity and stability.”

Hadash-Ta’al lawmaker Ofer Cassif suspended from Knesset for two months

The Knesset Ethics Committee suspends MK Ofer Cassif, the sole Jewish lawmaker in the Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party, from Knesset committee meetings and plenary sessions for two months starting on October 19.

Cassif will also lose two weeks of his salary.

In its decision, the parliamentary panel cites what it calls a “systematic and consistent pattern of statements that accuse, either explicitly or implicitly, IDF soldiers of committing serious war crimes.”

These include a post on X in which Cassif shared a picture of Jews lined up outside an emigration office in Vienna in 1938, writing that “this month, exactly 86 years ago, the ‘Central Bureau for Jewish Emigration’ was established in Berlin with the aim of encouraging voluntary emigration of German Jews,” which the committee viewed as comparing Israeli military actions in Gaza to the Holocaust. Cassif also said that “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

In its decision, the committee states that many of these statements were made while Cassif was already serving a six-month suspension over comments he made regarding the Israel Defense Forces and the war in Gaza.

Cassif’s new suspension will be delayed, both because of the pending Knesset recess and so as not to overlap with the suspension of Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh.

Odeh was recently suspended by the committee for two weeks without pay starting on July 7 over a March 2024 incident in which he was forcibly removed from the Knesset rostrum after accusing Israeli forces in Gaza of engaging in “murder” and carrying out a “massacre.”

The Ethics Committee also reprimands far-right MK Almog Cohen (Otzma Yehudit) over a statement in which he called Cassif a “traitor” who “represents the interests of Hamas and the BDS movement and serves as a fifth column among us.”

Cassif says of his suspension in a post on X: “It’s not a matter of parliamentary ethics, but of political censorship and persecution as well as terrorization (“chilling effect”) of the entire leftist camp, Arabs and Jews alike.”

Noting that his suspension comes only days before a scheduled vote on ousting Odeh, Cassif asserts that the “real” goal of his suspension is to “thwart our faction from any parliamentary activity altogether, and, in the longer run, to eliminate any representation of the Arab and the democratic Jewish citizens.”

Says Cassif: “The basic notion of democracy is the liberty to debate and express opinions freely. Unfortunately, the Knesset Ethics Committee has turned into another tool of persecution against those who stand up against the crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.”

IDF receives bulldozer shipment from US that was reportedly held up by Biden administration

A shipment from the United States of dozens of bulldozers for the Israeli army arrived in Israel this morning after months of delays, the Defense Ministry announces.

The Caterpillar D9 bulldozers and other equipment for the IDF Ground Forces were unloaded from a ship at Haifa Port. Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram was at the port to receive the order, the ministry says.

The bulldozers were loaded onto trucks and taken to an IDF logistics center to install armor on them.

In November, it was reported that the Biden administration was holding up the sale of the D9 bulldozers due to the IDF’s use of them to raze homes in Gaza. The IDF has said the homes were used by Hamas and accuses the terror group of using civilians as human shields.

US President Donald Trump, upon entering office, walked back on several measures by the previous administration meant to curb arms sales to Israel.

Since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, the Defense Ministry says, 870 transport planes and 144 ships have delivered more than 100,000 tons of armaments and military equipment to Israel, mostly from the US.

Government to cease funding hotel rooms for thousands displaced by Iranian missile damage by Aug. 1

Thousands of Israelis who were displaced by Iranian ballistic missile attacks that damaged or destroyed their homes will be eligible to stay in state-funded accommodation only up until August 1, the Israel Tax Authority says.

Evacuees will be contacted by the Tax Authority’s compensation fund and local authorities, who will help them to gradually transition to alternative housing until their home is repaired.

Hotel accommodation will be state-funded until August 1, except in special cases. The goal is for most evacuees to move from hotels to long-term housing solutions even earlier, the Tax Authority says.

A committee has been established to review requests for extended hotel stays due to special circumstances such as medical disability, or family conditions that require customized solutions.

