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Tag: Israel Katz

  • High Court freezes government move to shutter Army Radio pending ruling

    Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the decision to shutter the military broadcaster last week, with the closure slated to take effect in March.

    Ahead of the scheduled hearing, and just hours after the government and the attorney-general submitted their preliminary responses, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit on Sunday ordered that the government’s decision to shutter Army Radio be frozen until further notice.

    The interim order comes amid a widening legal clash between the government and the A-G over the decision to close the military broadcaster, with Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara warning the High Court that the move is legally flawed and risks causing irreversible harm.

    “The decision is laden with errors,” Baharav-Miara said, noting that the court is expected to hear the case by the end of January.

    Representing IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the attorney-general’s Office, submitted an accompanying advisory opinion urging the court to issue an interim order freezing both the government’s decision and any preparatory steps taken to implement it until the court rules.

    It further noted that the time between the decision and its execution is only about two months.

    Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara attends the Knesset in Jerusalem. November 18, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

    Katz announces decision to close Army Radio

    Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the decision to shutter the military broadcaster last week, with the closure slated to take effect in March.

    Army Radio has been broadcasting for 75 years and has long served as a training ground for generations of Israeli journalists. The government has argued that the army has no business operating a news station, especially one that it especially one that it claims leans toward one side of the political map.

    Baharav-Miara warned that “the damage that will be caused by actions taken now to shutter the station will be both significant and irreversible.”

    The legal advisory’s position is that an interim injunction is warranted both on procedural and substantive grounds.

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  • Israel’s cabinet to vote on Army Radio closure proposal on Sunday

    Defense Minister Israel Katz argued that the station’s original purpose as a platform serving IDF soldiers and their families has been overshadowed by political content.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz is expected to bring his proposal to close Army Radio after 75 years of broadcasting to a cabinet vote on Sunday.

    If approved, the closure would go into effect on March 1 next year.

    Katz’s decision is based on the recommendation of a professional committee, but critics have argued that the panel was handpicked to ensure Katz’s desired outcome.

    The committee had described the very existence of a military radio station broadcasting to the general public as “a democratic anomaly that has no equal in the world,” adding that Army Radio’s involvement in current affairs and news “harms the IDF’s status as the people’s army.”

    Katz: Army Radio’s original purpose has been overshadowed

    Katz argued that the station’s original purpose as a platform serving IDF soldiers and their families has been overshadowed by political content that, in his view, undermines the army.

    “As I have made clear, what was is not what will be. The Israeli government established Army Radio as a military station to serve as a mouthpiece and an ear for IDF soldiers and their families – not as a platform for voicing opinions, many of which attack the IDF and the soldiers themselves,” he has said.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz seen in the Knesset plenum, December 16, 2024 (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)

    There was no clear public explanation for why Army Radio could not be partially privatized while severing its direct link to the IDF, as many experts have suggested as a compromise to salvage one of the country’s premier media outlets.

    Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has said the move “raises concerns about political interference in public broadcasting and questions regarding the violation of freedom of expression and the press.”

    Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

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  • Israel strikes car in Gaza City, says it killed senior Hamas commander

    The Israeli military said on Saturday it killed Ra’ad Sa’ad, a senior Hamas commander, by striking a car in Gaza City. Gaza health authorities said the attack on the car killed five people and wounded at least 25 others.

    In a joint statement on X, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said they directed Sa’ad be killed after a Hamas explosive device detonated and wounded Israeli soldiers. Sa’ad, according to Israel, held several senior positions in Hamas and was a central figure in its military leadership.

    Hamas, in its own statement, did not confirm Sa’ad’s death, but called the car strike a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that was agreed to in October.

    “This crime reaffirms that the [Israeli] occupation is deliberately seeking to undermine and sabotage the ceasefire agreement through its escalating and continuous violations,” Hamas reportedly said.

    The ceasefire agreement was announced on Oct. 10, two years after Hamas militants killed 1,200 and took 251 hostage in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, most of whom were returned in previous negotiations. Since then, Israeli troops have killed more than 70,700 Palestinians in Gaza, many of them women and children, and have displaced most of the enclave’s population.

    Health authorities in Palestine say Israel has violated the ceasefire multiple times, even daily, and at least 386 people have been killed in strikes by its military since Oct. 10. Israel, meanwhile, says three of its soldiers have died since the ceasefire began, and that it is responding to ceasefire violations by Hamas.

