Israel Set to Expand in West Bank to ‘Bury' Palestinian State
The expansion into the 3,000 acres known as E1 that run between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim — long excluded from settlement plans — would amount to a major rebuke of growing Western calls to recognize Palestinian statehood. It comes as the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized a large-scale increase in settlement building in the West Bank — widely considered a violation of international law — over the past year and plans to take over the Gaza Strip.
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Iran hacked the phone of Israel's former justice minister
The successful infiltration came after multiple attempts. The hackers reportedly gained access after Shaked clicked on a link, which enabled the hackers to gain full control of her phone. Iran-backed hackers successfully infiltrated the personal phone of Ayelet Shaked, Israel's former justice minister, N12 first reported on Thursday. Shaked was informed of the hack by the Shin Bet, who told her that the attempt originated from Iran. The successful infiltration came after multiple attempts. The hackers reportedly gained access after Shaked clicked on a link, which enabled the hackers to gain full control of her phone. Shaked was previously warned of the Iranian attempts by former Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman. "The matter is being handled by security officials," Shaked said following the incident. Hacking attempts by Iran Since the end of the 12 Day War, Iran's attempts to hack into the personal phones of Israeli officials has dramatically increased. Several senior officials have fallen for an Iranian hacking scheme where a message that impersonates the official Telegram account is sent, encouraging the victims to connect to WhatsApp and synchronize the social networks. Solve the daily Crossword
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In first, Israeli aid groups appeal gov't for easier restrictions on int'l aid entry into Gaza
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories denied all the claims made in the report, saying that Israel allows and facilitates the entry of aid while Hamas exploits it. The government's new requirements for international aid organizations have severely hampered their efforts to get resources into Gaza, and several Israeli international aid groups have appealed to the government to facilitate aid shipments on Monday. This marks the first time Israeli emergency relief groups made such an appeal, which the Gaza Humanitarian Forum launched. This umbrella organization includes IsraAid, EcoPeace Middle East, SID-Israel, NATAN, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Mitvim think tank. The organization encompasses a team of experts and Israeli civil society groups that coalesce essential and comprehensive information on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and propose short- and long-term solutions. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) denied all the claims made in the report. COGAT is the Defense Ministry's military unit responsible for civilian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank. 'Israel acts to allow and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while the terrorist organization Hamas seeks to exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control over the population,' COGAT said. 'This is sometimes done under the cover of certain international aid organizations, whether knowingly or unknowingly,' it continued. In turn, the Gaza Humanitarian Forum said, 'In order to ensure effective, productive cooperation between the security forces and the humanitarian organizations, alternate protocols must be instituted to meet the humanitarian needs without compromising security.' It suggested a new framework of a declarative commitment and approval for recognized international groups, shortening the request times to 72 hours for the organization to be cleared as legitimate, and improving digital services. Up until the war, operational registration for international humanitarian organizations in order to issue visas and manage logistical and technical affairs was done through the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry. The forum noted that for years, the ministry has avoided registering international organizations – as opposed to Israeli ones – due to a 'lack of familiarity' with the global arena, and in a demand that the matter be resolved in other ways. It added that this challenged efforts by COGAT to secure fresh international groups, allies of Israel, who could help get more aid into Gaza. The issue was solved by a government decision from December 2024 that organized the registration process. Then, this past March, the government publicized a ministerial circular, a document of instructions and policy. It dictated new directives, headed by Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, which carried across several ministries. The new directives included the requirement to register even those organizations that already receive operational approval. To make this less cumbersome, the forum said, the ministerial circular grants a grace period of six months, terminating on September 9, during which some relaxation of restrictions is allowed. COGAT said that the defense establishment created a new mechanism for aid entry 'designed to ensure that aid reaches the population directly and not Hamas.' It added that organizations must now undergo a formal registration with