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Here’s What Happening in Gaza and the West Bank Right Now
Israeli security and emergency responders work at the site of a bomb blast in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Moti Milrod
The Gaza Strip
The fighting in Gaza continues at the same reduced pace and with the same methods on both sides. The IDF is deliberately setting the pace, slowly combing through the Rafah area against small pinprick ambushes and raids by Hamas and other groups. IDF units operate both above and below ground.
Since my last report, the IDF also conducted a number of raids into northern Gaza in the Nusayrat and Burayj areas as well as the Khan Yunis area.
In the Rafah area, one hostage (an Israeli Bedouin) was rescued, but his rescue apparently prompted the guards imprisoning six other Israeli hostages at a different site to execute them. A Hamas spokesperson said that following the earlier rescue of four hostages in early June, “new instructions” had been given for “action” when Israeli troops approach a location containing hostages. This was essentially a threat that Hamas will kill hostages if IDF units are detected in their vicinity.
Hamas and other groups are still managing to fire a few rockets per week into Israel, though no Israeli casualties have been reported. One rocket landed in the sea just south of Tel Aviv, most were intercepted or landed on open ground in the areas around Gaza, and some failed to cross the border and landed inside Gaza.
To protect themselves, the terrorist launching teams operate from within the safe haven declared by Israel, near the road on which the humanitarian supply convoys travel, or inside schools, mosques, and UNRWA facilities.
A typical example of a rocket launch site adjacent to the Humanitarian Supply Convoy Route. This was the launch site of the rocket fired at Tel Aviv
In another case, a convoy of the humanitarian NGO ANERA was halted by Hamas personnel who commandeered one of the vehicles to travel to an undisclosed location “protected” by the convoy. This was observed by the IDF via a drone monitoring the convoy’s movement, and the specific vehicle was destroyed. No ANERA personnel were hurt.
To operate against the launch teams, the IDF periodically changes the instructions to the Gaza population about areas where they can be and areas to which they must evacuate. It also conducts precision strikes on specific targets. Hamas responds by invariably claiming large numbers of civilian casualties in these strikes.
In one example, on August 10, the IDF attacked a Hamas command post during a meeting there and killed 31 Hamas commanders and other personnel, all of whom were verified by name. Hamas claimed that none of its personnel were there and that the IDF had massacred about 100 civilians.
On local social media in Gaza, obituaries naming only 33 people were published, of which 31 corresponded to the IDF’s list. Furthermore, Hamas claimed that the IDF had used a one-ton bomb (the type President Biden refuses to provide Israel), but photographs of the damage published by Hamas and Gazan individuals do not show the level of damage such a large bomb would have caused. The IDF stated that three small precision munitions had been used, and a nearby school and mosque were not damaged.
As usual, a flood of condemnations of Israel in Western media and by Western politicians was quickly issued, all accepting Hamas’s version and dismissing Israel’s and without bothering to check the facts.
The IDF found several dozen smuggling tunnels between the Rafah area in Gaza and Egypt. These are the tunnels through which Hamas and the other groups imported their heavy weapons. These discoveries are increasing tensions between Egypt and Israel, as it is Egypt’s responsibility to prevent the existence of the tunnels. There have been reports that not only did it stop doing so, but high-ranking members of the Egyptian regime receive commissions on the operation of these tunnels.
Below is a smuggling tunnel crossing the border into Egypt. The vehicle parked inside it is Israeli to show its dimensions
This is not the original entrance to the tunnel. To bypass explosive booby-traps, the IDF digs into located tunnels through the roof.
Inside Gaza, in addition to fighting Israel, Hamas is busy asserting its threatened dominance over other Palestinian factions. There are reports by Gazans of executions, abductions, and beatings of critics or members of other factions that have taken too independent a stance. Hamas of course reports all these cases as dealing with “collaborators with the Zionists.”
For all the talk of “the day after,” there can be no day after so long as Hamas remains the most powerful force in Gaza.
The IDF published numbers for the supplies being provided to the population of Gaza:
First, on the issue of preventing casualties by warning the population of impending operations: the IDF has dropped 9.3 million leaflets with instructions, conducted 100,000 telephone conversations with locals, and sent 15.5 million text messages and 17 million recorded messages.
