Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

i24 News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Ramon Air Force Base on Sunday alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz and Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar, as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues.

During the visit, Netanyahu praised the Israeli Air Force for its performance in the operation, presenting a certificate of appreciation to the Air Force Commander.

He held a closed discussion with ground and air crews, where operational insights and future directions were reviewed.

Addressing the media after the visit, Netanyahu said Israel is “making progress in the fighting and in the negotiations for the release of our hostages,” and reaffirmed that Israel’s war objective remains the complete dismantling of Hamas.

In a pointed criticism of the United Nations, Netanyahu accused the body of spreading misinformation about Israel’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid. “The UN is creating an excuse and a lie about the State of Israel,” he said. “They claim we’re blocking humanitarian supplies. That’s false. There are secured convoys—there always have been. Now it’s official. No more excuses.”

Netanyahu added that humanitarian aid routes remain operational, but emphasized that “minimal humanitarian supplies” would continue only as necessary, and not at the expense of military objectives.

The Prime Minister ended his statement by reinforcing Israel’s determination: “We will continue to fight, continue to act, until we achieve all of our war goals—until complete victory.”

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Illustrative. Palestinians gather next to donkey-drawn carts loaded with water tanks for sale, as drinking water and fuel become increasingly scarce, in Nuseirat in Gaza Strip, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. Photo by Naaman Omar apaimages Nuseirat Gaza Strip Palestinian Territory

i24 News – The United Arab Emirates has initiated the construction of a critical water pipeline linking an Egyptian desalination plant to the coastal area of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.

The project, approved by Israel’s defense establishment and carried out with logistical coordination across borders, marks a significant humanitarian effort to alleviate the water crisis affecting nearly 600,000 Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.

The pipeline, which will operate independently of existing Israeli water infrastructure, is designed to deliver potable water directly from Egypt into Gaza.

It is being developed under the supervision of the Israeli military’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and was greenlit by the Israeli political echelon as a non-political, humanitarian measure.

On Sunday, the first batch of construction materials, delivered by Emirati representatives, crossed the Kerem Shalom border crossing following stringent security inspections by Israel’s Border Authority and Ministry of Defense.

Construction is expected to begin in the coming days and will span several weeks.

“This is a purely humanitarian measure, taken within the framework of cabinet decisions,” said Israeli officials, emphasizing that the project does not signal a move toward rebuilding Gaza or any shift in political posture. “The connection of the pipeline does not constitute a step towards the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” they added, aiming to quash speculation of normalization or broader reconciliation.

The move comes amid a temporary humanitarian truce announced by Israel over the weekend. In parallel, Israeli authorities authorized workers from the Israel Electric Corporation to reconnect a key power line from the Ashkelon power station to Deir al-Balah. This line supports the Egyptian desalination plant already contributing to Gaza’s water supply.

The UAE, intensifying its humanitarian engagement in Gaza, has also begun airdropping aid parcels into the territory.

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US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and President Donald Trump, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

President Donald Trump’s administration will release more than $5 billion in previously approved funding for K-12 school programs that it froze over three weeks ago under a review, which had led to bipartisan condemnation.

“(The White House Office of Management and Budget) has completed its review … and has directed the Department to release all formula funds,” Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the U.S. Education Department, said in a statement, adding funds will be dispersed to states next week.

Further details on the review and what it found were not shared.

A senior administration official said “guardrails” would be in place for the amount being released, without giving details.

Early in July, the Trump administration said it would not release funding previously appropriated by Congress for schools and that an initial review found signs the money was misused to subsidize what it alleged was “a radical leftwing agenda.”

States say $6.8 billion in total was affected by the freeze. Last week, $1.3 billion was released.

After the freeze, a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states sued to challenge the move, and 10 Republican US senators wrote to the Republican Trump administration to reverse its decision.

The frozen money covered funding for education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment and after-school and summer programs.

The Trump administration has threatened schools and colleges with withholding federal funds over issues like climate initiatives, transgender policies, pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s war in Gaza and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Republican US lawmakers welcomed the move on Friday, while Democratic lawmakers said there was no need to disrupt funding in the first place.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon separately said she was satisfied with what was found in the review and released the money, adding she did not think there would be future freezes.

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