Applications can be submitted until July 18 by filling out an online application form. Representatives of the Tax Authority’s compensation fund will be stationed at hotels to assist with the forms.

Sa’ar says Israel willing to negotiate permanent ceasefire in Gaza if temporary truce is reached

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says Israel would negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip if an agreement is reached on a temporary truce.

“If a temporary ceasefire is reached, we are willing to negotiate a permanent one,” Sa’ar says, speaking at a joint press conference in Bratislava alongside his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanár.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until now refused to enter talks over an end to the Gaza war until Hamas is defeated.

“Israel is serious in its intent to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza. I believe it is achievable,” Sa’ar says, pointing to the fact that Israel “sent a delegation to negotiate in Doha and said yes to [United States] Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff’s proposal,” which would see a 60-day truce in exchange for the release of about half of the hostages in Gaza in its first phase.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire are ongoing this week in Doha, in parallel to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where Israel and the US are intensifying efforts to reach a deal.

Sa’ar emphasizes that “Hamas still holds 50 of our hostages” and that the war “can end tomorrow if Hamas releases them and lays down its weapons.”

He denies that Israel is pointlessly prolonging the war, saying, “We are committed to our war objectives — but war itself is not our objective. We always prefer to achieve our goals through diplomatic means. But it must be clear: Hamas is not only responsible for initiating this war, but also for its continuation. Pressure must be applied to Hamas.”

Released hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen get engaged

Released hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen are engaged. The pair are seen in a picture posing with Cohen’s ring and a bouquet of red roses.

Cohen and Troufanov were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, along with Troufanov’s mother and grandmother. The three women were freed during a November 2023 ceasefire.

Troufanov was released in February after more than 400 days in captivity, where he was held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

After his release Cohen said that Troufanov had told her he’d prayed in captivity that she’d find another man to love, as he believed he would never be coming home.

Bill to limit Law of Return fails even as Haredi parties break boycott to vote for it

A controversial bill to amend the Law of Return in order to prevent non-Jews who have at least one Jewish grandparent from immigrating to Israel and obtaining citizenship fails in a preliminary reading in the Knesset 18-54.

Despite the Haredi parties’ ongoing boycott of coalition legislation, Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli (Shas) announced ahead of the vote that he would support Noam MK Avi Maoz’s legislation, which had failed to receive backing from the Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday.

Both Shas and United Torah Judaism are currently boycotting coalition bills in a bid to pressure Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein to finally present his revised Haredi conscription bill to lawmakers.

If passed, the bill would have amended the Law of Return, removing a clause allowing any grandchild of a Jew to immigrate even if they themselves are not Jewish.

Arguing against the bill, Yisrael Beytenu MK Evgeny Sova said that many of those critical to maintaining Jewish communities abroad are the grandchildren of Jews and that changing the Law of Return would harm many in the Diaspora.

This bill would tell them “you are not part of the Jewish family,” he said.

Hitting back at critics who argued that his bill was racist and devalued soldiers fighting for Israel who are not Jewish according to Orthodox halacha, Maoz told lawmakers that he would not engage in “demagoguery” at the expense of the troops.

IDF says troops raided, destroyed several Hezbollah sites in south Lebanon

The Israeli military carried out several raids in southern Lebanon recently, locating and destroying Hezbollah weapon depots and other infrastructure, the IDF says.

In one of the special operations in the Jabal Blat area, soldiers of the 300th “Baram” Regional Brigade located a Hezbollah compound that included a weapons depot and firing positions. The military says the troops demolished the site.

In another raid, the IDF says reservists of the Oded Brigade located weapons hidden in a forested area near Labbouneh, including a multiple rocket launcher, a machine gun, and dozens of explosive devices. The weapons were also destroyed.

In the same area, the soldiers also located an underground site used by Hezbollah to store weapons, and it was demolished by combat engineers, the IDF says.

Since a November 2024 ceasefire, the IDF has remained deployed to five strategic posts inside southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire have been frequent, but IDF ground operations beyond the areas of the five posts have been much rarer.