    Multiple die after heavy rain hits Gaza

    Nearly 795,000 displaced Palestinians are at “heightened risk” because of rainfall triggered by Storm Byron this week, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration said. Storm Byron hit Greece and Cyprus before making landfall in Gaza.

    Heavy rain has been falling across “hundreds of displacement sites, overwhelming areas where even moderate rainfall can quickly become dangerous,” the IOM said.

    “Despite the ceasefire, displaced Palestinians continue to live in overcrowded areas with little protection against rising water levels,” according to the organization.

    This comes as much of Gaza’s infrastructure has already been destroyed in Israeli strikes.

    Sana Abu Harad, 38, spoke to NBC News as she and her child, who the outlet said was shivering, sat inside her drenched tent.

    “Everything is underwater,” said said in an interview with NBC. “Why must this little child sleep in floodwater? I struggled so much just to get this tent, and now nothing protects us. Where will I live with my children now?”

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said in a post on X Saturday that WHO is continuing to face challenges in bringing “vital supplies,” including laboratory reagents and diagnostic equipment, into Gaza as being they were classified as “dual-use.” Israel has restricted items it deems can be used for military purposes.

    Aid organizations said, and an Associated Press analysis of data from COGAT showed, that aid deliveries to Gaza are falling far short of the amount ordered by the ceasefire agreement. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid entry, insisted to the AP that it is complying with the agreements call for it to allow 600 aid trucks into Gaza, even though its own figures showed an average of only 459 trucks a day have entering since Oct. 12.

    In Gaza, Tedros said Saturday, at least 10 people died in the last 24 hours because of heavy rains. On Friday, NBC News reported that the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza said fourteen people had died within 24 hours.

    “Thousands of families are sheltering in tents with scant protection from the harsh winter,” Tedros said. “Combined with poor water and sanitation, a surge in acute respiratory infections, such as flu, as well as hepatitis, and diarrhoeal diseases is expected.”

    He called for the “urgent entry” of resources to Gaza “to enable timely detection, response, and treatment of people facing these diseases.”

    The post Israel strikes car in Gaza City, says it killed senior Hamas commander appeared first on Straight Arrow News.

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  • IDF to maintain control in Hermon, Gaza, Katz says

    Defense Minister Israel Katz rules out a Palestinian state, says IDF will stay in key areas, and Gaza will be fully demilitarized.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Israel would not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state and that the IDF would maintain its presence in strategic zones.

    “Israel’s policy is clear: there will not be a Palestinian state. The IDF will remain on Mount Hermon and in the security zone. Gaza will be demilitarized down to the last tunnel, and Hamas will be disarmed in the yellow area by the IDF and in old Gaza by the international force, or by the IDF,” Katz said.

    This is a developing story.

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  • Hundreds of Hamas Fighters Are Stuck in Tunnels in Israeli-Controlled Gaza

    A detachment of Israeli engineering troops was demolishing tunnels behind the withdrawal line in Gaza last month when Hamas militants sprang from a hidden shaft, fired an antitank missile toward their excavator and killed two soldiers.

    A little over a week earlier, Israel and Hamas had agreed to a cease-fire. Israel responded to the deadly encounter with a round of airstrikes on Gaza that killed dozens of people.

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  • Katz: Israel working to kill Hamas terrorists, destroy tunnels in Gaza area under Israeli control

    “The goal, alongside the return of all the hostages and the casualties, is to disarm Hamas of its weapons and demilitarize Gaza,” he said.

    The IDF is working to kill Hamas terrorists and destroy the organization’s tunnels that are located behind the Yellow Line, in Israel-controlled Gaza, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on social media on Wednesday.

    “Israel’s policy in Gaza is clear: The IDF is acting to destroy the tunnels and eliminate Hamas terrorists without any restrictions within the Yellow Line under our control. The goal, alongside the return of all the hostages and the casualties, is to disarm Hamas of its weapons and demilitarize Gaza,” he said.

    This follows similar statements made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also stressed the need to kill the hundreds of terrorists on the Israeli side of Gaza’s Yellow Line in Rafah, stating that Israeli forces are close to eliminating them in the tunnels.

    Over the course of the last week, several terrorists have crossed the Yellow Line into Israel-controlled territory.

    Crossing Gaza’s Yellow Line

    On Tuesday, a terrorist was killed after he was identified crossing the demarcation line and approaching IDF soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip.

    A similar incident occurred on Monday afternoon, when Israeli air and ground forces struck a number of terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line and approached an IDF position in southern Gaza.

