Category: Middle East

BBC Rolls Out New Guidelines: Criticise Israeli Government, Not Zionists
The BBC’s new antisemitism training course says people who “have no intention to offend Jewish people” should not “criticise Zionists”.

The training, rolled out to BBC staff last week and seen by Middle East Eye, says: “Antisemites frequently use the word ‘Zionist’ (or worse, ‘Zio’), when they are in fact referring to Jews, whether in Israel or elsewhere.

“Those claiming to be ‘anti-Zionist, not antisemitic’, should do so in the knowledge that many Jewish people consider themselves to be Zionists.”

The training adds: “If these individuals mean only to criticise the policies of the government of Israel, and have no intention to offend Jewish people, they should criticise ‘the Israeli government’, and not ‘Zionists’.”

The course was made by the BBC Academy in conjunction with the Jewish Staff Network, the Antisemitism Policy Trust and the Community Security Trust (CST).
The CST, which monitors antisemitic hate crimes and works with the government and police, has previously claimed that pro-Palestine marches in London were “disrupting the peace and the basic rights of Jews” and called for them to end.

The BBC training also incorporates the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which the British government has adopted but which legal experts have warned could lead to a “curtailment of debate”.

The definition says that claiming that the existence of the state of Israel is a “racist endeavour” is an illustration of potential antisemitism.

Its critics say it conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism, or with criticism of policies that led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in modern-day Israel.
‘Against any form of discrimination’
Asked for comment, the BBC directed MEE to comments previously made by outgoing director general Tim Davie.

In an email to BBC staff on 4 December, Davie said that the “BBC is for everyone, and we are clear that everyone working here should feel they belong. As an organisation we stand united against any form of discrimination, prejudice, or intolerance”.

“In response to this, the BBC Academy has spent the last few months developing new anti-discrimination training. We’re starting with e-learning modules on antisemitism and Islamophobia, which we expect staff across the BBC to complete,” he added.

Davie said that the “module on antisemitism is available from today, while the Islamophobia module is just being finalised, to launch in February”.

Davie resigned last month amid a row over the broadcaster’s editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump on 6 January 2021 for the BBC’s Panorama show.

The public broadcaster has also been embroiled in several scandals over its coverage of Israel and Gaza.
MEE reported last month that the BBC’s online Middle East editor Raffi Berg said in 2020 that it was “wonderful” to be in a “circle of trust” with current and former Mossad agents while writing a book on the Israeli intelligence agency, and that the Mossad’s “fantastic operations” make him “tremendously proud”.

A study published in June by the Muslim Council of Britain-linked Centre for Media Monitoring (CFMM) claimed the BBC’s coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza is “systematically biased against Palestinians”, according to an analysis of over 35,000 pieces of content.

The study found that the BBC gives Israeli deaths 33 times more coverage than Palestinian ones, uses emotive terms four times as much for Israeli victims and applies “massacre” 18 times more to Israeli casualties than Palestinian ones.

The BBC pulled a documentary on children in Gaza, Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, in February after it emerged that the boy who narrated the film, Abdullah al-Yazuri, was the son of a deputy minister in Gaza’s government.
This followed an intense campaign by pro-Israel groups and the Israeli embassy in London.

The BBC then came under fire in June for dropping a second film on Gaza, this one on doctors, after delaying its broadcast for months.

Officials at the broadcaster said that “broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC”.

The film was aired instead by Channel 4 and other news organisations.
December 17, 2025
Outgoing BBC Boss Tim Davie Rolls Out Anti-Discrimination Training Post-Resignation
The BBC has ordered staff to complete mandatory anti-Semitism training following a series of scandals at the broadcaster.

Tim Davie, the outgoing director-general, has told staff they have six months to complete the new course, which aims to end “any form of discrimination, prejudice, or intolerance” at the corporation.
It follows the publication by The Telegraph last month of an internal memo which revealed anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s news coverage, and prompted Mr Davie to resign.

The broadcaster has also been embroiled in controversy over a Gaza documentary, and its decision not to cut anti-Semitic chants from its coverage of rap act Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set.

The documentary, called Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, prominently featured the son of a Hamas official, whose identity was not disclosed to viewers at the time. The revelation later led to it being pulled from the airwaves.

Abdullah al-Yazouri, the documentary’s teenage narrator, was revealed to be the son of a Hamas official

A Palestinian boy called Zakaria poses alongside a Hamas fighter in the BBC documentary
Meanwhile, BBC staff did not cut away from chants of “death, death to the IDF” during Bob Vylan’s set, and were criticised for allowing the broadcast to go ahead despite knowing it was “high risk”.

In a company-wide memo about the new discrimination training, staff have now been told that “anti-Semitism has no place at the BBC” and that the module “provides a framework of understanding for staff to spot and call out anti-Semitism”.
Staff have been told that the module involves “real world examples” of how anti-Semitism can appear in society, with a warning that this “understandably may be upsetting for some colleagues”.

Another module on Islamophobia will be made available to staff from February, they were told.

Mr Davie said: “The BBC is for everyone, and we are clear that everyone working here should feel they belong…the BBC Academy has spent the last few months developing new anti-discrimination training.”

The memo revealed that BBC’s Arabic news service chose to “minimise Israeli suffering” in the war in Gaza so it could “paint Israel as the aggressor”.

