Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 4 – 13, 2025)

The IDF

• IDF forces continued aerial and ground activity throughout the Gaza Strip, attacking terrorist targets, primarily of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), some of which operated from civilian structures. The forces attacked terrorist squads and operatives, including Anas al-Sharif, head of a rocket-launching squad in the Hamas military wing, who operated under the guise of an “al-Jazeera correspondent.” They attacked armed terrorists posing as workers of an international aid organization and operatives involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. The forces destroyed structures used for military purposes, weapons depots, tunnels and underground facilities, rocket and sniper positions, IED sites, and other terrorist facilities (IDF spokesperson, August 4–13, 2025).

• “Eyewitnesses” claimed that Israeli intelligence had contacted the owners of several high-rise buildings in the south and east of Gaza City, particularly in the al-Sabra neighborhood, and demanded they evacuate immediately. The buildings were then attacked and destroyed, along with the upper floors of other buildings (al-Ayyam, August 9, 2025). Reportedly, after residents in the western al-Zeitoun, ‘Asqoula, and al-Sabra neighborhoods refused to leave their homes and evacuate to the al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, the Israeli Air Force increased attacks on buildings more than four stories high (al-Sharq al-Awsat, August 10, 2025).
• “Palestinian sources” reported an Israeli Air Force attack on Gaza City of heavy, continuous bombing and the creation of “fire belts” in the east of the city. There were also reports of concentrations of Israeli ground forces in the area, reportedly part of increasing military pressure ahead of a ground maneuver (Telegram channel al-Dakhil Palestine 48, August 11, 2025).

Palestinian Responses to the Israeli Decision to Control Gaza City

• On August 8, 2025, the Israeli political-security cabinet decided to order the IDF to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside combat zones. The objectives are to defeat Hamas and release all the hostages, demilitarize the Gaza Strip, and transfer control to “Arab forces” which belong to neither Hamas nor the PA (Prime Minister’s Office Facebook page, August 8, 2025). There were angry Palestinian responses:
  • Hamas called the decision “a new war crime,” claiming that replacing the term “occupation” with “control” was an attempt to evade legal responsibility and an admission of violating the Geneva Conventions and harming nearly one million Gazans. Hamas accused Netanyahu and his government of “indifference to the fate of the Israeli captives [hostages]” and sacrificing them for “failed political illusions,” presenting it as an explanation for Israel’s withdrawal from ceasefire and “prisoner” exchange contacts which were [allegedly] “close to an agreement.” Hamas warned that the move would cost Israel dearly and ultimately fail. Hamas also placed full responsibility on the United States for its political backing and military aid for Israel, and called on the UN and international courts to act to stop the move and prosecute Israel’s leaders (Hamas Telegram channel, August 8, 2025).
  • The office of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas called the decision “a war crime” and “in blatant violation of international law.” The statement claimed that the Israeli plans would lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and contribute to escalation in Judea and Samaria, adding that the Palestinian people adhered to their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital. The statement noted that Mahmoud Abbas’ office had approached the UN Security Council, called on the American president to stop Israel from carrying out the decision, and called on the international community, the UN, its agencies, and the Red Cross to allow the unconditional entry of aid and fuel. According to the statement, the only way to end the “tragedy” was to transfer full responsibility for governance and security in the Gaza Strip to the “State of Palestine” within the 1967 borders, as part of a comprehensive political solution which would end the “occupation” (Wafa, August 8, 2025).
  • The PIJ called it a new chapter in the “war against the Palestinian people.” It claimed the Israeli government planned to escalate attacks and further endanger the lives of Palestinian civilians, including displaced persons in unprotected shelters, adding that the move was fully supported by the United States. The PIJ claimed Israel planned to occupy Gaza and “forcibly expel its residents,” reiterating its claims that Israel was responsible for the failure of the negotiations and had full responsibility for the deaths in the Gaza Strip. The PIJ called the decision a “slap in the face” to all those who had placed their hopes on an arrangement with Israel, adding that PIJ would continue, alongside other “resistance” forces,^[1] to defend the Palestinian people and their rights (PIJ combat information Telegram channel, August 8, 2025).

