Israel is blocking contractors and trucks from entering Gaza and delaying the next phase of President Donald Trump’s “Peace Council” plan, according to a British report. The Guardian reported that Jerusalem is preventing the establishment of a main base and outpost for 150 international troops from Morocco and Kosovo, who are meant to form the spearhead of a broader international stabilization force in the Strip.
According to the report, the Peace Council already approved its first construction contract in Gaza in early August, with the American company Arkel International from Louisiana. The company was supposed to build a fortified military outpost covering roughly 100 by 100 meters, which would serve as a support point for the foreign forces and enable them to begin deploying on the ground. But nearly two months later, work has yet to begin, and sources involved in the details claim Israel is refusing to open the border and is not allowing trucks and equipment to enter.
The British newspaper reported that without establishing the outpost and the arrival of the international stabilization force, the start of the broader rehabilitation plan in Gaza is effectively blocked—including bringing in construction equipment and connecting infrastructure. The report also claimed that Peace Council officials estimate Jerusalem is delaying the sensitive project for political reasons, and that it may only be reconsidered after Israel’s elections.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Oren Solomon warned on Thursday against the possibility of a preemptive Iranian military strike against Israel ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections, stressing that the IDF must prepare for such a contingency in both defensive and offensive postures. Solomon made the remarks during an interview on Channel 14.
Oren Solomon | Photo: Channel 14 News
Addressing soaring regional tensions with Tehran, Solomon explained that alongside political and economic dynamics in the United States, an intense process of operational readiness and lesson-learning is actively unfolding on both sides. “We must definitely prepare—and I believe it is vital that the IDF is doing so—for a potential strike, including a preemptive strike by the Iranians,” he warned.
Solomon also responded to persistent allegations that political considerations intruded into defense decisions. Drawing on his past tenure in the Prime Minister’s Office, he noted that while he observed high-level national security decision-making firsthand, he never saw political motivations dictating security choices. “I did not once see a decision contaminated by personal, political, or unilateral considerations. I consistently witnessed strictly professional assessments,” he stated.
Hamas terrorists | Photo: Shutterstock
Turning to ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the Gaza Strip, Solomon sounded an alarm regarding subterranean warfare, warning that the Hamas terrorist organization is actively working to rehabilitate its underground network. “Hamas is still digging. I hope I am not surprising anyone—they are still digging tunnels, rebuilding tunnels, including defensive networks and offensive branches,” he said, underlining the necessity of persistent sweeps to locate and neutralize subterranean threats.
Reacting to former IDF Chief Gadi Eisenkot’s campaign pledge to bring down Hamas rule within 18 months, Solomon pushed back against high-profile declarations that lack tangible operational mechanics. “We have all had our fill of statements, from all sides,” he said, demanding that political figures detail exactly how they plan to demilitarize Hamas and what operational course will be taken if the group resists.
Gadi Eisenkot | Photo: Flash 90
Concluding the interview, Solomon addressed reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff, Ido Norden, is actively working to convene an urgent Knesset debate regarding the classified war investigations compiled by Solomon. Solomon confirmed that discussions are underway with the Prime Minister’s Office and defense officials, reiterating his call to release the findings to the Israeli public.
Solomon said his investigations point directly to the operational culpability of senior IDF commanders in the failures of October 7. He argued that exposing these findings is essential to understanding systemic lapses and rebuilding public confidence in the defense establishment, calling on the Prime Minister to approve their public disclosure despite potential pre-election political fallout.
A link to a database containing roughly 40,000 identification documents, records, and photos of police officers, soldiers, safety officers, and public figures has been circulating on social media in recent hours, with hackers suspected of obtaining personal information of tens of thousands of people—most of them security personnel.
Visual illustration | Photo: Shutterstock
At this stage, it’s unclear who is behind the alleged breach, how the information was obtained, or the exact scope of the exposure. It also hasn’t been determined whether this is an isolated incident or part of a larger breach.
The database’s circulation raises concerns about privacy and security risks for those whose details were exposed, especially given that a significant portion of the information relates to security force personnel.
Visual illustration | Photo: Shutterstock
Distributing personal information obtained unlawfully may constitute a criminal offense, depending on the circumstances. The public is urged not to share the link or distribute the personal details and photos appearing in the database.
As of now, the identity of those behind the information leak and the circumstances of how it was obtained remain unknown.
An indictment was filed on Thursday against a 21-year-old ‘Palestinian’ resident of Beit Sira after he fled with a luxury vehicle during a test drive. After the Judea and Samaria Police District concluded his interrogation, investigators established an evidentiary basis and formally charged him with offenses related to motor vehicle theft.