    On Sunday, another Palestinian terrorist attempted to cross the Yellow Line.

    The Yellow Line was established as part of the US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

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  • Israel, India sign major defense deal in shadow of weapons boycotts

    The defense deal is going forward at a time when many other democracies have cut back on their defense relations with Israel due to the war in Gaza.

    The Israel-India Joint Working Group (JWG) convened on Tuesday for its annual meeting, led by Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram and Indian Defense Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh.

    During the meeting, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance defense, industrial, and technological cooperation.

    While the announcement gave few details, previously it has been reported that India would acquire rockets for its ground forces and Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile air defense missiles developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for around $3.75 billion, and that IAI would convert six commercial planes into Indian Air Force refueling aircraft for $900 million.

    The defense deal is going forward at a time when many other democracies have cut back on their defense relations with Israel due to the war in Gaza.

    Signing a deal with India, the world’s largest democracy, could assist Israel in rebuilding its reputation globally.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz with IDF soldiers in the West Bank; illustrative. (credit: SCREENSHOT/X/ISRAEL KATZ)

    As part of the visit, the Indian delegation met with Defense Minister Israel Katz.

    Indian delegation meets major Israeli defense authorities

    Additionally, a special panel was held with the CEOs of major defense industries, during which, according to the ministry, “innovative and groundbreaking Israeli technologies were presented, along with ideas and projects aimed at deepening industrial-defense partnerships between Israel’s defense industries and India.”

    Some of the other senior Israeli officials involved included the directors of the Political-Military Bureau, the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the Directorate of Security of the Defense Establishment, and the International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT), alongside representatives from the IDF Planning Directorate and other defense officials.

    The Indian delegation also included senior representatives from the Defense Ministry and Armed Forces.

    Regarding the meeting, Baram said, “This strategic dialogue with India takes place at a critical juncture for both countries. Our strategic partnership is based on deep mutual trust and shared security interests. We view India as a first-rate strategic partner and are determined to continue deepening cooperation in the fields of defense, technology, and industry.”

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  • Israel’s Top Military Lawyer Steps Down Amid Leak Controversy

    The official resigned after an investigation was launched into her alleged role in authorizing the release of footage that appeared to show soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee.

    Feliz Solomon

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  • Israel resumes Gaza strikes, accusing Hamas of ceasefire violations

    Nearly three weeks after a ceasefire began in the Gaza war, the Israeli Air Force renewed attacks on the Gaza Strip after the Israeli government accused Hamas of attacking Israeli troops and violating the ceasefire agreement.

    Shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to carry out immediate “powerful” strikes, Palestinian eyewitnesses on Tuesday said the Israeli Air Force was hitting targets around Gaza City.

    The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that several Palestinians had been killed and wounded in the Tuesday evening attacks in and around Gaza City.

    In the south, at least five people were killed in another airstrike, according to the Hamas-controlled civil defence.

    A spokesman said that children were among them. A vehicle was targeted in the town of Khan Younis in the south of the coastal strip, he said. An Israeli military spokesman said the report was being investigated.

    Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas that it would pay a “heavy price” for attacking Israeli soldiers in Gaza and violating an agreement on the return of deceased hostages, his office said.

    Katz said Tuesday’s attack by militants in southern Gaza had crossed a “glaring red line” and that the Israeli military would respond with “great force.”

    “Hamas will pay many times over for attacking the soldiers and for violating the agreement to return the fallen hostages,” he added.

    Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Palestinians had attacked soldiers in Rafah earlier on Tuesday, including with a rocket-propelled grenade, and that a sniper was also involved in the assault.

    Hamas delays body handover after new attacks

    The Palestinian Islamist militia announced it would postpone the transfer of another hostage’s remains, which had been scheduled for Tuesday evening, following the renewed Israeli attacks.

    The al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, said on Telegram the delay was a response to “violations by the occupation (Israel).”

    A body had previously been found during search operations in a tunnel in the south of the Gaza Strip, it said, but new Israeli attacks were hindering the searches and the handover.

    Anger over slow hostage remains return

    The Israeli government is angered over what they have called deliberate stalling tactics from Hamas in handing over 28 bodies of hostages, of which 13 must still be returned.

    Hamas says it is difficult to find the dead because they are buried under the rubble of bombed buildings and tunnels.

    On Monday evening, Hamas again handed over human remains, but forensic examinations in Israel revealed that they belonged to an Israeli whose body the army had already brought back to Israel in autumn 2023.