Rocket Fire

• This past week three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at the Israeli communities near the border. One rocket was intercepted and two others fell in open areas. One of the rockets fell in a cowshed in Kibbutz Sa’ad, causing minor damage. There were no casualties (IDF spokesperson, August 4–13, 2025). The PIJ military wing claimed responsibility for the launches (Filastin al-Yawm, August 7, 2025; Quds News Agency Telegram channel, August 10, 2025).

• On August 12, 2025, Hamas announced that a delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, had arrived in Egypt to discuss the latest developments in the war. Hamas figure Taher al-Nunu, also a member of the delegation, said they had begun preliminary talks ahead of meetings, which would be held on August 13 and deal with ways to stop the war and bring in humanitarian aid, “the day after” and internal Palestinian relations, in order to reach national agreements on various matters. He praised Egypt’s efforts in dealing with the Palestinian issue and stressed that relations with Egypt were “solid and stable” (Hamas Telegram channel, August 13, 2025).
• Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said his country was working with the mediators, Qatar and the United States, to renew negotiations for a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, during which “several” Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners and the unlimited entry of aid into the Strip (Sky News in Arabic, August 12, 2025).
• A “Palestinian source” said the mediators had several ideas for a ceasefire agreement, including a 60-day ceasefire followed by discussions on a long-term ceasefire, and an agreement for the release of all Israeli “prisoners,” [hostages] both living and dead, in one phase. However, according to the “source” there was still no room for optimism and accused Israel of preventing progress towards an agreement (Agence France-Presse, August 12, 2025).
• A “source familiar with the details” said Egypt and Qatar were working with Turkey on a new initiative to end the war, aimed at “removing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s excuses for occupying Gaza City.” The initiative reportedly focused on a comprehensive deal which included the release of all the hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas would also have to agree to a new map of IDF withdrawal under American-Arab supervision until a comprehensive solution had been reached on the issue of the Hamas weapons and its control of the Strip. The initiative also included a transitional phase in which Hamas would freeze the activity of its military wing and prohibit the use of weapons under guarantees from the mediators and Turkey. It was noted that if Hamas agreed to the proposal, it would be passed on to the United States for it to convey to Israel (Sky News, August 11, 2025).
• However, a “senior Hamas source” claimed the movement’s leadership had not received any new proposal and everything in the media, whether from Israeli or international sources, was completely unfounded and did not reflect reality. According to him, it was all rumors whose objective was to confuse the public, create a false impression of progress, and pressure Hamas in the midst of discussions with the mediators. The “source” claimed Hamas was committed to full coordination with the mediating parties and that any serious proposal received would be examined according to the movement’s policy and its “national positions” (al-Quds Ajil network, August 12, 2025).
• This past week Hamas continued to address the indirect negotiations with Israel. Hamas claimed that the talks with Israel had been “close to completing the agreement” but Israel and the United States had prevented understandings from being reached, and claimed Hamas still sought to reach an agreement:
  • Hamas figure Taher al-Nunu claimed that in the last round of negotiations at the end of July 2025, a final agreement to stop the attack on the Gaza Strip “had almost been reached,” but had not because of a decision from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and with the support of the American special envoy, Steve Witkoff. According al-Nunu, Hamas acted “responsibly and flexibly” out of “concern for the Palestinian people,” but Netanyahu was misleading the public in Israel when he declared that the release of the “captives” [hostages] was a priority, while in practice he was acting to occupy the Strip, refusing to return to the negotiating table and placing obstacles in its way. Al-Nunu claimed that the Hamas decisions were “entirely independent and reflected the interests of the Palestinian people.” He claimed that accusations of Iranian or other influences and meddling in decision-making were false, and noted that Hamas had good relations with Iran, Arab and Islamic states, and many components of the Muslim nation, but not on the basis of intervention in the movement’s positions and decisions (Aljazeera.net, August 7, 2025).
  • Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, claimed Hamas was willing to reach a “full deal” in which the hostages would be released at once in exchange for ending the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. He also stated that the “resistance”^[2] would not give up its weapons, and that the issue had [allegedly] not been raised at all during the negotiations (al-Jazeera Mubasher website, August 7, 2025). On another occasion, Hamdan claimed they had not received updates on developments in the negotiations, and alleged that “significant progress had been made in the last round of negotiations before the statements by American envoy Witkoff damaged it” (al-Araby, August 10, 2025).
  • In response to criticism that he was posting Quran verses and hadiths on his Facebook page instead of up-to-date information, Hamas political bureau member Basem Na’im claimed that the leadership of the “resistance” was working day and night to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people, stop the “aggression” and ensure a better future. According to him, Hamas was “responsible and flexible” and had agreed to the last proposal from the “occupation” through the mediators, even though he claimed it was unfair, and included the release of ten live and 18 dead “captives” [hostages], the retention of about 20% of the Strip under the temporary control of the “occupation,” and the entry of humanitarian aid under conditions similar to the January 2025 agreement. However, he accused the “enemy” of not meeting the conditions, killing more than 150 Palestinians during the ceasefire, and opposing the proposal with American support, while withdrawing from the negotiations and preparing for an escalation and a new military operation. Na’im added that the mediators had been informed that Hamas was waiting for the “enemy’s” response, despite the understanding that a temporary 60-day agreement would not guarantee the prevention of the resumption of war, but would provide a respite for the fighters and an opportunity for the people to catch their breath (Basem Na’im’s Facebook page, August 8, 2025).

