News Digest — 7/27/26
Just Before Washington Trip: PM Reveals Concern Over Possible US Pressure
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to depart Monday (27th) for a brief visit to the United States following an invitation from President Donald Trump.
During his stay in Washington, Netanyahu is expected to hold working meetings with Trump and other senior US administration officials.
In addition to the diplomatic meetings, the Prime Minister will attend the memorial service for Repunlican Senator Lindsey Graham.
According to officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and in Jerusalem, the visit will focus primarily on developments concerning Iran, as well as the various fronts across the Middle East.
Netanyahu reportedly told members of the Security Cabinet that he is concerned the US administration may increase pressure on Israel to withdraw from areas in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. He made clear to the ministers that he intends to stand firm against such demands and reject them outright.
Referring to the visit yesterday, Netanyahu said: “I will fly to Washington to meet, at his invitation, with President Trump, and afterward attend the memorial service for a great friend of Israel, Senator Lindsey Graham. I must say that he was one of Israel’s greatest friends since the state’s establishment, and it is only fitting that we pay him this tribute. I will also speak with President Trump about all issues on the agenda, including the situation in Iran.”
The emphasis on Netanyahu’s planned meetings with senior administration officials comes amid differing views regarding the future of Israel’s military operations in the region. As part of the preparations for the visit, Netanyahu also spoke yesterday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is regarded within Israel’s diplomatic establishment as holding positions closely aligned with Israel’s.
Iran War Will End When Regime ‘Falls’ Or ‘Ends Its Nuclear Program,’ Netanyahu Says
The Iran war will end “when the Iranian regime falls, or weakens to such an extent that it understands that it must end its nuclear program,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a Sunday (26th) interview with Fox News.
Netanyahu insisted that Iran end its nuclear program”with or without a deal,” noting that US-Israeli attacks against the Islamic regime had set the program back by “a good few years.”
He added that an Iranian nuclear weapon would be a “mortal peril to every citizen in the United States,” saying that Israel would “pursue all the means to prevent that from happening.”
He noted that the decision whether or not to renew major strikes on Iran was, “in many ways” the decision of US President Donald Trump, warning that Tehran had the potential to rebuild sites and capabilities damaged or destroyed in the US-Israeli strikes.
“If Iran attacks Israel, either directly or through proxies, either with ballistic missiles, UAVs or killer drones, it will make a terrible mistake,” Netanyahu added, “Israel’s response will be very, very forceful.
Netanyahu said he fully supports Trump’s efforts against Iran, including if the US doesn’t renew major strikes, further noting that Israel and the US “constantly share intelligence on the Islamic Republic.”
The prime minister added that he does “intend to come to New York” despite comments by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying he would not be welcome in the city. “I’ve appeared at the United Nations almost every year in my prime ministership,” said Netanyahu.
He also addressed the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him and other Israeli officials, noting that ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan,”the one who promoted the warrant, has since been completely exposed as a criminal,” referring to Khan’s recent dismissal from the ICC over sexual harassment allegations against him,
Netanyahu argued that Khan used Israeli war crime accusations as a method to divert attention away from his own criminal activities.
Netanyahu spoke about the developments in Lebanon, as positive.
Regarding the recent visit of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington, Netanyahu described developments with Lebanon as “positive,” saying Israelis and Lebanese are speaking to each other “directly,” resulting in the deal recently signed between the two countries.”
“The fact that the deal was put forward is a great advance,” he stressed. “It shows that Hezbollah’s ability to intimidate Lebanon’s government and its president has been sharply reduced.”
He noted that the Lebanese military’s ability to clear certain areas of Hezbollah terrorists”remains to be seen,” but Israel is willing to “give it [the agreement ] a try.”
Netanyahu also addressed the US-Saudi nuclear deal, saying that Trump was “absolutely right” in conditioning the deal on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.
Israel Fears Outbreak Of New Intifada In Judea And Samaria
Israeli security officials are warning that a series of deadly attacks and free-scale confrontations in Judea and Samaria could develop into a broader Palestinian uprising resembling the First Intifada, according to a report published Sunday (26th) by Galei Tzahal, the IDF’s official radio station.
The assessment follows several days of Palestinian terror attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.
Security officials told the radio station’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh that the “fear barrier has broken” among Palestinians in the area.
The officials said they were seeing a growing willingness among Palestinian villagers to gather in large numbers and attack Jews passing by their communities.
The concern is not primarily centered on organized terror cells carrying out bombings of the kind associated with the Second Intifada. Instead, officials are examining the possibility of a widespread popular revolt resembling the First Intifada with confrontations spreading from village to village.
Such a scenario could include mass violence, attempts to seize firearms from Israelis and attacks on nearby Jewish communities and agricultural farms, according to the report.
The warning remains a security assessment rather than a determination that a new intifada has already begun. Officials nevertheless reportedly believe the pattern seen during the past week has the potential to produce much broader escalation.
The intermediate backdrop to the warning was Friday’s (24th) deadly confrontation in the Palestinian village of Tel, southwest of Nablus, also known as Shechem.
Palestinian terrorists attacked a group of hikers, seized a rifle belonging to Benjamin Mellet, a member of the Havat Gilad civil security guard, and opened fire.