    On Tuesday, the Israeli army released a video that it says shows Hamas members removing a body from a building, burying it in the ground and then calling in representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the “recovery” of the body. Red Cross staff has to date dealt with the handover of the mortal remains of hostages.

    This triggered great anger and outrage in Israel, and was the reason for Netanyahu’s security consultations on the next steps.

    Repeated ceasefire violations

    Since October 10, Hamas and Israel have accused each other of repeated ceasefire violations. More than 90 Palestinians have already been killed since the latest ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health authority.

    The trigger for the Gaza war was the massacre by Hamas and other terrorists in Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted.

    In subsequent massive Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, more than 68,500 people were killed, according to the Hamas-run health authority.

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  • Israeli committee recommends shutting down Army Radio, Katz to issue decision

    Advisory committee to Katz: Shut Army Radio down or suspend current affairs programming • Galgalatz, Army Radio’s music station, is expected to remain open

    The Israeli government must shut down Army Radio or suspend its current affairs programming, an advisory committee set up by Defense Minister Israel Katz found in a report issued to Katz on Tuesday.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed he received the recommendation and is expected to make an announcement shortly. “I thank the committee members for their thorough, serious, and professional work, and for their significant investment in examining all aspects related to the operations of Army Radio,” Katz stated.

    The committee held 19 days of discussion between August and October, and conducted a tour of both Army Radio and Galgalatz, Army Radio’s music station.

    In its recommendation, the committee suggested the station be rebranded in a way that could preserve its unique identity as “the soldiers’ house” by maintaining its programming for IDF soldiers without engaging in current affairs content.

    Incoming defense minister Israel Katz attends a discussion and vote on the inclusion of MK Gideon Saar as a Minister in the government at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on September 30, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

    This would include the closure of the news department, but the station would still be permitted to broadcast any news flashes produced by KAN, Israel’s public broadcasting corporation.

    The committee was established by Katz in June

    After its establishment, the Defense Ministry stated that the committee would be required to submit its conclusions and recommendations within 90 days, and would examine, among other things, the feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of various operational options for Army Radio. This would also include the possibility of transferring its management to a civilian body or merging it with an external media organization.

    “At this time, when the State of Israel is engaged in an ongoing campaign on several fronts, it is necessary to reassess how well Army Radio fulfills its mission, and whether it succeeds in being the voice and ears for IDF soldiers and fighters at the front and on the home front,” Katz said.

    “There is no doubt that a comprehensive and significant change is needed, and I intend to implement it after receiving the committee’s recommendations.”

    Earlier this year, MK Nissim Vaturi from the Likud Party proposed a bill to privatize the military station through a tender process, which would be managed by the Second Authority for Television and Radio.

    Additionally, at the end of March, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out against the Kan 11 Broadcasting Corporation during a cabinet meeting, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi presented Katz with a proposal to close Army Radio.

    In the same meeting, Netanyahu asked, “Why do we even need a military station? The Defense Minister and Communications Minister need to examine the matter of Army Radio.”

    Walla contributed to this report.

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  • Israel weighs five options if Hamas fails to return hostage remains

    Israel is working on alternative options if Hamas does not comply with demands to return the remains of hostages still in Gaza, security establishment insiders say.

    Israel is working on five options in case Hamas fails to deliver on returning the hostage remains, insiders within the Israeli security establishment said on Monday.

    In no specific order, the five options being explored are: Extending operational control, targeted escalation, hostage remains retrieval operation, diplomatic pressure, and ending existing agreements.

    Extending operational control

    The first option involves Israel launching operations to expand control over key areas, increasing the percentage of the Gaza Strip with an IDF presence.

    Following the policies outlined by Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF has been active along the border, targeting and destroying Hamas infrastructure, including terror tunnels.

    Targeted escalation

    The second option would involve further escalation of Israel’s military efforts within Gaza, targeting Hamas operatives and field commanders. The IDF has already demonstrated this approach by striking a vehicle carrying Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives preparing for an attack.

    Palestinians seen carrying out Hamas-controlled excavations in search for remains of slain hostages in the Gaza Strip, October 27, 2025 (credit: TPS-IL)

    More aggressive steps could include a return to targeted killings of senior Hamas leadership, who no longer have human shields.

    Hostage remains retrieval operations

    A third option would be to utilize Israeli intelligence for retrieving the remains, employing air, ground, and land maneuvers. Although such an operation would carry a high risk for IDF personnel and could cause environmental damage, it remains a viable option to pressure Hamas.

