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Israel Defense Chief to Discuss Gaza, Lebanon on US Trip

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant talks during the joint statements after his meeting with Greece's National Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos (not pictured) at the Defense Ministry in Athens, Greece, 4 Μay 2023. (EPA)
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant talks during the joint statements after his meeting with Greece's National Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos (not pictured) at the Defense Ministry in Athens, Greece, 4 Μay 2023. (EPA)
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Israel Defense Chief to Discuss Gaza, Lebanon on US Trip

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant talks during the joint statements after his meeting with Greece's National Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos (not pictured) at the Defense Ministry in Athens, Greece, 4 Μay 2023. (EPA)
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant talks during the joint statements after his meeting with Greece's National Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos (not pictured) at the Defense Ministry in Athens, Greece, 4 Μay 2023. (EPA)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant headed to Washington on Sunday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war and escalating hostilities on the border with Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have stoked fears of wider conflict.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel since the Gaza war erupted more than eight months ago. The group has said it will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, Reuters reported.
"We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in more areas," Gallant said in a statement before setting off to Washington, where he said he will meet his counterpart Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Earlier in June, Hezbollah targeted Israeli towns and military sites with the largest volleys of rockets and drones in the hostilities so far, after an Israeli strike killed the most senior Hezbollah commander yet.
US envoy Amos Hochstein visited Israel and Lebanon last week in an attempt to cool tensions, amid an uptick in cross-border fire and an escalation in rhetoric on both sides.
Some Israeli officials have linked the ongoing Israeli push into Rafah, the southern area of Gaza where it says it is targeting the last battalions of militant group Hamas, to a potential focus on Lebanon.
Gallant appeared to make the same link in his statement.
"The transition to Phase C in Gaza is of great importance. I will discuss this transition with US officials, how it may enable additional things and I know that we will achieve close cooperation with the US on this issue as well," Gallant said.
Scaling back Gaza operations would free up forces to take on Hezbollah, were Israel to launch a ground offensive or step up its aerial bombardments.
Officials have described the third and last phase of Israel's Gaza offensive as winding down fighting while stepping up efforts to stabilize a post-Hamas rule and begin reconstruction in the enclave, much of which has been laid to waste.
Gallant, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, has sparred with the premier in the past few months, calling for a clearer post-war plan for Gaza that will not leave Israel in charge, a demand echoed by the White House.
Netanyahu has been walking a tightrope as he seeks to keep his government together by balancing the demands of the defense establishment, including ex-generals like Gallant, and far-right coalition partners who have resisted any post-Gaza strategy that could open the way to a future Palestinian state.
The head of Israel's parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuli Edelstein, told Army Radio on Sunday that fighting Hezbollah would be complex either way, now or later.
"We are not in the right position to conduct fighting on both the southern front and the northern front. We will have to deploy differently in the south in order to fight in the north," said Edelstein, also a Likud member.
Edelstein criticized a video by Netanyahu released last week in which the prime minister said the Biden administration was "withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel." The video led to a spat with the White House.
President Joe Biden's administration paused a shipment of 2,000 pound and 500-pound bombs in May over concerns about their impact if used in densely-populated areas of Gaza. Israel was still due to get billions of dollars worth of US weaponry.
"I hope that in the discussions behind closed doors much more will be achieved than by attempts to create pressure with videos," Edelstein said, referring to Gallant's trip.

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Arab World

Sudanese Army Says It Shot Down Hostile Strategic Drone in White Nile State

Sudanese army soldiers parade in the streets of eastern Sudan's city of Gedaref on August 14, 2025 to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Sudanese army. war. (Photo by AFP)
Sudanese army soldiers parade in the streets of eastern Sudan's city of Gedaref on August 14, 2025 to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Sudanese army. war. (Photo by AFP)
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Sudanese Army Says It Shot Down Hostile Strategic Drone in White Nile State

Sudanese army soldiers parade in the streets of eastern Sudan's city of Gedaref on August 14, 2025 to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Sudanese army. war. (Photo by AFP)
Sudanese army soldiers parade in the streets of eastern Sudan's city of Gedaref on August 14, 2025 to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Sudanese army. war. (Photo by AFP)

The Sudanese army announced on Thursday that it had shot down a hostile Chinese-made FH-95 strategic drone over the town of Tendelti in White Nile State, marking the second drone of the same model that the military says it has downed during the conflict.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the Armed Forces' Office of the Official Spokesperson said Sudan's air defenses had successfully intercepted and shot down a hostile FH-95 strategic drone over the skies of Tendelti.

