News Digest — 8/18/26
U.S. General To Oversee Transfer Of Hamas Weapons To Gaza Gov’t, ISF Under Israel-US Deal
Israel and the United States have reached an understanding that, during the initial stage of Hamas’ disarmament, weapons hand over by the terrorist organization will be transferred to the proposed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the Palestinian technocratic government, and the International Stabilization Force (ISF), according to a source who spoke to The Jerusalem Post.
US M.G. Jasper Jeffers, who heads the ISF, will oversee the transfer of the weapons, according to the source.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials from the Board of Peace, which was also attended by senior Israeli security officials, the source said,
The meeting included Shin Bet Director David Zini and Military Intelligence chief M.G. Shlomi Binder, along with Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs, Caroline Glick, foreign policy adviser Ofir Falk, and National Security Council Director Shmuel Ben-Ezra.
The Board of Peace delegation included senior Trump advisers Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Board of Peace director-General Nickolay Mladenov, as well as US military officers.
One of the key understandings concerns the mechanism for Hamas’ disarmament.
In the understanding, weapons handed over by Hamas will be transferred to both the NCAG and the International Stabilization Force. Jeffers will oversee the process of transferring the weapons according to the source.
The Israeli side also made clear that reconstruction in Gaza will not begin until Hamas has been fully disarmed throughout the Strip, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Netanyahu also made clear during the meeting that Israel’s targeted operations against Hamas will continue, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
The officials said that Israel had not agreed to halt targeted killings and that no decision had been made to withdraw from the current “Yellow Line.”
They also rejected reports that Israel had agreed to reduce its military presence in Gaza, saying there would be no reduction in Israeli troop levels as part of the current understanding.
The Israeli position was presented despite Hamas’ demands for an end to Israeli military activity and amid comments by US President Donald Trump in an interview with Fox earlier Monday (17th).
Israeli officials stressed that Israel would continue to respond to immediate threats and retain the ability to conduct operations against Hamas targets.
The talks also produced an understanding that Hamas must “immediately” begin demonstrating its commitment to the disarmament process.
The discussions are part of ongoing US-Israeli efforts to translate the Gaza framework into concrete steps, with Hamas’ disarmament remaining the central test of whether the process can move forward.
Israeli officials stressed that while Israel is prepared to advance the process, any significant movement toward reconstruction or changes to its military posture will remain contingent on tangible progress toward the complete disarmament of Hamas’ military capabilities.
Later on Monday (17th), President Isaac Herzog also met with Kushner and Mladenov, along with other senior officials from the BoP, and said that the next step in Gaza must ensure the security of the State of Israel and its citizens, and bring stability and a better future for all the peoples in the region.
Lebanese President Calls For Extending UNIFIL Mandate In Southern Lebanon
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun On Monday (17th) called for the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be extended, as Israeli strikes continue in southern Lebanon.
According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, quoted by the Xinhua news agency , Aoun said maintaining UNIFIL’s presence in southern Lebanon would encourage residents to remain in their villages and towns while contributing to stability through coordination with the Lebanese Army.
In a separate statement, Aoun acknowledged that Lebanon is encountering difficulties in carrying out the framework agreement reached with Israel, but stressed that Beirut would not “retreat.”
“Rather, we want to strengthen this framework and achieve a breakthrough in some files, such as the issue of prisoners, the borders, the pilot area and the ceasefire,” he said.
Unifil has operated in the area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. The force currently consists of nearly 8,200 troops representing 47 countries.
Last August, the UN Security Council approved what was described as a final extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, keeping the force in place through December 31, 2026. The decision followed pressure from Israel and the US to bring the mission to an end, despite Lebanon’s appeal for its continuation.
UNIFIL has also reportedly found itself caught between Israel and Hezbollah during the past several years.
In October 2024, the IDF said that Hezbollah had launched approximately 25 rockets and missiles at Israeli communities and IDF troops from terrorist compounds located near UNIFIL positions in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, Hezbollah exploited the proximity of the UN forces, with one of the attacks killing two IDF soldiers.
Following those attacks, the IDF carried out strikes in the vicinity of UNIFIL positions. The military said it warned peacekeepers in advance and asked them to leave their posts. UNIFIL nevertheless accused Israel of intentionally targeting its peacekeepers.
Syrian Army Soldiers Filmed Chanting Death Threats Against Jews In Damascus
“I am coming for you Jew…I will make your blood flow in rivers,” soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army chanted outside the historic Damascus Citadel on Saturday (15th), according to Arab media reports and footage published on Sunday (16th)
The soldiers stood in formation while chanting “Allahu Akhbar” and “I will sacrifice my body” in protest of the situation in Gaza, according to the Arabic channel Al Araby TV.
The demonstration notably came after Israel rejected the 15-point plan for the Gaza Strip proposed by the Board of Peace, demanding Hamas be disarmed.
Public statements and chants from security officials against Israel have intermittently circulated online since Ahmed al-Sharaa seized control of Syria in 2024. In December, footage showed members of the 60th Division threatening Israel.
Prof. Eyal Zisser, a Middle East expert from Tel Aviv University, told The Jerusalem Post that the frequent threats being voiced by Syrian ministries and military officials were only “natural” given that Syria’s security apparatus integrated active members of radical Islamist groups.
