What’s happening:  The IDF has begun a precise operation in eastern Rafah, confirming this morning they have “obtained operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing.”

• Ahead of the operation on Sunday morning, messages through flyers, SMS texts, phone calls and media broadcasts were relayed to the residents of eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah to “temporarily evacuate to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, where the IDF has facilitated the expansion of field hospitals, tents, and an increase in water, food, and medical supplies.”
• Compounding the necessity of the operation, on Sunday a barrage of mortars were fired from the area of the Rafah Crossing toward the area of the Kerem Shalom Crossing killing four IDF soldiers and injuring several
• While last night six rockets were fired towards Sderot. Two were intercepted, while four landed in open areas. Shrapnel from an interception fell on a house causing damage, but no injuries.
• Since the launch of this operation, the IDF say they have targeted “military structures, underground infrastructure, and additional terrorist infrastructure from which Hamas operated in the Rafah area. Since the start of the operational activity, approximately 20 terrorists have been eliminated and three operational tunnel shafts have been located. No injuries were reported.”
• Last night the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the War Cabinet, “unanimously decided Israel will continue its operation in Rafah, in order to apply military pressure on Hamas so as to advance the release of our hostages and achieve the other objectives of the war.”
• The unanimity of the War Cabinet, which includes Gantz and Eisenkot, is significant in the context of recent political tension.
• At the same time relating to the hostage negotiations, the War Cabinet stated that “While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel’s core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel.”
• IDF Spokesperson Hagari added, “We are studying every response, every answer, with the utmost seriousness, and we are exhausting every possibility for negotiation to bring the hostages back to their homes as a central goal, as quickly as possible. At the same time, we are continuing to press forward.”

Context: Rafah hosts four of Hamas’ remaining battalions with the long anticipated operation focused on dismantling its command and control as well as securing the crossing and the Gaza – Egyptian border. The border, referred to as the Philadelphia Corridor is considered essential to prevent weapons smuggling and future rearmament by Hamas.

• Hamas also profits financially from taxation at the crossing and the smuggling routes.
• Regarding efforts to release the hostages, the terms of exactly what Hamas has agreed to remain unclear.  Israel is concerned that this was a Hamas ruse to place blame on Israel. However according to Reuters Hamas has agreed to the Israel proposal without substantive changes.
• Some view the operation in Rafah as a strong lever incentivising Hamas to agree to a deal at the last minute.
• Arab media reports the contours of the deal would include the release of 33 hostages, among them women and children (aged under 19), elderly (over 50), ailing and injured. According to Al-Akhbar, the Lebanese newspaper, “If the number of living Israeli abductees does not reach 33, the number will be completed with corpses from the same categories of this phase. In return – Israel will release all those arrested from the Gaza Strip after October 7 (women and children under the age of 19) this must be done in the fifth week of this phase.”
• In return Israel is expected to release 900- 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom will be terrorists convicted of murder. The temporary cessation in fighting will last six weeks and Israel will allow for an expansion of humanitarian aid to enter the Strip.
• The second stage would last an additional six weeks and would see arrangements for restoring “sustainable calm” in the Strip implemented before the release of further (alive male) hostages and Palestinian security prisoners.
• In the third stage, the bodies of dead hostages would be released in exchange for the bodies of dead Palestinians. A five-year reconstruction program for the Gaza Strip will also be launched.
• Last week US Secretary of State Blinken described the Israeli offer as, “extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel.”
• Hamas has long insisted on a deal to end the fighting completely. Israel will only counter this suggestion if they can reach an agreement to release all the hostages. It is thought the term “sustainable calm” is satisfactory for both sides.
• If a deal is ultimately agreed, the Rafah military operation will be halted. Netanyahu will then face political pressure from his right-wing cabinet members who see completing this operation as essential for Israel’s war aims.
• The atmosphere in Israel remains fraught. Last night saw large demonstrations by hostages’ families and their supporters. Thousands of people blocked roads in Tel Aviv, whilst hundreds also protested in other areas across the country to plead  / encourage the government to do a deal.
• The northern border has also seen extended fighting. Over the weekend over 100 rockets were fired out of southern Lebanon towards the Galilee and Golan.  The Israel Air Force attacked numerous Hezbollah positions across the border.
• Two soldiers killed when a Hezbollah attack drone struck a military post near Metulla in northern Israel Monday afternoon.
• The Kerem Shalom Crossing was recently reopened in order to expand providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. As a result of the mortar fire and the fatalities the crossing was closed.

Looking ahead: Israeli negotiators are heading to Cairo to study the details of the Hamas response.

• Similarly, CIA Director William Burns who was in Qatar (and was expected to visit Israel) will also instead travel to Cairo.
• If the negotiators can reach an understanding Israel’s Security Cabinet will convene and vote on the proposal.

What’s happening: The Israeli negotiators are still waiting for answers from Hamas over the latest iteration of a deal to release some of the hostages.

• Speaking earlier this week in Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Blinken described the proposal as “extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel”, adding “the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.”
• The latest proposal is being presented as an Egyptian initiative, with Israeli consent, aimed at releasing up to 33 hostages in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting.
• The hostages are thought to include women, elderly, and ill hostages and would be exchanged for 30 to 50 terrorists held in Israeli prisons for each hostage.
• Israel has also reportedly agreed to withdraw from the Netzarim corridor that bisects the Strip and to allow residents to return to the northern Gaza.
• However, Hamas are thought to be continuing to demand a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war.
• Israel is only prepared to agree to a temporary ceasefire so that it can still complete the operation in Rafah after the pause.