It also found that BBC Arabic had given a platform to journalists who had made extreme anti-Semitic comments, including one contributor who was featured 217 times despite describing a Palestinian who killed four Israeli citizens as a “hero” in 2022.

The announcement of the training was welcomed by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, whose president Phil Rosenberg said there was an “urgent need for change in both culture and content at the corporation”.

The BBC Academy course on anti-Semitism was made in conjunction with the Jewish Staff Network, the Anti-Semitism Policy Trust and the Community Security Trust (CST).

The Telegraph’s publication of the memo also led to the resignation of the broadcaster’s head of news, Deborah Turness.

Last year, Sir Michael Ellis, the former attorney general, told MPs that the BBC was “institutionally anti-Semitic”, and that its reporting of the Israel-Hamas war had contributed to attacks on British Jews.

In February, Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservatives, wrote to Mr Davie to complain about BBC Arabic’s coverage, describing it as a “platform for terrorists” that was promoting “appalling anti-Semitism” to millions of viewers.

In his email, sent to staff on Thursday, Mr Davie added: “I know that everyone will be committed to the training, ensuring the BBC is a role model as an inclusive and tolerant workplace.”
December 4, 2025
Israel Set to Vote While Negotiators Push to Seal Hostage Agreement
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, October 9, 2025, in Washington, DC, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, look on. © AP/Evan Vucci
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt – As the sun rose over the Red Sea resort on Thursday, October 9, 2025, negotiators from Israel and Hamas inked the final draft of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s audacious Gaza peace plan, a hard-fought accord that promises the release of all 48 remaining hostages – 20 believed alive, the rest tragically not – in exchange for a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, a ceasefire, and the freedom of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The breakthrough, sealed after days of grueling indirect talks mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, now awaits Israel’s security cabinet vote later today – a procedural hurdle expected to clear with bipartisan support, despite grumbles from far-right hardliners who fear it’s a concession to terror.
“This is the art of the deal in action – tough, unyielding, and finally delivering results where the Biden crew could only dither,” Trump declared during a White House Cabinet meeting, touting the pact as a “great day for Israel, the Arab world, and America.” With U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the ground in Egypt, the president – ever the showman – plans a weekend dash to the region for the formal signing, potentially capping it with a Knesset address that could cement his legacy as the ultimate peacemaker. Hostages could start crossing back into Israel as early as Monday, Trump projected, with the living handed off to Red Cross officials and the deceased honored in somber IDF ceremonies – a timeline echoed by Netanyahu’s office and White House insiders.
The deal’s mechanics are as precise as they are pragmatic: Within 24 hours of cabinet approval, the IDF pulls back to lines securing 53% of Gaza – including buffer zones along the Philadelphi Corridor, northern enclaves like Beit Hanoun, and southern strongholds in Rafah and Khan Younis – halting operations in urban cores while maintaining a vise on terror infrastructure. Hamas, in turn, has 72 hours to deliver the captives sans fanfare ceremonies, a concession wrung from the terror group after months of Israeli pressure that decimated its ranks. No victory laps for the kidnappers – just quiet handovers, followed by a joint Israel-U.S.-Qatar-Turkey-Egypt task force hunting the remains of those whose graves Hamas claims ignorance of.
On the prisoner front, Israel commits to freeing 250 lifers – but draws red lines at arch-terrorists like Marwan Barghouti, the Second Intifada mastermind eyeing a Palestinian Authority power grab, and the corpses of Hamas bosses Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar, whose bodies stay buried as war trophies. Another 1,700 Gazans nabbed during IDF ops go free, plus 15 Palestinian bodies per Israeli remains returned – a grim arithmetic underscoring the butcher’s bill of October 7, 2023, when Hamas’s savagery claimed 1,200 lives and sparked a conflict that’s felled over 66,000 in Gaza, per the strip’s Hamas-tallying health ministry.
People react at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on October 9, 2025, following news of the first phase of a new Gaza ceasefire deal that will see the release of all the living captives. © MAYA LEVIN / AFP
Hamas’s chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya – surfacing publicly since an Israeli strike in Doha last month claimed his son and aides – struck a defiant tone in Sharm el-Sheikh, insisting on “real guarantees” for a lasting ceasefire before full compliance. “We need assurances this isn’t a trap,” al-Hayya told reporters, echoing Qatar’s Majed al-Ansari’s call for “practical solutions” to implementation snags, like seamless international aid flows and monitoring to avert backsliding. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty painted a rosier picture: Talks are “progressing” toward phase one, blending hostage releases with prisoner swaps and IDF redeployments to “prepare the climate” for peace. Yet, as Reuters notes, the accord’s brevity leaves “unresolved questions” – from Hamas disarmament to Gaza’s post-war governance – that could unravel the fragile truce, much like past efforts torpedoed by Palestinian bad faith.
Netanyahu’s camp, delayed an hour-and-a-half for “sensitive” prisoner list haggling, frames the vote as a slam-dunk, with spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian declaring “victory” in the war’s core aims: Hostages home, Hamas gutted, Gaza neutralized as a threat. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, on Fox News, tempered the triumph: No “end of the war” yet – just a conditional path where Hamas must disarm for full Israeli pullout, and the PA’s reforms are no sure bet for relevance. “We don’t intend to renew the war,” Sa’ar stressed, but a Palestinian state? “No” – skepticism runs deep on Ramallah’s capacity for change.
Trump’s 20-point blueprint – unveiled last week with Netanyahu at his side – envisions a technocratic interim council under a U.S.-chaired “Board of Peace” (Tony Blair eyed for a slot), deradicalizing Gaza into a terror-free zone primed for reconstruction, with aid surging post-ceasefire. Phase two kicks off a day after releases, tackling the big-ticket items: Hamas’s guns for amnesty, no foreign overlords, and a reformed PA eyeing self-determination – but only if it sheds its terror sympathies. Arab pressure, per a Saudi report, has been “unprecedented” on Hamas, with guarantors like Qatar’s prime minister jetting in to seal gaps.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes his cabinet on June 18, 2025. © Haim Zach/GPO
Backlash brews on the Israeli right, where firebrands like Itamar Ben-Gvir threaten coalition collapse if Hamas endures, branding any half-measure a “national defeat” and “ticking time bomb.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried it as “fleeing the truth,” a relapse to Oslo-era follies dooming future generations to refight the same battles. Yet, hostage families and opposition heavyweights – from Yair Lapid to Avigdor Lieberman – hail it as a “historic turning point,” their pleas drowning out the ultras: “After two years of anguish, this heals.”