    Diplomatic pressure

    Another option Israel may employ is diplomatic pressure, particularly leveraging the US to apply influence on mediators such as Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, urging them to ensure the return of all hostages.

    Such measures would set the stage for Israel to shift to Phase II, including closing border crossings and reducing humanitarian aid and energy supplies to Gaza.

    Termination of existing agreements

    The fifth option involves the cancellation of all agreements and understandings with Hamas, effectively leading to a resumption of intense fighting across Gaza. While this is not currently seen as a favorable option, it remains a theoretical response should all else fail.

    Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (credit: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN/REUTERS)

    Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (credit: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN/REUTERS)

    Hamas using hostages as bargaining chips?

    There are increasing concerns within Israeli circles that Hamas may be using the remains of the fallen as “bargaining chips” and actively misleading Red Cross teams. Israel is contemplating several strategies in coordination with the US to ramp up pressure on Hamas.

    Hamas is believed to be well aware of the locations where the remains are buried, while sending Red Cross teams and Egyptian officials to areas unrelated to the real burial sites.

    Meanwhile, reports indicate that Hamas is operating near the IDF’s border, close to the Yellow Line, complicating the Israeli military’s ability to respond to suspicious movements. In some instances, the IDF has even adjusted its positioning.

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  • Israel awakes to a bittersweet morning of returns and loss

    Recent incidents between Israel and Hamas have proven just how fragile the ceasefire remains.

    Today, Monday, Israel wakes to a bittersweet truth. Every living hostage is home. Too many families, however, welcomed only a coffin. In the past day, Hamas returned additional remains, and the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed through the Red Cross that “Israel has received… the bodies of two hostages.”

    The war did not end with the last helicopter landing. Our soldiers are still in harm’s way, and our civilians remain under threat.

    Overnight, the IDF reported that Palestinian terrorists in the Rafah area fired on Israeli troops and vowed to “take firm action” in response. A subsequent update said the attackers “fired RPGs and carried out sniper fire” at forces operating there. Independent reporting described Israeli strikes in southern Gaza after militants “attacked Israeli troops with an RPG,” underscoring how fragile the truce remains.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israel’s armed forces to respond with force against Gazan terror targets before later ordering the closure of all Gaza crossings and the halting of all aid into the Strip. The decision comes after an IDF announcement of strikes against Hamas in Rafah after the terror group fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward Israeli soldiers.

    Netanyahu’s initial order that Israel respond forcefully came during a consultation with Defense Minister Israel Katz and the heads of Israel’s security establishment, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

    Family and friends mourn at the funeral of Uriel Baruch, in Jerusalem on October 19, 2025. Baruch was taken hostage by Hamas into Gaza on October 7 and murdered in captivity. Hamas released his body to Israel a few days ago. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

    This is the moment to be clear about first principles. The deal that brought our people home also requires Hamas to deliver the deceased it can access. It has not. Recent tallies said the latest handover “brings the count of returned bodies to 12,” with “another 16… still to be returned,” and that “all 28 were supposed to have been handed over by last Monday.”

    Hamas has told mediators it needs specialist recovery equipment to reach others under the ruins, but that does not erase its obligation to complete what it promised. A promise is a promise. Keep it.

    US envoys arrive at inflection point

    Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff: your visit arrives at an inflection point. Help transform the current outline into enforceable steps with dates, verification, and consequences. Press for third-party monitoring of handovers, coordinated access for recovery teams, and a clear matrix that links continued relief to measurable compliance.

    Urge the mediators to treat delays as violations, not as atmospherics. Encourage both sides to keep humanitarian channels open when the guns fall silent and when they do not. The goal is simple and absolutely non-negotiable. Finish the first chapter of this deal before you write the second.

    Israel, for its part, must continue treating the fallen with dignity and transparency. The most recent remains were transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine for identification. This careful, professional process gives families the truth they deserve.

    At the same time, the state must protect its troops and civilians when attacked. The government has instructed the IDF to respond firmly to violations while upholding the ceasefire architecture. This is not belligerence; it is the minimum duty of a state to its soldiers.

    A second journey begins

    Families of the fallen are now beginning a second journey, one measured in identification updates, funerals, and empty chairs. The state owes them clarity about timelines and respect in its language. That means candid briefings on the painstaking forensic work, timely notification before any public statements, and resources for mourning that do not vanish after the first week.