Threat of the ICC: In parallel there is heightened concern that senior Israeli leaders face the threat of arrest warrants being issued if they were to travel abroad.

• The potential targets for arrest for alleged war crimes could include Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defence Minister Gallant, Chief of Staff Halevi and other Israeli politicians.
• It is unclear how serious this threat it, but Israeli officials are working behind the scenes to prevent this.
• Netanyahu related to this threat yesterday as “an outrage of historic proportions.” He added, “international bodies like the ICC arose in the wake of the Holocaust committed against the Jewish people. They were set up to prevent such horrors, to prevent future genocides. Yet now the International Court is trying to put Israel in the dock. It’s trying to put us in the dock as we defend ourselves against genocidal terrorists and regimes, Iran of course, that openly works to destroy the one and only Jewish state.”
• He noted, “it will also be the first time that a democratic country fighting for its life according to the rules of war is itself accused of war crimes.”
• Adding, “it takes endless measures to prevent civilian casualties, measures that no other army takes. It does so while fighting a terrorist enemy which uses its own civilians as human shields… So, while Hamas shows no care for the lives of Palestinians and steals humanitarian aid meant for civilians, Israel is facilitating a surge of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. And we do this to ensure that the Palestinian population’s humanitarian needs are met.”
• “Israel is not even subject to the court’s jurisdiction and it has an independent legal system that rigorously investigates all violations of the law.”
• Netanyahu’s full remarks can be seen here.
• The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan visited Israel a few months ago, when he toured the sites of the October 7th massacres and met with released hostages.
• Israeli media has reported that the Prime Minister has asked the hostages forum to intercede on his behalf after they established a repour with Khan.
• It is also thought that Khan would consult with the British government among others before proceeding with a warrant.
• In a separate / related decision the Israeli government has allowed British judges to visit captured Nukhba terrorists held in Israeli prison.

Context: For 207 days, 133 hostages are still being held captive in the Gaza Strip. It is unclear how many remain alive.

• Whilst Israel waits for a response from Hamas, the military remains ready for an operation into Rafah, awaiting a decision by the political echelon.
• An operation in Rafah has been postponed at least twice already due to international pressure from Israel’s allies, but if Hamas does not take the current deal an operation appears inevitable.
• This time, Israel has helped facilitate expanded humanitarian zones with tens of thousands of tents in preparation to move the civilian population from Rafah prior to a military incursion.
• The logic for a Rafah operation remains:
  • To engage, destroy, and dismantle the remaining elements of Hamas’s military structure.
  • To block the smuggling routes from Egypt, which is crucial to preventing the re-armament of the Strip.
  • To continue to hunt down the Hamas leadership which, having evaded Israeli forces elsewhere, are now seemingly underneath Rafah.
  • If Hamas refuses the latest deal, the dwindling hope remains that some hostages could still be rescued.
• These latest indirect talks are being led by the Egyptians instead of the Qataris. Although Israel remains adamant that they will not commit to end the fighting, the Egyptians are proposing to Hamas that if this pause is successful, they can negotiate a second phased release of the remaining hostages in return for a long term ceasefire.
• Netanyahu is also facing increasing domestic political pressure with both the right wing and centrist flanks, pulling him in opposite directions and threatening to dismantle his coalition.
• In addition to political pressure, there have been ongoing public demonstrations from the hostages families and their supporters to conclude a deal.

Looking ahead: US secretary Blinken has arrived in Israel for his ninth visit since the war began, he will meet Prime Minister Netanyahu today and also expected to update him on the potential normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia.

• Blinken is also scheduled to visit the Kerem Shalom crossing and see first-hand the expanded humanitarian aid entering into Gaza.

What’s happened: Coinciding with the six month anniversary since the October 7^th Hamas massacre, the IDF has pulled most of its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip.

• A single IDF infantry brigade remains deployed along the east-west corridor, bisecting the Strip and preventing access to the north.
• Defence Minister Gallant said, “The withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis was carried out once Hamas ceased to exist as a military framework in the city… The achievements made by the IDF’s Division 98 and its units, are extremely impressive. They have eliminated terrorists and destroyed terror targets including warehouses, weapons, headquarters, communication centres and more. Their activities enabled the dismantling of Hamas as a functioning military unit in this area.”
• “Our forces are going to prepare for their follow-up missions. We saw examples of such missions in Shifa, and [will see] such missions in the Rafah area. We will reach a point when Hamas no longer controls the Gaza strip and does not function as a military framework that poses a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
• In parallel, the Iead Israeli negotiators, Mossad Director David Barnea, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon are in Cairo for renewed negotiations to reach a deal for the release of some of the hostages.
• It is understood that the war cabinet has expanded the mandate given to the negotiators.
• Meanwhile, public pressure on the government continues, with large protests taking place over the weekend. On Sunday night, several thousand people gathered outside the Knesset (despite it being in recess) and called on the government to immediately reach a deal.

Context: At the height of the military operation there were 20 IDF brigades (around 35,000 troops) operating inside the Gaza Strip, now one remains (a few hundred).