IDF troops conduct raids in southern Lebanon and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, in videos released by the IDF on July 9, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF carries out raids after Palestinians torch cars near West Bank settlement

Following a nighttime incident in which suspects from the West Bank village of Zurif threw stones and set vehicles on fire near the settlement of Bat Ayin, IDF troops and the West Bank district police launched a brigade-level operation in the village, the military says.

Two suspects were arrested and dozens of locations were searched. According to the IDF, an investigation has been launched and efforts to locate additional perpetrators and secure the area are ongoing.

In contrast, recent weeks have seen dozens of similar incidents of violence carried out by settlers against Palestinians, with Israeli law enforcement doing little to stop them.

In UK parliament speech, Macron says Gaza war poses threat to ‘our collective security’

During a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom this week, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a ceasefire in Gaza and cooperation toward recognizing a Palestinian state.

“We will fight until the very last minute in order to start the ceasefire, in order to start negotiations to get this… sustainable peace,” Macron said yesterday, speaking in English before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Parliament.

Macron described the war in Gaza as a “war without end and without a strategic objective,” and said it “poses a huge threat to the region and our collective security.”

“Together, we call for the release of all hostages. Together we call for a ceasefire in Gaza. It is a matter of absolute urgency,” he continued.

“A political way out is crucial, and I believe in the two-state solution as a basis for regional security architecture, which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbors,” the president added, urging “working together in order to recognize a state of Palestine.”

Building “this political momentum is the only path to peace,” Macron concluded, to resounding applause.

Macron’s remarks come weeks after a joint French-Saudi initiative to convene a United Nations conference in New York to revive efforts toward a two-state solution was canceled, following Israel’s 12-day aerial campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

Turkish court orders ban on Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok for offensive content about Erdogan

A Turkish court orders a ban on access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok from Turkey, after the platform allegedly disseminated content insulting to Turkey’s president and others.

The chatbot, developed by Musk’s company xAI, posted vulgarities against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his late mother and personalities, while responding to users’ questions on the X social media platform, the pro-government A Haber news channel reports. Offensive responses were also directed toward modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, other media outlets said.

That prompted the Ankara chief prosecutor to file for the imposition of restrictions under Turkey’s internet law, citing a threat to public order. A criminal court approved the request early today, ordering the country’s telecommunications authority to enforce the ban.

The incident is part of a broader controversy surrounding a recent update to Grok, which resulted in more “politically incorrect” and unfiltered responses, including antisemitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler.

In response to mounting controversy, X said it was aware of the recent posts and had taken immediate action to remove inappropriate content.

“Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X,” the companysays said in a statement.

“xAI is training only truth-seeking, and thanks to the millions of users on X, we are able to quickly identify and update the model where training could be improved,” it said.

Seven soldiers from Arrow unit detained for abusing junior soldiers

Seven soldiers serving in the Israeli Air Force’s Arrow air defense system array were detained last night for the alleged abuse of junior soldiers in their unit as part of a hazing ritual.

The IDF says a Military Police investigation has been opened into “serious actions during ‘initiation ceremonies’ of veteran soldiers against juniors” in the 136th Air Defense Battalion, which operates the Arrow 2 and 3.

According to Ynet news, the incidents took place over several weeks against around 10 new soldiers in the unit, and included alleged acts of sodomy. The report says the veteran soldiers are suspected of abuse, violence, threats, and sex crimes.

“The investigation is in its early stages, and it is not possible to comment on the actions taken at this stage,” the IDF says in response.

“The IDF is working to thoroughly investigate the suspicions and to bring those involved to justice,” it says, adding that “the IDF views any act of violence seriously and adopts a zero-tolerance approach toward initiation ceremonies of this and other kinds.”

Greece’s Aegean to resume flights to Israel July 14

Greece’s Aegean Airlines is bringing forward the resumption of flight services to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, starting July 14.

On Monday, Aegean will restart services to and from Israel with flights to Athens, Crete, and Larnaca. More destinations, including to Mykonos and Thessaloniki, will be added later.

