News Digest — 8/19/25
Israeli Officials: All Hostages Must Be Released In Any Ceasefire Deal
Following the announcement that Hamas had accepted the most recent proposal for a hostage release and ceasefire deal, Monday (18th), an Israeli official emphasized that the government will agree only to the release of all of the hostages at once.
The current deal would release 10 living hostages during a 60-day truce in fighting in exchange for 150 prisoners, including those serving life prison terms.
The deal would mean that 10 living hostages would remain in Gaza.
Israeli sources reiterated earlier statements that the government demands the release of all living and dead hostages.
During the time of the truce, the proposal demands that the IDF withdraw up to one kilometer in the northern and eastern areas of the Gaza Strip.
After the news of Hamas’ response was publicized, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Hamas is under immense pressure.”
“Like you, I hear the reports in the media, from which you can gather one thing, Hamas is under immense pressure,” he said.
Netanyahu detailed three key points in the ongoing war. He addressed IDF achievements, stating, “First, I express on your behalf, on behalf of the Israeli government and my own behalf, immense appreciation for the tremendous achievements of the IDF in the War of rebirth, the war on seven fronts.”
“Second, I was impressed by the fighting spirit and determination to complete the defeat of Hamas and the release of all our hostages,” Netanyahu continued.
“Third, I spoke with the defense minister and the chief of staff about our plans regarding Gaza City and the completion of our missions.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the deal Hamas had agreed to and warned Netanyahu not to accept it.
“If Netanyahu gives in to Hamas and halts the war, it will be a crying shame and a missed opportunity.”
Ben Gvir posted on X, “Hamas is under great pressure from the occupation of Gaza because it understands that this eliminates it and ends the story. Therefore,it is trying to stop it by returning to a partial deal.”
Zamir’s Gaza Strategy: Nearly 100,000 IDF Troops To Move Swiftly To Conquer Gaza City
IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir has determined the scale of the ground forces that will participate in the new Gaza City operation, Walla learned Monday (18th).
Before presenting the plan to the defense minister on Tuesday(19th), it was decided that numerous brigade-sized combat teams, comprising at least 80,000 soldiers, would encircle and conquer Gaza City to destroy Hamas’ core terror infrastructure and the primary government symbols still under its control.
“This is a broad plan that will exact a heavy price on Hamas, but it also carries great risks for IDF forces,” said a ministry source, familiar with preparations for the large-scale operation.
The IDF will not wait weeks, military sources told Walla. In the coming days ground forces accompanied by the air force, will begin moving toward new areas to increase pressure on Hamas.
Zamir visited the Gaza Strip on Sunday (17th) accompanied by Southern Commander Yaniv Asor and other leaders, to analyze the plan and gain further insights into the combat strategy and operational logic before making decisions.
“The chief of staff wanted to feel the terrain, see things firsthand, understand the movement routes and methods of fighting, and hear from the commanders leading the fighting how it looks through their eyes, before making crucial decisions.” military sources said.
In closed-door meetings, Zamir emphasized that the operating forces would reach areas where the IDF has not yet operated.
Another key point that Zamir stressed was that the ground operation should not begin before the Palestinian civilian population is moved.
The chief of staff instructed the allocation of special resources, including staff equipment, for communications to synchronize all forces participating in the operation in the air, at sea and on the ground.
It was already decided at this stage to call up reservists for the command posts and special situation rooms. In addition Deputy Chief of Staff MG Tamir Yadai visited the Southern Command in recent days, examined the processes, and provided recommendations for implementation regarding the start of the operation.
Huckabee To Post: ‘European Leaders Gave Hamas Cover – That’s When Negotiations Were Over’
As rumors gathered apace on Monday night (18th) of a possible Israel-Hamas deal to see the release of 10 Israeli hostages, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee strongly endorsed American President Donald Trump’s declaration that hostages will only be freed when Hamas is “confronted and destroyed” while sharply criticizing European leaders for providing what he called “cover” to the terrorist organization.