• The withdrawal of the 98^th Division effectively ends the four month operation in the southern city of Khan Yunis.
• However, forces are expected to re-enter and carry out targeted operations based on intelligence and operational needs.
• According to the IDF, the decision was made having completed its bank of targets identified by their intelligence.
• Others are speculating that it was due to US pressure and also partly meets Hamas’s demands and may be connected to the negotiations for a hostage release in Cairo. For more analysis of the withdrawal and its implications, see Israeli Media Summary below.
• Prior to the withdrawal over the weekend, four IDF soldiers were killed in an ambush in the southern Gaza Strip when terrorists emerged from a tunnel shaft and shot the soldiers at close range. Three soldiers were killed instantly; the fourth was wounded and later died of his wounds. The terrorists disappeared back into the shaft, but the soldiers chasing them did not enter it because they identified IEDs that had been placed at the entrance.
• 260 soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the ground operation, over 3,000 have been injured.
• On Friday, the Commando Brigade retrieved the body of the one of the hostages, Elad Katzir, from the area of Khan Yunis. Elad was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz by terrorists along with his mother, Hanna, who was released in November.
• This leaves 133 hostages held in captivity, with the estimated fear that only half are still alive.
• The basic formula for a deal presented during the talks is thought to include Hamas freeing about 40 Israelis – women, the elderly, and ill or wounded in exchange for several hundred Palestinian prisoners in Israel and a limited return of Gazans to the north of the Strip. This would be alongside a temporary ceasefire, during which further talks would be held.
• The IDF released updated data on humanitarian aid that has entered into Gaza since the beginning of the war, which has included:
  • 272,000 tons of food
  • 44,190 tons of shelter equipment
  • 29,260 tons of water
  • 20, 310 tons of medical supplies
  • 23,090 tons of mixed equipment
  • 216 tanks of fuel, and 429 tanks of cooking gas.

Looking ahead: The redeployment will now facilitate Gazans who fled to Rafah to be able to return to Khan Yunis.

• According to Israeli officials, an operation in Rafah is still on the agenda with the removal of the civilian population seen as a prerequisite of a ground incursion.
• A Rafah operation is seen as essential for four reasons:
  • To engage, destroy, and dismantle the remaining four (out of 24) of the Hamas brigades, thereby removing the last bastions of Hamas military structure.
  • To block the smuggling routes from Egypt, which is crucial to preventing the re-armament of the Strip.
  • To continue to hunt down the Hamas leadership which, having evaded Israeli forces elsewhere, are now seemingly underneath Rafah.
  • To increase to the pressure on Hamas to soften their demands over the hostages negotiations. There is also a chance that the operation could allow for further rescue missions.
• Due to the sensitivity, any major military operation into Rafah will likely need to be coordinated with the US and Egypt.
• In parallel, there is cautious optimism that the negotiators for a hostage release and prisoner exchange will reach an agreement, with the Hamas delegation expected to return to Cairo with answers later this week.

1. Israel continues to brace itself for an Iranian response to Monday’s assassination of senior IRGC commander Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus. Reservists have been called up to reinforce the nation’s aerial defences, while all leave for combat soldiers has been cancelled. Public concern led to panic buying of goods in some areas, prompting IDF Spokesperson Hagari to publicly clarify that there was no change in Home Front Command’s instructions and that there was no need to stock up on supplies. Government officials did tell Israel’s Kan Radio that although there was no expectation that Iran would escalate to all-out war, the state is preparing for the prospect of missile fire from Iranian soil. Authorities will be especially vigilant for an Iranian response today, Iran’s “Quds Day”, when a funeral ceremony will be held for Zahedi and the other IRGC members killed on Tuesday. Prime Minister Netanyahu told the Security Cabinet yesterday that “For years, Iran has been acting against us both directly and via its proxies; therefore, Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, defensively and offensively. We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act according to the simple principle of whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them.” In the West Bank, too, Fatah, the main faction in the Palestinian Authority, has accused Iran of seeking to spread chaos in the territory. It would not permit “our sacred cause and the blood of our people to be exploited,” it said. (For more on the assassination of Zahedi and the context of Israel challenging Iranian activity on its northern border, see BICOM’s recent analysis.)

2. This morning, 65,000 Muslim worshippers attended Fajr (dawn) prayers in Jerusalem, the final Friday of Ramadan. Prayers passed off largely peacefully. Eight people were arrested for chants in support of Hamas. Overall, Ramadan has thus far proceeded without major incidents, and the police said that such chanting harms “first and foremost the normative Muslim public who come to the Temple Mount and do not take part in those serious incitement demonstrations.” Thousands of extra officers will be deployed in Jerusalem ahead of Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the year in Islam.

3. In a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, US President Biden yesterday delivered his sternest warning yet regarding US support for Israel’s war in Gaza. The White House said that Biden urged Israel to “announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.” Failure to do so, he said, would cause the US to review its support. US policy, he said, “will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.” Biden also called for “an immediate ceasefire,” a move he said “is essential to stabilise and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the prime minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.” Biden also demanded that those responsible for the killing of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen organisation this week be prosecuted.

4. Israel has committed to increasing the volume of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip and to speeding up its transfer. The Erez Crossing between Gaza and Israel will be opened for the first time since October 7th, allowing more aid to flow. The port of Ashdod will also be opened to aid. In further signs of a loosening of Israelis restrictions, Israel Hayom revealed that Israel has also begun working with local Gazans affiliated with Fatah to coordinate and secure the delivery and distribution of aid in the Strip. Senior Palestinian Authority official Majed Faraj, the head of the its General Intelligence Service, is thought to have been critical in securing this cooperation. The US has long pushed for a substantial role to be played by a reformed PA in Gaza, an idea Netanyahu has generally rejected.

5. Indictments have been filed against six Arab citizens of Israel and one resident of the West Bank accused of plotting terror attacks in Israel. The terror cell, which called itself “Masra al-Rasul”, planned to launch multiple attacks on the government complex in Jerusalem, Ben Gurion Airport, and on military and security bases. Another element was to have been an assassination attempt, using an RPG, on National Security Minister Ben Gvir in his home settlement of Kiryat Arba. The group also planned to kidnap an Israeli citizen to use as ransom for the release of Palestinian security prisoners. The cell began to form in early 2023, led by Bilal Nasasra of Rahat, who recruited others and sought cooperation and funding from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In similar news, it was revealed yesterday that three young men from East Jerusalem pledged allegiance to ISIS about a month ago and were planning a series of gun and IED attacks, including on Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium and a local police precinct. This morning, a Palestinian man was killed after throwing an explosive device at Border Police officers conducting a raid in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.