The decision follows meetings held by Transportation Minister Regev with her Greek counterpart Christos Dimas, and Aegean’s chairman Eftichios Vassilakis, during her professional visit to Cyprus and Greece.

Aegean – and all other airlines – halted flight services to and from Tel Aviv through September 8 after Israel’s airspace was closed on June 13 with the outbreak of the war with Iran. The fighting ended 12 days later with a US-brokered ceasefire. The flight suspensions left tens of thousands of Israelis stranded abroad.

Greek ship sinks off Yemen after Houthi attack, crew being rescued from water

The Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Eternity C has sunk after a Houthi attack off Yemen, four maritime security sources tell Reuters, and efforts to rescue the crew were under way.

Some of the crew were in lifejackets in the water and at least five people have been rescued so far, two of the sources say.

‘Drunk on victory’: Ultra-Orthodox paper warns Netanyahu he could lose power over draft exemption law

Benjamin Netanyahu’s long and storied career as prime minister may be coming to an end, Yated Ne’eman, the mouthpiece of the ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah Knesset faction, implies in a front-page editorial titled “Lessons from the past.”

Degel Hatorah is one of the two factions that comprise the United Torah Judaism party, a key Netanyahu ally.

Likening the prime minister to the great British wartime leader Winston Churchill, the editorial notes that Churchill “was a great statesman, a respected politician, and a brilliant commander” who foresaw threats others dismissed and “led Britain to victory in the war against the cruel enemy that threatened his country and the world.”

But then, his popularity declined. “Drunk on victory, he underestimated the intensity of the unrest and made empty promises of change. He did not listen to the needs of the exhausted people, and instead of making repairs at home, he sold them victory speeches.”

The newspaper said, “It quickly became clear that no matter how brilliant and talented his performance was during a war, it was not enough to define him as a ‘leader.’ Indeed, some people believed that Churchill was the right person during the war – but they also understood that he was not exactly the right leader for the period after it.”

Meanwhile, Yated Ne’eman noted, “his political rival, the Labour Party, was quietly building an alternative government.”

Months after leading the UK to victory over Nazi Germany, Churchill was voted out of power by a British public seen as more concerned about the postwar future than the achievements of the war.

The Haredi United Torah Judaism and Shas parties have expressed intense frustration with Netanyahu over his failure to pass a law exempting yeshiva students from mandatory military service, a central demand of both parties.

Speaking with Kan Radio on Tuesday, a senior ultra-Orthodox political official stated that his allies had “lost faith” in the coalition regarding the Haredi conscription issue as they wait for Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein to finally present his revised enlistment bill to lawmakers.

“Everything that was promised to us on the eve of the attack on Iran has been canceled. We have lost trust in them,” the senior Haredi source told the national broadcaster.

Both UTJ and Shas are engaged in a legislative boycott until Edelstein presents lawmakers with his bill.

IDF says it hit more than 100 terror targets in Gaza

Over 100 terror targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the Gaza Strip over the past day, including operatives, booby-trapped buildings, weapon depots, anti-tank launch posts, tunnels, and other infrastructure, the military says in a daily update.

The strikes come as five IDF divisions, made up of tens of thousands of troops, continue to operate across Gaza.

During ground operations, the IDF says troops of the 7th Armored Brigade located a cache of explosive devices hidden in a civilian building in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.

Elsewhere in the Strip, troops killed operatives and destroyed Hamas infrastructure in the past day, the military adds.

FM Sa’ar departs for visit to Austria and Slovakia

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar departs this morning for a diplomatic visit to Austria and Slovakia, according to the Foreign Ministry.

During the trip, Sa’ar is scheduled to meet with Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, and other senior officials in both European Union member states.

In Austria, Sa’ar will also meet with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul.

The trip comes as a reciprocal visit, following the Austrian foreign minister’s recent trip to Israel.

Sa’ar will also meet with members of the Jewish communities in both Austria and Slovakia, the Foreign Ministry adds.

