News Digest — 7/7/26
Senior US Official: No Gaza Reconstruction Without Hamas Disarmament
A senior US official said Gaza will not be rebuilt unless Hamas is completely dismantled, rejecting proposals that would transfer civilian authority while leaving the terrorist group’s military infrastructure intact.
Speaking to Channel 14 commentator Yakov Bardugo, the official said the US administration views recent proposals concerning Gaza’s future governance as an attempt by Hamas to relinquish governing responsibilities without surrendering its weapons or military capabilities.
According to the official, plans for a technocratic government to assume control of Gaza would be considered only after Hamas has been fully stripped of its military capacity.
The official said reconstruction in areas currently controlled by Hamas would remain off the table until that condition is met.
Addressing the administration’s position, the official said there is no flexibility regarding Hamas’ disarmament.
“We insist on 100% disarmament,” the official said.
He added that proposals calling for the partial reconstruction of Gaza before Hamas’ arsenal is eliminated would not be accepted.
The official said the administration continues to support the complete removal of Hamas’ weapons and the dismantling of the group’s military infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip.
According to the official, attempts to advance alternative proposals through public messaging or media campaigns are intended to create confusion about the administration’s position.
He said the US stance has remained unchanged since the beginning of the war, describing the complete disarmament of Hamas as a prerequisite for any reconstruction effort.
On Monday (6th), Hamas signaled it would give up governing and transfer authority to the National Committee for Gaza Administration.
The move would involve the resignation of the acting head of the Government Follow-Up Committee and the dissolution of the Government Emergency Committee as part of the transition.
Netanyahu Warns US Should Not Sell F-35s To Turkish Regime ‘Infected By Muslim Brotherhood’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if the US gives Turkey F-35 fighter jets, it may upset the balance of power in the Middle East and threaten Israeli air superiority in the region during an interview with Fox and Friends on Monday (6th).
“Turkey is a great country, but it’s governed by a man who calls openly for the annihilation of Israel,” Netanyahu said in reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “He occupies half of Cyprus, a NATO country. He’s threatening Greece, another NATO country, and he talks openly about conquering Jerusalem.”
He drew attention to the presence and influence of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group in Turkey, asserting that Amkara’s leadership is “a regime infected by the Muslim Brotherhood,” that hates America and chants death to America.”
Netanyahu added that giving Ankara F-35s or fighter jet engines would “upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also by, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu also cited Turkish support for Hamas and lack of action against the Islamic regime in Iran as further reasons why US President Donald Trump should not help Amkara acquire F-35s.
Trump is set to meet with Erdogan this week during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
Netanyahu also denied experiencing any substantial strain in his relationship with Trump, telling Fox that they “see eye-to-eye on just about everything” and “are the best of allies.”
When asked about Trump’s comments indicating some tension between the two, Netanyahu dismissed them, saying, “The President has his way of expressing things and so do I.”
Netanyahu also told Fox that he has not yet set a date for his upcoming meeting with Trump, which was announced on Friday (3rd).
He said he hopes to discuss the Israel-Lebanon peace deal during the meeting to advance the implementation of the US-facilitated agreement.
Israel-Greece Air Force Drill Sends Message In Turkey’s Backyard
Greek media reported extensively Monday (6th) on a joint aerial exercise between the Israeli Air Force and the Greek Air Force over the island of Crete in southern Greece. The drill took place near Turkish airspace on the eve of a NATO conference in Ankara.
In recent days, according to information published by the Greek military news website OnAlert, another joint training exercise was held in which an Israeli Air Force tanker aircraft carried out aerial refueling of Greek F-16 fighter jets south of Crete.
According to the Greek media outlet, this specific activity is seen as another clear operational message. The ability of Greek fighter jets to operate over long distances, remain airborne for longer periods and take part in long-range air operation scenarios changes the equation in the eastern Mediterranean. The Greek Air Force does not have its own fleet of refueling aircraft, and the possibility of a partner with this complementary capability is appealing to military planners in Athens.
Aerial refueling is not merely a technical process, but a critical capability for strategic deep-strike missions, operations to defend maritime lines of communication, escorting surface forces, long-range strikes and maintaining an aerial presence in areas of significant interest, from Crete and Cyprus to the broader eastern Mediterranean.
Although Israel generally refrains from publicizing Israeli Air Force activity, it has previously announced that it regularly conducts aerial refueling drills with Greece several times a year. These include long-distance operational flights and the refueling of fighter jets as they can continue their missions for longer hours.
According to the Greek report, cooperation between the two air forces is not a circumstantial choice. On the contrary, it is part of a broader strategic plan taking shape in the eastern Mediterranean at a time when Turkey is trying to strengthen its deterrence, while also contending with serious delays, uncertainties and restrictions in its air force upgrade programs.
West Bank On Edge As IDF Warns Seam Line Gaps Could Enable Oct 7-Style Terrorist Raids
Amid the IDF’s ongoing strain in Gaza and Lebanon, senior General Staff officials say that the most immediate threat may be in the heart of the country, where a breached seam zone and hundreds of drones could turn the area into the next October 7.