Israel Police in action | Archive | Photo: Shutterstock
The investigation began several months ago at the Modi’in Illit police station in the Samaria sub-district after officers received a report of a luxury vehicle theft near Route 443. Station officers were dispatched to the scene, where they began gathering forensic findings and operational evidence. During a joint operation conducted alongside IDF troops from the Binyamin Regional Brigade, the suspect was apprehended and transferred to police custody for questioning.
According to the police statement, the defendant arrived at the designated meeting point near the Maccabim checkpoint under the guise of an interested buyer looking to purchase the vehicle. At the end of the test drive, the suspect took advantage of the moment the vehicle owner exited the cabin to hit the gas and flee the scene.
Israel Police | Photo: Shutterstock
A spokesperson for the Israel Police stated: “Officers of the Judea and Samaria District will persist in their determined campaign against property crimes through the localization, apprehension, and investigation of suspects until the full extent of the law is brought to bear.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a conference with members of the Druze community on Thursday, delivering an unequivocal pledge that Israel will act decisively to safeguard the Druze and emphasizing his profound personal commitment to their safety. In a major disclosure, Netanyahu revealed that he spoke directly with Syrian transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa following the slaughter of Druze civilians in Damascus—and that his terse, forceful warning brought the killings to an immediate halt. “I picked up the phone to al-Sharaa. It was a very short, very sharp conversation, and the massacre stopped,” the prime minister recounted. “I will do whatever is necessary to protect our brothers—your brothers and our brothers. We will not allow such a massacre to continue.”
Video: In accordance with section 27A
Netanyahu went on to highlight retaliatory military actions carried out by Israel in Damascus to establish deterrence: “We took down the defense ministry in Damascus. Just like that, poof, gone. We took out a wing inside the presidential palace compound.” He stressed that critical work remains ahead, particularly regarding returning displaced Druze to their ancestral villages: “I cannot disclose everything, but this commitment comes from the absolute depths of my soul.”
The 2025 Massacres Against the Druze Community
The massacres perpetrated against the Druze population in Syria throughout 2025 encompassed widespread extrajudicial executions, unlawful killings, and war crimes carried out by forces subordinate to the Syrian transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, alongside allied Sunni Bedouin militias.
Archive | Photo: Shutterstock
The violence erupted in two primary waves: the first across April and May in the suburbs of Damascus, centered primarily in Jaramana and Sahnaya, and a second, far deadlier assault in July throughout the southern governorate of As-Suwayda, historically known as Jabal al-Druze (the Mountain of the Druze). Hundreds of individuals, including numerous civilian families, were killed during the July escalation, amid widespread reports of kidnappings targeting women and children.
The atrocities triggered profound shock throughout the Druze community in Israel, sparking mass protests, attempts by Israeli Druze citizens to breach the border fence to aid their brethren in Syria, and the mobilization of emergency civil command centers to dispatch humanitarian relief. At the same time, public and security pressure mounted on the Israeli government to intervene decisively. Prime Minister Netanyahu engaged Syrian authorities to halt the bloodshed. At the same time, Israeli forces launched targeted strikes against Damascus regime assets, including the defense ministry headquarters, in direct response to the atrocities.
A coordinated diplomatic boycott unfolded at the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) summit in Baku on Thursday when delegates from several regional states walked out of the plenary hall during an address by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Envoys representing Iran, Turkey, Kuwait, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Authority abruptly vacated their seats as the Israeli head of state took the podium. However, in a stark and unexpected contrast, the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, remained in his seat and listened to the address.
Photo: Arab networks
The high-level summit convened as a multinational forum dedicated to regional security, cross-border cooperation, and multilateral dialogue among Asian states. Delegates from global and regional powers sat alongside President Herzog, including Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The presence of Israeli and Iranian delegations in the same forum underscored the extraordinary nature of the event amid persistent regional warfare and heightened diplomatic frictions.
The confrontation inside the hall followed earlier scrutiny regarding the logistics of President Herzog’s arrival in Azerbaijan. According to a report by Middle East Eye, Herzog reached Baku aboard a scheduled commercial flight operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), crossing straight through Turkish airspace unhindered. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the journey was completed on flight J222 from Ben Gurion Airport aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Herzog meeting with Azerbaijan’s president | Photo credit: Maayan Toaf/GPO
Ankara has barred official Israeli government aircraft from using Turkish sovereign airspace since 2024; however, the regulation does not apply to civilian commercial carriers. By choosing a scheduled civilian flight, Herzog’s delegation could follow a direct route rather than take a prolonged detour over Greece, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea. A Turkish official told Middle East Eye that Baku did not notify Ankara of the Israeli president’s presence on the airliner, noting that authorities cannot review passenger manifests for every commercial transit flight over Turkish skies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend the summit in person and instead dispatched Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The coordinated walkout by hostile and non-aligned delegations highlighted deep ideological fractures at the summit, while the Qatari emir’s decision to remain seated drew immediate scrutiny from regional observers, offering a striking counterpoint to the choreographed exit of the Iranian and Turkish representatives.
