News Digest — 7/28/25
Ministers To Gather At UN For Meeting On Two-State Solution – U.S., Israel Will Boycott
Dozens of Ministers will gather at the United Nations on Monday (28th) for a delayed conference to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, but the U.S. and Israel are boycotting the event.
The 193-member UN General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025. Hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran.
The conference aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told newspaper La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday (27th) that he will also use the conference this week to push other countries to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state.
“France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly,” President Emmanuel Macron said last week.
“We will launch an appeal in New York so that other countries join us to initiate an even more ambitious and demanding dynamic that will culminate on September 21,” Barrot said, adding that he expected Arab countries by then to condemn Palestinian terrorists Hamas, and call for their disarmament.
The U.S. will not attend the conference at the United Nations, said a State Department Spokesperson, describing it as “a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel that would lead to the release of hostages and bring calm in Gaza.”
The State Department spokesperson added that Washington voted against the General Assembly last year, calling for the conference, and would “not support actions that jeopardize the prospect for a long-term, peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
Israel is also not taking part in the conference, “which doesn’t address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages,” said Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesperson at Israel’s UN mission.
The UN has long endorsed two states living side by side within recognized borders. The West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, territories gained by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states, are envisioned in a future Palestinian state.
The UN General Assembly in May last year overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.” The solution garnered 143 votes in favor and nine against.
The General Assembly vote was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member– a move that could recognize a Palestinian state – after the US vetoed it in the UN Security Council several weeks before.
IDF Spokesman: We Care More About Gaza Civilians Than Hamas Does
IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin on Sunday (27th) visited the Kerem Shalom Crossing, revealing Israel’s extensive operations to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians.
“Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for Civilians, not for Hamas,” Defrin said. “The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
“I’m here at the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Behind me are boxes filled with aid – food, goods, and medical humanitarian aid. We are facilitating its entry every single day.”
He added: “Over 250 trucks were transferred this week alone, coordinated and approved by Israel. Nearly 600 more were collected by international organizations inside Gaza. Yet, as you can see behind me, there are boxes filled with supplies – still waiting to be collected and distributed. If someone is hungry, it’s the fault of Hamas and the UN.”
“In order to reach even more civilians, the IDF has conducted an airdrop operation of humanitarian supplies, led by COGAT, with international aid organizations. In addition, we are now implementing daily humanitarian pauses and designated corridors to allow safe movement for aid distribution”
“This war is complex. Its cost is painful on both sides. Let us not forget the tragedy that Hamas inflicted on both the people of Israel and the people of Gaza, by launching a war and embedding itself within civilian areas; this must not be ignored. In this war, Hamas has exploited its own population – seizing humanitarian aid to continue its operations, and weaponizing their suffering to serve its own agenda.”
“Let me be clear, Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. We will bring our hostages home, and we will defeat Hamas. We will achieve our mission while maintaining the values that define the IDF, even under fire.”
IDF Declares Daily Humanitarian Pause As Aid Airdrops Into Gaza
Footage from the Gaza Strip shows dozens of humanitarian aid packages being airdropped with thousands of civilians rushing to retrieve the supplies.
At the same time, the Jordanian army announced it had carried out three humanitarian aid airdrops over Gaza, one in coordination with the United Arab Emirates Air Force.
According to the statement, Jordanian and Enirati C-130 Hercules aircraft delivered 25 tons of food and supplies, dropping them to designated distribution points throughout Gaza,
Beginning Sunday (27th) , the IDF implemented a daily humanitarian pause from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in several populated areas across Gaza, including in the north, to facilitate the entry of aid. The pause will also take effect in areas where the IDF is currently operating, including in Gaza City, where fighting will be temporarily halted to allow the entry of aid.
Additionally, humanitarian assistance will be delivered to regions where the IDF is not active, such as Al-Mawasi and Deir al-Balah. The decision was coordinated with the UN and international organizations.
In parallel, secured routes have been designated daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to ensure safe passage for UN and aid organization convoys transporting food and medicine to people across Gaza.
The IDF emphasized that the pause is “in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and part of the ongoing effort led by the IDF via COGAT to expand the volume of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip.”
‘We’ll Reach You Personally,’ Katz Warns Khamenei From Air Base
Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a pointed threat to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday (27th), warning that Israel would not hesitate to strike directly at the head of the regime, reported The Jerusalem Post.
Speaking from Ramon Air Base in southern Israel alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IAF Commander MG Tomer Bar, Katz praised Israeli fighter pilots for their recent mission, “Operation Rising Lion,” which targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure.
“I want to send a clear message to the dictator Khamenei: if you continue to threaten Israel, our long arm will once again reach Tehran – and this time, it will reach you personally,” Katz said.
“Don’t threaten us, or you will be harmed,” he added.
The remarks came during a ceremony honoring the air crews involved in the 12-day operation, which Israeli officials say dismantled key parts of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. “You opened the skies to Tehran, struck repeatedly at the head of the Iranian octopus, and removed threats of annihilation,” Katz told the pilots.