Humanitarian Aid

• This past week, IDF forces, through the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), continued to bring extensive humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with other countries, to alleviate the distress in the Gaza Strip:
  • The COGAT reported that in the week ending August 10, 2025, more than 1,310 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, most of them carrying food. In addition, close to 1,900 aid trucks were collected from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim Crossings and distributed in the Strip; there was no limit on the number of trucks entering the Strip and that bakeries and community kitchens were open with all the necessary ingredients already in the Gaza Strip. On August 12, 2025, close to 320 trucks entered the Strip, and an equal number were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations; three UN fuel tankers were brought in (COGAT’s X account, August 4-13, 2025).

• • This past week aid airdrop operations continued and expanded with the participation of the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada, Greece, and Italy, which dropped more than 750 aid packages (IDF spokesperson, August 4-13, 2025).

• • Fifty traders from the Gaza Strip received official approval from Israel to import essential food and consumer goods through the crossings, items which had not entered the Strip since the resumption of fighting in March 2025, after the failure of the last truce agreement. It was reported that the goods included frozen meat, baby products, cleaning materials, perfumes, sugar, milk and dairy products, vegetables, and fruit (al-Shati Camp Network of Reporters Telegram channel, August 7, 2025).
  • The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) reported that since the start of its activity at the end of May 2025, it had distributed close to 119 million meals, with at least 1.5 million meals distributed daily. In addition, on August 12, 2025, nutritional supplements were distributed for the first time in coordination with an evangelical Christian organization (GHF X account and Facebook page, August 4-13, 2025).

Promoting “Hunger” Propaganda

• Despite the increase in humanitarian aid from Israel and the international community, Hamas and its affiliated media outlets continued to promote “hunger propaganda.” Hamas accuses Israel of carrying out a “policy of deliberate hunger” and claims that the aid is insufficient and “encouraged looting and chaos:”
• Twenty Palestinians were reportedly killed and dozens injured when an aid truck overturned onto civilians in the central Strip after being besieged by large crowds. “Palestinian sources” blamed Israel for the overturn of the truck and claimed that Israel was “deliberately engineering hunger and chaos” because its policies led to looting, harm to civilians, and mass deaths (Hamas government media information office, August 6, 2025).
• The Hamas ministry of the interior and national security called Israel’s humanitarian aid activity a “policy of engineering hunger” intended to create anarchy, encourage bullying, and cause the spread of looting. The airdrops of supplies [allegedly] caused injuries and deaths of civilians during riots over collecting the supplies, as well as direct hits by packages on homes and tents of displaced persons, causing the deaths of women and children, the destruction of tents, and property damage. Hamas further claimed that the amount of aid airdropped in was very small and did not meet the needs of the population compared to the aid which could be brought in overland through the crossings. The ministry claimed that the damage and chaos caused were greater than any possible benefit, and called on the countries participating in the airdrops to stop them immediately and instead prefer daily opening of the crossings to bring in a sufficient amount of aid over time (Hamas ministry of the interior Telegram channel, August 6, 2025).
• Hamas claimed that the aid entering the Gaza Strip today was only “a drop in the ocean of humanitarian needs,” and that the aid airdrops were nothing but propaganda, risked civilian lives and were not a substitute for opening the land crossings (Hamas in Judea and Samaria Telegram channel, August 10, 2025).
• The ministry of health in Gaza claimed that 235 people, including 106 children, died from hunger and malnutrition since the beginning of the war in October 2023. According to the ministry, during the 24 hours before August 13, 2025, eight deaths were recorded, including three children (ministry of health in Gaza Telegram channel, August 13, 2025).

