News Digest — 7/8/25
Netanyahu Tells Trump He Has Nominated Him For Nobel Peace Prize
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US President Donald Trump on Monday evening (7th) that he has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I wanted to express deep appreciation and admiration, not only from all Israelis, but from the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said.
“The president has already realized great opportunities. He forged the Abraham Accords, he’s forging peace as we speak with one country and one region after the other. I want to present to you, Mr. President, a letter that I sent to the Nobel prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize.”
Netanyahu met with Trump at the White House while on a diplomatic visit to the US.
Earlier Monday (7th), Netanyahu met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Blair House in Washington. The two first held a meeting with their teams, followed by a private meeting.
The prime minister also met with the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
“This evening, I met at Blair House in Washington with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio,” Netanyahu said in a post on X. “We held a substantive and important conversation about strengthening the alliance between Israel and the US, and about the shared challenges we face in the regional and international arena.”
For Second Time In Days, IDF Says Troops Arrested Terror Cell In Syria Working For Iran
For the second time in days, the IDF said Monday morning (7th) that it carried out an overnight raid in southern Syria, where forces captured a cell of operatives operating on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Reservists of the Alexandroni Brigade and field interrogators of the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 operated overnight in the Kwadana area – close to the border and near an IDF post in southern Syria – to detain the cell, the military said.
Several members of the cell who the IDF said were operating on behalf of the IRGC were nabbed.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Israeli forces raided a village in the Quneitra countryside of southern Syria early Monday (7th) and “carried out searches targeting several homes, which ended with the arrest of two brothers.”
On Wednesday, (3rd), Israel’s military said its forces had apprehended members of an Iranian-backed terrorist cell in southern Syria and seized weapons.
Since Assad’s fall, Israel has carried out strikes and raids in Syria aimed at denying military assets to the Islamist-led interim administration.
It has also deployed troops across the demilitarized zone on the Syrian side of the 1974 armistice line that used to separate the opposing forces on the Golan, with Israeli troops regularly carrying out raids in southern Syria.
On June 12, Syria said the Israeli military killed one civilian and detained seven people during an overnight incursion, with the Israeli army saying it seized members of Palestinian terror group Hamas.
Israel has said it is interested in striking normalization agreements with Syria and neighboring Lebanon, but insisted the strategic Golan Heights – which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed – would remain part of Israel under any peace accord.
The neighboring states have been in conflict for decades, including direct and often bitter combat from the 1948 War of Independence through the 1982 First Lebanon War.
Chief Of Staff In Khan Yunis: ‘Gideon’s Chariots Has Brought The Greatest Success In Gaza
Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir conducted a field visit and operational assessment on Monday (7th) in central Khan Yunis, at the heart of the ongoing Operation Gideon’s Chariots.
Accompanied by senior military leadership, and other field officers – Chief Zamir reviewed the status of the operation and met with troops on the ground.
During the visit, the Chief of Staff praised the troops for their achievements and emphasized the IDF’s ongoing commitment across all operational theaters.
“We are active on every front,” Zamir stated. “While operations continue here in Gaza, we’re also taking action in Lebanon and Yemen. We are monitoring developments in Iran as well. Our operational effectiveness remains high.”
Zamir reaffirmed that Gaza remains the military’s primary focus at this stage of the conflict. “This is our main arena right now,” he said. “We are fully committed to achieving our strategic objectives: the return of hostages, the dismantling of Hamas, and the restoration of security for Israeli communities. We will not compromise on these goals.”
He noted that five IDF divisions are currently engaged in the Gaza campaign, which is progressing according to plan. “We are operating with strength, determination, and clarity of purpose,: he said.
Highlighting recent operational success, Zamir said, “You have achieved the most significant results in Gaza since the launch of Operation Swords of Iron. We are approaching a critical turning point.”
He reported that more than 1,300 Hamas terrorists have been killed, and several high-ranking leaders—including Yahya Sinwar and Marwan Shabana–have been eliminated. Extensive damage has also been inflicted on Hamas’ underground infrastructure.
“These gains are opening up new possibilities,” he added. “We are presenting strategic options to the political leadership, all aimed at one objective: the safe return of hostages and a decisive resolution. Your efforts are bringing us closer to that goal.”
Concluding his remarks, the Chief of Staff commended the soldiers: “Every achievement here is thanks to you. You are the reason we are moving toward victory.”
Defense Minister Katz Describes Postwar Gaza Without Hamas
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke hopefully on Monday (7th) about the 60-day truce and hostage release proposal and described his vision of postwar Gaza in more detail than previously.
Katz confirmed the deal currently being negotiated by Israel and Hamas in Doha calls for a 60-day truce, the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages.
It is believed that of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 are still alive, with many of them in severe condition.
Katz added that during the ceasefire, the IDF will retreat from 75% of Gaza they seized and will remain in a security perimeter larger than the space they maintained during the previous ceasefire in January.
The Defense Minister acknowledged that the main disagreements with Hamas relate to ending the war, how humanitarian aid will be distributed, and the security perimeter the IDF will hold after the war.
Katz is confident that Israel will remain in the Philadelphi Corridor on the border of Egypt, but is less certain that the IDF will be able to hold on to the Morag corridor it constructed to separate Khan Yunis from Rafah.
Katz said Israel is pushing for the right to expel Hamas leaders, although given that most have been assassinated, it isn’t clear who they will be.