    It also means national solidarity that resists the urge to turn pain into politics. The return of remains is not a public relations milestone. It is a covenant with citizens who entrusted their children to the country and deserve truth, dignity, presence, and accountability.

    There is also a broader context that matters. Even as bodies are exchanged, each side accuses the other of testing the truce. Hamas’s line today was to blame Israel for “violations,” while acknowledging that more bodies were being handed over. The facts remain stark. Twenty living Israelis came home. Not all the deceased have. Both can be true, and both demand action.

    The moral horizon has not changed since October 7. Kidnapping civilians was a crime. Holding them for two years compounded it. Withholding prolongs the cruelty. Israel is right to insist on the return of every person, alive or deceased. The deal created a path. Stay on it. Finish it. Bring them all back.

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  • Israel Still Carrying Out Some Strikes During Gaza Cease-Fire

    The military has said it was targeting militants who posed a threat or vehicles that came too close and didn’t stop when warned.

    Anat Peled

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  • Israel Prepares to Receive Its Last Living Hostages Held by Hamas

    Israeli authorities were preparing to receive the last hostages still alive in Gaza, after Hamas told mediators it had 20 living captives in its custody and was ready to begin setting them free.

    The message, which the militant group sent to Israel through intermediaries, marked the first time Hamas has confirmed the number of hostages it holds. It also addressed uncertainty about whether Hamas, in its battered and fragmented state, could quickly assemble all the living hostages and pointed to a possibly accelerated timetable for their release.

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  • Katz: Gaza will be destroyed, Hamas eliminated if terror group does not disarm, return all hostages

    Defense Minister Israel Katz warns Hamas to disarm and release hostages as the IDF gains control of over half of Gaza City and demolishes terror infrastructure.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Hamas terrorists in Gaza with serious consequences if the war continues in a post on X/Twitter on Saturday night.

    “If Hamas does not release all the hostages and disarm, Gaza will be destroyed and Hamas will be eliminated,” he wrote.

    “We will not stop until all the war’s objectives are achieved,” he added.

    Katz noted that his warning comes amid the IDF intensifying operations in Gaza City, with over 750,000 residents evacuating to the south of the enclave.

    During the operations, the IDF has destroyed terror infrastructure, including what Katz referred to as “terror towers.” The military linked terror infrastructure with Gaza City high rises which were demolished in the beginning of the operation to take control of the last remaining Hamas stronghold.

    Smoke rises as a building hit by an Israeli air strike collapses, in Gaza City, September 5, 2025 (credit: REUTERS)

    Southern Command assesses IDF controls over half of Gaza City

    The IDF’s Southern Command assessed that the military gained operational control of more than half of Gaza City as of Saturday.

    Sources in the Southern Command told Walla that the IDF’s territorial gains resulted from coordinated maneuvers at multiple points by various divisions as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II.

    Amir Bohbot contributed to this report.

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  • Regev opens door for Uber in Israel without public process, professional input

    Transportation Minister Miri Regev bypassed ministry experts and regulators in a move critics say is politically driven and undermines Israel’s licensed taxi system.

    Transportation Minister Miri Regev has approved the entry of the Uber ride-hailing app into Israel, allowing any private car owner to transport passengers for payment.

    The decision was made without a public process and in defiance of recommendations by professionals in the Transportation Ministry.

    Regev did not consult key authorities before making the move. The Insurance Commissioner, who is responsible for determining premiums for such drivers, was not involved in this decision. At present, taxi drivers pay insurance premiums four times higher than those paid by private car owners.

    Under current law, only licensed taxi drivers with permits and green number plates are allowed to transport paying passengers at regulated fares. Approximately 30,000 drivers in Israel operate under these conditions.

    During his time as transportation minister, Israel Katz allowed Uber to function solely as a taxi-hailing service, barring private drivers from the platform. His policy followed ministry guidance based on international findings, which indicated that services like Uber contribute to increased road congestion and divert passengers from public transport. This outcome contradicts the state’s objective of encouraging the use of buses and trains to reduce car dependency.

    Miri Regev (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

    What has changed since then is the growing participation of private drivers in the ultra-Orthodox sector who have entered the passenger transport market. These drivers operate without licenses, insurance, or regulatory oversight.

    Their presence has undercut licensed taxi drivers, who are required to complete training courses, pass tests, and invest about NIS 200,000 to obtain a certification. Over the past year, the Tax Authority has begun enforcing regulations against such drivers, who also fail to report their earnings. This has led to mounting political pressure from ultra-Orthodox lawmakers to formalize their activities.