Tendelti is located in White Nile State in southern Sudan and borders North Kordofan State to the west, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified drone strikes on the state capital, El Obeid.

The RSF had not issued an official response to the army's announcement at the time of publication.

Several cities across central and western Sudan have recently witnessed a marked escalation in reciprocal drone attacks between the Sudanese army and the RSF.

In recent weeks, Tendelti has been repeatedly targeted in attacks attributed to the RSF. Similar strikes have also hit the cities of Rabak and Kosti in White Nile State, as well as Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan State.

Since the outbreak of the war in Sudan in April 2023, both sides have significantly expanded their use of drones, with attacks reaching cities far from the front lines. The increased use of unmanned aircraft has contributed to higher civilian casualties and further worsening the humanitarian situation in the affected areas.

Arab World

Syrian Foreign Minister Visits Beirut after Trump Comments about Taking on Hezbollah

File photo: In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani before their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
File photo: In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani before their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
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Syrian Foreign Minister Visits Beirut after Trump Comments about Taking on Hezbollah

File photo: In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani before their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
File photo: In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani before their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

Syria's foreign minister travelled to Beirut ‌on Thursday to meet Lebanese government leaders, in his first visit there since US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of Syrian forces combating Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, however, has previously denied what he called rumors about any Syrian presence entering Lebanon.

The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

Syria's new government under Sharaa has emerged as a US ally since his forces ‌toppled President Bashar al-Assad ‌in 2024, and has largely stayed out ‌of the ⁠regional war between ⁠the US and Israel, and Iran.

Trump said last month he had spoken to Sharaa about combating Hezbollah, after criticizing Israel — which is at war with the group — for killing too many civilians in Lebanon and not getting the job done. "I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because to be honest with you, ⁠I think they do a better job of doing ‌it," Trump said.

DAMASCUS WARY OF ‌BEING DRAWN INTO WAR

Reuters reported in March that the US had encouraged ‌Syria to consider sending forces into eastern Lebanon to help ‌disarm Hezbollah, but that Damascus was reluctant to embark on such a mission for fear of being sucked into the war in the Middle East and inflaming sectarian tensions in Syria and Lebanon.

Sharaa has since Trump's comments ‌said that "the rumors circulating about Syria entering Lebanon are completely unfounded", according to Syrian state media.

The former opposition forces ⁠and commanders ⁠that now run Syria fought against Hezbollah for years while it deployed to Syria to support former President Bashar al-Assad.

Now that they are in power, they are having to calibrate alliances and military action carefully in efforts to maintain relative stability in Syria, which is still recovering from 14 years of civil war.

Syria long dominated Lebanon under the Assad family, sending in forces in 1976 during the 1975-90 civil war and controlling Lebanon's post-war politics until its withdrawal in 2005.

Any Syrian intervention could fuel sectarian tensions in both Syria and Lebanon, home to a mosaic of sects including Sunni Muslims, Shi'ite Muslims, Christians and Druze.

Arab World

Palestinians Face Uncertain Future as Gaza Marks 1,000 Days of War

Palestinians make their way past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive as displaced people shelter in tents, in Gaza City, June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians make their way past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive as displaced people shelter in tents, in Gaza City, June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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Palestinians Face Uncertain Future as Gaza Marks 1,000 Days of War

Palestinians make their way past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive as displaced people shelter in tents, in Gaza City, June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians make their way past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive as displaced people shelter in tents, in Gaza City, June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

It's the 1,000th day of war since a Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Other conflicts have emerged in the region, and fragile ceasefires show scars of persistent attacks. Both Israelis and Palestinians are weary of the strain.

The fate of over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, largely displaced and living amid ruins, remains uncertain. Israeli forces controlled over half of the territory under the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, but Israel's government has expanded that and says it aims to hold 70%, The Associated Press said.

Few people can get in or out. Further ceasefire steps, including Hamas' disarmament and the immense task of reconstruction, have stalled.