As to supplies being sent into Gaza: up to the beginning of September 2024, more than 49,100 trucks carrying supplies and 9,930 air-dropped packages entered the Strip. These included food, medical supplies, some 25 million liters of gasoline, and 20,000 tons of cooking gas.
Electricity: Before the war, Israel provided electricity to Gaza on 10 lines. Hamas cut nine of them, and now complains that there is a drastic reduction in electric power available for civilian use.
Water: Before the war, Israel provided Gaza with drinking water through pipes. It has built another pipe and Egypt has built two more. Among the trucks sent into Gaza, almost 2,500 carried water.
Health: Gazan civilians in need of medical care have been evacuated through Israel. Also, in addition sending copious amounts of medical equipment and medicines into Gaza, Israel sent 1.26 million polio vaccines into Gaza via its own territory last week. Within three days of their arrival, already approximately 200,000 Gazans were vaccinated.
Judea and Samaria:
Throughout August, there has been an escalation in Palestinian attacks in Judea and Samaria or emanating from that area into Israel. The difference is not in the total number of attacks but in the methods.
There have been more attempts to conduct suicide bombings, with individuals carrying bombs on their bodies and cars loaded with explosives.
Below is the Israel Security Agency’s Monthly Summary for August, and the number of attacks on Israelis in or from Judea and Samaria:
In July, there were 500 attacks, but 343 were stone-throwing, whereas in August, there were more attacks involving firearms, explosives, and fire bombs. Also, there were three failed attempts to drive cars filled with explosives into Israeli villages. One was a failed attempt to explode a bomb next to a passing civilian bus. The bus was damaged but no one was hurt.
These attacks killed four Israeli civilians and wounded 12. Also killed were four Israeli soldiers and policemen. Seventeen more were wounded.
In response to this escalation, the IDF escalated its offensive counter-terrorist operations and on August 29 began its biggest offensive operation since 2002. While the operation was conducted in a number of Palestinian towns and villages, in other areas, Palestinian terrorists continued to attack passing cars or roadblocks and to infiltrate into Israeli villages.
Each IDF entry into Palestinian towns faces varying intensities of resistance, including bombs dug under roads (which are cleared by bulldozers that tear up the asphalt), rifles, machine guns, grenades, and improvised hand-thrown bombs as well as petrol bombs. During the operation a number of Israeli soldiers and policemen were wounded.
The Palestinian Authority stated that 39 Palestinians had been killed and 145 wounded all together. From the obituaries published, almost all were members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Fatah militia, and a few Palestinian Authority personnel who, contrary to orders, joined the fight against the IDF. Hundreds of members of the various groups were captured and a large quantity of weapons stores were taken and cleared or destroyed in situ.
Apart from the official response, there was also an escalation of violence by Israeli civilians who conducted revenge raids on Palestinian villages from which they were attacked. The IDF and Israeli police had to send troops to these villages to force these Israelis away, and they arrested a number of them.
Throughout the month, there have been gunfights between the official Palestinian Authority security forces, controlled by the Fatah, and the militias of other Palestinian factions. The Palestinian Authority security forces cleared bombs placed by Hamas, arguing that they threatened the lives of Palestinian civilians living near or driving on the roads beside which they had been placed.
The Palestinians claim that more than 10,200 people have been arrested since October 7, 2023, but the official Israeli number is approximately 4,950 (about 700 more since my last report), of whom approximately 2,000 belong to Hamas and the others to other groups.
The discrepancy is apparently because the Palestinians count anyone who was detained as “arrested” even if they were released after questioning. They also claim that more than 690 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, but do not provide a breakdown between armed personnel of the various factions and civilians. This figure is 170 more than in my previous report, but not that many Palestinians have been reported killed in this period. The reason for this discrepancy is not clear.
Dr. Eado Hecht, a senior research fellow at the BESA Center, is a military analyst focusing mainly on the relationship between military theory, military doctrine, and military practice. He teaches courses on military theory and military history at Bar-Ilan University, Haifa University, and Reichman University and in a variety of courses in the Israel Defense Forces. A version of this article was originally published by The BESA Center.
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Harvard Faculty Oppose Deal With Trump, Distancing From Hamas Apologists: Crimson Poll
Harvard University president Alan Garber attending the 373rd Commencement Exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, May 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A recently published Harvard Crimson poll of over 1,400 Harvard faculty revealed sweeping opposition to interim university President Alan Garber’s efforts to strike a deal with the federal government to restore $3 billion in research grants and contracts it froze during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration.