Speaking in an exclusive sit-down with The Jerusalem Post, Huckabee described Trump’s position as “spot on and as concise and firm as it could possibly be,” emphasizing that the president’s view becomes his own as a representative of the administration.
“We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!” the president posted on Truth Social. “The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.”
The ambassador painted a grim picture of the hostages’ condition, referencing recently released videos showing emaciated captives. “The last video that we saw was just gut-wrenching to see. Not only the emaciated condition of the hostage, but being forced to dig his own grave,” Huckabee said, adding that after 22 months in captivity, “It’s a long, long time.”
Huckabee, however, reserved his harshest criticism for European leaders, whom he accused of undermining negotiations by threatening unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, which in essence, rewards Hamas for October 7.
“When you have all these European nations saying, ‘Israel’s not going to have a ceasefire, we’re going to go ahead and unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state,’ what do you think that did with Hamas? It emboldened them. It empowered them. And that’s when negotiations were over right then,” Huckabee told the Post.
The ambassador also noted the distinct contrast in recent months between European and Arab positions, praising the Arab League for unanimously calling for Hamas to “completely disarm and let all the hostages go at once” during the same week that European leaders were pressuring Israel and announcing declarations to recognize a Palestinian state.
While acknowledging ongoing pressure from various parties, including Qatar’s recent re-engagement in Cairo negotiations, Huckabee expressed skepticism about Hamas’ willingness to compromise.
“Hamas is not a nation-state. They’re a terrorist organization.” he said. “Any expectation that they’re going to behave like civilized people other than savages is quite optimistic.”
When asked by the Post about the role Egypt and Qatar have played in negotiations, the ambassador was forthcoming, stating,”I think there’s been a lot more pressure than maybe people realize. I’m not sure why Qatar hasn’t been more involved, although they would probably claim to’ve been very involved. They just went to Cairo to re-engage in negotiations.
“Egypt has been very engaged, and I think, very instrumental in moving things as much as anyone can.”
“It was to Qatari and Egyptian mediators that Hamas turned to Monday (18th), reportedly agreeing to the latest Gaza hostage-ceasefire proposal, a source familiar with the details said Monday (18th).
The proposal would see the release of 10 living Israeli hostages in return for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 150 Palestinian terrorists, many serving life sentences.
Huckabee admitted he would be “thrilled to death” if Hamas agreed to release hostages and disarm, but emphasized the organization’s continued torture of captives since October 7.
The Post also asked the ambassador his views on the recent protests in Israel to pressure the government into a ceasefire, and while he acknowledges that it was Hamas who was refusing to agree to a deal, he was effusive simply on the fact that protests can take place in the Jewish state.
“We respect that people in a free country can express themselves,” he clarified. “The rest of the world ought to see that, and recognize that in Israel, you have a right to protest, and nobody comes to your home and shoots you for having protested the government.”
“There’s something to be said for that. How many places in this region could you oppose your government and live to see a sunrise tomorrow? That’s what I think people are missing.”
112 Druze Women And Girls Are Still Being Held Captive By Islamists In Syria -Dr. Sawsan Kheir
A family is sitting at home on a quiet day. A child is playing on the floor. Suddenly, the calm is shattered by gunfire. Armed men burst in. They execute the entire family. They rape the mother. And then they murder the child. This is what happened in the Druze city of Sweida, Syria, beginning on July 15th, when a calculated massacre unfolded over several days. The world’s silence is deafening.
Under the command of Syrian leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, over 1,800 Druze have been murdered, including infants, women and elderly. 112 women and girls are still being held captive. They witnessed their families being butchered before they were taken.
As a Druze woman, I see this as our “Never Again,” and it is happening right now. The terrorists in Sweida have declared their intentions in numerous videos, as they slaughter and torture their victims: “We will erase the Druze and continue to Jerusalem! This is not a distant threat. They are only an hour’s drive from Israel’s border.
Sweida’s 700,000 residents are under siege. There is no water, no food, no electricity. Over 228,000 people have been left homeless. Al-Jolani’s men destroyed the local hospital – murdering patients and staff, and smashing medical equipment.