Globally, the vibes are electric. Turkey’s Erdogan pledges monitoring and rebuild muscle, while bipartisan U.S. praise rolls in – Sen. Roger Wicker thanks Trump and Rubio for igniting “hope for lasting peace.” On X, euphoria erupts: “Trump made the impossible happen,” exclaims Eylon Levy amid Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square cheers, as Al Arabiya captures the cautious Palestinian optimism. Even as the Nobel snub stings – decided pre-deal, per The Times of Israel – this is vintage Trump: Bold strokes where faint hearts failed, turning a quagmire into a launchpad for Abraham Accords 2.0.
Skeptics whisper of fragility – Hamas’s history of double-dealing, implementation landmines – but Trump’s playbook has rewritten the rules before. As the cabinet convenes and Trump eyes Air Force One, one verity holds: Peace through strength isn’t a slogan; it’s the deal of the century, unfolding in real time. If phase one sticks, the Middle East – and history – won’t look the same.
October 9, 2025
Israel and Hamas Reach Agreement on Hostage Release, Marking Step Toward Peace
WASHINGTON – In a triumph of American diplomacy and unyielding resolve, President Donald Trump has brokered a historic breakthrough between Israel and Hamas, securing agreement on the first phase of a comprehensive peace plan that promises the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza and a long-overdue ceasefire in the war-torn enclave. Announced late Wednesday on Truth Social, the deal – hammered out in the sun-baked halls of Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt – stands as a testament to Trump’s deal-making prowess, where previous administrations’ hand-wringing gave way to his bold 20-point blueprint for Middle East stability.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump declared in a midnight post, his words crackling with the optimism of a man who promised – and is delivering – peace through strength. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
The agreement, set for formal signing in Egypt on Thursday, October 9, 2025, envisions Hamas freeing the estimated 20 living hostages and the remains of over two dozen others – victims of the barbaric October 7, 2023, terror rampage that slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and ignited a conflict that has claimed more than 66,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. In exchange, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences, and pull back troops to a pre-agreed line, allowing a surge of humanitarian aid into the devastated strip – a move that pauses the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) operations in Gaza City while preserving Israel’s ironclad right to self-defense.
Some people are just waking up to this, and waiting to find out when a truce might come into effect. © Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government faces a Thursday cabinet vote to ratify the accord, hailed it as “a great day for Israel” in a Telegram post, pledging to “convene the government tomorrow to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home.” “With the help of the Almighty, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors,” he added, crediting the IDF’s relentless pressure – not weak-kneed negotiations – for forcing Hamas to the table. Even as hardliners like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decry the plan as a “tragedy” echoing the failed Oslo Accords, broad swaths of Israel’s political spectrum, from centrist Yair Lapid to nationalist Avigdor Lieberman, have rallied behind it, with hostage families tearfully calling it a “historic turning point” after two years of agony.
Hamas, the Iran-backed terror outfit designated by the U.S. and EU, issued a rare nod to Trump in its Telegram statement, appreciating “the efforts of US President Donald Trump” alongside mediators Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for “ending the war on Gaza, ensuring the withdrawal of the occupation forces, allowing the entry of aid, and facilitating a prisoner exchange.” Yet, in a reminder of the group’s duplicitous nature, it vowed to “never relinquish our people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved,” while urging guarantors to “compel the occupation government to fully implement its obligations.” Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed the pact covers “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase,” with details forthcoming.
President Trump announced the agreement, the Israeli military reminded residents of the Gaza Strip in a statement in Arabic that Israeli troops continued to occupy the territory and that they were still fighting a war. © UGC/Reuters
From the White House, the drama unfolded like a scene from Trump’s reality-TV playbook. During a roundtable on Antifa threats – a nod to the domestic chaos sown by leftist radicals – Secretary of State Marco Rubio slipped the president a note: Deal imminent. “We’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly,” Trump quipped to reporters, wrapping up early to greenlight his triumphant Truth Social blast. In a Fox News sit-down with Sean Hannity, Trump eyed Monday for the hostages’ return – “probably” including the deceased’s remains – and floated a trip to Egypt, Israel, and perhaps a Knesset address: “They want me to give a speech at the Knesset and I will definitely do that if they want me to.” “Gaza is going to be a peaceful, much safer place,” he assured, envisioning a “Council of Peace” – chaired by himself, with figures like Tony Blair aboard – to oversee reconstruction and a technocratic interim government, deradicalizing the strip and barring Hamas forever.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from Cairo huddles, were the on-the-ground architects, building on Trump’s October 3 ultimatum: Release hostages by Sunday or face annihilation. This isn’t the limp diplomacy of Joe Biden’s era, where endless talks yielded endless rockets; it’s Trump channeling Reagan’s “peace through strength,” pausing IDF strikes at his behest to create breathing room while keeping the hammer poised. The plan’s genius: Hamas disarms for amnesty, Gaza demilitarizes under a U.S.-led board, and the Palestinian Authority – reformed – paves a path to statehood, sans terror tunnels or Iranian puppets. “No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return,” the accord stipulates, a humane flourish amid the rubble.
In Tel Aviv, people chanted ‘Nobel prize to Trump’ after the ceasefire deal was confirmed by the US president. © AP
Skeptics like Arab Center’s Yousef Munayyer warn of fragility – thorny issues like full Hamas disarmament and governance loom large – but Trump’s track record, from Abraham Accords to North Korea summits, silences the naysayers. Netanyahu’s far-right allies, like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, threaten to bolt if Hamas survives, but the premier’s bipartisan buy-in and hostage families’ pleas – “After almost two years of unimaginable anguish, we stand at a historic turning point” – drown out the din. Even Tony Blair, tipped for the peace board, called it “bold and intelligent,” offering “the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering.”
Globally, reactions pour in like applause at a MAGA rally. Bipartisan U.S. leaders, from Rubio to hawks in Congress, hail the “fantastic day”; Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey – key mediators – see a ripple toward broader Arab-Israeli normalization. On X, the buzz is electric: “Trump Secures Israel-Hamas Deal for Hostage Release and Gaza Ceasefire,” posts one aggregator, echoing the sentiment that this is “a great day for the world.”
