Ahead of the UN Security Council discussion on extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) taking place later this month, Israel and the United States have informed Council members that they oppose an automatic renewal of the mandate and are demanding a reassessment of the force’s necessity.

A diplomat familiar with the talks told The Jerusalem Post that this comes “in light of its prolonged failure to prevent Hezbollah’s infiltration into southern Lebanon, and to enforce the Lebanese government’s sovereignty in the area.”

Since being tasked with preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, UNIFIL has done nothing to confront the organization over its weapons.

Israel believes that at this stage there is no longer a need for an international intermediary force on the ground, and that UN resources would be better invested in supporting the LAF.

We couldn’t agree more.

Source:
Israel, US oppose automatic UNIFIL renewal, citing failure to prevent Hezbollah infiltration, by Amichai Stein/Jerusalem Post, August 11, 2025

After an all-night discussion last Thursday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a proposal to expand the war on Hamas including reoccupying the Gaza Strip, and adopting five principles for ending the war, the Prime Minister’s Office announced early Friday morning.

“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” Netanyahu’s office said.

Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu told a delegation of Indian journalists, “Israel does not want to annex Gaza, but to transfer control of the Strip to an international governing body that is disconnected from Hamas.”

An “international governing body” disconnected from Hamas aligns with Netanyahu’s broader stated goal of removing Hamas from power while avoiding direct Israeli administrative control of Gaza. We don’t know if we can count on an “international governing body” made of pro-Israel nations. Many countries have already declared their support for a Palestinian state and others are starting to let the world know they intend to follow suit thinking they will save Gaza with the delirious two-state solution. With that said, Netanyahu’s decision is a very troubling one and most certainly not the resolution we anticipated we’d hear.

Source:
Israel Sets Conditions for Ending Gaza War, Plans for Civilian Governance, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL, August 8, 2025

The IDF has been carrying out “unprecedented operations” in major Palestinian terror hotbeds in Samaria over the last eight months that have borne excellent fruit, the colonel in charge of Central Command’s engineering division said.

Referring specifically to the most dangerous neighborhoods of Tulkarem, Jenin and Nur a-Shams, which are misleadingly called “refugee camps,” Col. A. said, “You have to understand that the bold win, and when you freeze in place and fear your own shadow, bad things happen. Today we are carrying out unprecedented operations here, things that have never been done here before.”

The army’s forays into terror strongholds in Judea and Samaria have not ceased since its inception in 2022 with operation “Breaking the Waves,” even with the ongoing war in Gaza, with various operations steadily increasing the pressure on the terrorists.

The results have been forthcoming, the security establishment said in May.

While there were an average of 214 terrorist attacks a month in 2023, the numbers dropped to 115 in 2024 and further declined to just 57 in the first five months of this year.

The Israel Defense Forces continues to find terrorists every which way they turn in every operation they undertake and it should be daily headline news. If only Israel had a publicc relations arm that was every bit as powerful, if not more, than Arab propaganda, what a difference we might see.

Source:
IDF: ‘Unprecedented operations’ clear terror hotbeds in Samaria, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, August 10, 2025

Two years after the repeal of the Disengagement Law, MK Bezalel Smotrich announced that he is advancing the return of communities evacuated from northern Samaria, including Ganim and Kadim. These communities will soon join the already-approved Homesh and Sa-Nur, he said.

“We are working on this now. We are deciding to bring Ganim and Kadim as well, and I hope this will happen in the coming weeks and help correct the sin of the expulsion. The people of Israel are correcting the sin in Gaza, and I hope we will succeed there too, completing the correction of the sin in northern Samaria.”

“What we are achieving in this term is simply erasing the idea of a Palestinian state, Smotrich concluded.

Returning and rebuilding the communities to their rightful place along with applying sovereignty across Judea and Samaria will certainly erase the idea of the two-state delusion.

Source:
Smotrich announces: We will soon return to settlements in northern Samaria, by Israel National News, August 8, 2025

The Israeli Security Cabinet convened on Thursday night for an especially tense meeting during which it is expected they will decide on the occupation of the entire Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at the start of the meeting: “I don’t want to perpetuate Hamas; I want to defeat it.”

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir claimed that “the hostages’ lives will be in danger if we proceed with the plan to conquer Gaza — there’s no way to guarantee they won’t be harmed.”

He described the price as one that would harm soldiers’ lives, cause extreme burnout among the forces, wear out the military vehicles, and be plagued by humanitarian and sanitation issues.

The ministers disputed his position and stated that Operation Gideon’s Chariots did not achieve its objectives. The Chief of Staff replied: “We created the conditions for the hostages to be returned.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified that “the operation is not irreversible. We are ready to consider stopping if Hamas agrees to Israel’s conditions.”

To this, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded: “We need to go to the end.”

We can do no more than eagerly wait for this much anticipated announcement by Israel’s cabinet. We pray it’s the right decision.

Source:
Heated cabinet meeting | Netanyahu: Goal is to defeat Hamas, not perpetuate it, by Nitsan Keidar/Israel National News, August 6, 2025

Leaders of the Binyamin Regional Council highlighted the significance of a recent visit by Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, who led a distinguished delegation to Ancient Shiloh. This marks the visit of the highest-ranking US federal official to the first capital of Israel in history.

