In a bold and highly personal video address released Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the “proud people of Iran” to stand up to their government, take to the streets, and fight for freedom, promising that Israel would help solve the country’s severe water shortages once the current regime falls.

Israel confirmed Monday it killed a controversial reporter of Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera in a targeted air strike in Gaza, describing him as a Hamas terror cell leader.

President Donald Trump stopped short of directly endorsing Israel’s plan to attack and occupy Gaza City, but suggested that Hamas will not release Israeli hostages unless the situation in Gaza changes dramatically.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Monday that Australia will formally recognize a Palestinian state during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September, aligning with recent moves by the United Kingdom, France, and Canada.

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets Saturday night to protest the government’s decision to seize Gaza City, warning that the move could doom remaining hostages and drag the nation into a prolonged and deadly conflict.

In a forceful address on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his government’s battle plan for Gaza, declaring that Israel’s mission is not to seize the territory but to free it from the grip of Hamas. Framing the campaign as a fight for liberation rather than conquest, Netanyahu vowed to dismantle the terrorist group’s rule and secure a future in which Gazans can live free from fear, oppression, and the violence of jihad.

Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to take control of Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in the nearly two-year war with Hamas. The decision, announced Friday, comes despite warnings from top military officials that the move could endanger hostages still held in the enclave and deepen the humanitarian crisis.

Germany on Friday halted military exports to Israel “that could be used in Gaza,” amid one of the worst tensions between the German and Israeli governments since the establishment of the Jewish nation following World War II.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clarified Israel’s long-term strategy for the Gaza Strip, stating in two separate interviews that while Israel will take temporary military control of the territory, it has no intention of annexing or permanently governing it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to present a sweeping new military and governance plan for the Gaza Strip to Israel’s security cabinet on Thursday, according to government sources who spoke with The Jerusalem Post. The proposal is expected to greenlight a large-scale IDF operation to occupy additional portions of the coastal enclave over a five-month period.

In a historic visit to the biblical heartland of Israel, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson declared his intention to remove the term “West Bank” from U.S. federal government language and replace it with the biblical names “Judea and Samaria,” reinforcing America’s growing alignment with Israel’s ancestral claims to the disputed region.

Hezbollah issued a scathing rebuke on Wednesday against the Lebanese government’s decision to move forward with a plan to disarm all resistance groups, including the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist organization, calling the move a “grave sin” and a capitulation to American and Israeli pressure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet Thursday evening to finalize decisions on the next phase of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with expectations mounting that the government will approve a full-scale occupation of the Strip–despite urgent warnings from top defense officials.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar delivered a forceful rebuke at the United Nations on Tuesday, accusing countries that recently moved to recognize a Palestinian state of sabotaging a ceasefire deal and giving Hamas “free gifts” that have prolonged the war in Gaza.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take concrete steps to compel Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza and move toward a two-state solution. According to a statement from the Turkish presidency, Erdogan pressed Starmer during a phone call to use Britain’s influence to help end the ongoing conflict and advance Palestinian statehood.