Israel Update 30.7.26

INTERVIEW

 

Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya, IDF spokesperson for the Arab world, was interviewed by Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya.

She said (inter alia) “I am very proud to be an Arab Muslim woman who belongs to her community and culture, and at the same time, I am proud in fulfilling my duty as a spokesperson for the IDF… I believe, trust, and affirm that the IDF are among the most noble and honourable armies, and that is why I am here.” Interview here

WEST BANK (EASTERN FRONT)

 

Benayahu Melet, 32, a member of Gilad Farm’s emergency response squad, and Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, were killed and several other Israelis were wounded in a Palestinian attack in Samaria on Friday, after an earlier attack on an Israeli civilian hiking group. According to a participant, rock-throwing by local residents escalated into a large-scale confrontation involving hundreds of people surrounding the group.Report here

 

Last Thursday, two Palestinians stabbed and seriously wounded Itamar Cohen, 51, as Israeli civilians attempted to extinguish a fire that had broken out near a farm. Another Israeli civilian at the scene opened fire and killed both attackers. Later a Palestinian stabbed and wounded an Israeli at Ganim. Soldiers shot and killed the terrorist. Report here

 

Footnote:

Untreated sewage and industrial waste originating in Palestinian towns around Hebron in the PA is flowing past and threatening Israeli communities and groundwater resources to the south en route to Beersheba. By the time the pollution reaches Israeli territory, Har Hebron, Meotar, Omer, Bnei Shimon and Beersheba are left to fimance its collection and treatment. Report here

DRONES

 

The Israeli Air Force intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle detected near the Jordanian border on Tuesday morning for the second consecutive day, the IDF said. “The aircraft did not cross into Israeli territory, and the source of the launch is under investigation,” the military said. On Monday the IDF intercepted two drones near the Jordanian border.Report here

 

Drones intercepted near Jordanian border likely launched by Iran-backed Iraqi militias.Report here

GAZA

 

Several individuals in Gaza initially reported as “healthcare workers” (as well as “journalists and athletes”) have subsequently been identified by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as members or commanders within their military wings. While organizations like the International Council of Nurses and Médecins Sans Frontières have maintained their initial designations or stated they lacked prior knowledge of military involvement, the disclosures have fuelled ongoing disputes over wartime casualties. The revelations that these figures had dual roles that made them legitimate military targets have cast doubt on claims that the IDF targeted innocent civilians. Report here

 

Israel’s Diplomatic-Security Cabinet on Sunday approved the entry of the multinational Board of Peace force into Gaza. Report here

 

The Gaza Board of Peace’s humanitarian funding has stalled as regional conflict and Iranian attacks have frozen Gulf oil revenues and cut off the flow of pledged contributions.Report here (paywall)

 

Hamas has been working to tighten ties with clan and tribal leaders in Gaza to strengthen its position before the slated technocratic administration takes control of the area. Report here

 

THE US & ISRAEL

 

U.S. Air Force fighter jets and bombers took off from Israeli air bases to carry out strikes on Iran in recent weeks, according to Israeli Defence Minister Katz. Report here

 

Israel’s PM Netanyahu travelled to the US for the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s Memorial Service.

In an interview he rejected the notion that he misled Trump into getting involved in the Iran conflict and that regime change could be easily accomplished. “No, I didn’t mislead anything…Nobody tells President Trump what to do…Everybody in the world today understands what a grave danger Iran poses to the peace of the world.”

Following his meeting with Pres.Trump, diplomats said that there is no U.S. pressure on Israel to withdraw from Gaza or Lebanon.

 Netanyahu wanted to make sure Trump fully understood Israel’s position on Syria and brought maps showing that Israel controls 0.1% of Syrian territory, while Turkey controls about 5%, arguing that Israel’s limited presence is intended solely to prevent Iran, Hizbullah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations from establishing themselves along its border. Reports here& here

 

 

The House of Representatives passed its FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes $750 million for U.S.-Israel co-operative programs – a $65 million increase over FY26. Report here

 

The U.S. and Israel are planning to establish four additional concrete plants in the Gaza border area to meet growing demand for sealing Hamas tunnels in territory under IDF control and constructing a military base to serve the International Stabilization Force (ISF). While in some cases, the tunnels and their openings are blown up, for deeper and more heavily reinforced tunnels, pumping in concrete is far more effective.Report here

 

BEDOUIN TRACKERS IN THE IDF

 

IDF Lt.-Col. H., a Bedouin tracker officer in the 810th Mountains Brigade, returned to active service after recovering from severe wounds sustained during the October 7 attack. His grandfather served in the Palmach’s Bedouin unit and took part in defending northern communities during the War of Independence. All his brothers serve in the security establishment. He leads a team of Bedouin combat trackers who secure routes and open paths at the front lines. During their service, the tracking team uncovered that three suspicious figures eliminated near the border by a drone strike were Iranian operatives with Hezbollah links. H. continues to advocate for military service among Bedouin youth and maintains strong ties with the community of Kibbutz Holit. Report here

BOY GEORGE

 

British pop singer Boy George has released a new reggae-inspired single titled “We Will Dance Again” (also known by its Hebrew title, “Od Nirkod”). The song expresses solidarity with Israel and its supporters following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, rejecting cultural boycotts and defending Israel’s military actions in Gaza.The track criticizes musicians and activists who support the Palestinian cause, accusing them of having “selective memory” regarding the events of October 7. Although Boy George is not Jewish, he has become increasingly vocal in his support for Jewish communities and against antisemitism in recent months. Report here

Listen to the song here

 

And see Comment & Opinion below

VENEZUELA

 

Israel’s aid delegation has returned home after completing a three-week mission providing earthquake relief and a reconstruction plan in Venezuela. At a meeting with representatives from the IDF and Israel’s Foreign Ministry prior to departure, the Venezuelan leadership expressed appreciation for their efforts, and Israeli experts will continue to offer professional guidance and support remotely. Report here

 

DEFENCE

 

 Last week Greece’s security council approved the purchase of a multi-layer air defence system from Israel, worth up to $4 billion, and several types of drones. Report here.