The war’s toll – Houthi disruptions in the Red Sea, Israeli strikes on Lebanon, U.S. hits on Iran’s nukes – has scarred the region, but Trump’s vision resets the board: A terror-free Gaza as a launchpad for prosperity, not peril. As he eyes Walter Reed Thursday morning before jetting east, one truth endures: In the art of the deal, no one’s better than Donald J. Trump. If this holds, the Nobel whispers won’t be whispers for long.
October 8, 2025
Israel Launches Expanded Ground Operation in Push to Conclude Gaza Conflict
Palestinians from Gaza City move southwards with their belongings, on the coastal road near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on September 19, 2025. © Eyad BABA / AFP
The Israeli military intensified its ground assault on Gaza City on Friday, September 19, 2025, warning residents it would deploy “unprecedented force” against Hamas fighters as tanks and airstrikes hammered the territory’s largest urban center. The escalation, which began with a major incursion on Tuesday, comes amid a fresh United Nations report accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza—a finding that has drawn sharp rebukes from Israeli officials and renewed calls for international intervention nearly two years into the devastating war.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued stark evacuation orders via social media and leaflets, directing the estimated remaining population—down from about one million at the end of August—to flee southward along the coastal Al-Rashid road, the only remaining open route after the closure of the main Salah al-Din artery. “From this moment, Salah al-Din Road is closed for south-bound travel,” IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, urging civilians to “take this opportunity and join the hundreds of thousands of city residents who have moved south to the humanitarian area.” The military estimates that 480,000 people have evacuated Gaza City since late August, though Gaza’s civil defense agency put the figure at 450,000 as of Friday. Many families, burdened by elderly relatives, young children, and scant belongings, described harrowing journeys on foot or in overloaded vehicles, with some resorting to carts or sleeping on streets while awaiting transport they could ill afford.
The offensive aims to dismantle Hamas’s command structure and seize control of the city, which Israel views as the group’s symbolic stronghold. IDF troops, including armored and infantry divisions, have advanced deep into neighborhoods like al-Rimal and al-Sabra, dismantling over 20 suspected militant sites in the past day alone, according to military statements. Overnight strikes and tank fire have leveled buildings and infrastructure, with witnesses reporting “hellish” barrages that shook the enclave. Gaza health officials, citing hospital tallies, reported at least 22 deaths across the Strip on Friday, including 11 in Gaza City, bringing the war’s toll to nearly 65,000 Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023.
For those heeding the warnings, escape is no salvation. Nivin Ahmed, a 50-year-old mother of seven, recounted walking more than 15 kilometers to Deir el-Balah on Thursday, her family “crawling from exhaustion” as her youngest son wept from fatigue. “We took turns dragging a small cart with some of our belongings,” she told reporters. Mona Abdel Karim, 36, has spent two nights on Al-Rashid street with her elderly in-laws and children, too weak or ill to trek further without a vehicle. “I feel like I am about to explode,” she said, highlighting the prohibitive costs of transport amid widespread poverty and famine. Footage from the road showed endless lines of pedestrians and cars piled high with mattresses and essentials, snaking toward the southern “humanitarian area” of Al-Mawasi—a zone Israel designated early in the war but has repeatedly struck, citing Hamas presence.
Palestinians flee south from Gaza City on Thursday. © Hassan Al-Jadi/UPI/Shutterstock
The push into Gaza City unfolds against a grim international backdrop. Just days earlier, on September 16, a United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry released a 72-page report concluding that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, fulfilling four of the five acts outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention: killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, and imposing measures intended to prevent births. Chaired by former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, the panel analyzed statements from Israeli leaders—including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—as direct evidence of genocidal intent, alongside patterns of conduct like starvation tactics and attacks on healthcare and fertility clinics. The report also documented “systematic” sexual and gender-based violence, direct targeting of children, and the destruction of educational and religious sites.
“The Commission concludes that the Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces have had and continue to have the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” the inquiry stated, holding the state responsible for failing to prevent or punish the acts. It urged Israel to immediately halt operations and comply with International Court of Justice provisional measures from March 2024, while calling on all states to enforce accountability. Amnesty International echoed the findings, warning that “the very existence of Palestinians in Gaza is under threat” as the offensive intensifies.
Israel vehemently rejected the report as “distorted and false,” with Netanyahu’s office insisting the war is a legitimate defense against Hamas, which killed 1,139 Israelis and took over 200 hostages on October 7, 2023—48 of whom remain captive. The IDF maintains it takes “all feasible measures” to minimize civilian harm and accuses Hamas of using human shields. Yet critics, including the European Commission, are preparing measures to pressure Israel, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas set to present a plan on Wednesday for member states to reassess ties. Canada labeled the offensive “horrific,” while Hamas decried it as “unprecedented” and “barbaric.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, a staunch ally, suggested the operation could hasten hostage releases, telling reporters the risks to captives might rise but “also may be freed” in the chaos. His administration continues providing military aid, even as the UN warns of famine gripping Gaza City, with 441 deaths attributed to starvation alone. Aid groups report overwhelmed hospitals and acute malnutrition among children, half of Gaza’s displaced population.
As smoke billows over Gaza City’s skyline and families press southward under fire, the offensive raises profound questions about the war’s endgame. Israel seeks to “force an end” by crippling Hamas, but with the enclave in ruins and global outrage mounting, the path to resolution remains as elusive as safety for those caught in the crossfire.
September 16, 2025
Rubio Heads to Israel Following Stalled Gaza Talks, Doha Strike
Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed for Israel on Sept. 13, announcing a renewed effort to win the return of hostages taken by Hamas and address humanitarian concerns after nearly two years of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
“On my way to Jerusalem. My focus will be on securing the return of hostages, finding ways to make sure humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and addressing the threat posed by Hamas,” Rubio said in a post on X on Saturday afternoon.
On my way to Jerusalem. My focus will be on securing the return of hostages, finding ways to make sure humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and addressing the threat posed by Hamas.