“I am not prepared to manage risks here,” Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned, as the IDF intensified a quiet campaign aimed at preventing the next explosion.
The seam line, the area of the West Bank between the Green Line and Israel’s separation barrier, stretches from Gilboa to Arad, shifting between torn fences and completely open terrain.
As the IDF marks 1,000 days since the October 7 massacre, IDF officials say that the most sensitive arena is not Gaza or Lebanon, it is in the heart of the country, and the threat is more tangible than ever.
In recent days, new orders were sent to the field – a special reinforcement of troops along the seam zone and on main routes.
The commanders of the regional brigades in the West Bank Division, under the command of BG. Kobi Keller, are training, both in planning rooms and in the field, for a scenario involving a terrorist raid or a Palestinian mob storming Israeli communities. One officer in the Central Command described it as a “reasonable, possible course of action.”
The security burden on the IDFand its responsibility for defense has grown after a government decision established another 103 new settlements, a number which does not include dozens of individual farms or illegal outposts, which pose significant challenges for IDF forces and could increase further.
Beneath the surface in the West Bank, the quiet is a dangerous illusion. In the Central Command, no one is closing their eyes. For them, the division is sitting on a powder keg waiting for a spark.
To prevent the next explosion, the IDF is conducting a quiet, daily, intensive campaign in the West Bank around the clock, including in the most violent areas.
At times, that requires overt operations. At other times, it requires loud and aggressive action. More than 12,000 offensive raids have been carried out since the beginning of 2026, keeping the area constantly tense.
The numbers tell the story of terrorist organizations’ efforts to extend their reach into the area. Some 1,950 wanted suspects have been transferred to Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) interrogation rooms, from senior planners and operatives to young Palestinians searching for the next firebomb.
But the most troubling figure is found in the weapons caches the IDF has been emptying: hundreds of standard weapons, from M-16 rifles to hunting rifles, as well as more than 400 drones that were seized before they could become deadly tools.
The seizure exposes a well-oiled black market.
As part of the campaign to dry up what commanders describe as a boiling swamp, forces are not only arresting wanted suspects, but dismantling the infrastructure itself. Forty workshops used to manufacture weapons have been destroyed this year, and NIS 4.5 million, money used to fuel terrorist attacks, has been confiscated before reaching the wrong hands.
In the Central Command, the lesson is clear: as long as these machines continue operating, the distance between another thwarted attack and an event that changes the course of the campaign can be measured in minutes.
Israel Launches Initiative To Strengthen Eastern Border Against Emerging Threats
Israel’s Defense Ministry has launched a new government-wide initiative to strengthen the country’s eastern border, warning that the frontier has become one of Israel’s most significant security vulnerabilities and requires a comprehensive civilian and military response.
Speaking at the inaugural forum of government ministry directors-general, Defense Ministry Director General MG. Amir Baram said the eastern border – Israel’s longest land frontier – had not received sufficient national attention for many years.
“The eastern front, as Israel’s longest land border, is a security weak point,” Baram said. “Because this area was not a national priority for many years, addressing it now requires the full mobilization of government ministries and state authorities – not only to build border defenses, but also transportation, communities and industry.”
The newly established Eastern Region Directorate will coordinate Defense Ministry efforts with government agencies and local authorities as part of a long-term strategy to reinforce Israel’s eastern frontier.
Officials outlined plans to establish approximately 40 new security communities stretching from Tzemach Junction in the north to the region near Eilat. The communities will be populated by armed civilian residents and are intended to strengthen Israel’s strategic presence along the border.
Baram said that while Iran and its regional proxies have been significantly weakened during the war, Israel must prepare for future threats from the east.
“Iran and its proxies’ plan to destroy Israel has been weakened throughout the war,” he said. “But looking ahead, an incursion from the east is an emerging threat that we must prepare for.”
The warning comes a day after Israel media reported that captured Hamas documents showed Yahya Sinwar had expected Hezbollah to launch a major offensive from Lebanon during the October 7, 2023, massacre and had spent years discussing broader multifront invasion scenarios with Hezbollah.
According to the documents, Sinwar viewed Jordan as a key future front, envisioning guerrilla forces infiltrating Israel from both Jordan and Syria in an effort to stretch Israeli defenses across multiple borders.
Baram stressed that military preparations alone would not be sufficient, calling for major investments in transportation, energy, communications, industry, agriculture, health care, education, and housing to attract tens of thousands of new residents to the region.
“We are investing substantial resources in building a multilayered defense system along the border,” he said. “But that will not be enough. A complementary civilian effort is required to strengthen the region, and we cannot accomplish it without the full partnership of Israel’s government ministries.”
The forum brought together senior officials from numerous government ministries, the Israel Electric Corp., the Water Authority, the World Zionist Organization, the Defense Ministry, and the IDF division responsible for the eastern sector as Israel advances a long-term strategy to secure what officials increasingly view as one of the country’s most vulnerable frontiers.