Gaza civil defense says 20 killed in Israeli airstrikes

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says that 20 people, including at least six children, were killed in two Israeli airstrikes overnight in the Strip

Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal, who is identified by Israel as an active Hamas member, tells AFP the first hit a tent housing displaced people in Khan Yunis in the south shortly after midnight local time and the second struck a camp in the north soon afterwards.

The tolls cannot be verified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

The military says it is taking steps, including the use of aerial intelligence and precision munitions, to mitigate harm to civilians, and accuses Hamas of embedding itself in civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, camps for the displaced and mosques.

Maritime security firms launch mission to save crew of Greek vessel hit by Houthis

Maritime security firms launch a mission to evacuate the crew of the Greek-operated Eternity C vessel hit by Houthi rebels off Yemen two days ago, sources close to the mission tell Reuters.

Eternity C, with 22 crew members — 21 Filipinos and one Russian — on board, was attacked with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from manned speed boats on Monday, the second assault by the Iran-backed Houthis in a day after a months-long lull in attacks on shipping.

Car of Hebron sheikh who proposes leaving PA for peace deal with Israel said torched overnight

Palestinian media outlets reports that unknown individuals set fire overnight to the vehicle of Wadi’ al-Ja’abari, a Hebron resident who heads an initiative that seeks to sever ties between Palestinians in Hebron and the central Palestinian Authority, and to bring the city into the Abraham Accords as a local emirate.

No injuries were reported.

According to the reports, the incident took place in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya.

Al-Ja’abari was the only one of five Hebron sheikhs whose name was cited in a Wall Street Journal article earlier this week about Palestinian figures reaching out to Israel regarding a split from the PA.

مصادر محلية: شبان يحرقون مركبة "وديع الجعبري" في بلدة العيساوية بالقدس، والذي أعلن الاحتلال أنه تواصل معه لتأسيس ما يسمى "إمارة الخليل" pic.twitter.com/uqrsZBrCPt

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) July 9, 2025

IDF says it killed Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon strike

A Hezbollah commander was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon last night, the IDF announces.

The strike in the town of Babliyeh, south of Sidon, killed Hussein Ali Muzhir, who the IDF says was the commander of Hezbollah’s firepower in the Zahrani River area, under the terror group’s Badr regional division.

“As part of his role, Hussein advanced numerous [rocket] fire attacks toward the State of Israel and IDF troops. Additionally, recently he was involved in attempts to restore the artillery capabilities of the Hezbollah terror group in southern Lebanon,” the military says in a statement.

The IDF says his actions “constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

אמש, הותקף וחוסל במרחב אל באבליה בדרום לבנון, חסין עלי מזהר, אחראי ניהול האש של גזרת זאהרני ביחידת בדר של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה, אשר קידם מתווי ירי רבים לעבר ישראל וכוחות צה"ל.
בנוסף, פעל לשיקום הארטילריה של חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון. פעולותיו היוו הפרה בוטה של ההבנות בין ישראל ללבנון. pic.twitter.com/hiPgik1gny

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) July 9, 2025

Lapid accuses Netanyahu of finding excuses not to reach a hostage deal

Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of setting arbitrary red lines in order to forestall a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza.

“Netanyahu is setting up obstacles to a deal,” Lapid tells the Kan public broadcaster.

“Suddenly the Morag Corridor is the foundation stone of our existence?” Lapid says, referring to a corridor carved out by the IDF in southern Gaza amid reports that Israel is refusing to withdraw from it as part of the truce deal.

“We determined that there would be a corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis, it was an operational decision in the field. But to think that is what will seal thew fate of children buried underground?” he says referring to the hostages in Hamas tunnels.

Due to disagreements over the parameters of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day Gaza truce being negotiated in Doha, Israel is slated to submit a new set of maps on Wednesday showing its proposed redeployment of troops after the previous version was rejected by Hamas, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Times of Israel.

A compromise on the issue will take more time to secure, the source says, declining to elaborate further.