Mellet, 32, and Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, an IDF officer who responded to the scene was killed. Four Palestinian terrorists were also killed during the exchange of fire. Following the incident, the IDF sent five additional companies into Judea and Samaria, imposed restrictions around Tel and Nablus and canceled weekend leave for troops serving in the area.
Israeli forces questioned approximately 80 people in Tel and arrested 11 of them according to the military. Dozens of additional Palestinians were detained in operations elsewhere in Judea and Samaria.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the operation was intended “to thwart terrorism, ensure the security of Israeli civilians and prevent further escalation.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “powerful action” following the killings.
After consulting with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Zamir and Shin Bet chief David Zini, Netanyahu announced plans to demolish the home of the Palestinian accused of carrying out the shooting and expand operations to confiscate illegal weapons in Palestinian villages.
The government also said it would revoke remaining Israeli work permits held by residents of villages considered centers of terrorist activity, accelerate the authorization of Jewish outposts and advance the establishment of additional communities.
The recent escalation began before Friday’s (24th) confrontation.
On Thursday (23rd). Two palestinian terrorists from Beit Furik stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli man near an agricultural outpost close to Elon Moreh . The two suspected attackers were shot and killed by an armed Israeli civilian.
Later that day, a Palestinian from Tubas stabbed and lightly wounded an IDF paratrooper in northern Samaria before being shot dead.
The PA could launch a more severe attack than Hamas did on Oct. 7, a report warned. The IDF subsequently began operations in Beit Furik and Tubas.
Israel Sees Opportunity For Egyptian Partnership As Turkey Expands Naval Reach
Israel’s navy sees a potential opening to deeper maritime cooperation with Egypt despite improving ties between Cairo and Ankara, as Israeli defense officials assess that the two countries share concerns over Turkey’s growing ambitions in the Mediterranean, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Senior defense sources believe Egypt’s strategic interests could ultimately align with Israel’s in limiting Turkish influence at sea, even as Ankara and Cairo expand military coordination.
While Israeli and Egyptian naval forces have participated together in international exercises for years, neither has previously faced a significant challenge in the Mediterranean, the report said.
The assessment comes as analysts debate the significance of the warning relationship between Egypt and Turkey.
Some view the rapprochement as a shift that could strengthen Amkara’s regional position, pointing to recent visits and joint military exercises as evidence of growing defense cooperation.
Others argue Egypt remains wary of Turkish interests in areas such as Libya and could instead find common ground with Israel, Greece and Cyprus in preserving the regional balance.
Turkey’s grand plan is to rebuild the Ottoman Empire, including Jerusalem.
The changing strategic environment is also driving changes within Israel’s navy.
According to the report, naval planners are preparing for emerging threats, including drone swarms at sea, while expanding operational cooperation with the Mossad and Shin Bet.
The coordination , once centered primarily on the Israeli Air Force, now increasingly includes the Navy’s Operations Directorate.
The report said the shift reflects a broader IDF doctrine adopted after Oct. 7 that emphasizes taking the fight beyond Israel’s borders.
As part of that approach, Shayetet 13 Commandos have carried out increasingly complex missions, including an amphibious raid in Naqoura, Lebanon, the first such operation there since 2000, as well as undisclosed deployments thousands of kilometers from Israel and to regions where the unit had not previously operated.
The navy also continues to play a central role in operations against Hamas’ remaining naval capabilities.
Despite assessing that the group has lost much of its maritime infrastructure, Israeli defense officials believe even a small number of operatives equipped to infiltrate Israel by sea remains a threat, promoting continued intelligence gathering and targeting operations, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Bedouin IDF Trackers Hunt Hezbollah – Yoav Keren
Lt. Col. H., the tracker officer of the 810th Mountains Brigade, is a Bedouin who was seriously wounded on Oct. 7 in the battle for Kibbutz Holit. “I was hit by four bullets that shattered both my legs…I have metal plates in my legs. I could have stayed home, but it was obvious to me that I would return to service,” he said.
“I love this country. I am part of the people of Israel. That is how I was educated and how I grew up.” His grandfather served in the Palmach Bedouin unit and took part in defending northern communities during the War of Independence. All of H.’s brothers serve in the security establishment. “So how could I stay home?”
The trackers under his command are all Bedouin. “It was important to me to bring trackers who fought on Oct. 7, who had been in Gaza, who had been wounded and had people killed beside them, and who had operated alongside commanders on the front line. Not just trackers, but combat soldiers in every sense. You see the trackers here first thing in the morning, opening the routes before everyone else to make sure there are no explosive devices.”
Sgt.-Maj. (res.) S., 40, a member of the tracker team, described how, a year and a half ago, three suspicious figures were spotted approaching the Israeli border. “It was 4 a.m., under extremely heavy fog. A Zik drone that was in the air took out all three of them.” They “went to recover the bodies. When we examined them,it turned out they were Iranians who had been working with Hezbollah. They had Iranian passports, with entry stamps for Lebanon.” The trackers’ testimony marks the first disclosure that Iranian personnel had reached the immediate vicinity of the Israeli border and that some were killed in Israeli strikes. H. says, “There is no replacement for the tracker walking in front. Not high-tech, not AI, nothing,” he added. “Since Oct. 7, the members of Kibbutz Holit invite me every year to light a Hanukkah candle with them, “And they enlist – they send me photographs from the army.”
