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Israel restores water to southern Gaza, US evacuating citizens from Israel by boat as ground war looms
(JTA) — Israel says it has restored water to southern Gaza, five days after shutting off the flow of water to the whole territory in an effort to pressure Hamas to relinquish the hostages it took when it attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, the United States has informed U.S. citizens who wish to leave Israel that they should prepare to depart by ship early Monday morning from Haifa.
And U.S. senators who are in Israel as part of a show of support had to take cover in a bomb shelter as rocket sirens sounded during their visit to Tel Aviv.
The developments come as Israeli forces continue to prepare for a major military operation in Gaza in response to last week’s Hamas attack that left thousands of Israelis dead, wounded or captive. Israel said on Sunday that it has been in touch with relatives of 155 people who are being held hostage in Gaza, dozens more than it had previously said.
Early Friday, Israel urged more than a million Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza City and move south to avoid military activity in the northern end of the 141-square-mile Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls and where about 2 million people live. Concern is widespread that a humanitarian disaster could unfold there as Israel follows what it called “a complete siege” with a major ground invasion. The Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Sunday that 2,670 people had been killed in Israeli strikes.
People carry children as they flee following an Israeli strike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 15, 2023. (Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)
The water restoration in southern Gaza followed intense advocacy by U.S. officials, Israeli officials told Axios. While Israel said it had restored water at “a specific point” within Gaza, people on the ground said they did not quickly regain access, according to local news reports.
In a signal of how seriously the Biden administration is taking the plight of Gaza Palestinians displaced by the fighting, President Joe Biden on Sunday named a special envoy for humanitarian issues in the Middle East, David Satterfield, who is a veteran diplomat with decades of experience in the region.
Satterfield “will lead U.S. diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including work to facilitate the provision of life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people and promote the safety of civilians,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement welcoming the appointment.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to safeguard Israeli civilians and citizens of other countries in advance of a possible invasion of Gaza. The Israeli government was working to evacuate the 30,000 residents of Sderot, a city on the border of Gaza that has come under heavy rocket fire over the last week. Israel has 60,000 internal refugees in total.
And the United States was working to evacuate citizens who were traveling in Israel when the attack took place or otherwise wish to leave. Charter flights began departing on Friday. Now, Americans in Israel have been told that they can travel to the northern city of Haifa for passage to Cyprus on Monday morning.
Citizens and their family members who have valid travel documents must arrive at the port by 9 a.m. Sunday and can bring only one bag each for the roughly 12-hour journey, according to an alert distributed by the U.S. Embassy late Saturday. Pets will not be allowed on board, and travelers will need to promise to repay the cost of the trip. They will also need to figure out their next steps once in Cyprus, although there is a chance that the State Department could charter further flights.
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators has traveled to Israel to show what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Jewish Democrat from New York, said was “unwavering support” for the country as it battles Hamas. While the group was in Tel Aviv, rocket alarms sounded and the group, which also included Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican, ran to a bomb shelter.
“It shows you what Israelis have to go through,” Schumer tweeted. “We must provide Israel with the support required to defend itself.”
While in Tel Aviv today, our delegation was rushed to a shelter to wait out rockets sent by Hamas. It shows you what Israelis have to go through. We must provide Israel with the support required to defend itself. pic.twitter.com/wS3kq6xFVJ
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 15, 2023
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The post Israel restores water to southern Gaza, US evacuating citizens from Israel by boat as ground war looms appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages
Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron
i24 News – As Israeli leaders weigh the contours of a possible partial ceasefire deal with Hamas, the families of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza issued an impassioned public statement this weekend, condemning any agreement that would return only some of the abductees.
In a powerful message released Saturday, the Families Forum for the Return of Hostages denounced what they call the “beating system” and “cruel selection process,” which, they say, has left families trapped in unbearable uncertainty for 638 days—not knowing whether to hope for reunion or prepare for mourning.
The group warned that a phased or selective deal—rumored to be under discussion—would deepen their suffering and perpetuate injustice. Among the 50 hostages, 22 are believed to be alive, and 28 are presumed dead.
“Every family deserves answers and closure,” the Forum said. “Whether it is a return to embrace or a grave to mourn over—each is sacred.”