Refuting Hamas “Hunger” Propaganda

• An investigative report published in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung raised doubts about the authenticity and reliability of some of the images from the Gaza Strip distributed through the global media, noting that they were part of the Hamas strategy to reinforce its “hunger” propaganda. According to the investigation, Palestinian photographer Anas Zaid Fatiha, working for the Turkish Anadolu news agency, tended to choose and distribute close-ups of women and children in dramatic lighting, even when the photographs were not close to reality. Fatiha, known on social media for publishing harsh anti-Israeli messages and working with pro-Palestinian collectives in Europe, was accused of cooperating with the Hamas propaganda mechanisms. The report stated that Hamas completely controlled the production of images in the southern Strip to evoke sympathy in the West and generate international pressure on Israel. In response, journalist organizations and news agencies in Western countries said they were checking the reliability of the images and stressed that they were aware that both warring parties, including Israel, intentionally used visual documentation for political and emotional influence (Bild, August 5, 2025). The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate condemned the investigation, claiming it was a “systematic campaign intended to distort Fatiha’s professional image and cast doubt on the credibility of his journalistic work.” It also claimed the results of the investigation were “an insult to honest journalism [sic] and cover for the occupation’s narrative” (Quds News Agency, August 8, 2025).
• The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) published an in-depth examination by the Israeli security system which refuted the Hamas claims of a “deliberate hunger campaign” in the Gaza Strip, revealing substantial gaps between the number of deaths from malnutrition reported and the cases actually identified. According to the examination, in July 2025 there was a sharp and unusual rise in reports of deaths due to malnutrition, over 133 cases compared to 66 during the entire war period from October 2023 until June 2025, but without the publication of names of the dead as in the past. It was also noted that a detailed analysis found that many of the dead suffered from severe preexisting conditions unrelated to nutritional status, and had even been treated in Israel before the war, such as a four-year-old child with a rare genetic disease and a 27-year-old young man with muscular dystrophy. Therefore, the conclusion of the examination was that there was no evidence of widespread malnutrition, and Hamas cynically and consciously used shocking images to conduct a propaganda campaign and incite international outrage (COGAT’s X account, August 12, 2025).

The Situation in the Gaza Strip

• The presidential office of Indonesia said the country would convert a medical facility on the uninhabited island of Galang to treat two thousand wounded Gazans. He said the facility would be converted to treat the wounded and provide temporary shelter for their families, noting that they would be returned to the Strip after recovery (Reuters, August 7, 2025).
• The Nasser Medical Complex announced that the Hind al-Daghmeh building for kidney patients had been transferred to the ministry of health in Gaza after being fully renovated and equipped following its destruction in IDF attacks. It was noted that after four months of continuous efforts and with the support of the international medical aid association Medics, the building had resumed receiving patients (Nasser Medical Complex Facebook page, August 10, 2025).