6. Yesterday, Israel experienced rocket fire from the Gaza Strip for the first time in over a week, whilst attacks have continued on Israel’s north. Rocket fire is now far rarer from Gaza, following Israel’s degrading of terror groups’ capacity in the Strip, and the 12,000 rockets fired since October 7th having depleted their arsenals. Palestinian Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the attacks from Gaza which targeted Sderot, Netivot, and Ashkelon. Sirens were also heard in Kfar Aza. Dishon and Malkia were targeted in the north, and an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon at Shlomi where it hit a civilian house. No injuries or casualties were reported. The IDF struck the sites rockets were launched from and conducted operations elsewhere in the Strip. IDF fighter jets struck over 30 targets over the last day while troops hit a number of targets in Khan Yunis.

7. Head of the Mossad Barnea and CIA Director Burns are expected to travel to Cairo this weekend to meet with Egyptian counterparts and the Qatari Prime Minister in an attempt to reach a breakthrough in hostage release negotiations with Hamas. Talks are currently deadlocked given Hamas’s refusal to compromise on its conditions, namely accepting nothing less than a permanent ceasefire and the IDF’s full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. While Israel remains open to a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of elderly, young, female, and unwell hostages, it maintains its position that only military pressure will help it secure a deal with Hamas. Israel is understood to have empowered its negotiators to be even more flexible, including on the potential return of residents to northern Gaza. The complexities involved in this step include how many Gazans will be permitted to return and at what pace; will certain demographics, for example fighting-age men, be allowed to return; will IDF screenings be implemented and to what degree and extent.

8. The US continues to work with Israel on pursuing progress on a future normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia. Minister Dermer is due to travel to Washington next week where he is set to meet with Saudi ambassador to the US, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud. Israel is said to be pushing to ensure that any deal not include the development of a nuclear programme on Saudi soil. This was previously thought to have been a central element in Riyadh’s demands from the US regarding normalisation with Israel, along with other extensive defence commitments.

9. The past week has seen a wave of anti-government protests organised by a coalition of activists, some of whom were active in opposing the government’s judicial reform attempts. Their main calls are for Netanyahu’s resignation following his inability to end the current war in Gaza, and for Israel to hold early elections. Thousands of protestors assembled by the Knesset and prime minister’s residence, which a large group of people attempted to breach on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, activists and relatives of hostages held in Gaza splattered yellow paint over the Knesset’s visitors’ gallery to protest a perceived lack of government action to free their loved ones. In Tel Aviv, the main organisation lobbying on behalf of the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza said it would cease its Saturday night rallies in what has come to be known as Hostages Square and instead join in anti-government protests. Future protests in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are becoming increasingly likely.

10. War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz has, for the first time, called for the holding of elections in September so as to “maintain unity” and “renew trust” in the government. In a televised briefing, Gantz said “We must agree on a date for elections in September, about a year from the war… Setting such a date will allow us to continue the military effort while signalling to the citizens of Israel that we will soon renew their trust in us”. Despite having previously been part of the opposition, Gantz joined the Israeli government on an emergency basis in October and remains a favourite candidate to potentially replace Netanyahu. Gantz has also suggested that the holding of elections could provide Israel with an increased level of international legitimacy. Likud and Netanyahu have consistently opposed the holding of elections until this war’s conclusion, saying that they “would inevitably lead to paralysis” and undermine the IDF’s ability to fight in Gaza. Polling places Gantz well ahead of Netanyahu, projecting his National Unity party as winning 32 out of 120 Knesset seats.

What happened: IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has responded to the tragic accidental killing of seven members from the World Central Kitchen (WCK).

• Among the seven killed were three British victims: John Chapman, 57, a former UK special forces soldier; James Henderson, 33, a former Royal Marine; and James Kirby, 47. All were part of the WCK security team.
• Halevi noted, “WCK is an organisation whose people work across the globe, including in Israel, to do good in difficult conditions. The IDF works together closely with the WCK and greatly appreciates the important work that they do.”
• He related to the results of a preliminary investigation, “the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification – at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened.”
• Halevi added, “This incident was a grave mistake. Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza. We are sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of WCK. We share in the grief of their families, as well as the entire WCK Organisation, from the bottom of our hearts.”
• In addition, IDF Spokesperson, Daniel Hagari said yesterday, “As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently. I just spoke to WCK Founder, Chef Jose Anders, and expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defence Forces to the families and the entire WCK family. We also express sincere sorrow to our allied nations who have been doing and continue to do so much to assist those in need.”
• Defence Minister Gallant said, “IDF soldiers cope every day with a complex operational reality, but the coordination mechanism for distribution of humanitarian aid and cooperation with international organisations has to be strengthened.”

International responses: The WCK released a statement that noted, “Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.”

• US President Biden said, “I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from WCK, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.”
• Prime Minister Sunak spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, telling him, “far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable.”
• Foreign Secretary Cameron said: “These were people who were working to deliver life-saving aid to those who desperately need it. It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work. We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened.”
• Cameron added, “I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Katz to underline that the deaths of WCK aid workers in Gaza, including three British Nationals, are completely unacceptable. Israel must urgently explain how this happened & make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground.”
• Israel’s Ambassador to the UK Hotovely was summoned by Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell, during which Mitchell “requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability.”
• The UAE government, one of the main funders of the humanitarian maritime corridor to Gaza said they would only renew its involvement if Israel were to provide assurances that aid workers would not be attacked again.