Hamas cannot continue to exist if peace in the region is the goal. pic.twitter.com/60DWTkLSfC
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 13, 2025
“Hamas cannot continue to exist if peace in the region is the goal.”
Rubio’s visit comes on the heels of an Israeli strike on the Qatari capital of Doha that targeted Hamas leadership there. Hamas officials had recently received a U.S. proposal to secure the release of hostages remaining in Gaza.
Following the Sept. 9 Israeli strike on Doha, Hamas issued a statement asserting that the attack proved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government “do not want to reach any agreement.”
The Qatari monarchy, which has acted as a mediator for negotiations between Israel and Hamas, also condemned the Israeli strike.
Before the Sept. 9 Israeli strike on Doha, President Donald Trump had said his administration was in “very deep negotiations with Hamas” to bring an end to the fighting in Gaza.
The U.S. president said Israel acted alone in its strike on Doha. He said eliminating Hamas remains a worthy goal, but assured Qatari leaders that such a strike would not occur again on their soil.
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Trump wrote in a Sept. 9 post on his Truth Social platform.
Qatar has played a key role hosting U.S. forces in the region. In June, U.S. forces stationed at Al Udeid Air Base defended against an Iranian missile barrage that Tehran ordered in retaliation for a U.S. strike that targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani visited the United States on Sept. 12 and met with Trump, Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Speaking with reporters before his departure on Saturday, Rubio said his focus will be on helping win the release of 48 hostages, the permanent defeat of Hamas, and rebuilding the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. Rubio acknowledged he would also have to address how the Israeli strike on Qatar’s capital would impact the discussions surrounding the Gaza conflict.
Rubio said that, despite the Doha strike, the U.S.–Israeli relationship remains strong.
“Sometimes things happen or come up in those relationships that perhaps we’re not 100 percent aligned with, or unhappy. But it’s not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis. But we are going to have to talk about it,” he said.
Rubio’s visit to Israel also comes amid mounting pressure in the international community for recognition of a Palestinian state.
The Trump administration has argued that international recognition of a Palestinian state would amount to a reward for Hamas.
Speaking with reporters in Ecuador last week, Rubio warned that Israel could respond to international recognition of a Palestinian state by annexing the West Bank, a territory viewed as the heart of the Palestinian statehood claim. Additionally, Rubio warned that a move to legitimize the cause of Palestinian statehood could also undermine efforts to end the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
“We told all these countries, before they went out and they did this—we told them that if they did this, they went through with this thing, there wasn’t going to be a Palestinian state because that’s not the way a Palestinian state is going to happen—because they have a press conference somewhere,” Rubio said on Sept. 5. “And we told them that it would lead to these sort of reciprocal actions and it would make a cease-fire harder.”
September 15, 2025
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Israel Demanding End to Gaza War