In the survey, conducted from April 23 to May 12, 71 percent of arts and sciences faculty oppose negotiating a settlement with the administration, which may include concessions conservatives have long sought from elite higher education, such as meritocratic admissions, viewpoint diversity, and severe disciplinary sanctions imposed on students who stage unauthorized protests that disrupt academic life.
Additionally, 64 percent “strongly disagree” with shuttering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, 73 percent oppose rejecting foreign applicants who hold anti-American beliefs which are “hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence,” and 70 percent strongly disagree with revoking school recognition from pro-Hamas groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC).
“More than 98 percent of faculty who responded to the survey supported the university’s decision to sue the White House,” The Crimson reported. “The same percentage backed Harvard’s public rejection of the sweeping conditions that the administration set for maintaining the funds — terms that included external audits of Harvard’s hiring practices and the disciplining of student protesters.”
Alyza Lewin of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law told The Algemeiner that the poll results indicate that Harvard University will continue to struggle to address campus antisemitism on campus, as there is now data showing that its faculty reject the notion of excising intellectualized antisemitism from the university.
“If you, for example, have faculty teaching courses that are regularly denying that the Jews are a people and erasing the Jewish people’s history in the land of Israel, that’s going to undermine your efforts to address the antisemitism on your campus,” Lewin explained. “When Israel is being treated as the ‘collective Jew,’ when the conversation is not about Israel’s policies, when the criticism is not what the [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism] would call criticism of Israel similar to that against any other country, they have to understand that it is the demonization, delegitimization, and applying a double standard to Jews as individuals or to Israel.”
She added, “Faculty must recognize … the demonization, vilification, the shunning, and the marginalizing of Israelis, Jews, and Zionists, when it happens, as violations of the anti-discrimination policies they are legally and contractually obligated to observe.”
The Crimson survey results were published amid reports that Garber was working to reach a deal with the Trump administration that is palatable to all interested parties, including the university’s left-wing social milieu.
According to a June 26 report published by The Crimson, Garber held a phone call with major donors in which he “confirmed in response to a question from [Harvard Corporation Fellow David M. Rubenstein] that talks had resumed” but “declined to share specifics of how Harvard expected to settle with the White House.”
On June 30, the Trump administration issued Harvard a “notice of violation” of civil rights law following an investigation which examined how it responded to dozens of antisemitic incidents reported by Jewish students since the 2023-2024 academic year.
The correspondence, sent by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, charged that Harvard willfully exposed Jewish students to a torrent of racist and antisemitic abuse following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, which precipitated a surge in anti-Zionist activity on the campus, both in the classroom and out of it.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” wrote the four federal officials comprising the multiagency Task Force. “Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.”
The Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Harvard again on Wednesday, reporting the institution to its accreditor for alleged civil rights violations resulting from its weak response to reports of antisemitic bullying, discrimination, and harassment following the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.
Citing Harvard’s failure to treat antisemitism as seriously as it treated other forms of hatred in the past, The US Department of Educationthe called on the New England Commission of Higher Education to review and, potentially, revoke its accreditation — a designation which qualifies Harvard for federal funding and attests to the quality of the educational services its provides.
“Accrediting bodies play a significant role in preserving academic integrity and a campus culture conducive to truth seeking and learning,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Part of that is ensuring students are safe on campus and abiding by federal laws that guarantee educational opportunities to all students. By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Balancing Act: Lebanese President Aoun Affirms Hope for Peace with Israel, Balks At Normalization
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday carefully affirmed his country’s desire for peace with Israel while cautioning that Beirut is not ready to normalize relations with its southern neighbor.
Aoun called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, according to a statement from his office, while reaffirming his government’s efforts to uphold a state monopoly on arms amid mounting international pressure on the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah to disarm.
“The decision to restrict arms is final and there is no turning back on it,” Aoun said.
The Lebanese leader drew a clear distinction between pursuing peace and establishing formal normalization in his country’s relationship with the Jewish state.
“Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment,” Aoun said in a statement. “As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy.”