    While Regev is expected to present the move as part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of living, critics argue the primary motivation is political. The policy shift comes as the government seeks to demonstrate action on economic issues ahead of the next election.

    Despite the scope of the change, Regev has yet to involve professionals from the Transportation, Justice, Finance, or Public Security ministries. Regulations for the new policy have not been drafted. It also remains unclear whether and how the state plans to compensate taxi drivers who invested heavily in order to meet official requirements.

    Taxi Driver’s Association responds

    Yehuda Bar-Or, chairman of the Taxi Drivers’ Association, warned that the move could lead to legal action.

    “This makes no sense and will not happen,” Bar-Or said. “The state would have to pay NIS 7.5 billion to buy back the green numbers we were required to purchase. I do not understand how they want to allow people who have never received police clearance to transport passengers, including at night and near sensitive border areas. Everywhere Uber operates, congestion rises because the cars are driving empty half the time. We will oppose this by every means, including legal action.”

    Zohar Golan, chairman of the Taxi Drivers’ Association within the Histadrut’s independent forum, echoed the criticism and accused Regev of using the issue for political gain.

    “If you want to regulate the passenger transport sector, then change the law and create full equality for taxi drivers, who today are subject to a long list of rules and regulations, including costly and lengthy training,” Golan said. “The real question is what is hidden behind the introduction of Uber? It is clear that this is an attempt to legitimize all the illegal drivers in the ‘drivers’ phenomenon, which exists mainly in the ultra-Orthodox sector. This is the truth that Miri Regev is trying to hide. She is not suddenly pulling Uber out of thin air. She wants to find a solution for a group of potential voters and for the ultra-Orthodox political lobby ahead of the elections. Regev is not concerned about the state of public transportation but is trying to quietly legalize offenders in order to gain personal political capital.”

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  • Israel’s defence minister Katz: ‘Gaza is burning’

    The Israeli military intensified strikes on Gaza City overnight, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, adding the assault aims to secure the release of hostages and defeat Palestinian militant organization Hamas.

    “Gaza is burning,” Katz wrote on Telegram, vowing Israel would not relent or back down “until the mission is completed.”

    The US news site Axios cited Israeli officials as saying the operation marked the start of a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip’s largest city.

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    Israeli warplanes carried out near-continuous strikes on Gaza City overnight, accompanied by artillery fire, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

    Palestinian media said tanks later entered the city, where hundreds of thousands of people are believed to remain. The Israeli military has not confirmed this.

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  • Battle over W. Bank Palestinian work permits heats up after Jerusalem terror attack

    Defense Minister Israel Katz announced canceling 750 Palestinian work permits and demolishing homes after the Jerusalem attack, drawing pushback from security chiefs.

    A battle broke out within the defense establishment on Tuesday as Defense MinisterIsrael Katz announced the elimination of certain Palestinian work permits and the demolition of particular Palestinian residences in response to the terror attack in Jerusalem on Monday.

    More specifically, Katz said that he would cancel the work permits of 750 Palestinian workers from the villages of Qatannah and Al-Qubeibah, where the two terrorists who perpetrated Monday’s attack were from, and that he would order the demolition of Palestinian residences in those areas which had been built illegally.

    The defense minister’s statement generated significant confusion since he mentioned that he had the support of outgoing COGAT chief Maj.-Gen. Raasan Elian, but he did not mention the rest of the defense establishment.

    The Shin Bet and the two IDF commanders who have led the Central Command during the war, Maj.-Gen. Yehuda Fuchs and Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, have pressed heavily for the government to restore the over 200,000 West Bank Palestinian work permits approved before the war started, and which the cabinet dropped to around 10,000.

    Although the political echelon said dropping the work permit numbers was necessary to avoid terrorists after October 7, there has been no evidence to date of any statistically significant number of terrorists from those who received work permits.

    Israeli security forces disperse Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron, August 31, 2025. (credit: WISAM HASHLAMOUN/FLASH90)

    In fact, the Shin Bet and the IDF are convinced that the cabinet’s decision to cancel work permits drove many normative persons to terrorism by denying them work opportunities and leaving them nothing to do with their time.

    There are no indications that the Shin Bet or IDF Central Command have changed their view after the Monday terror attack, and The Jerusalem Post understands that they are still in favor of increasing, rather than decreasing, work permits for West Bank Palestinians (vs for Gazans.)

    In contrast, the Post can confirm that Elian does support Katz’s policy change.