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets across the country on Sunday, August 17, 2025, demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a deal to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas. The protests, which swept through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and other cities, marked a significant escalation in public pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid growing frustration over the ongoing conflict.
Organizers, including the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, claimed that over one million people participated in hundreds of demonstrations nationwide, though The NYBudgets could not independently verify these figures. Images and videos showed packed streets and squares, with protesters blocking highways, lighting bonfires, and gathering outside politicians’ homes and military headquarters. The Israeli police reported multiple arrests, stating on X, “Officers have arrested multiple individuals engaging in unlawful behavior and will continue to act wherever public safety or freedom of movement is at risk.” They emphasized that while “the right to lawful protest” is a cornerstone of democracy, actions like burning tires or endangering public safety are unlawful.
The Israel Police views the right to lawful protest as a fundamental cornerstone of democracy. Actions that violate the law, such as burning tires, blocking highways, or endangering public safety, are not considered lawful protest.

Officers have arrested multiple individuals… pic.twitter.com/rVWQP5tUqK
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) August 17, 2025
The protests reflect deep divisions over Netanyahu’s handling of the war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists launched a deadly attack from Gaza, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s response—an aerial bombing campaign followed by a ground offensive—has resulted in 61,900 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza. A ceasefire in January 2025 led to a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, but the conflict persists, with 50 hostages still in Gaza, 30 of whom are believed to be dead.
Families of hostages and supporters hold photos of hostages during a demonstration calling for an hostages deal in Tel Aviv, Israel on Aug. 17, 2025. © Amir Levy/Getty Images
Netanyahu, addressing a government meeting on Sunday, defended his strategy, arguing that ending the war without defeating Hamas would embolden the group and jeopardize Israel’s security. “Those who are calling for an end to the war today without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s stance and pushing off the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of the October 7 will recur again and again,” he said. “Together, we have had great achievements against our enemies on all fronts. Together we will fight and with God’s help, together we will complete the victory and end the war.”
On August 8, Netanyahu announced a Security Cabinet-approved plan to retake Gaza City, disarm Hamas, and secure the release of all hostages. The five-point plan also seeks to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, restore Israeli security control, and establish a new civil administration independent of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. The move has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and hostage families. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid posted on X, “This is exactly what Hamas wanted: for Israel to be trapped in the field without a goal, without defining the picture of the day after, in a useless occupation that no one understands where it is leading.”
Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod remains a hostage, expressed anguish over the government’s priorities, telling The Epoch Times, “We live between a terrorist organization that holds our children and a government that refuses to release them for political reasons.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich labeled the protests “a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas’s hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future.”
People take part in a protest demanding the end of the war, the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Aug. 16, 2025. © Mahmoud Illean/AP
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those still held, thanked the public for their support, posting on X, “Throughout the day, over one million people participated in hundreds of actions held across the country. The hostage families wish to tell the people of Israel: ‘Thank you! From here, we will only intensify our efforts. Stay with us until the last hostage is returned!’”
The planned Gaza City offensive, which will likely require mobilizing thousands of reservists, has yet to be scheduled, adding to public uncertainty. Critics argue that Netanyahu’s focus on military victory risks prolonging the war and delaying hostage releases, while supporters insist that neutralizing Hamas is essential for Israel’s long-term security. As tensions mount, the demonstrations underscore a nation grappling with the human and strategic costs of a conflict that shows no immediate end.
August 18, 2025
Israel Approves Plan to Seize Gaza City Amid International Condemnation
Israel has approved plans to take control of Gaza City, while distributing humanitarian aid to civilians outside combat zones, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday, amid international pushback.
The decision follows a security cabinet meeting in which a majority of ministers endorsed five principles for ending the war.
These include disarming the Hamas terrorist organization, securing the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, maintaining Israel’s security control over the territory, and establishing an alternative civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
In an interview with Fox News on Aug. 7, Netanyahu said the plans align with Israel’s long-standing objectives in Gaza, ensuring the enclave poses no threat to the country’s security or existence.
Those goals have been central since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed, and about 250 people kidnapped.
The assault triggered a prolonged war.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under the control of Hamas, more than 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. The number does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and includes some deaths from natural causes. The Epoch Times cannot verify the casualty numbers.
International Reactions
Countries remain divided over how to end the conflict. Western allies such as France, the UK, Canada, and Australia are pressing for a two-state solution—a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Israel and the United States reject recognizing Palestinian statehood under current conditions, arguing it would endanger Israel’s security.
The UK, Australia, and Turkey on Friday condemned Israel’s plan to expand military operations in Gaza.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it would “only bring more bloodshed” and wouldn’t help secure the release of hostages, while Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the move would worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Israel’s plan aims to make Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displace Palestinians from their land.
The leaders back a two-state solution for the region, which will be a key focus of the 80th U.N. General Assembly in September, where France, the UK, and Canada said they plan to formalize their recognition of a Palestinian territory.
U.N. officials urged Israel to stop its planned full military takeover of the Gaza Strip. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk cited a ruling by the International Court of Justice and said, “Israel must end its occupation and achieve a two-State solution giving Palestinians the right to self-determination,” according to a U.N. press statement on Aug. 8.
Netanyahu dismissed the court’s findings as “fundamentally wrong” and one-sided, while the United States said the court should avoid any ruling that might hinder negotiations toward a two-state solution based on the “land-for-peace” principle.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott, when asked on Thursday to respond to Netanyahu’s remarks, reiterated U.S. policy priorities: delivering aid to Gaza without it being looted by Hamas, securing the release of hostages, and ensuring Hamas does not continue to exist.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Aug. 8 that its exports of military equipment that could be used in Gaza will be suspended.
Das vom israelischen Sicherheitskabinett beschlossene, noch härtere Vorgehen lässt immer weniger erkennen, wie die Ziele erreicht werden sollen. Die Bundesregierung genehmigt bis auf Weiteres keine Ausfuhren von Rüstungsgütern, die im Gazastreifen zum Einsatz kommen können. 2/5
— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) August 8, 2025
Merz affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself and the need to disarm Hamas, but he said that measures approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet “are making it increasingly unclear how these goals will be achieved.”
He also called on Israel to avoid steps toward annexing the West Bank.
Internal Tensions
Internal divisions deepened in Israel after the security cabinet approved sending forces into Gaza City, rejecting an alternative proposal that ministers said would not ensure Hamas’s defeat or the return of hostages.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the decision “a disaster” on Aug. 8, warning it would drag on for months, lead to the deaths of hostages and soldiers, cost Israeli taxpayers tens of billions, and end in political collapse.
“This is exactly what Hamas wanted: for Israel to be trapped in the field without a goal, without defining the picture of the day after, in a useless occupation that no one understands where it is leading,” Lapid said on X.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those held in Gaza, also condemned the decision as “abandoning the hostages.”
Last night's cabinet decision to pursue occupation of the Gaza Strip means abandoning the hostages, while completely ignoring the repeated warnings from military leadership and the clear will of the majority of the Israeli public.