The term “Iranian octopus” refers to a strategic doctrine promoted by former Israeli Prime MInister Natali Bennett.
It describes Iran’s influence as a central body with militant tentacles extending across the Middle East, Including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and militias in Iraq and Syria.
This is not the first time that Katz has publicly threatened Khamenei.
On June 17, he compared the Iranian leader to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, warning he could meet a similar fate.
Saddam was captured by U.S. forces and later executed by Iraqis after being overthrown.
At a pilot’s graduation ceremony earlier this month, Katz emphasized that Israel’s air force could strike anywhere in Iran – “from Tehran to Isfahan to Tabriz” – and warned that no one responsible for harming Israel would be safe..
“There is no place where Iranian officials who endanger the Jewish state can hide,” he said.
Katz’s Sunday (27th) visit also included a high-level military briefing attended by Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai, intelligence chiefs, and representatives from Mossad and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
The meeting signaled that Israel might be preparing for renewed operations against Iran and its regional proxies.
On July 16, Khamenei accused the US and Israel of aggression, but claimed Tehran had “brought Israel to its knees” and scared Washington.
He also addressed the US-led “Operation Midnight Hammer.” which struck key Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 22.
In retaliation, Iran fired 14 missiles at America’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar the next day, according to US President DonalD Trump.
Thirteen were intercepted. One crashed harmlessly. There were no casualties.
Despite the failed retaliation, Khamenei hailed the missile strike as a “significant” response and promised “bigger blows” could come if provoked again.
The 86-year-old Iranian leader went into hiding during Israel’s air campaign and did not appear in public until July 5th.
Even then, his first appearance was a pre-recorded video declaring victory over both Israel and the U.S. vowing Iran would never back down.
Israel Wants The Same Rights As Every Other Nation – Leslie Roberts
Every time Israel defends itself, people are quick to condemn. Every time it fights to exist, critics demand it explain itself. But what would you do if your neighbors wanted to burn your house down? The day Israel declared independence, five Arab armies attacked because they couldn’t accept a Jewish state.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas crossed into Israel and carried out one of the worst massacres of Jews since the Holocaust. They murdered babies, burned families alive, and took hostages. It wasn’t resistance. It was hatred, deliberate and unrelenting. And still, when Israel fights back, the world tells it to be measured, to show restraint. Try diplomacy, they say, with people who want to kill them.
UN panels, human rights groups. Politicians and celebrities line up to judge Israel by a different standard. They just expect Israel to take the punches and apologize for surviving. Why are the rules different? Israel is doing what any nation would do under attack. The double standard is dangerous. It tells a global audience that Jewish suffering is negotiable, and that Jewish self-defense is somehow unacceptable.
The Jewish people have had to learn to survive in every kind of darkness, to rebuild in the ashes, and to grow stronger than those who tried to destroy them. That strength isn’t aggression. It is resilience – it is experience. And it’s what keeps Israel alive today. Israel isn’t asking for sympathy. It’s asking for the same right every nation demands, the right to defend itself, and the right to live. (National Post-Canada)
Finishing The Job In Gaza: What It Means and What It Takes – Maj. (ret.) John Spencer
Hamas has refused to negotiate the return of hostages or discuss disarmament. President Trump recently said, “It got to a point where you’re gonna have to finish the job.” But what does “finishing the job” in Gaza actually mean?
Global recognition of Israel’s legitimate and just war objectives must be the starting point. Many voices calling for an immediate ceasefire argue that the war can end without removing Hamas’ military capabilities or political power. That position is fundamentally flawed. Any resolution that allows Hamas to retain power, even partially, ensures that the group will rebuild and repeat this cycle of violence in the future. Only the full military and political removal of Hamas from Gaza will work to create the conditions necessary for peace.
Humanitarian assistance must be delivered through mechanisms that do not rely on or empower Hamas. By restoring food access outside of Hamas control, Israel helps shift civilian reliance away from Hamas’ shadow governance.
While headlines often focus on warnings of famine, more food is now flowing into Gaza. Hundreds of UN aid trucks are being distributed daily. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) continues to deliver up to two million meals a day across four sites. It has also established a system that allows approved groups to pick up aid and deliver it to the most vulnerable areas.
The Israel Defense Forces will continue to enter contested areas to systematically target Hamas fighters, dismantle Hamas infrastructure, and clear Gaza of their military presence. This is a slow, deliberate, and dangerous process involving close-quarters combat and tunnel detection and destruction. This cannot and should not be rushed.
This is not a call for a forever war in Gaza. This is a clear-eyed statement of what it will take to take the guns from Hamas. This is the essential first step. Before anything meaningful can be built, the threat must be removed. Once areas are clear of Hamas, Israel can begin to explore what force will supply security, and which Palestinian actors can help stabilize areas. But none of that is possible if Hamas remains intact.
The writer is chair of urban warfare studies at the Moder War Institute at West Point. (X)
(x.com)
