As Israel Awaits Hamas’ Response, IDF Intensifies Offensive in Northern Gaza, Haaretz
“The IDF announced an expansion of its forces’ operations in several densely populated areas in northern Gaza late on Friday, declaring five locations in the area as ‘dangerous combat zones.’ […] The IDF announced increased military pressure in Gaza as it awaits Hamas’ response to a new cease-fire proposal from Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. A senior Hamas official told the BBC the group plans to reject the deal, though Israel, which has welcomed it, continues to wait for an official reply.”
Israel Announces New West Bank Settlements Despite Sanctions Threat, Reuters
“Israel’s government has approved 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, its finance minister said on Thursday, a move condemned by Israeli human rights groups that may strain ties with key allies that have threatened sanctions. Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition who has long advocated for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, wrote on X that the settlements would be located in the northern West Bank, without specifying exactly where.”
In Emaciated Children, Gaza’s Hunger Is Laid Bare, The New York Times
“The starvation of Gaza can be measured in the jutting ribs of a 6-year-old girl. In the twig-like thinness of her arms. In the pounds she and those around her have lost. In the two tomatoes, two green chili peppers and single cucumber a destitute child can buy to feed his family that day. Until last week, Israel had blocked all food, fuel and medicine from entering the Gaza Strip for 80 days, attempting to pressure Hamas into releasing the Israeli hostages it still holds as negotiations over a cease-fire remain deadlocked. With international alarm surging over its total blockade, Israel allowed in a drip of aid starting last week. That enabled some bakeries to reopen. But humanitarian officials said it did little to alleviate Gaza’s enormous needs and to stop the territory’s slide toward famine.”
New Aid Site in Gaza Brings More Scenes of Chaos, The New York Times
“On Thursday, crowds of hungry Palestinians scrambled for handouts and dodged stun grenades that were fired outside the new aid hub to disperse crowds, according to videos verified by The New York Times.”
Far-right Group Blocks Gaza Aid Trucks at Border for Second Time This Week, Haaretz
“Approximately 30 activists from the far-right Tzav 9 group, who vow to block aid into Gaza until all hostages are released, are obstructing the passage of humanitarian aid trucks on the road leading to Israel’s border with the territory, in their second action this week.”
Trump: I Told Netanyahu Striking Iran Would be ‘Very Inappropriate,’ as Deal is Close, The Times of Israel
“Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he had told Netanyahu not to target Iran, Trump said: ‘Well, I’d like to be honest. Yes, I did… I told [Netanyahu] this would be very inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution.’ He added: ‘That could change at any moment. It could change with a phone call. But right now, I think [Iran] wants to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, [that would] save a lot of lives.’”
‘Keep Showing Up’: Capital Jewish Museum Reopens Week after Deadly Shooting, The Forward
“Mayor Muriel Bowser and other top local officials spoke at the reopening of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, a week after a man shot and killed two Israeli diplomats as they left an event at the building. […] [Bowser] said her message to the city was: ‘Keep showing up for the Jewish community.’”
UK Weighs Sanctions on 2 Israeli Cabinet Ministers as Gaza Crisis Worsens, The New York Times
“Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has been mulling sanctions against two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, for months — a proposal first floated by David Cameron, a foreign secretary in the previous Conservative government. But it has still not decided whether to go ahead, according to several officials.”
The Cabinet Decided on the Establishment of 22 New Settlements in the West Bank, Peace Now
Peace Now staff write, “The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the Occupied Territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal. The cabinet’s decision to establish 22 new settlements – the most extensive move of its kind since the Oslo Accords, under which Israel committed not to establish new settlements – will dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further. At a time when both the Israeli public and the entire world is demanding an immediate end to the war, the government is making clear – again and without restraint – that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace.”
Israel is Becoming a Pariah State. Here’s What American Jews Must Do, The Forward
Daniel Sokatch writes, “True friends don’t let friends drive drunk. The Israeli government’s official and explicit policy today is the equivalent of drunk driving. It is not about hostages or peace or democracy or equality – or any of the other values that American Jews broadly hold dear. Their policies are about punishment, expulsion and occupation. So, to those who are searching for another way to stay in relationship with Israel without betraying their values: Support those who share the same values and vision for Israel’s future that you believe in.”
I’m a Proud Zionist. Here’s Why I Ran a Famously Pro-Palestine Editorial Board , The Harvard Crimson
Jacob M. Miller writes, “As my term progressed, many of my Zionist friends were confused why I didn’t spike pro-Palestine op-eds. But a society in which we resort to tactics like these to counteract others’ ideas is a dangerous society – and one that hurts Jews in the long run. And yet, my year chairing the Editorial Board gave me hope. Some of Harvard’s most extreme activists – on both sides of the conflict – were the same people who respectfully listened to others’ perspectives at our meetings three times a week. I learned that my peers had a larger capacity for dialogue than Harvard’s administration, the national media, or even they themselves believed.”