Needing to balance Washington’s support with the Islamists who brought him to power, Zisser suggested that Sharaa was unlikely to confront radical and rogue elements within the security forces, even after major sectarian attacks left thousands dead last year and members of the Alawite, Druze and Christian minorities continue to face attacks.
Sharaa has sought to present a more moderate image to Washington, where he was previously considered a wanted terrorist for his role as leader of Hayat Tehir al-Sham, while media coverage has highlighted efforts to portray a new, reformed Syria.
Damascus announced months ago that it had thwarted a planned attack on a rabbi in the capital, while reports have also emerged of hotels offering kosher menus and efforts to return seized assets to Syrian Jews.
Despite the efforts, Zisser said that Damascus does not have a Jewish community, only a handful of individuals willing to live in a country where incitement is carried out with impunity.
“I’m not surprised by this incident. Some Christians are being attacked, women are being attacked, minorities and other groups are being attacked. This is the new Syria,” Zisser said.
“On the one hand, the regime wants to send a message to the outside world that everything is okay. On the other hand, it needs the support of these people, so it can’t confront them.”
Asked whether this poses a real threat to Israel, Zisser answered that in its current state, Syria is too weak to attack.
The National reported in June that Damascus was still investing heavily in expanding its military, with plans to double its forces to 200,000 personnel. The force would include foreign fighters and members of Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) and other radical groups, some of whom would reportedly be offered citizenship in exchange for their service.
Notably, on October 7, 2023, around 6,000 Palestinians were able to enter Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting approximately 250 others in what became the largest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust.
“Hamas succeeded because we were stupid. I hope we will not be stupid this time,” he said when asked whether a strengthened Syria could inflict the same level of damage, or greater in a few years, given the size of the Syrian Arab Army.
Dr. Zoe Levornik, a security researcher at the Alma Research and Education Center, described the video as “concerning,” likening it to other videos where chants of “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews,” alongside Salafi-jihadist messages were documented.
“The concern is not only about statements made by individual soldiers, but about the people now receiving senior positions in the military and security services,” she said, noting that the Alma Center has previously reported that much of the new Syrian Arab Army (SAA) came from HTS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and other jihadist organizations.
“All five commanders designated to lead the new regional corps have backgrounds in such organizations, including the commander responsible for southern Syria and the border with Israel,” she warned.
Levornik said that the footage also raised questions as to the future of the SAA. “If figures from HTS’ old guard fill the positions being vacated, we may not be witnessing the transformation of militias into a state army, but rather HTS’ gradual takeover of the military,” she continued.
From Israel’s perspective, Levornik said there was concern that actors with jihadist and antisemitic views will gain a state framework, weapons, resources, and command over forces deployed near the border with Israel.
“The al-Sharaa government should therefore be judged not only by its moderate public statements, but also by the identities of its commanders, the ideology taking root within its forces, and their conduct on the ground,” she concluded.
Israel Strengthens Coastal Defenses – Amir Bohbot
Following the October 7 massacre, Israel’s Navy has been rebuilding its coastal defense system into a multi-layered “Iron Wall” against divers, underwater craft, fast boats, drones, and seemingly innocent fishing vessels. To prevent future amphibious, sub nautical, or drone-based infiltrations into Israeli territory, the Navy has deployed upgraded fast patrol boats, integrated drone surveillance and joint intelligence and mandated a strict zero-tolerance engagement policy.
The threat of a sea-based raid – alongside the use of drones, motorized paragliders, and submersibles – remains a constant danger. On Oct. 7, Hamas’ Nukhba naval forces launched seven boats toward Israel. Navy sailors managed to strike five boats and eliminate 20 terrorists, but two boats reached the shore carrying 18 heavily armed Nukhba fighters.
In cooperation with ground forces, the Navy established multi-layered defense rings across sea, air, and land to back each other up and ensure continuous surveillance and interception capabilities. As part of the upgraded defenses, forces are positioned to act as a clear, aggressive buffer against sudden threats.
Two Israeli Universities Listed Among Top 100 Worldwide In Shanghai Ranking
Two of Israel’s research universities—the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science—are among the top 100 universities in the world, according to the 2026 Shanghai Ranking released on Saturday (15th).
The latest ranking saw the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology fall out of the top 100.
The Hebrew University was ranked 89th in the world, a slight fall from 88th place last year, and Weizmann came in at 71st – the same position it held last year.
Three Israeli universities – the Technion, ranked 97th last year, fell into the 101-150 range (no exact number given); Tel Aviv University was at 151-200; and Ben Gurion University of the Negev was at 401-500.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities, compiled annually by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy in Shanghai China, is considered an accurate ranking of academic excellence.
Some 2,500 universities worldwide are considered, and they are ranked based on several indicators, especially the number of faculty and alumni who have received international prizes and the volume and quality of their publications in peer-reviewed journals.
The top 10 spots were held by universities from the United States and the UK: Harvard University was number one, followed by Stanford, MIT, University of Cambridge, UC Berkeley, Princeton, University of Oxford, Columbia, University of Chicago and Caltech.