“Much more needs to be done so that even a semblance of normality can come back, and we are far, far away from this,” the International Committee of the Red Cross regional director, Nicolas von Arx, said this week.

Here’s a look at what has happened over the 1,000 days and what may lie ahead.

Palestinians are still being killed Israeli strikes have lessened considerably since the ceasefire took effect, but they continue almost daily.

Gaza’s Health Ministry counted 1,053 Palestinians dead since the ceasefire as of Tuesday, including over 350 women and children. In recent days, they included a teenage girl on her way to school and a mother with her 1-year-old daughter.

“Where is this ceasefire they keep talking about?! Shame on them,” one Palestinian, Wisal Abu Khater, said this week after another deadly strike, lashing out at Arabs who she said have failed Gaza's people and are busy watching World Cup games instead.

The United Nations on Wednesday warned that the Israeli expansion in Gaza increases deadly risks for civilians in “areas lacking clear demarcation on the ground."

The Health Ministry said over 3,400 people have been wounded since the ceasefire. The ministry is part of the Hamas-led government and maintains detailed casualty records seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children make up roughly half the dead.

Israel’s military says it targets Hamas and other militants, often asserting they were planning attacks, and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. All hostages or their remains have been freed or handed over, some of them recounting abuses. Israel's retaliation has killed a total of 73,066 Palestinians as of Tuesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.

The Trump-created Board of Peace has made little progress

The top diplomat overseeing the ceasefire, Nickolay Mladenov, has made it clear: The next steps in implementing the US-brokered deal are stalled over the difficult issue of Hamas disarming.

This has been a high-profile test of the Board of Peace created and led by US President Donald Trump. Launched with fanfare and billions of dollars in international pledges earlier this year with the sole aim of Gaza’s recovery from war, the board now says little publicly.

Hamas' disarmament would open the way for other steps, including new administration of Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force to assist with security and reconstruction efforts. While Hamas hasn’t outright rejected disarming, it has indicated it wants to hold on to some weapons and demanded further concessions from Israel.

A divided Israel faces an election Israelis over the past 1,000 days have been traumatized by the Oct. 7 attack — the deadliest in Israel's history — and other conflicts that followed: against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen and Iran itself.

Iran’s armed proxies had attacked Israel, saying they acted in solidarity with Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump to jointly attack Iran on Feb. 28. That revived the conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have advanced to their deepest point in over a quarter-century

None of these fronts have completely calmed.

These conflicts and their toll — including mounting deaths for Israeli soldiers, continuing attacks along Israel's border with Lebanon and international allegations of genocide in Gaza, which Israel rejects — are weighing on Israelis and the national mood as Netanyahu seeks reelection this fall.

Netanyahu has projected confidence, but he faces a tough challenge.

Over 60% of Israelis think he shouldn't run again, according to a poll by The Israel Democracy Institute published last month. Anger has been high over the security failures before Oct. 7, the lack of a state commission of inquiry to investigate them and unpopular exemptions from military service granted to Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox governing partners.

Gaza's in rubble as humanitarian aid still faces obstacles Palestinians in Gaza say they are near their limit. Sheltering in vast tent camps with basic if any utilities, or in the skeletons of bombed-out buildings, they continue to live amid the hum of Israeli drones and the daily threat of strikes.

The ceasefire was meant to bring a surge in humanitarian aid like medicines and fuel. Aid groups and others say that has not happened. All of Gaza’s border crossings remain tightly restricted, and at times they have closed completely. The UN last month said 17 hospitals are still not functional.

“Cumbersome" Israeli approvals and customs procedures limit crucial supplies, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said last month, adding that even prosthetic limbs have been affected by concerns about having a potential "dual” use as weapons.

Famine was declared in Gaza City last August, but food security experts later said there were “notable improvements” after the ceasefire. The Israeli military body responsible for coordinating civilian affairs in Gaza, COGAT, said Wednesday that “the quantities of food that are being brought in far exceed the nutritional needs of the Gazan civilian population.”

With Israeli forces expanding in Gaza, and Hamas militants accused of illegally executing Palestinians for alleged collaboration with Israel or crimes like looting, people say they are stressed and exhausted.

“We had everything before the war,” said Mahmoud Ashour, a 33-year-old shop owner in Khan Younis. “And now we’re just craving a bite to eat."