Hamas Governance

• It was revealed that Hamas continued to pay salaries to about 30 thousand government employees in the Gaza Strip through a secret cash payment system totaling about $7 million, despite the war and Israel’s efforts to disrupt the system. According to the report, employees receive only about 20% of their previous salary once every ten weeks, sometimes in worn-out banknotes, causing resentment even among Hamas supporters. It was also noted that payments were conducted in secrecy and at high risk, with encrypted instructions and meeting points sometimes hit in Israeli attacks. A senior Hamas figure admitted that before the October 7, 2023 attack, the movement hid hundreds of millions of dollars and shekels in underground tunnels. Hamas also distributes food packages to its supporters through emergency committees, a step that has raised accusations of discrimination in aid distribution, with “sources” reporting that significant amounts of aid were taken by Hamas during the ceasefire in early 2025 (BBC website, August 7, 2025).
• A warning was issued to the public in the Gaza Strip and to the Jawwal cellular company after several recent cases in which civilians were targeted because they used SIM cards with numbers previously belonging to individuals who had been under surveillance. In one case, a woman bought a card with a “nice number” for her husband, and the two were attacked by a missile shortly after activating it. The investigation revealed that the number had previously belonged to a wanted individual, and the company resold it after a period of disuse. Therefore, citizens were called upon to avoid buying numbers that had been previously used and to require the companies to market only new numbers, out of concern for human life and the need to prevent further tragedies (al-Nuseirat News Telegram channel, August 7, 2025).
• Hamas “resistance security” Rada Force announced it had neutralized a group of thieves and robbers in Gaza City and burned the vehicle they used to attack aid and goods and to threaten the lives of civilians. The force reportedly continues to pursue the “Israeli agent” Yasser Abu Shabab, head of the Israeli-supported Popular Forces militia, some of whom were injured in operations while others fled their strongholds in Khan Yunis and found shelter in Rafah. Several members of Abu Shabab’s militia in the central Strip reportedly surrendered to Hamas “security forces” (Rada Force Telegram channel, August 10, 2025). Videos were published showing operatives of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the Hamas military wing) and the Sahm Unit who had allegedly neutralized a “group of thieves and robbers,” burned their jeep, and “received cheers” from the civilians (al-Siyad Telegram channel, August 9, 2025).

• Hamas units continue activity vis-à-vis merchants throughout the Strip: the Sahm Unit reported that an agreement was signed with the owner of a beverage shop located in the al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza, in which he committed to lowering the price of a medium-sized drink to five shekels, with the possibility of further reduction if commodity prices dropped, and he was therefore permitted to reopen the shop. The unit claimed that the goal was not to close shops, but to require everyone to take responsibility and stand by the people in difficult times (Sahm Unit Telegram channel, August 7, 2025).

International Flotilla to the Gaza Strip

• A group of four international pro-Palestinian movements, including the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, announced their intention to launch a large-scale “civilian flotilla” at the end of August 2025 in an attempt to break the Israeli “blockade” on the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid. As part of the Global Sumud Flotilla of the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine, dozens of ships are expected to sail from ports in Spain and Tunisia, with more than 6,000 activists from over 40 countries who have already registered to participate. According to the organizers, it is a “maritime civil rebellion” aimed at establishing a humanitarian corridor (Roya News, August 7, 2025). According to reports, the first flotilla is expected to depart from Spanish ports on August 31, and the second from Tunisian ports on September 4 (Anadolu Agency, August 4, 2025). It was also reported that among the participants were American activists leading two ships that would fly the American flag as a symbolic step to express growing public opposition to the American administration’s support for Israel (MENA News Net, August 7, 2025). Activists who were on the ship Madeleine, which was intercepted by the Israeli Navy in June 2025, are expected to be among the participants, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg (Instagram channel of the flotilla, August 10, 2025).

     
Right: Notice for the planned flotilla (Freedom Flotilla Coalition website, August 7, 2025). Left: Some of the flotilla participants (flotilla Instagram channel, August 10, 2025)