    While Elian also supports increasing work permits for West Bank Palestinians in general, he believes that a narrow targeted work permit penalty against villages that produce terrorists could be effective in deterring future terror from such villages.

    ‘Only a few bad apples’

    When pressed that such a policy could backfire in the villages that were generally peaceful, with only a few “bad apples,” that would view the collective punishment as unfair, Elian would say that some past targeted penalties had demonstrated the opposite, that normative villages understood they were only being penalized because of the isolated incidents.

    The penalty had led the villagers to increase pressure on extremist elements in their village against perpetrating terror, in order to have their work permits restored.

    Sources did not dismiss the possibility of the work permits being restored if the villages remained quiet, though there was no set timeline for doing so.

    The Post also understands that the announcement regarding destroying Palestinian residences was not coordinated with IDF legal authorities.

    In fact, it is unclear what legal authority the IDF has to destroy Palestinian residences in Area A or Area B of the West Bank under Palestinian control because they were built “illegally,” given that the PA decides what is legal and illegal building in those areas.

    Israel can demolish Palestinian residences built in Area C without approval or in areas under PA control if connected to specific terrorists and approved by Israeli legal authorities and the courts.

    But this would not apply to a general rule against Palestinians who had not committed terror.

    Katz did not specify where or how many residences might be demolished.

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  • IDF begins first strikes of Gaza City op.

    “Once the door opens, it will not close, and IDF activity will intensify until the Hamas murderers and rapists accept Israel’s conditions to end the war,” Katz said.

    The IDF will intensify its activity in Gaza City until Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel’s terms, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Friday.

    He added that Israel has issued an evacuation notice to a “multi-story terror building in Gaza City.”

    “Once the door opens, it will not close, and IDF activity will intensify until the Hamas murderers and rapists accept Israel’s conditions to end the war, foremost among them the release of all the hostages and disarmament, or they will be destroyed.”

    The IDF distributed evacuation leaflets for the Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, according to Channel 12.

    IDF operates in Gaza, August 29, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

    “In the coming days, the IDF will carry out precise, targeted strikes against terrorist infrastructure that poses a direct threat to IDF troops,” the military stated.

    “Prior to the strikes, numerous measures will be taken to minimize the risk of harming civilians as much as possible, including targeted warnings, the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”

    Hamas reveals footage of Gaza hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal

    Hamas released a video ofGaza hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal and a second hostage whose family requested he not be named on its Telegram on Friday.

    “Time is running out,” Hamas wrote.

    In the video, Gilboa-Dalal said he couldn’t believe he was still alive after 22 months of war, and that he was being held in Gaza City.

    Gilboa-Dalal stated that he and the remaining hostages would remain in Gaza City during the upcoming IDF operation, and that Hamas would move them to wherever the IDF operates.

    Shir Perets contributed to this report.

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  • ‘Remnants of Houthi leadership’ are fleeing Sanaa, abandoning residents, Katz says

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    Several senior Houthi leaders have reportedly fled Sanaa towards fortified hideouts in Saada, Amran, and other areas under Houthi control due to fears of further Israeli airstrikes.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said that “the remnants of Houthi leadership” are fleeing Sanaa in Yemen.

    “Like all the leaders of radical Islamist terror, they look after themselves and abandon residents,” the defense minister stated.

    Katz added that this was how Hamas leaders behaved in Gaza and “in the luxury hotels of Qatar,” and “this is how the Houthis act in Yemen.”

    “We knew how to hunt them down this time, and we will know how to do so in the future as well.”

    Houthi leaders flee Sanaa

    Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi-owned, London-based outlet Asharq al-Awsat reported that several senior Houthi leaders have fled Sanaa towards fortified hideouts in Saada, Amran, and other areas under Houthi control.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz on a tour in the Gaza Strip, August 5, 2025. (credit: DEFENSE MINISTRY)

    High-ranking Houthi officials, including Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s ruling council; Abdul Karim al-Houthi, the terror group’s interior minister; Abu Ali al-Hakim, the newly appointed head of Houthi intelligence; and Ahmed Hamed, another member of the ruling council, have disappeared from Sanaa in recent days, sources confirmed to Asharq al-Awsat.

    Buses were seen transporting the families of group leaders towards Amran and Saada, sources told Asharq, saying that the terror group is aware that its leaders are direct targets for Israeli airstrikes.

    According to the report, Houthi leaders and commanders were instructed not to use government buildings or gather in public places.

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