Context: WCK is one of the Israel’s preferred humanitarian partners operating inside Gaza assisting the Gazan civilian population.

• WCK were also one of the first international NGOs to help Israelis after the massacre of October 7^th.
• Despite Israel taking responsibility, from Israel’s perspective the overall blame is on Hamas, for starting this war. Hamas has in the past embedded itself within other international aid organisations (not WCK) and continues to appropriate aid designated for their own civilians.
• The onus remains on Hamas to release the hostages and bring an end to the conflict.
• In these type of incidents, the IDF hands over their material to the “Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism” (FFAM), which is considered an independent, professional, and expert body.
• In parallel yesterday, the Israeli government responded to a High Court appeal by human rights organisations to outline the extent of the aid it has helped facilitate in allowing to enter the Strip since the start of the war, this included:
  • 252,585, tonnes of food in 12,000 aid trucks.
  • 401 cooking gas tanks.
  • 3.3 million cubic metres of water via new lines.
  • 28,100 tonnes of water via aid trucks.
  • 19,805 tonnes of medical equipment in 1,705 trucks.

Looking ahead: The incident will now be investigated fully. Halevi announced, “An independent body will investigate the incident thoroughly,  we will complete it in the next coming days. We will learn from the conclusions, and implement them immediately. We will share, in full transparency, the findings of the investigation with the World Central Kitchen and other international relevant organisations.”

• In addition, a new Humanitarian Command Centre will be established under the IDF Southern Command alongside international organisations to prevent incidents of this kind in future.

1. An airstrike in Damascus yesterday killed a number of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, including its top officer in Syria, Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi. The strike, for which Iran has blamed Israel, destroyed a building adjacent to the Iranian Embassy. Zahedi is reported as having overseen operations targeting Israel from Syria and Lebanon. He is the most senior IRGC officer killed since Qassem Soleimani’s assassination in January 2020, and his death has prompted an angry Iranian response, with its Ambassador to Syria warning that its response to the strike would be “harsh”. While Israel generally refrains from commenting on operations it conducts in Syria, it is understood as having escalated its efforts to reduce Iranian military entrenchment, including the supply of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah and Iranian proxies. This latest strike follows a number of other senior IRGC figures assassinated in recent months. Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to fire rockets towards northern Israel, and around 80,000 Israelis from the north remain internally displaced.

2. A reported seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen organisation (WCK) were killed last night in Gaza. The seven, including one UK citizen, died following an Israeli air strike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The charity announced the suspension of its Gaza operations, while CEO Erin Gore paid tribute to “the love” the victims had for “feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all,” and said that “the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished”. In a statement, the IDF said it was “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.” It also stressed that it made “extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.” The charity, which made its name distributing aid in Haiti and in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, led the first maritime shipment of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip last month, including ingredients for 500,000 meals. Elsewhere, COGAT says that on Sunday 205 humanitarian aid trucks were inspected and transferred to the Strip, with 198 then distributed by UN aid agencies. COGAT says this brings the total number of aid trucks transferred since the outset of the war to 19,776. 232 packages containing thousands of meals were airdropped. 21 ambulances were also transferred, taking the total transferred since the start of the war to 105.

3. The IDF completed their two-week targeted operation against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad inside the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Overall, over 500 suspects with terror affiliations were arrested, with 200 terrorists killed. According to the IDF, the fighting included “close-quarters encounters,” while they ”located numerous weapons and intelligence documents throughout the hospital, while preventing harm to civilians, patients, and medical teams.” On Sunday, the IDF revealed that inside the maternity ward, “soldiers discovered many weapons hidden inside pillows, hospital beds, ceilings, and the walls of the compound, including dozens of mortar shells, explosive devices, sniper rifles, Kalashnikov rifles, pistols, magazines, mortars and additional ammunition.” Relating to the subverted use of the hospital, Prime Minister Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday, “no hospital anywhere in the world looks like this; this was a terrorist lair.”  Meanwhile, the heads of the US and Israeli militaries have discussed the anticipated operation in Rafah. Israeli media reported on a US proposal whereby the Egyptian border will be sealed, and cameras and sensors will be installed. Rafah will be isolated and surrounded by the IDF. IDF troops will raid specific targets based on intelligence, with joint US-Israeli oversight.

4. Over the last few days, Israel experienced a spate of three terrorist attacks including a shooting in the Jordan Valley, and two stabbings in Gan Yavneh and Beersheva. While thought to be unrelated and not resulting in any fatalities, these attacks will undoubtedly cause concern and alarm against the backdrop of what has otherwise been a relatively peaceful Ramadan. The Beersheva stabbing was perpetrated by a resident of Rahat, and is the second such attack to emanate from the Bedouin city in recent weeks. The Gan Yavneh attack was perpetrated by a West Bank resident thought to be illegally working in Israel and left three wounded – two in very serious condition, one in moderate condition. The Jordan Valley shooting was perpetrated by a Palestinian Authority security officer who turned himself into Israeli authorities after spending two days on the run.

5. A drone launched from Iraq has struck the port of Eilat, causing minor damage to an Israeli Navy base with no reported casualties or fatalities. While identified as it entered Israeli airspace, it was not intercepted by local missile defence systems. The Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group representing a number of Iranian-backed Shia militias, has claimed responsibility for this attack. While IRI has attempted to launch several drone attacks against Israel since November 2023, they have thus far achieved limited success. Most of these attacks have been launched from Syria rather than Iraq, and they have primarily targeted civilian settlements in the Galilee or Golan Heights. The IRI is just one of Iran’s proxies which has been weaponised against Israel since October 7^th.