The visit to Ancient Shiloh, the spiritual and national capital of Israel for 369 years during the time of Joshua and the Judges was a boost of support to the region. Governor Ganz said, “These shards of pottery beneath our feet were left by our forefathers who brought offerings to G-d on this very ground. Our mission is to gather the broken pieces of our past and build a stronger future. You found the time to come here, and that gives us strength. When we are united, no evil in the world can defeat us.”

This historic visit was a powerful reminder of the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel, rooted not only in shared democratic values, but in a common spiritual heritage and destiny. Thank you, Speaker Johnson and all those who joined you.

Source:
Binyamin Region leader: ‘We’re facing challenges, but we’re strong because of you’, by Israel National News, August 6, 2025

Twenty years after Homesh was evacuated under Israel’s disengagement plan, it is now thriving again. The return has been seamless. While the access road remains unstable, the transformation on the ground is unmistakable.

AFSI Chizuk missions have visited over time and we marvel at the progress the determined residents have made.

The yeshiva, established a few years ago, is growing; families with children stroll along trails, and there’s even a playground. Residents already anticipate sovereignty being declared.

“Just months after the expulsion, people were already trying to come back inside,” recalls Rabbi Menachem Ben Shachar of the Homesh Yeshiva. For him, today’s Homesh is nothing short of a miracle. “It’s astonishing. I always believed we’d return, but not this fast,” the rabbi said.

The current political earthquake in Israel—among the most significant national crises ever—has accelerated broader messaging from Western nations regarding sovereignty over the Judea and Samaria and the potential annexation of Gaza. Many residents believe Israel is very close to applying sovereignty to those areas. “It’s one Netanyahu decision away,” says Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

Source:
‘I thought, “To hell with it, why abandon this?”‘: Eyeing rebuilding Homesh, 20 years after disengagement, by Elisha Ben Kimon/Ynetnews, August 4, 2025

Twenty years after they were forcibly evacuated, families from the expelled residents of Sa-Nur and young couples have coalesced as a nucleus preparing for return and rebuilding the community. The founding meeting took place in the office of Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, himself a former Sa-Nur resident and member of the nucleus.

Dagan said at the meeting, “We are beginning a historic step today, the first session of the founding nucleus of the renewed Sa-Nur settlement. The Government of Israel made a strategic and historic decision to return Jewish settlement to Sa-Nur in an official, state-sponsored, and complete manner. This step is not only a correction for the expelled families or for this nucleus of families, it is a national correction,” Dagan added.

MK Bezalel Smotrich, who led the government decision, blessed the move and said, “Historic correction, the return to Sa-Nur – Zionism at its best.”

What was wrongfully ripped away from Sar-Nur residents can never be returned in its original form. However, the fact that this historic decision has been made is a testament to the determination and guiding principles of Zionism. While this is a major step forward, the challenge of applying full sovereignty in Judea and Samaria remains on the “to do” list.

Source:
‘Historic correction’: 20 years after evacuation, Sa-Nur settlement to return, by Hanan Greenwood/Israel Hayom, August 4, 2025

Twenty years after being evicted from her home in Netzer Hazani, one of the Jewish communities of Gush Katif, Anita Tucker tells Arutz Sheva-Israel National News that the pain has never left—and neither has the dream of returning to rebuild Jewish life in Gaza.

Tucker rejects the claim that Gush Katif residents would have suffered the brunt of the October 7th massacre had they still lived in Gaza. “That’s simply not true. We were the ones protecting the country. We were strong, we had serious-minded emergency response teams, and the Arabs respected us. Once they sensed weakness, they trampled over us.”

As far as Tucker’s concerned, she’s ready to return to Gush Katif tomorrow. She says, the residents are ready “not only to rebuild Gush Katif, but the entire Gaza Strip—with many Jews living there. We’re going back because that’s the only way to be strong.”

WATCH: She Was Kicked Out Of Gaza For Being Jewish, Now She’s Planning Something HUGE! An interview with Josh Hasten and Anita Tucker on JNS TV

Source:
‘We’re going back’: Gush Katif evictee dreams of Jewish return to Gaza, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, August 3, 2025

An IDF combat soldier serving in one of the fighting companies in the Gaza Strip sent a message this week to his battalion commander, presenting a concerning picture from the field and harshly criticizing the current security policy in the sector.

“In the past week, events in our sector have been escalating daily,” the soldier wrote on the platoon’s group chat, “A line — which served as the close security perimeter and a clear principle set by the brigade commander — was breached. Every day this past week, hundreds of terrorists — or more — crossed it.”

He also pointed to potential intelligence failures: “How is it that there’s no concrete warning leading to decisive action? We’re working non-stop with observation posts and drones — and they’re doing a good job. But everyone knows it’s not airtight. It’s a well-known rule — the defensive line will always be breached.”

Time and again we hear about the defensive line or a border security fence being breached. In the aftermath of October 7 – now approaching the 2-year mark this October 2025 – why is this still not being addressed? Israel cannot afford one crack in its security arsenal and must do everything in its power now to address and fully secure all security loopholes.

Source:
Soldier’s warning: ‘Security perimeter breached — hundreds of terrorists crossed it’, by Israel National News, August 1, 2025