Netanyahu says meeting with Trump ‘focused on efforts to free our hostages’

After meeting a second time with US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in the White House, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the discussions “focused on efforts to free our hostages.”

“We are not letting up for a moment, and this is possible because of the military pressure exerted by our heroic soldiers,” he says in a video shot in the Blair House. “Unfortunately, this effort is exacting a painful price from us, in the loss of our best sons.”

Netanyahu stresses that Israel is determined to achieve all of its goals in Gaza -“”the release of all our hostages, both living and dead; the elimination of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities; and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”

The three also discussed “the implications and possibilities” of the operation Israel and the US carried out against Iran, says Netanyahu.

“Opportunities are opening up here for expanding the circle of peace, expanding the Abraham Accords,” he says. “We are working on this with full vigor.”

Netanyahu and Trump said to discuss future of Gaza, ‘day after’ war with Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump spoke about Iran and Gaza in their meeting at the Oval Office this evening, Israel Hayom reports.

On Iran, the leaders reportedly discussed ways to keep Tehran from restarting its nuclear weapon program after Israel’s and the US’s operation last month.

They also discussed what Gaza might look like the “day after” the war with Hamas, according to the Hebrew newspaper.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams, running against Mamdani, vows to protect Jews

New York City Mayor Eric Adams vows to protect Jews as he runs for reelection against anti-Israel mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

Adams, speaking at a Jewish heritage night at his official residence on the Upper East Side, compares antisemitism to the parable of a frog in a pot that boils slowly.

“That is what I feel has happened over the last few years. We have turned the antisemitism up one degree at a time and many of us have stood there and watched the hatred boil,” he tells the mostly Jewish audience.

“The heat of antisemitism has gotten too hot in our country and it cannot continue to rise,” he says. “I’m here to turn off the flame, to get the frog out of the pot and make sure that we don’t allow hate in our city.”

Adams has long ties to New York Jewish communities, is a strong supporter of Israel, and is popular with the Jewish mainstream.

The crowd applauds Adams and chants, “Four more years,” backing his reelection bid. Adams, a Democrat, is running as an independent in the November election. Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel, won the Democratic party primary, making him the heavy favorite to win the general election.

Adams does not directly mention Mamdani in his speech, but refers to some of his policies, saying, “You don’t tax communities based on ethnicity,” apparently referring to a Mamdani statement last week in which he said he would target “whiter neighborhoods” with more taxes.

“You have the right to be in this city and anywhere in this country,” Adams tells the Jewish audience. “This city belongs to you as with all groups in this city. Don’t live in fear, don’t live in anxiety. This city belongs to you as it belongs to every group that lives in this city.”

5th round of Israel-Hamas talks said to end without progress, with Palestinian official blaming Israel

A fifth round of proximity talks in Qatar on a potential Israel-Hamas deal for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza has ended without significant progress, the Saudi Asharq News outlet reports, citing unnamed “informed sources.”

A Palestinian official is cited as claiming matters are “at a standstill,” charging that the Israeli negotiations team is “limiting itself to listening rather than negotiating” and consulting on “every issue” with officials back in Israel.

The official claims the Israeli team lacks authority to make actual decisions, and that this is “a continuation of the stalling policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to obstruct any potential agreement.”

Netanyahu and Trump were joined by Vance in White House meeting — Israeli readout

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump were joined by Vice President J.D. Vance at their White House meeting, which wrapped up a half hour ago.

The Israeli readout does not reveal any details on the content of the meeting.

US Vice President JD Vance also attended the meeting, which was held in the Oval Office in the White House. pic.twitter.com/qGeQpQ5HLa

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 8, 2025

Police summon journalist for questioning on suspicion of shoving employee for PM’s wife

Police summon journalist Aviad Glickman for questioning under caution on suspicion that he shoved an employee from Sara Netanyahu’s team during a court case in late May.

Glickman, Channel 13’s legal correspondent, was covering a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Gal Dabush, the employee for the prime minister’s wife, against a former worker at the Prime Minister’s Residence.