the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, 'which includes submitting a list of the organization's employees operating in Gaza for prior security screening.' Moreover, 'The registration process is based on clear professional and security criteria intended to safeguard the integrity of the humanitarian system while preventing the infiltration of terrorist elements into the aid mechanism. This is a transparent and clear process that was presented to all organizations in advance,' COGAT said. The Gaza Humanitarian Forum found that in July, aid from over 29 organizations was denied entry, based on the claim that they did not have comprehensive approval. As of Monday, 20 organizations had submitted a request for registration and were awaiting approval by Israel. Per COGAT, in July, 74,452 tons of aid transported in 3,827 trucks entered the enclave through land crossings. Remarking on the forum's data, COGAT said, 'The refusal of some international organizations to provide the information and cooperate with the registration process raises serious concerns about their true intentions and the possibility of ties between the organization or its employees and Hamas.' It added that around 20 international organizations that complied with the updated regulations and completed the new registration process are operating regularly. The government's changes specifically concern registration, whereby the organization is required to provide information that the groups describe as personal and sensitive about staff members. Organizations warned of a 'fierce' hit to the ability to provide aid to Palestinians in the war-torn enclave. The need for aid in Gaza The Israel-Hamas War, which was triggered by Hamas's cross-border massacre attack on October 7, has destroyed much of the livable space in Gaza. International pressure rained down on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government over the last few weeks as footage and photos of starvation in Gaza emerged. Israel has since increased the aid that makes its way into the enclave via land crossings, as well as pallets that are airdropped in cooperation with several other states. According to the forum, the new directives contradict international ethical standards on humanitarian aid, are not legally, morally, or operationally sound, and can harm the aid efforts. 'The past few months showed that aid efforts cannot rely solely on the American-sponsored Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and that more organizations have to be looped in,' said the forum. It added that although it welcomed the registration process, this should extend to groups that are not registered yet, as well as to those that had registered in the past. If this is not achieved, it went on to say, the damage will be twofold: Israel's image will suffer, as its legitimacy in the international arena will be questioned, and the aid response efforts in the enclave will be undermined. 'This is a primary Israeli interest,' the forum said. COGAT responded by saying that 'the alleged delay in aid entry, as claimed by the organizations who signed the statement, occurs only when organizations choose not to meet the basic security requirements intended to prevent Hamas's involvement.' 'Instead of opposing the process and issuing public statements, we call on all international organizations wishing to bring aid into the Gaza Strip – especially those who signed the statement – to act with transparency, complete the registration forms, and ensure that the emergency relief reaches the residents – not Hamas.' Solve the daily Crossword
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Turned back from Gaza, aid shipments sit in warehouses, on roadsides
Responding to international outrage sparked by images of starving Gazans, Israel on July 27 announced measures to let more aid into Gaza. But aid agencies say only a fraction of what's sent gets in. Boxes ofGaza-bound aid turned back by Israel on Sunday laid atop a truck and flatbed trailer parked meters from its border with Egypt, as frustrated drivers and UN officials criticized delays in sending food and medicine to the enclave. Seven aid officials and three truckers interviewed by Reuters listed a host of obstacles, ranging from rejections of shipments for minor packing and paperwork issues to heavy scrutiny over possible dual military use for a range of goods, as well as short working hours at the Israeli border crossing. The supplies seen by Reuters on Monday on the stalled truck and trailer outside Egypt's Rafah border crossing carried blue logos of the World Health Organization and labels describing contents like topical medications and suction devices to clean wounds. A WHO employee working at the border said the cargo was blocked for carrying "illegal medicines." Reuters could not independently verify why the trucks were not allowed to enter Gaza and the IDF who is in charge of coordinating aid did not respond to a question about why they were not let into the enclave. Reuters visited Egypt's border with Gaza on Monday on a trip organized by the Elders, a group of former world leaders set up by late South African president Nelson Mandela that backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some Elders members have been highly critical of Israel's conduct in Gaza, including former Irish president Mary Robinson and former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, who joined the border trip. Responding to international outrage sparked by images of starving Gazans, Israel on July 27 announced measures to let more aid into Gaza. But aid agencies say only a fraction of what they send is getting in. Israel strongly denies limiting aid supplies. Speaking to reporters at the Rafah crossing, Clark expressed shock at the amount of aid turned back at the border. 