Overview
- Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha, Qatar, to advance negotiations for a comprehensive hostage deal. Israel’s position remains firm: only a total release of all hostages in exchange for an end to the war under five conditions set by Prime Minister Netanyahu.
- Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) plans to expand the amount of distribution points from 4 to 16, to better regulate humanitarian aid. More than 300 aid trucks enter Gaza, daily.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the construction of 3,401 housing units in the E-1 corridor, connecting Jerusalem with Ma’ale Adumim. This decision effectively creates territorial continuity between the two cities.
- Senior Iranian official Ali Larijani visited Beirut, meeting President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. His mission was to pressure Lebanon’s leadership not to disarm Hezbollah.
- In Suwayda, large-scale Druze demonstrations took place, led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, in which crowds waved Israeli flags, held signs in Hebrew, and chanted slogans like “We want Israel,” “Thank you Netanyahu,”
- The E3 states (UK, France, Germany) have set a 31 August deadline for Iran to return to nuclear negotiations and grant full access to IAEA inspectors. Failure to comply would trigger the Snapback sanctions mechanism.