As we approach the tragic one-year anniversary…
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) August 8, 2025
The group said that expanding the fighting “only further endangers those still held in Gaza’s tunnels” and leaves them “at the mercy of Hamas.”
“Hamas continues to exploit military escalation as justification for its brutal treatment of our loved ones,” the group said. “The only way to bring the hostages home is through a comprehensive deal.”
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said Israel is “doing everything“ in its power ”to salvage the hostages.”
He said that Israel can achieve the release of the remaining 50 hostages “with a combination of the right military tactics and international pressure.”
“Without military pressure, nothing works,” he said.
Some protesters blocked a highway in Tel Aviv on Thursday, according to a report by the Times of Israel, demanding a deal for the release of the hostages and demonstrating against an expansion of the war in Gaza.
August 8, 2025
Israel says it’s pausing fighting in parts of Gaza to allow aid in
© DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS
Tel aviv, Israel – Under mounting international pressure, Israel has implemented daily tactical pauses in military operations across select areas of Gaza, establishing designated “safe routes” to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. The move comes amid escalating reports of a horrific hunger crisis, described by the UN as reaching famine-like levels in parts of the enclave.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed daily pauses from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time in parts of Gaza City, Deir al‑Balah, and Al‑Mawasi. Secure corridors for aid convoys, operating from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., were also introduced, ensuring land-based deliveries can proceed with reduced risk. These measures were coordinated with the UN, WFP, UNICEF, and international aid organizations seeking immediate relief access.
Palestinians at a lentil soup distribution point in Gaza City. © Omar Al-Qattaa/Getty Images
Israel emphasized that while these pauses allow aid to flow, combat operations continue in other areas and it categorically denied accusations that it is using starvation as a weapon—labeling them propaganda.
According to the World Food Programme, over a third of Gaza’s population—some 700,000 people—are going days without food. Approximately 1.25 million face life-threatening hunger (IPC Phase 5). Nearly 100,000 women and children suffer from severe acute malnutrition and require urgent treatment. The Gaza Health Ministry records at least 133 deaths from malnutrition in July alone, including 87 children, as official aid remains insufficient. The WHO reports 21 children under age 5 have already died from starvation and malnutrition-related illnesses in 2025—and malnutrition centers lack supplies. UN staff in Gaza report that many humanitarian workers have fainted from hunger and exhaustion in the last 48 hours. Since May, aid convoys and distribution points—including those run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—have seen over 1,000 Palestinian deaths in chaotic, often violent crowding and shooting incidents.
© DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS
©DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS
Despite the new pauses, aid flow remains far below what’s needed:
UN agencies estimate Gaza requires at least 120 aid trucks daily—but only a fraction of that number is entering, leaving relief piles stuck at crossing points in Jordan and Egypt. Aid delivered so far includes limited air-drops, such as airdrops of flour, sugar, and canned foods, plus joint efforts by Jordan and the UAE. Still, those methods are widely criticized as inefficient and.
UN officials and humanitarian leaders described the situation as apocalyptic, warning that the humanitarian pauses are a start—but not a solution: full corridors and sustained access are urgently needed. Some international leaders, including India, have called for a permanent ceasefire and immediate access for relief convoys, branding current conditions a breach of international law. Israeli officials blame UN inefficiency and attribute starvation claims to Hamas propaganda, while maintaining the responsibility for food distribution rests with international agencies—not the IDF.
Hamas fighters are deployed in Rafah ahead of the planned release of two among six Israeli hostages set to be handed over to the Red Cross, Gaza Strip, on February 22, 2025. © AP/Jehad Alshrafi
From the UN’s perspective, this pause is a critical but insufficient step:
“Until we have that stability of assistance, this is going to be really difficult to control the situation on the ground,” WFP’s Ross Smith emphasized, warning that food assistance is currently the only lifeline for Gaza populations facing famine-like conditions.
Israel’s tactical pause in parts of Gaza marks a significant shift—but it’s being overshadowed by the scale of the crisis on the ground. With hunger spreading rapidly and thousands already dead, the measures fall far short of addressing Gaza’s catastrophic needs. Humanitarian leaders caution that only sustained, full access can save lives before famine crosses irreversible thresholds.
July 27, 2025
Two aides from the Israeli Embassy were killed in a shooting outside an event in Washington
Two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed by a gunman who later yelled “Free Palestine!” while being arrested in Washington, DC, Wednesday night, authorities said.