They accused the Israeli government of allowing political considerations to prevent a full agreement that could have brought all hostages—living and fallen—home long ago. “It is forbidden to conform to the dictates of Schindler-style lists,” the statement read, invoking a painful historical parallel.
“All of the abductees could have returned for rehabilitation or burial months ago, had the government chosen to act with courage.”
The call for a comprehensive deal comes just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for high-stakes talks in Washington and as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume in Doha within the next 24 hours, according to regional media reports.
Hamas, for its part, issued a statement Friday confirming its readiness to begin immediate negotiations on the implementation of a ceasefire and hostage release framework.
The Forum emphasized that every day in captivity poses a mortal risk to the living hostages, and for the deceased, a danger of being lost forever. “The horror of selection does not spare any of us,” the statement said. “Enough with the separation and categories that deepen the pain of the families.”
In a planned public address near Begin Gate in Tel Aviv, families are gathering Saturday evening to demand that the Israeli government accept a full-release deal—what they describe as the only “moral and Zionist” path forward.
“We will return. We will avenge,” the Forum concluded. “This is the time to complete the mission.”
As of now, the Israeli government has not formally responded to Hamas’s latest statement.
The post Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Melbourne Police Investigate Wave of Antisemitic Attacks, Including Synagogue Arson
Illustrative. Vandals defaced the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in Australia on June 22, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
i24 News – A wave of antisemitic incidents across Melbourne is under urgent investigation by Victoria Police, after a synagogue was set alight, a Jewish-owned restaurant targeted by protesters, and a third attack saw multiple cars torched at a business in the city’s northeast.
The third incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. Saturday at a business on Para Road in Greensborough. Offenders set fire to three vehicles and sprayed graffiti on both the cars and a nearby building wall. One car was destroyed, and two others sustained moderate damage.
“There were references of antisemitism in the graffiti,” Dunstan confirmed, adding that the business had previously been linked to pro-Palestinian activism.
While police say no direct link between the three incidents has been established yet, they are not ruling out the possibility of coordination.
The attacks began Friday night, when a man was seen pouring a flammable liquid on the entrance of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and setting it alight around 8 p.m., while around 20 people were inside for Shabbat services. Worshipers quickly evacuated through the back, and the fire was contained to the front of the building. No injuries were reported.
Police have released an image of a suspect believed to be in his 30s, of Caucasian appearance, with a beard and long hair.
Just hours after the synagogue arson, a protest of around 70 people moved through Swanston Street before a smaller group gathered outside Miznon, a popular Jewish-owned restaurant in the CBD, chanting offensive slogans. One man was arrested and later released on summons for hindering police.
In response to the series of attacks, federal agencies including the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) have joined the investigation.
“This is disgraceful behavior by a pack of cowards,” said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. “Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate. Any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism. There should be no hesitation in calling this what it is.”
The post Melbourne Police Investigate Wave of Antisemitic Attacks, Including Synagogue Arson first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Says Iran Has Not Agreed to Inspections, Give Up Enrichment
US President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured), at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran had not agreed to inspections of its nuclear program or to give up enriching uranium.
He told reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently although Iran could restart it at a different location.
Trump said he would discuss Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the White House on Monday.
“I would say it’s set back permanently,” Trump said as he traveled to New Jersey after an Independence Day celebration at the White House. “I would think they’d have to start at a different location. And if they did start, it would be a problem.”
Trump said he would not allow Tehran to resume its nuclear program, adding that Iran did want to meet with him.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had pulled its last remaining inspectors from Iran as a standoff deepens over their return to the country’s nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel.
The U.S. and Israel say Iran was enriching uranium to build nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war with the Islamic Republic three weeks ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran’s facilities since then, even though IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said that is his top priority.
Iran’s parliament has passed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA until the safety of its nuclear facilities can be guaranteed. While the IAEA says Iran has not yet formally informed it of any suspension, it is unclear when the agency’s inspectors will be able to return to Iran.
Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31 that led to a resolution by the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
The US and Israeli military strikes either destroyed or badly damaged Iran’s three uranium enrichment sites. But it was less clear what has happened to much of Iran’s nine tons of enriched uranium, especially the more than 400 kg (880 pounds) enriched to up to 60% purity, a short step from weapons grade.
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