Aoun’s latest comments come after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed interest last month in normalizing ties with Lebanon and Syria — an effort Jerusalem says cannot proceed until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
Earlier this week, Aoun sent his government’s response to a US-backed disarmament proposal as Washington and Jerusalem increased pressure on Lebanon to neutralize the terror group.
While the details remain confidential, US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” with their response.
This latest proposal, presented to Lebanese officials during Barrack’s visit on June 19, calls for Hezbollah to be fully disarmed within four months in exchange for Israel halting airstrikes and withdrawing troops from its five occupied posts in southern Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem vowed in a televised speech to keep the group’s weapons, rejecting Washington’s disarmament proposal.
“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?” said Qassem, who succeeded longtime terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him last year.
“We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon and the region,” the terrorist leader continued. “We will not accept normalization [with Israel].”
Last fall, Israel decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, following the group’s attacks on Jerusalem — which they claimed were a show of solidarity with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas amid the war in Gaza.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah.
Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
However, Israel maintained troops at several posts in southern Lebanon beyond the ceasefire deadline, as its leaders aimed to reassure northern residents that it was safe to return home.
Jerusalem has continued carrying out strikes targeting remaining Hezbollah activity, with Israeli leaders accusing the group of maintaining combat infrastructure, including rocket launchers — calling this “blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
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Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide
Chef and head of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres attends the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, California, US, May 5, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake.
Renowned Spanish chef and World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder José Andrés called the Oct. 7 attack “horrendous” in an interview Wednesday and shared his hopes for reconciliation between the “vast majority” on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide who are “good people that very often are not served well by their leaders”
WCK is a US-based, nonprofit organization that provides fresh meals to people in conflict zones around the world. The charity has been actively serving Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel. Since the Hamas attack, WCK has served more than 133 million meals across Gaza, according to its website.
The restaurateur and humanitarian has been quoted saying in past interviews that “sometimes very big problems have very simple solutions.” On Wednesday’s episode of the Wall Street Journal podcast “Bold Names,” he was asked to elaborate on that thought. He responded by saying he believes good meals and good leaders can help resolve issues between Israelis and Palestinians, who, he believes, genuinely want to live harmoniously with each other.
“I had people in Gaza, mothers, women making bread,” he said. “Moments that you had of closeness they were telling you: ‘What Hamas did was wrong. I wouldn’t [want] anybody to do this to my children.’ And I had Israelis that even lost family members. They say, ‘I would love to go to Gaza to be next to the people to show them that we respect them …’ And this to me is very fascinating because it’s the reality.
“Maybe some people call me naive. [But] the vast majority of the people are good people that very often are not served well by their leaders. And the simple reality of recognizing that many truths can be true at the same time in the same phrase that what happened on October 7th was horrendous and was never supposed to happen. And that’s why World Central Kitchen was there next to the people in Israel feeding in the kibbutz from day one, and at the same time that I defended obviously the right of Israel to defend itself and to try to bring back the hostages. Equally, what is happening in Gaza is not supposed to be happening either.”
Andres noted that he supports Israel’s efforts to target Hamas terrorists but then seemingly accused Israel of “continuously” targeting children and civilians during its military operations against the terror group.
“We need leaders that believe in that, that believe in longer tables,” he concluded. “It’s so simple to invest in peace … It’s so simple to do good. It’s so simple to invest in a better tomorrow. Food is a solution to many of the issues we’re facing. Let’s hope that … one day in the Middle East it’ll be people just celebrating the cultures that sometimes if you look at what they eat, they seem all to eat exactly the same.”
In 2024, WCK fired at least 62 of its staff members in Gaza after Israel said they had ties to terrorist groups. In one case, Israel discovered that a WCK employee named Ahed Azmi Qdeih took part in the deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Qdeih was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in November 2024.
In April 2024, the Israel Defense Forces received backlash for carrying out airstrikes on a WCK vehicle convoy which killed seven of the charity’s employees. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the airstrikes were “a mistake that followed a misidentification,” and Israel dismissed two senior officers as a result of the mishandled military operation.
The strikes “were not just some unfortunate mistake in the fog of war,” Andrés alleged.
“It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by” the Israeli military, he claimed in an op-ed published by Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “It was also the direct result of [the Israeli] government’s policy to squeeze humanitarian aid to desperate levels.”
In a statement on X, Andres accused Israel of “indiscriminate killing,” saying the Jewish state “needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
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