'To see this crossing, which should be a place where people interact with each other, where people can come and go, where people aren't under blockade, where people who are ill can leave to come out – to see it just silent for the people, it's absolutely shocking for us,' Clark said. 'Bureaucratic hurdles, delays' Approvals and clearance procedures that got a shipment through the Rafah border crossing "within a few days" of arrival in Egypt during a ceasefire earlier in the war now took "minimum one month,' according to the WHO employee at the border. On Monday, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said at least 1,334 trucks had entered Gaza through all land crossings, including from Egypt, since the Israeli measures announced on July 27, but this was far short of the 9,000 that would have gone in if 600 trucks had entered per day. The United States has said a minimum of 600 trucks per day are needed to feed Gaza's population. Reuters could not independently confirm the reasons for the delays described in this article or the specific figures supplied by those interviewed. Asked for its response to allegations of curbs on aid flows, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, COGAT, said Israel invests 'considerable efforts' in aid distribution. It said about 300 trucks had been transferred daily in "recent weeks," mostly carrying food, via all land crossings. "Despite the claims made, the State of Israel allows and facilitates the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip without any quantitative limit on the number of aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip,' COGAT said. The agency did not address specific questions about aid shipment volumes. In mid-July, Israel introduced a requirement that shipments of humanitarian aid arriving from Egypt undergo customs clearance. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israel's move led to "additional bureaucratic hurdles, delays, and costs for humanitarian organizations." UN agencies were exempted from customs clearance from Egypt from July 27 to Aug. 3, OCHA said in a report on August 6. While not officially extended, the exemption still appeared to be in place, it said. Other international NGOs could be exempted only on a case-by-case basis and only for health items. Israel has disputed the Hamas run Gaza health ministry figures, which do not distinguish between fighters and civilians, and says at least a third of the fatalities are terrorists. On Monday, COGAT said a review by its medical experts found the number of deaths reported by the Gaza health ministry due to malnutrition was inflated and most of those "allegedly dying from malnutrition" had pre-existing conditions. A warehouse of rejected goods Drivers coming from Egypt cannot go directly to the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, which had been operated by the Hamas-run border authority but is now closed. Instead, they route to the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, about three km (two miles) to the south, where shipments undergo checks. Kamel Atteiya Mohamed, an Egyptian truck driver, estimated that of the 200 or 300 trucks trying to get through this route every day, only 30 to 50 make it. "They tell you, for example, that the pallet doesn't have a sticker, the pallet is tilted, or the pallet is open from the top. This is no reason for us to return it,' he told Reuters. He said that while the Egyptian crossing was open day and night, drivers often arrived at Kerem Shalom only to find it closed, as it does not normally operate beyond weekday business hours. 'Every day it's like this,' he said. 'Honestly, we're fed up.' While COGAT did not address specific questions about the driver's remarks and allegations of inflexible working hours, it said that "hundreds of truckloads of aid still await collection by the UN and international organizations" on the Palestinian side of the border crossings. A logistics site set up by the Egyptian Red Crescent near El Arish town, 40 km (25 miles) from the border, where shipments coming from Egypt to Gaza are loaded, has a tarp tent warehouse devoted to goods turned back from the border. A Reuters reporter saw rows of white oxygen tanks, as well as wheelchairs, car tires and cartons labeled as containing generators and first-aid kits and with logos of aid groups from countries such as Luxembourg and Kuwait, among others. Reuters was not able to verify when the items at the Red Crescent site were turned back or on what grounds. Aid workers describe such rejections as routine. Speaking at the meeting with the Elders that Reuters attended, one World Food Programme worker said that only 73 of the 400 trucks the agency had sent since July 27 had made it in. UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has not been allowed to send aid into Gaza since March. The OCHA August 6 report said no shelter materials had been allowed to enter Gaza since March 2 and those available on the local market were "prohibitively expensive and limited in quantity." The WHO employee who works on the border said the truck and trailer seen by Reuters were among three trucks that had been turned back on Sunday. A manifest given for their cargo, seen by Reuters, included urine drainage bags, iodine, plasters and sutures. Solve the daily Crossword