• Hamas figure Osama Hamdan said that any Arab force established in the Gaza Strip would be regarded by Hamas as an occupation force associated with Israel. He claimed the deployment of Arab forces would lead the region to a new dead end, adding that the international community had erred by giving Israel sufficient time to complete its “crimes,” and stressed that “resistance”^[3] was the only way to remove the “occupation,” which would end with the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state (al-Jazeera Mubasher, August 7, 2025).
• Fatah spokesperson in the Gaza Strip, Mundhir al-Hayk, called on Hamas to transfer the administration of the Gaza Strip to the PA and formally integrate it into the negotiations, claiming that it was the only way to break the deadlock and lead to an arrangement that would be approved by the international community. He accused Hamas of choosing to ignore Arab-Islamic initiatives and plans to bring about an end to the fighting, and expressed deep concern over its unwillingness to address the issue of “the day after,” especially the question of who would govern the Gaza Strip when the campaign ended. Fatah spokesperson Jamal Nazzal said Hamas was not a legitimate address for managing political issues, since for three decades it had consistently opposed every initiative to establish a Palestinian state, and it was Fatah’s position that the only body authorized to do so was the PLO headed by Mahmoud Abbas. Nazzal added that it was time for Hamas to hand over its weapons to the PA and the PLO, not as an act of surrender to Israel, but as a transfer of responsibility to the lawful and exclusive representative of the Palestinian people, a step that could unite the Palestinian political arena and return control to the legitimate authority (Nasr Palestine Telegram channel, August 9, 2025).
• Former PA figure Samir Hulileh confirmed that discussions were underway to appoint him as governor of the Gaza Strip and said that the proposal had been on the table for a year and a half. He said he had presented the proposal to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa, and discussions were now taking place within the Palestinian leadership. He claimed Hamas had agreed to the proposal, adding that according to it the Gaza Strip would be managed under the supervision of an Arab League committee which would include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and the PA, and that the Arab forces entering the Gaza Strip would include Egyptian forces under American supervision (Ma’an, August 12, 2025).
• An “official source in Mahmoud Abbas’ office” denied the reports of Hulileh’s appointment, claiming that the only body authorized to administer the Gaza Strip was the “State of Palestine,” represented by the government or an administrative committee headed by a government minister. He said any other approach deviated from the national line and aligned with the “occupation’s” desire to separate the Gaza Strip from Judea and Samaria and to cause the “displacement” of its population (Wafa, August 12, 2025). Khalila said he would not accept the role of administering the Gaza Strip if the PA refused, since it was “the sovereign and legitimate authority.” He claimed he had first received the proposal to manage the Gaza Strip from the United States in July 2024, and had informed the PA, which told him in March 2025 of its refusal. Khalila said he was committed to the PA’s national line and had suggested that the security forces in the Gaza Strip should have Arab-Egyptian support under American supervision (al-Arabiya, August 12, 2025).
• Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said the Gaza Strip would be managed by 15 Palestinian technocrats under the supervision of the PA for six months, with an emphasis on unity between the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria (Sky News Arabia, August 12, 2025).
• PA foreign minister Farsin Shaheen said the PA had a comprehensive vision regarding the day after the war in the Gaza Strip, including preparing a police force. She said the Gaza Strip was an inseparable part of the Palestinian state, there had to be one government and the weapons had to be in the hands of a single authority. She added that the Palestinian state had to take responsibility for the Gaza Strip with Arab and international support, and Hamas should have no role in Gaza’s future. According to her, it was important to have an international presence in the Gaza Strip, and they were formulating the idea. She said there was no direct communication with the American administration, and claimed that Hamas had said it was not interested in governing on the day after the war (Wafa, August 13, 2025).

Terrorist Attacks

• There were no terrorist attacks this past week.

Counterterrorism Activities

• This past week, Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism operations in various areas of Judea and Samaria. They detained wanted individuals and terrorist operatives and confiscated weapons and funds used to finance terrorist activity, searched dozens of buildings in the Palestinian part of the village of Bartaa and confiscated weapons, and demolished the house of one of the terrorists who took part in the shooting attack at the light rail station in Jaffa in October 2024, in which seven people were killed (IDF spokesperson, August 4–13, 2025).
• A father and son from Kafr ‘Aqab in east Jerusalem were detained on suspicion of planning to attack Israeli security forces and civilians. They purchased various types of weapons, explosives, and components for making explosive devices in apartments used as bomb laboratories, where they prepared dozens of explosive devices which they learned to make by watching videos. An accomplice, a resident of east Jerusalem, was detained on suspicion of assisting in preparing the explosive devices and planning an attack (Israel Police and Israeli Security Agency spokespersons, August 10, 2025).