President Isaac Herzog addressed the plenary session of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, on Thursday, calling for expanded cooperation between Israel and Asian nations and deeper political ties in the region. He made clear that peace cannot advance alongside terror and boycotts—speaking at an international summit attended by representatives from Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Photo: President’s Office Spokesperson
During his speech, Herzog addressed the importance of the conference, which Israel has been a member of since its founding—an initiative of former President Shimon Peres in the 1990s. He said that precisely at a time when gaps between nations are deepening and trust in international forums is eroding, there is special importance to expanding cooperation.
“We come together at a time in which the rifts between the world’s nations are seemingly broadening, only to be further aggravated by eroding faith in multilateral forums. Against this tide of cynicism, CICA stands as an oasis of cooperation and partnership,” the president said.
Photo: President’s Office Spokesperson
Herzog went on to present the Abraham Accords as an example of regional cooperation that succeeded in changing political reality, and expressed hope for expanding the circle of peace to additional Middle Eastern countries. “I hope and pray that we can see a vision of peace in the Middle East—with Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and with our neighbors, and that together we can fight terror in all its forms,” he said.
Herzog addressed the countries participating in the summit and emphasized that Israel is interested in deepening its political and economic ties, but made clear that cooperation cannot be separated from the fight against terror. “Israel aspires to and works toward deepening cooperation and expanding our circle of peace. But it’s important to clarify: peace cannot exist with terror, and cooperation cannot thrive with boycotts,” he declared.
Photo: President’s Office Spokesperson
The president added: “Members in this institution have the right to live freely and peacefully, without their existence being constantly threatened.”
He concluded his remarks with a call for continued dialogue and cooperation between nations: “As we move forward, let us continue building strive for common ground, choosing dialogue over division, and engagement over hostility.”
Photo: President’s Office Spokesperson
The speech took place during Herzog’s visit to Azerbaijan, where he arrived on a commercial flight operated by Azerbaijani airline AZAL. As we reported earlier, the plane carrying the president passed through Turkish airspace, even though Ankara bans Israeli government aircraft from its territory. According to reports, Turkish authorities did not know Herzog was on the plane.
An extraordinary diplomatic configuration unfolded in Baku on Thursday as Israeli President Isaac Herzog took part in the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) summit, seated alongside delegations from states that maintain no formal diplomatic relations with Israel—including Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq. Beyond the remarkable composition of the summit hall, the way the Israeli president traveled to Baku drew widespread attention after he crossed Turkish airspace unhindered, despite Ankara’s sweeping ban on Israeli government flights.
Hall seating arrangement: Herzog alongside representatives of Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq
The summit convened as part of an Asian multinational forum dedicated to regional security, cross-border cooperation, and multilateral confidence-building. Seated alongside Herzog were senior delegates from Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, as well as the Emir of Qatar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The high-profile gathering stood out sharply against ongoing regional geopolitical and military tensions, marked by the presence of an Iranian representative in the same hall as Israel’s head of state.
Yet the operational drama began well before the president touched down in Baku. According to a report by Middle East Eye, Herzog reached Azerbaijan on a scheduled commercial flight operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), crossing straight through Turkish airspace. Aviation tracking data from Flightradar24 identified the journey as flight J222 from Ben Gurion Airport to Baku, serviced by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Herzog meeting with the President of Azerbaijan | Photo: Maayan Toaff / GPO
Since 2024, Ankara has enforced a flight ban prohibiting official Israeli government aircraft from entering Turkish skies; however, this restriction does not apply to civilian commercial airliners. A scheduled commercial flight allowed Herzog to fly a direct route rather than take an arduous, circuitous detour over Greece, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea.
A Turkish official told Middle East Eye that Baku did not alert Ankara that the Israeli head of state was aboard the civilian aircraft. “Naturally, Turkey cannot demand passenger manifests for every commercial airliner that crosses its sovereign airspace,” the official noted. The Israeli President’s Office declined to comment on the flight’s logistics. According to reports, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan skipped the Baku summit entirely and dispatched Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan instead. However, no formal confirmation linked Erdogan’s absence to Herzog’s attendance.
Also attending the summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan | Photo: Shutterstock
Social media observers highlighted an additional layer of symbolism: the AZAL Dreamliner Herzog flew on bears the name “Shusha,” commemorating the strategic city central to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict and the namesake of the 2021 Shusha Declaration allied pact between Baku and Ankara. While online commentators framed this as subtle diplomatic irony directed at Ankara, no official statement said the airframe was chosen for symbolic reasons.