 

Between August 2024 and February 2026, foreign drones and unmanned aerial vehicles breached European airspace 144 times, violating the sovereignty of 12 countries. These incidents, primarily involving Russian platforms, aimed to test European air defences, prompting several nations to acquire advanced Israeli-made air defence systems like the Arrow-3, Barak-8, SPYDER, and David’s Sling. Report here

 

Elbit Systems of America (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems Ltd) has won combined contracts from U.S. Customs and Border Protection worth $370 million. The company manufactures sensors, radar systems, and surveillance towers used to secure sections of the U.S. border. Report here

 

Israeli companies displayed battle-proven systems recently at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK. Report here

 

Israel’s defence exports for 2025 totalled $19.2 billion – a record broken for the fifth consecutive year and a surge of nearly 30% compared to 2024. Report here

 

Israel’s Kela Technologies which develops command and control operating systems for border areas, a company that did not exist two years ago, became a unicorn with a $1.2 billion valuation.
Israeli start-ups working with the Defence Ministry’s R&D directorate raised more than $1b. in 2025, against about $150m. in 2024. Since Oct. 2023, more than 130 Israeli start-ups have been folded into the war effort. Report here

 

MEDICAL INNOVATION

 

Sheba Medical Centre, through its ARC innovation arm, has signed a strategic partnership with OpenAI that will give physicians at Israel’s largest hospital access to the artificial intelligence company’s healthcare models. The agreement makes Sheba the first hospital outside the US to join OpenAI’s healthcare program and gain access to its dedicated suite of medical AI models. Report here

 

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre will become the first hospital worldwide to recruit patients for a clinical trial of an experimental treatment targeting KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer. The trial will evaluate SIL204, a treatment developed by Israeli biotechnology company Silexion Therapeutics, that uses small interfering RNA molecules, known as siRNA, to suppress the expression of mutated KRAS genes inside tumour cells.Report here

 

SPORT

 

In the second qualifying round of the Champions League, Hapoel Beer Sheva defeated Icelandic Víkingur Reykjavík 3-2 on aggregate to set up a 3rd qualifying round tie with Red Star Belgrade on 4 August. score here

 

At the MEVZA U20 Beach Volleyball tournament in Cyprus, Dafna Maor and Ariel Nahshony won the women’s event and Yanay Fisher and  G.Ozlan won the men’s. Photo here

 

COMMENT & OPINION

 

Gaza

 

Jeff Blackett served in the Royal Navy for 31 years and then as Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces between 2004 and 2020.  He writes that public figures, such as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, are profoundly wrong to accuse Israel of genocide. While the suffering in Gaza is real, the situation does not meet the legal definition of genocide. Drawing on his background as the former most senior lawyer in the British Armed Forces, the author notes that the 1948 Genocide Convention explicitly states that civilian losses during lawful military operations do not constitute genocide.

Israel lacks the “deliberate intent” required for genocide, evidenced by actions such as issuing civilian warnings, facilitating aid and polio vaccinations, and targeting a terrorist organization rather than a civilian group.

Casually mislabelling lawful military actions and war crimes undermines international law and makes democratic nations less safe, while ignoring Hamas’s actual genocidal intent. Full article here (paywall)

 

 

David Harris: There never was a sovereign, independent Gaza in recorded history… Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2005 leaving behind scores of greenhouses intended to help kick-start Gaza’s economy. Within days, those greenhouses were looted and destroyed. Over the strong objections of Egypt, Israel, and the PA, the U.S. pressed for Hamas to participate in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. In 2007, Hamas violently seized total control of Gaza, killing or expelling PA officials. No election has been held in the ensuing two decades.
Billions in aid were diverted into terrorist infrastructure rather than economic development. .. What happened on Oct. 7, 2023, cannot simply be forgotten, dismissed, or minimized…Hamas, cannot launch a war of aggression and then thunder to the world about its consequences. Exactly how many humanitarian corridors were created by Allied nations to provide aid to German or Japanese civilians during the Second World War? None. Full article here (paywall)

 

 

Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox: Every pillar of the genocide accusation against Israel has crumbled. Various allegations against Israel—including claims of engineered famine, the targeting of hospitals and journalists, and high civilian casualty figures—have collapsed under closer scrutiny and new data. Major international organizations, media outlets, and academic bodies propagated unverified or false claims that fuelled global antisemitism and these institutions must face accountability now that the accusations have unravelled. Full article here

 

 

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is a Palestinian-American writer and activist who was exiled from Gaza after Hamas seized control in 2007. He strongly opposes Hamas, arguing that the group’s actions and ideology are profoundly harmful to the Palestinian people while criticizing Western activists who justify its violence.

Here’s his article: Hamas and its Two Million Hostages. Full Article here

 

 

Rabbi Benjy Morgan:
Is there now a legal principle under which the leader of a democracy becomes a war criminal for fighting a war against an enemy that deliberately hides beneath civilians? If a terrorist organization massacres your civilians, kidnaps your children and then embeds itself beneath apartment blocks and hospitals, your obligation is what exactly? Full article here

 

 

Boy George

 

Brendan O’Neill: In mocking the genocide lie, the Eighties star has struck a blow for truth. Full article here

JPost: Boy George’s stand: Non-Jewish celebrities speaking up for Israel makes a difference. In today’s climate, standing with Israel requires courage. Editorial here