It was Israeli air defense that saved lives when the Druze fought back against these terrorists: that protection must be expanded to open a humanitarian corridor. This is the time to act and save the Druze in Sweida.
Israel To Send Humanitarian Aid To South Sudan As It Battles Deadly Cholera Outbreak
Israel will provide “urgent” humanitarian aid to South Sudan to address a cholera crisis there, the Foreign Ministry announced on Monday (18th), days after a report suggested that Israel may be in talks with the country’s leadership about plans to resettle Palestinians from the Gaza Strip there.
The war-torn East African nation has been suffering from a severe cholera outbreak since October 2024 according to the United Nations. As of July 7, there were more than 80,000 confirmed cases across the country, and some 1,400 associated deaths.
In an announcement on Monday (18th), the Foreign Ministry said that “in light of the severe humanitarian crisis in South Sudan,” Israel’s Agency for International Development Coordination, or MASHAV, would provide urgent humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in the country.
The aid – which includes medical equipment, water purification supplies, gloves and face masks, special hygiene kits, and food packages – aims to address a cholera outbreak in the young country, which suffers from a severe shortage of resources,” the statement read.
IsraAID, an Israeli non-governmental organization currently operating in South Sudan, will also assist in the operation, the Foreign Ministry said.
Founded in 2011, South Sudan is one of the world’s poorest countries and is experiencing renewed political instability and violence, which threatens to unravel a 2018 peace agreement that ended a bloody civil war.
Israel established full diplomatic relations with South Sudan less than one month after it gained independence from Sudan in July 2011.
Israeli deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel traveled to South Sudan last week for the first official visit by an Israeli government representative.
Her office said the purpose of her visit was to discuss “deepening cooperation in the fields of health, education, technology, agriculture, and energy, advancing joint initiatives in civil and security development, strengthening regional cooperation, and exploring options for Israeli humanitarian aid.”
Pakistani Textbooks Rife With Anti-Semitism, Hostility To Jews, Israel Study Finds
Pakistani textbooks are full of anti-Semitic content and recurring hostility towards both Jews and Israel, according to a study released on Monday (18th).
The analysis of more than 80 government approved textbooks on an array of subjects by the London-based research institute IMPACT-se found repeated instances of hostility toward Jews, with anti-Semitic tropes embedded in Islamic Education content and Judaism entirely absent from comparative religion sections.
Rehashing centuries-old anti-Semitic tropes, “the Jews” as they are often collectively described in the textbooks, are consistently accused of treachery and disloyalty as “usual” traits the study found.
Judaism is entirely absent from comparative religion sections, which cover Hinduism, Christianity, Confucianism and Taoism.
Where Jews are mentioned in the Pakistani school curriculum, it is typically in a hostile context.
A Grade 6 textbook for example claims Jewish tribes in Medina repeatedly conspired against the Prophet Mohammed, while a Grade 5 textbook uses the trope that Jews “caused Prophet Isa and his mother to suffer,” accusing them of plotting against Jesus out of fear of losing authority.
“These narratives frame Judaism as inherently treacherous and promote intolerance,” the report states.
Israel is depicted as a hostile enemy, solely responsible for the current war in Gaza, the study found, while textbooks promote support for Muslim nations in conflict with Israel.
The Holocaust is omitted entirely, while a Civics textbook praises Hitler for restoring German pride while making no mention of Nazi atrocities, the report said.
“Given Pakistan’s prominent regional role, its nuclear status, and large percentage of young people, this curriculum has far-reaching consequences,” said Marcus Sheff, IMPACT-se CEO.
“What is taught in classrooms today will determine Pakistan’s future global outlook, including its relationship with Israel and the Jewish people.”
Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
“An educational system that presents such a narrow and one-sided view poses serious risks for young minds and future generations,” Pakistani journalist and documentary film director Sabin Agha told JNS on Monday (18th).
“It can limit critical thinking, reinforce prejudice and prevent young minds from understanding diverse perspectives and historical realities.”
Earlier this year, a delegation of 10 Pakistani journalists and educators made a rare visit to Israel, defying a travel ban imposed by the South Asian Muslim country.