6. Mossad Director David Barnea led an Israeli delegation that returned to Cairo for renewed talks on a hostage deal. It is understood that the war cabinet has given the negotiators more flexibility including allowing residents of the northern Gaza Strip to return. Barnea was quoted in Maariv this morning, telling the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, “this is now the true test for Hamas and Sinwar: Do they want a six-week humanitarian ceasefire for the civilian population of the strip or are they interested in continuing with their foot-dragging, which has caused their people terrible suffering,” According to Palestinian media, Hamas is waiting to hear the outcome of the talks before they return to Cairo. Formally, Hamas continues to demand four conditions: an end to the war, an IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, returning Gazans to the northern Gaza Strip, and increasing humanitarian aid supplies. Responding to criticism that he is not doing enough to reach a deal, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “I have approved rescue operations involving risk to our brave soldiers, but the main part of our activity is combining military pressure with resolute negotiations.  Anyone who says I’m not doing everything to get the hostages back is mistaken and is misleading others. Anyone who knows the truth and repeats this lie is doing the hostages’ families an injustice.”

7. Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered outside the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on Sunday and Monday, in the first two days of a planned four-day protest demanding the resignation of the Netanyahu government, the release of all the hostages, and the end of the exclusion of the ultra-Orthodox from military service. Sunday’s rally was significantly larger, and organised by the Kaplan Force, Brothers in Arms, and other groups formed in response to last year’s judicial overhaul programme. On Sunday, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid spoke, saying of Netanyahu “How has he not disappeared from our lives after October 7? All he cares about is the office and title, and let the country burn.” Another notable presence at Sunday’s demonstration was Arnon Ben-David, chairman of the Histadrut. Yesterday, Yair Golan, the former Meretz MK and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff who is vying to unify and lead the Israeli political left, told protesters “we could have had the hostages home in a process of renewal, with another government, thrown the judicial reform into the garbage, had a defence budget that makes sense. But instead, we’re stuck with the Netanyahu-Gantz government.” Hostage family members also spoke. Albini Peri, whose grandfather Chaim Peri is still held hostage, said “We demand a deal now, but there won’t be one so long as this government finds it more important to kill Arabs than to save Jews,” he said. “A deal now is elections now.”

1. This morning, Yediot Ahronot front page leads with a story suggesting that the UK has stunned Israel by saying that unless diplomats or Red Cross representatives are allowed to visit terrorists from Hamas’s elite Nukhba unit detained in Israel, the UK might cease arms sales to Israel. UK Foreign Secretary Cameron has reportedly warned Jerusalem that unless conditions change, it can expect to see Europe-wide shifts in arms sales policy. A team of UK lawyers visited Israel two weeks ago, with London concerned that Red Cross officials have not been allowed to visit the detainees, in line with the demands of international law. Israel opposes such visits on the grounds that according to international law it can object to them on the basis of security exceptions. It should be noted, too, that Red Cross access to the hostages in Gaza has been repeatedly denied by Hamas. The UK threat bears all the hallmarks of a coordinated effort by the US and Israel’s other western allies to pressure Jerusalem to change its policies in the prosecution of the war. “A plague of sanctions against Israel is liable to break out, one that could spread across the world,” a senior government official told Yediot Ahronot. Israeli Foreign Minister Katz sent a letter to Cameron, his counterpart, via Israel’s ambassador in London, Tzipi Hotovely saying, as summarised by Yediot Ahronot, that “now is the time to strengthen the State of Israel, not to weaken it, especially at a time that negotiations for a hostage release deal with the Hamas terror organisation are underway. Katz said there is ‘no room’ for steps of this kind (meaning weapons bans) at this critical moment in the talks on the hostage issue, and added that any decision that hurts Israel sends a message to Hamas that they can draw out negotiations and block implementation of a deal.”

2. Mixed reports are emerging from Doha concerning progress being made in hostage/ceasefire negotiations. US Secretary of State Blinken said that progress has been made, and that the distance between the two sides on a mutually agreeable deal is narrowing. An agreement is “very much possible,” Blinken said in an interview to Saudi media during a visit to the kingdom. “We worked very hard with Qatar, Egypt and Israel to put a strong proposal on the table,” Blinken said. “Hamas wouldn’t accept it. They came back with other demands. The negotiators are working on that right now, but I believe it’s very much doable, and it’s very much necessary. If Hamas cares at all about the people it purports to represent, then it would reach an agreement because that would have the immediate effect of a ceasefire, alleviating the tremendous suffering of people, bringing more humanitarian assistance in and then giving us the possibility of having something more lasting.” Israeli officials have been more circumspect, one telling The Washington Post, “this is not a negotiation that will end in days — it will end, maybe, in weeks.” Hamas’s Beirut-based official Osama Hamdan, meanwhile, claimed Israel’s response to Hamas’s latest terms had been “generally negative”.