Political Activity

• The PA leadership is planning to take a unilateral step to declare the Palestinian Authority a state during the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2025. According to the report, the move, which would be based on a constitutional declaration by chairman Mahmoud Abbas and would set a date for elections to the National Council, is meant to define the state’s borders, principles, and constitutional basis until the approval of a full Palestinian constitution. The decision was seen as a response to Israeli measures for the “annexation of the West Bank and violation of the Oslo Accords,” and as an opportunity to leverage the wave of international “recognition,” currently standing at 149 states and potentially reaching 160 by the end of the year. It was also noted that legally, the move would be based on a series of UN and Security Council resolutions affirming the right to a Palestinian state, while politically, it was intended to preserve the unity of the Palestinian territories and prevent moves to separate the Gaza Strip from Judea and Samaria. However, experts warned that it was a symbolic step which could provoke a harsh Israeli response and even undermine the stability of the Palestinian political system, especially in the absence of internal support and broad national coordination (al-Araby al-Jadeed, August 10, 2025).
• This past week PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas held telephone conversations with the king of Bahrain, the king of Jordan, the president of Egypt, the prime minister of Greece, the president of Turkey, the Saudi crown prince, and the prime minister of Italy. He briefed them on the latest developments in the Palestinian arena and thanked them for their support for the Palestinian cause. He warned of Israel’s decision to occupy the Gaza Strip and displace the population southward, and called for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the transfer of responsibility for the Gaza Strip to the PA (Wafa, August 4–13, 2025).
• On August 10, 2025, PA foreign minister Farsin Shaheen spoke with Penny Wong, the Australian foreign minister, following the conversation between Mahmoud Abbas and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on August 4, 2025, regarding recognition of a Palestinian state. Shaheen stressed the importance of Australia leading the move to recognition, while Wong noted her country’s commitment to the “two-state solution” (Wafa, August 10, 2025). The following day, the Australian prime minister announced that he would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September 2025. He also stated that he had received assurances from the PA that Hamas would have no role in the future state (Agence France-Presse, August 11, 2025).
• Shaheen said the PA was continuing diplomatic and legal efforts for the recognition of a Palestinian state. She said that eight countries had already announced they would recognize the state and ten had yet to decide on the matter (Wafa, August 13, 2025).

• PA deputy chairman Hussein al-Sheikh briefed Fatah’s Revolutionary Council on the political and diplomatic moves of the Palestinian leadership at the international and regional level to end the war in the Gaza Strip, prevent “the hunger,” and ensure a constant supply of food and medical aid. He noted contacts with Egypt, Qatar, and the international community to prevent “the occupation’s plan to displace the Gazans,” and praised countries willing to recognize “Palestine.” He particularly praised Saudi Arabia, which conditions any political process on the implementation of the two-state solution (Wafa, August 12, 2025).
• Palestinian National Council chairman Rawhi Fattouh met in Ramallah with a European delegation headed by the deputy head of the EU mission, James Rizzo, to discuss the humanitarian and political situation in the Palestinian territories. Fattouh described the situation in the Gaza Strip as catastrophic, with “the complete collapse of the health and services system.” He added that the situation was also difficult in Judea and Samaria and east Jerusalem, due, he claimed, to “daily attacks by IDF forces, increased violence by settlers, and the expansion of the settlements.” Fattouh stressed that there was no possibility of holding Palestinian elections during the war and the “siege,” and that they could take place only after a complete cessation of fighting, the lifting of the “siege,” and the preparation of appropriate political and humanitarian conditions. Rizzo welcomed the idea of elections, noting that they were an important step in building a democratic Palestinian state, adding that the growing international recognition of “Palestine” required an elected parliament which would reflect the will of the people (Palestinian National Council Facebook page, August 7, 2025).
• The PA foreign ministry welcomed the decision of the Slovenian government to ban the import and export of products from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, as well as to completely prohibit trade and the transfer of weapons to and from Israel. The statement said that the move expressed a commitment to international humanitarian law and a rejection of the “policy of occupation, colonialism, land theft, and forced displacement.” The ministry also praised Slovenia’s commitment to provide additional humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, presenting it as a sincere partner in defending international law. The ministry called on EU states to adopt similar positions and on all countries to act to remove the [alleged] historical injustice against the Palestinian people and to guarantee their rights to live in security, freedom, and dignity (Wafa, August 7, 2025).