Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-27 at 07:02

HEADLINES
ISF Gaza Deployment Could Strengthen Hamas
IDF Soldier Vandalizes Palestinian Cars in Bethlehem
Israel to Declare Qatar Enemy State

The time is now 7:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, officials warn deployment of ISF could strengthen Hamas, restrict IDF operations in Gaza. Israeli defense officials say the entry of the International Stabilization Force into Gaza could limit the IDF’s freedom to conduct offensive operations, weaken its ability to act against emerging terrorist cells, and strengthen Hamas. This comes as the United States presses Israel to move forward with rebuilding the Gaza Strip before it has been fully demilitarized and Hamas disarmed. In that context, the security cabinet approved granting immunity to the ISF ahead of its deployment to certain areas of the Gaza Strip, with the approval tied to the plan that accompanied efforts to secure the release of hostages. The deployment would involve roughly 200 personnel from countries friendly to Israel, including Uganda and Morocco. Israel has said the IDF would remain on the yellow line and not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed and the Gaza Strip is fully demilitarized. Separately in the region, footage from Bethlehem shows an IDF soldier vandalizing Palestinian cars during weekend operations, puncturing tires, kicking doors and mirrors, smashing windshields, and striking windows with his weapon, while at least three other soldiers witnessed the acts and did not intervene; the military confirmed the incident and said an investigation is underway by the Etzion Regional Brigade, though it did not provide details on any disciplinary steps. In Kusra, a mosque was set on fire Saturday night in what is suspected to be a nationalist crime in response to Friday’s deadly attack, with the phrase “Revenge for Benayahu” spray-painted on the entrance wall alongside a Star of David.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, US will blame Israel if large-scale attacks against Iran fail, former defense official warns. Former senior defense official Avner Vilan told 103FM that Washington and Tehran remain in a fragile balance between a new agreement and a return to full-scale war, and that renewed fighting could draw sharp criticism of Israel. He said that if Prime Minister Netanyahu could persuade President Trump to renew strikes against Iran and the attack succeeded, credit could go to Netanyahu; but if it failed, the United States would blame Israel for dragging it into a war that damaged its international standing and pushed up fuel prices. The two sides are in a status quo since the end of Operation Roaring Lion, a balance of neither peace nor war, with neither side fully satisfied and not in a hurry to change the situation.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Next Israeli gov’t will declare ‘violent, antisemitic’ Qatar an enemy state, Bennett says. At the National Security Conference, former prime minister Naftali Bennett argued that Qatar is a leading financier of Islamist terrorism, particularly Hamas, whose hands are stained with the blood of Israelis murdered, raped, burned, and abducted on October 7. He said Qatar has built a global influence machine aimed at eliminating Israel and operates Al Jazeera, which Israel has banned for incitement; he contended that even a basic inquiry into October 7 would point to Qatar as an adversary intent on destroying Israel. Turkey working to influence Israel’s upcoming elections through social media, exclusive. Israeli security officials told The Jerusalem Post that Turkey is attempting to influence Israeli public opinion, disrupt the election campaign, and deepen internal divisions, though officials did not provide details on accounts or platforms or confirm government direction. The assessment places Turkey alongside Iran as foreign actors suspected of attempting to shape Israeli political outcomes, and Shin Bet chief David Zini is set to brief a classified Knesset subcommittee on Monday about indications of foreign election interference, including Israel’s ability to track covert funding of political activity. Netanyahu has departed for Washington. In a related legal development, the Supreme Court bars PA from challenging recognized disabilities in terror compensation claims. The court ruled that a Palestinian Authority cannot require terror victims seeking compensation to prove a disability already officially recognized by the National Insurance Institute or by a court, upholding the attorney-general’s position in two appeals tied to a 2024 law that allows victims with permanent disabilities from terrorist attacks to seek fixed exemplary damages from the PA as punishment and deterrence. In one case, the NII had found a psychological disability; in another, relatives of a murdered person had been recognized as indirect victims in a civil suit. Lower courts had rejected the PA’s attempts to reopen those findings, and the PA’s appeals were denied.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, an imam was broadcast to tens of thousands in Nablus declaring that there is no greater worship than spilling the blood of the sons of Zion.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
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