During his visit to Azerbaijan, Herzog met with President Ilham Aliyev and toured the Israeli Embassy in Baku to observe the opening of overseas balloting for the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. “This is an immensely meaningful moment in my state visit here in Azerbaijan,” Herzog remarked at the embassy. “I have the privilege of watching the democratic electoral process begin and observing how polling actually unfolds across Israel’s missions abroad.”
Photo: Maayan Toaff / GPO
Addressing the Israeli public ahead of election day, the president concluded: “These are crucial elections following an extraordinarily difficult period for the State of Israel. My central message to all Israeli citizens is simple: elections are not a civil war.”
Former IDF Chief of Staff and chairman of the “Yashar!” party Gadi Eisenkot delivered a policy address on Thursday along the Gaza Strip border, sharply criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime conduct while unveiling his diplomatic and security platform. Eisenkot opened with an explicit campaign pledge: “I commit: within 18 months of entering the Prime Minister’s Office, Hamas will no longer govern the Gaza Strip. We will bring about the destruction of Hamas’s military wing. This will be achieved either through action based on President Trump’s framework, which was accepted by the Netanyahu government, or through the employment of decisive military and operational capabilities.”
Eisenkot at the Gaza border | Photo: Free use
Eisenkot took direct aim at the current government’s record, claiming that the prime minister’s public slogans mask continuous surrender. “As long as Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power, Hamas will remain in power,” Eisenkot asserted. “The man who hangs banners declaring ‘No Surrender’ is the first to surrender: to draft evaders, to his coalition partners, and to Hamas.” He continued: “Never in Israel’s history has a government received so much maneuvering room and international and public legitimacy, only to suffer such a resounding strategic failure. Three years after the October 7 massacre, Hamas remains sovereign in the Gaza Strip—armed, rearming, and rehabilitating its military capabilities.”
Eisenkot emphasized what he termed an unbridgeable divide between battlefield troops and political decision-makers: “In Iran, in Lebanon, and in Gaza, a deep chasm exists between the achievements of our fighters on the ground and Netanyahu’s failure to meet the very war objectives he defined.” Insisting that structural failures must not be treated as inevitable fate, Eisenkot reiterated the demand for accountability: “We will make bold decisions, formulate a national strategy, investigate October 7 through a State Commission of Inquiry, and implement the operational lessons. This is not a luxury; it is an urgent security imperative. I have the knowledge and experience to professionally lead the IDF, the Mossad, and the Shin Bet.”
Eisenkot at the Gaza border | Photo: Free use
The Likud party issued a terse, pointed response aimed at confronting Eisenkot with his prospective coalition math, asking derisively: “How will you topple Hamas without receiving permission from your partners Mansour [Abbas] and [Ahmad] Tibi?” Through the jab, Likud signaled that Eisenkot’s security pledges lack practical political backing, arguing that the dictates of Arab party partners would paralyze any future government he attempts to form. In response to Likud’s barb, the “Yashar!” party stated: “For 17 years, Netanyahu and the Likud have misled Israeli citizens and strengthened Hamas. If you had focused a little more on your mission and a little less on drafting talking points, perhaps you could have prevented October 7. In 12 days, you are going home.”
Simultaneously, the “Amcha Yisrael” party, led by Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, issued a scathing rebuke of Eisenkot, attacking his military record and General Staff appointments: “Gadi Eisenkot was the Chief of Staff of the ‘Conceptsia’ [flawed security paradigm] who pushed for containment and arrangements, and called to halt the war before we entered Rafah. The General Staff appointed by Eisenkot was composed of Yair Golan, Aharon Haliva, and Herzi Halevi, promoting disastrous doctrines that marched Israel directly into October 7. There will not and cannot be decisive victory under a government run by Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan.”
Photo: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90
Winter’s party framed the central question of the upcoming election: “The question in this election is who will lead Israel’s defense policy in the coming years: Eisenkot-Golan-Abbas, or Ofer Winter as Defense Minister alongside Yoseph Haddad as Public Diplomacy Minister, working together to achieve the voluntary migration of Gazans instead of importing them into Israel for ‘work.’”
Families of American citizens killed, kidnapped, or wounded in Hamas’s October 7 terror attack gathered today (Wednesday) at the State Department in Washington for a special memorial ceremony, attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and other senior officials.
During the event, the memory of American citizens affected by the attack was honored, and family members called for holding accountable all those involved in planning, executing, and aiding the murder of American citizens. According to them, accountability for the crimes committed on October 7 must transcend any political dispute.
Uncredited
“The events of October 7 were not just a tragedy for Israel. Nearly 50 American citizens were murdered and dozens more were wounded,” said Avi On, cousin of the late ,Carmela Dan. “We are here to ensure their stories are heard, their memory is honored, and those responsible for their murder are brought to justice.”
The families thanked the American administration for holding the memorial ceremony and emphasized that they will continue working to memorialize their loved ones and ensure those responsible for the attack are held accountable for their actions.