Footage showed him shoving Dabush while trying to get through a door at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, after which Likud spokesperson Guy Levy shouts at him that he will file a police complaint for assault. Glickman is then sent away from the court as Levy films him and hurls insults at the reporter, who is a staunch critic of the premier.

ביציאה מאולם הדיונים של בית משפט לענייני העבודה במשפט הדיבה של גברת שרה נתניהו נגד עובדת במעון רה"מ סילבי גנסיה כתב הפלילים אביעד גליקמן תקף עובדת מצוות של שרה נתניהו. pic.twitter.com/CxS0hAuxw6

— Boris Aplichuk בוריס אפליצ'וק (@aplichuk) May 28, 2025

Now, the Israel Police’s Tel Aviv District has called Glickman for questioning under caution after getting the necessary approval from prosecutors to do so, Hebrew media reports.

Dabush claims the incident left her bruised and in pain, calling Glickman a “bully posing as a journalist” and “thinks a microphone gives him immunity.”

Bar Association head Amit Becher slams the police move.

“Summoning journalist Aviad Glickman for questioning following a complaint by an official affiliated with the leadership is worrisome,” Becher contends, voicing concern that this may be a move to intimidate journalists critical of Netanyahu and his associates.

Netanyahu-Trump meeting ends after just over an hour, White House official says

The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump is ending, a White House official tells The Times of Israel.

The meeting lasted a little more than an hour.

The leaders did not issue statements to the media.

Witkoff delays his departure to Qatar in sign talks not yet fully ripe, sources tell ToI

WASHINGTON — US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has pushed back his flight to Doha where he was slated to join the ongoing proximity talks between Israel and Hamas on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, two sources familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.

Witkoff was initially slated to fly to Qatar on Tuesday, the sources say, adding that a new departure date has not been set.

The US envoy informed mediators that he still plans to travel to Doha in order to help bring the deal across the finish line, so his decision to push back his trip indicates that a significant amount of progress still needs to be made.

Earlier Tuesday, Witkoff told reporters that he is hopeful a deal can be reached this week and that three of the four sticking points have been resolved over the past three days of proximity talks in Doha.

Israel to submit new set of maps of IDF’s proposed withdrawal, after Hamas rejected previous offer — source

WASHINGTON — Due to disagreements over the parameters of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day Gaza truce being negotiated in Doha, Israel is slated to submit a new set of maps on Wednesday showing its proposed redeployment of troops after the previous version was rejected by Hamas, a source familiar with the negotiations tells The Times of Israel.

A compromise on the issue will take more time to secure, the source says, declining to elaborate further.

‘Hostage,’ Eli Sharabi’s memoir about life in Hamas captivity, coming to the US in October

A memoir by former hostage Eli Sharabi, who was held in captivity for more than a year by Hamas, is coming out this fall in the US.

Sharabi’s “Hostage,” written in Hebrew and already a bestseller in Israel, is the first published memoir by anyone kidnapped by the Palestinian terror group during the deadly onslaught of October 7, 2023. Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today that the English-language edition of his book will come out this coming October 7, on the 2-year anniversary.

Sharabi, 53, was released in early February and has said that he had shrunk to under 100 pounds (45 kg) — less than the weight of his youngest daughter, who was killed along with his wife and older daughter. Some 1,200 were killed in the attack and 251 were taken hostage.

“It was important to me that the story come out as quickly as possible, so that the world will understand what life is like inside captivity,” Sharabi says in a statement. “Once they do, they will not be able to remain indifferent. But I also want readers to know that even in the darkest of times, you can always seek out the light and choose humanity.”

According to Harper Influence, Sharabi writes about his experience with his captors in “stark, unflinching prose, detailing the relationships the hostages formed with one another, including Alon Ohel, still a hostage in Gaza, with whom Sharabi formed an unbreakable father-son bond.”

“Along the way, Sharabi reveals how his faith gave him the resilience to endure the horrific conditions and overcome mental anguish,” the announcement reads in part.