3. The military operation inside the Shifa Hospital compound in Gaza City is continuing. According to the IDF they have arrested 350 people, including dozens of high-ranking terrorists and key Hamas operatives. One of those arrested was Mahmoud Qawasmeh, a high-ranking Hamas official who was an instigator of West Bank terror. Infamously he was one of the people who planned the kidnapping and murder of the three Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrah, Gil-Ad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel, in summer 2014. The IDF revealed they found weapons throughout the hospital, including: Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, magazines, mortars, grenades, RPGs, and combat gear, and that they have killed over 140 terrorists. The troops also found £2.37 million worth of US dollars and Jordanian dinars, funds that were earmarked for terrorist purposes. Perhaps the most significant discovery is high-quality intelligence material that surpassed expectations. This includes computers and personal files which, for example, included the salary payments made to the full Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) payroll, revealing the whole organisation’s personnel to the Shin Bet. At the same time the IDF has ensured the hospital staff, patients and civilians continue to receive food, water and humanitarian aid.

4. In a joint Shin Bet and IDF operation, Israel has killed two senior PIJ operatives in a strike on their vehicle in the area of Jenin. The targets were Ahmed Barakat, who shot and murdered Israeli civilian Meir Tamari in Hermesh in May 2023, and Muhammad Shuakhin, an Islamic Jihad commander of terrorist infrastructure in the Jenin area. Two other operatives were also killed. A joint IDF-Shin Bet statement said “the two operatives who were struck were involved in advancing significant terrorist activity and attacks on Israeli civilians. They were behind the recent attempt by a terrorist to enter into the heart of Israel in order to carry out a planned attack, which was thwarted by Israeli security forces on March 11, 2024. In addition, the terrorists directed an explosives attack against IDF soldiers on March 8, 2024, during which seven IDF soldiers were injured in the area of the Homesh Junction.” Elsewhere in the West Bank, two other Palestinians have been killed in clashes with an IDF brigade currently raiding the Nur Shams refugee camp in the Tulkarm area, while a Palestinian man was shot and wounded this morning by IDF troops in the southern West Bank. A search of his bag reportedly turned up a knife. Meanwhile, in Jenin, a young Palestinian man named Carim Jabarin was executed last night by PIJ for alleged “collaboration” with Israel. Jabarin was injured in clashes between PIJ and Palestinian Authority Security Forces, before being seized by PIJ operatives. Palestinian reports suggested one of his executioners was his own brother.

5. IDF operations also continue in other areas of the Gaza Strip. IDF troops targeted another site in Gaza City where Hamas operatives had gathered ahead of a planned raid on humanitarian aid trucks. The IDF learned about their plans and during the attack killed 23 terrorists. The IDF also revealed that earlier in the week IDF fighter jets, “eliminated senior Hamas operatives in Rafah who assisted its military wing in establishing continued control, as well as operations in the field…. The senior operatives were the representatives of Hamas’ leadership in Rafah. As part of their roles, they managed the terror organisation’s activities in humanitarian zones and were responsible for coordination with Hamas operatives in the field.” Also in Khan Yunis, the IDF engaged with Hamas operatives and “destroyed dozens of [sites of] terrorist infrastructure.”

6. In the north, once again rocket attacks emanating from Lebanon continued throughout yesterday, including in the areas of Har Dov, Yir’on, Misgav Am, and Margaliot all close to border. As usual, in response, the IDF struck the sources of the fire. The Israeli Air Force also struck a Hezbollah military compound in the area of Houla, and observation posts in the areas of Kfarkela and Yaroun. Lebanese media with Hezbollah affiliation are reporting that an Israeli spy ring has been uncovered in the country. According to the report, two people were arrested, allegedly working for Israel, to whom they provided details about Beirut and the Dahiya neighbourhood.

1. The UK’s largest delivery of aid to Gaza since the start of the war has crossed the border and begun to be distributed. More than 2,000 tonnes of food aid is being distributed by the World Food Programme, adding to the 150 tonnes of UK funded relief items including blankets and tents, which arrived on Wednesday. According to COGAT, 248 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were yesterday inspected by Israel and transferred to Gaza. However, of those 248, only 126 humanitarian aid trucks were distributed by UN aid organisations, leaving 122 waiting to be distributed. Around two thirds of these trucks carry food, with the rest carrying medical equipment, water and shelter equipment. Israel has placed no limit on the amount of food that can enter the Gaza Strip with 29 of the food aid trucks entering yesterday making their way up to northern Gaza. Kamal Adwan Hospital was also restocked with medical supplies and Jabalia Health Centre was refuelled.

2. The IDF is continuing their targeted operation within the compound of the Shifa hospital in Gaza City. According to the IDF, “Over the past day, the troops have eliminated terrorists and located weapons in the hospital area, while preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams, and medical equipment.” According to the army they have killed, “approximately 90 terrorists in the area, the IDF and ISA have questioned over 300 suspects at the compound, and an additional 160 suspects have been transferred to Israeli territory for further questioning.” Among those arrested were “prominent terrorists” from Hamas who the IDF say were involved in directing terror in the West Bank, well as terrorists from the “Rocket Unit” of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. During the fighting a 51-year-old IDF reservist, Sebastian Haion, was killed in action. He is the 251^st IDF fatality since the ground incursion begun. In parallel, the IDF continues to operate against Hamas operatives and infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, including in Khan Yunis and central areas. In addition, Palestinian sources are reporting on an air strike in Rafah. Also yesterday, a rocket was launched from northern Gaza toward the city of Sderot, but fell inside the Gaza Strip. In response, an Israeli aircraft struck an operational Hamas tunnel shaft in the area of the launch.