The slain staffers, who the Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs named as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were a couple who officials say were soon to be engaged.
The two were attending an event for young professionals at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. At around 9 p.m. outside the museum, they were approached by a gunman who opened fire and killed them, officials said.
The suspect, whom DC police identified as 30-year-old Chicago native Elias Rodriguez, pretended to be a bystander after the shooting, an eyewitness told CNN News.
When police arrived, the man turned himself in and shouted “Free, Free Palestine” while being handcuffed. He is currently in custody, according to authorities. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said the man “implied that he committed the offense.”
What we know about the shooting near the Capital Jewish Museum
Two Israeli Embassy staff members were killed in a shooting near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night.
Sources: CNN reporting, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, Google (image) Graphic: Lou Robinson, CNN
The shooting, which took place in the heart of the Hill, has shaken the Jewish community at a time of heightened global tensions, as US-led attempts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas remain unsuccessful and fighting in Gaza continues.
Tensions are also high across US college campuses where hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested amid polarized debates over the right to protest Israel’s military actions and accusations of antisemitism.
“We’ll be doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe, especially tonight our Jewish community,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters late Wednesday.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims.
Rodriguez is being interviewed by the DC Metropolitan Police and FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said on X.
“Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence,” Bongino said.
Ted Deutch, the CEO of the AJC, described the shooting “an unspeaking act of violence.”
“At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families,” he said.
Suspect was seen ‘pacing’ outside museum before shooting
Police Chief Smith said Rodriguez was allegedly seen pacing back and forth outside the museum before approaching a group of four and shooting two of them with a handgun.
The 30-year-old later retreated inside the museum, where he was eventually detained, according to Smith.
According to Sara Marinuzzi, an eyewitness who spoke with WTTG, the suspect “pretended to be a witness” once inside the building and waited for police to arrive for over 10 minutes before claiming responsibility for the attack.
Police officers work at the site of the shooting. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Another witness, Paige Siegel, told WTTG she heard Rodriguez say, “I did it for Gaza,” and “Free Palestine.”
Rodriguez, who was taken into custody on Wednesday night told officers, “I did this,” according to eyewitness Yoni Kalin.
Kalin was at the museum attending the same event organized by the AJC when he heard shots rang out. “At first I didn’t recognize them as gunshots,” he told CNN News over the phone.
Moments later, a man entered the museum appearing to be a witness, according to Kalin. He recalled the man sitting in the museum but not interacting with many people present at the event. Ten minutes later, when police entered the building, the man appeared to confess to shooting, telling officers, “I did this, I did this for Palestine,” according to Kalin.
“It’s horrible,” Kalin said. “I just didn’t realize he was the perpetrator.”
Kalin added that between the shooting and the arrest, Rodriguez appeared shaken up. People approached the suspect to offer him water and check if he was okay, he said.
Kalin said around 50 people attended the event, which was organized to discuss how multi-faith organizations can work together to bring humanitarian aid to war-torn regions such as Gaza. He added that over 30 staffers from various embassies attended the event.
“I’m still in shock,” Kalin told NBC News. “I just hope we learn from this and just recognize that violence and terrorism doesn’t get us where we need to be” he added.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and US Attorney General Pam Bondi visit the site of the shooting. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
The couple ‘were in the prime of their lives’
When officers arrived on the scene minutes after the shooting, they found “one adult male and one adult female unconscious and not breathing,” Smith told reporters late Wednesday. “Both victims succumbed to their injuries,” she said.
“We are shocked and horrified this morning by the news of the brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two of our Embassy staff members in Washington,” the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a post on X in the early hours of Thursday.
“We embrace the grieving families during this painful time and will continue to support them always,” the post read.
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, also said in a social media post Thursday. “The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss.” Leiter earlier shared with reporters that the couple was about to be engaged.
“A young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem. They were a beautiful couple,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement, expressed his condolences to the families of the young couple.
“My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were suddenly cut short by a vile antisemitic murderer,” Netanyahu said.
May 21, 2025