Over 12,000 participants, including Holocaust survivors, released Israeli hostages, bereaved families, and international delegates, marched Thursday from Auschwitz to Birkenau in the 2025 March of the Living. This year’s event—marking 80 years since the liberation of Nazi death camps—was uniquely infused with urgency, as calls to rescue hostages held by Hamas echoed the haunting memories of the Holocaust.

General Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is set to arrive in Israel on Thursday afternoon for a brief yet strategically vital 36-hour visit. His trip marks another high-level meeting between American and Israeli defense leaders, taking place amid sensitive U.S.-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The Israeli Air Force conducted a major military exercise this week, simulating a large-scale Iranian missile assault on key IDF installations previously targeted by Tehran during its strikes in April and October 2024, according to YNet News.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned Hamas as “sons of dogs” for delaying the release of Israeli hostages and said the group should disarm itself.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had a “very good” call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding, “We are on the same side of every issue.” He mentioned topics like trade and Iran but gave no further details.

At a memorial ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s determination to achieve all objectives in the war against Hamas and dismissed fears of internal unrest, declaring, “There will be no civil war—there will be no civil war.”

In a forceful Saturday night address following Hamas’s rejection of the latest hostage deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “I will not surrender to murderers.”

Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, criticizing it as a “partial” deal that fails to guarantee a complete end to the war or a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Hamas is facing a crippling cash crisis in Gaza, struggling to pay its fighters and government workers amid intensified Israeli pressure.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he was in no rush to approve military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a New York Times report that he had blocked an Israeli proposal for a joint attack next month.

The United States plans to begin a phased withdrawal of its troops from Syria within two months, U.S. defense officials told their Israeli counterparts.

Israel is expected to receive a significant arms shipment from the United States in the coming weeks, including over 3,000 munitions for the Israeli Air Force, as it prepares for ongoing operations in Gaza and a possible strike on Iran, Israeli officials said Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Monday evening with the parents of several hostages about ongoing hostage-ceasefire negotiations, according to his office. However, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that a deal remains elusive, with “significant” gaps still dividing Hamas and Israel in the indirect talks.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Saturday it had captured the Morag Corridor in southern Gaza, completing the encirclement of Rafah and severing it from Khan Younis as part of its ongoing campaign to seize more territory and eliminate Hamas from the enclave.

President Donald Trump warned that if Iran doesn’t agree to Washington’s terms in the upcoming nuclear talks starting this Saturday, the U.S. might resort to military action, with Israel taking a lead role.