3. In hostage negotiation talks in Doha, Israeli officials have received Hamas’s latest demands. These include: 40 hostages to be released in exchange for 950 prisoners, to be chosen by Hamas; 50 prisoners, including 30 “heavyweight” prisoners, to be chosen by Hamas and to be released in exchange for every female soldier being held captive (coming to a total of 250 prisoners for the female soldiers); a full civilian return of northern Gaza. Israeli news reports suggest that Hamas’s Gazan leader Yahya Sinwar has shifted the priority focus from the release of “heavyweight” prisoners to the return of northern Gazans to their former places of residence. With Israel reluctant to agree to a full-scale return, if true this could prove a significant stumbling block in negotiations. Delays are expected, caused by the relay of information from Doha to Hamas’s Gazan leadership. One Israeli official told Channel 12: “Even if there is a foreign-based branch of Hamas, they have no mandate at all to make decisions. Every comma, every period takes between 24-36 hours. This is going to be a complicated process.” The Israeli delegation is said to have been given a limited remit by the political echelon, as a tactic to test the seriousness of Hamas’s commitment to a deal. Meanwhile in Tel Aviv, hostage families joined protesters demanding “No return from Qatar without a deal” in blocking northbound traffic on the Ayalon Highway this morning.

4. Two senior Israeli delegations will visit the US next week. The Government announced that one delegation, consisting of Strategic Affairs Minister Dermer and National Security Council Director Hanegbi will conduct talks on a potential operation in Rafah, while Defence Minister Gallant will visit his US counterpart Lloyd Austin. The US will present Israel a plan designed to avoid a major operation in Rafah. The US plan would allow for targeted operations against Hamas, while focussing on stopping the supply of weapons smuggled to Hamas through the Egypt to Gaza Philadelphi Corridor. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying that in discussions with the US, “the prime minister stressed that he is determined to operate in Rafah in order to eliminate for good the remaining Hamas battalions while offering humanitarian solutions to the civilian population.”

5. Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that “there are elements in Israel who are cooperating with the Americans to prevent entry to Rafah.” Netanyahu also claimed that an all-for-all hostage deal, which would see all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza freed in exchange for the full list of Palestinian security prisoners whose release is demanded by Hamas, was impossible. Referring to the current negotiation, whose terms would see 40 Israeli hostages released in return for a limited release of Palestinians, he said “If we don’t get the 40 hostages now, we’re not going to get any hostages at all.” Netanyahu came under fire in the meeting for his apparent agreement to a pilot programme allowing Palestinian workers from the West Bank back to work in Israel – a move supported by the military and intelligence establishments. The prime minister also appeared to criticise Israel’s public diplomacy apparatus, saying “the problem is that there aren’t any people. You are surrounded by people who don’t know how to string two words together in English.” In related news, Israel’s Channel 12 reported last night that Eylon Levy, the British-born spokesman who has fronted much of Israel’s English-language response since October 7^th, has been suspended. The channel claims Levy has been sidelined following a complaint from the UK over a tweet Levy sent in reply to British Foreign Secretary Cameron over the question of aid. Cameron’s tweet said “We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it,” to which Levy responded, in a tweet now deleted, “I hope you are also aware there are NO limits on the entry of food, water, medicine, or shelter equipment into Gaza, and in fact the crossings have EXCESS capacity… Test us. Send another 100 trucks a day to Kerem Shalom and we’ll get them in.”

6. A Shin Bet agent remains in serious condition following a terrorist attack near the Gush Etzion settlement Bloc in the West Bank yesterday. Ziad Hamran, 30, from the northern West Bank city of Jenin, opened fire on the agent and his colleague while they were conducting routine work. The second Shin Bet agent was lightly injured, while both agents managed to return fire and kill their attacker. It remains unclear whether Hamran was a source the agents were preparing to meet, or whether he followed their source to a meeting. While the major conflagration desired by Hamas in the West Bank in the aftermath of October 7^th has not transpired, Israel has conducted nightly raids targeting known groups and individuals. Palestinian sources say over 400 have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, most in clashes with Israeli forces.

7. Once again, throughout yesterday there were numerous rockets launched from Lebanon into several areas in Israeli territory. In one incident, two soldiers were lightly and moderately wounded from rocket fire toward Kibbutz Manara. The soldiers were evacuated to hospital to receive medical treatment. In addition, the IDF said that a suspected aerial target crossed from Lebanon into Israel in the area of Yiftach and was successfully intercepted. In a familiar pattern, the IDF returned fire to the source of the launches as well as attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in areas close to the border. In a separate incident, an IDF soldier identified a Hezbollah terrorist operating out of an observation post belonging to Hezbollah in the area of Marwahin. Following this, IDF fighter jets struck the post. According to Arab media reports, five senior commanders of pro-Iranian militias in Syria, including a Hezbollah leader, were killed in an airstrike targeting the town of Mayadin in the eastern Deir ez-Zor area.

8. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced last night that Ottawa would suspend arms exports to Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in response: “I am sorry that the government of Canada is taking this step that undermines Israel’s right to self-defence in the face of Hamas murderers who carried out terrible crimes against humanity and against innocent Israelis, including the elderly, women and children. History will judge the current acts of Canada harshly.” As part of the same process, the Canadian Parliament last night passed a non-binding motion calling on the international community to work towards a two-state solution, after the initial wording which would have supported unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state was dropped. Other wording was also inserted to label Hamas as a terrorist organisation, affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself, and demand that Hamas release all hostages and lay down its arms.

9. The IDF has acknowledged that a cruise missile fired on Sunday penetrated Israel’s anti-missile air defence system. The missile, presumably launched by the Houthis in Yemen, entered Israeli air space from the Red Sea in the south and fell in open terrain north of the city of Eilat. The IDF further noted, the “target was monitored by IAF troops throughout the incident. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused,” but that the incident is under review. So far the Houthis have launched over 50 attacks directed towards Israel. Most have been intercepted by Israel’s Arrow defence systems, others by US naval vessels and even by Saudi Arabia when they crossed their airspace.