He said that he supports the efforts of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and wants them to continue to distribute aid after the war.
The Israel Defense Minister discussed transforming Rafah into a humanitarian zone, which will shelter 600,000 Gazans and ensure they are no longer under the influence of Hamas or other terror groups.
Katz envisions Gaza being governed by Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, the Saudis, the US, and maybe others.
Although there is still 25% of Gaza that the IDF has not taken control of, Katz maintained that having conquered 75% of the Strip was sufficient and attempting to take 100% might endanger the hostages.
European Muslim Leaders Laud Israel, Slam Hezbollah As The ‘Party Of Satan’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with a delegation of imams and Muslim community leaders from across Europe Monday morning (7th).
The meeting was held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, and included Muslim leaders from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
The delegation was organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET), a pro-Israel European lobby organization.
Against the backdrop of rising anti-Semitism across the West, including in Muslim communities across Europe, Herzog stressed the importance of the delegation, and Israel’s efforts to secure peace agreements with additional Arab and Muslim states.
The president stressed the vital role of the Muslim population in Israel, which he noted was an integral part of Israeli society.
Members of the delegation opined about their love and friendship for Israel and the Jewish people, and of the need to show an alternative to extremism.
The visit ended with an emotional prayer for peace and singing of the lyrics of Israel’s national anthem “Hatikvah.”
“We are all children of Abraham, and I believe the historic progress in our region is a progress of dialogue – between Muslims and Jews, and Jews and Muslims,”
“In the face of radical forces that try to block this progress and the true desire of Isaac and Ishmael to live together, there are other forces–growing stronger every day along the arc of history–that are advancing this vision. And what you’re doing on this visit, and in your courageous work, reflects the silent majority in the Middle East and around the world who yearn for this kind of shared life.”
Take back to your communities a message of peace. I hope that peace will come with Syria, with Lebanon, even with Saudi Arabia, and that we will continue moving forward, ”Herzog concluded.
The head of the delegation, Chairman of the Conference of Imams of France and Imam of Drancy, Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, said Israel represents “the world of brotherhood, of humanity, of compassion. You stand for the values of democracy and liberty.”
“My message to you is one of deep affection – for you and your remarkable people. It is a message of brotherhood and solidarity, and a heartfelt prayer that the hostages will return home in peace, and that the pain and suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza will come to an end.”
Chalghoumi denounced the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group, calling it the “Party of Satan,” a play on its Arabic name, meaning “Party of Allah.”
“What we have witnessed since October 7th is not merely a conflict between Israel and Hamas, nor between Israel and Hezbollah–the so-called ‘Party of Satan;’ rather, it is a confrontation between two fundamentally different worlds. You represent the world of brotherhood, of humanity, of compassion. You stand for the values of democracy and liberty,” Chalghoumi concluded.
Taiwan Becomes First Foreign Nation To Fund Medical Project In Judea And Samaria
In a historic first, Taiwan has pledged financial support for a new medical center in Israel’s Binyamin region, becoming the first foreign nation to donate toward the development pf Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
The announcement came during a Sunday (6th) visit to the region by Taiwan’s representative in Israel, Abby Ya-Ping Lee.
”Medical cooperation has been one of the central areas of collaboration between Taiwan and Israel in recent decades,” said Lee.
“We are pleased to expand this cooperation to the regional level, through initial work with a regional council to save lives and to ensure the right to health regardless of ethnicity, age, or gender. Taiwan and Israel are neighbors in values and partners in challenging times.”
The visit included a tour of the Nanasi Medical center construction site in Sha’ar Binyamin, where advanced work is already underway. The delegation participated in a cornerstone-laying ceremony for one of the facility’s units.
Lee was joined by Mk Ohad Tal and Israel Ganz, who is chairman of both the Yesha Council and the Binyamin regional Council. The Yesha Council is an umbrella organization for all the communities in Judea and Samaria, representing the interests of around 500,000 Israelis.
Over 86,000 Israelis live in the Binyamin Regional Council’s 47 communities.
“This is a moment of profound moral and historical significance,” said Tal, chairman of the religious Zionism faction and co-chair of the Knesset Indo-pacific Caucus.
“For the first time, a foreign country is extending a hand in support of the communities in Judea and Samaria – not through words, but through action. Taiwan’s generous donation will help save lives and serve tens of thousands of Israeli citizens. It also sends a clear message: our communities are not isolated – they are recognized, respected, and embraced by our friends around the world.”
During the visit, the delegation also toured the Binyamin Regional Council’s emergency operations center, where they received a briefing on the council’s municipal emergency response protocols used during the recent war.
Representative Lee expressed particular interest in local emergency management and public safety systems.
The partnership was formalized with the signing of a joint declaration by Lee, Tal, and Ganz, reaffirming their shared commitment to friendly relations and to the establishment of the medical center.
Ganz welcomed Taiwan’s support as a milestone for international recognition of Jewish communities in the area.
“In recent times, we are witnessing increasing recognition from countries around the world of the presence of the State of Israel and the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria,” said Ganz.
“A heartfelt thank-you to Taiwan for this historic and important support for Binyamin and the Judea and Samaria communities. This donation is of immeasurable importance and expands international recognition. The contribution to the new medical center being established in Binyamin is a symbol of the deep partnership forged today.”
