Planning Body Gives Final Approval to Controversial E1 West Bank Settlement Project, Times of Israel
“Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defense Ministry, calls the decision ‘historic,’ and says it is ‘a significant step that practically erases the two-state delusion and consolidates the Jewish people’s hold on the heart of the Land of Israel […] The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not by slogans but by deeds. Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.’”
Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds, Reuters
“A 58% majority of Americans believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.”
Defense Minister Approves Plan to Conquer Gaza City; 130,000 IDF Reservists to Be Mobilized, Haaretz
“The IDF says the plan will be presented to the government on Thursday as operations begin on the outskirts of the city.”
Syria’s Top Diplomat and an Israeli Delegation Meet in Paris As US Pushes for Normalizing Ties, The Associated Press
“Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with Israeli officials to discuss de-escalating tensions and restoring a 1974 ceasefire agreement — a deal that established a demilitarized separation zone between Israeli and Syrian forces and stationed a U.N. peacekeeping force to maintain calm.”
Under Growing Arab Pressure, Hamas Signals New Willingness to Compromise, Washington Post
“Last week, representatives of about a half-dozen other Palestinian political factions met with Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo to urge Hamas to accept a deal to stop the bloodshed, according to Dimitri Diliani, a spokesman for the Fatah Democratic Reform bloc led by Mohammed Dahlan, a powerful former Palestinian Authority security chief in Gaza who now lives in the United Arab Emirates.”
Khan Younis Clash: Terrorists Infiltrated IDF Outpost, Killed in Close-Quarters Combat; At Least 8 Escaped, Ynet
“Israeli soldier critically wounded and two lightly injured in Khan Younis attack by at least 15 heavily armed terrorists in body armor; IDF kills about 10, as forces continue searches.”
IDF Detains Israelis Who Crossed Border Into Syria in Bid to Establish Settler Outpost, Haaretz
“Dozens of Israelis, including parents with children, crossed through the border fence on the Golan Heights on Monday in an attempt to establish an outpost in Syria.”
Netanyahu Declares War on the World, Dragging Israel and Global Jewry Toward the Abyss, Haaretz
The Haaretz Editorial Board writes, “There are two options: either Israel finally pulls into its defensible and normal borders, or the circles of condemnation will widen, culminating in the inclusion of all Israelis in the maligned group, indiscriminately.”
Amid Protests and Talk of Invading Gaza, Netanyahu Flip-flops Over Limited Cease-fire Dea, Haaretz
Amos Harel writes, “Israel’s planned military operation in the Gaza Strip raises the question of whether it is part of a maneuver designed to corner Hamas.”
The Invisible Target in Iran, New York Times
“Why is it so difficult to know how much damage U.S. strikes did to the underground Fordo nuclear site? For the same reason it was so hard to hit in the first place.”