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Israelis Take Action to Legalize Trump's Plan for Gaza

Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip, 09 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip, 09 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Israelis Take Action to Legalize Trump's Plan for Gaza

Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip, 09 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip, 09 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Despite the growing conviction that US President Donald Trump's plan to displace 1.8 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip is unrealistic and unrealizable, officials in Israel are seeking to develop practical plans and measures to legalize and implement it.

At the request of the Israeli cabinet, the army has started to formulate a plan for the voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza.

The plan will include exit options through land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departure by sea via the Ashdod Bahri port and by air via the Ramon Airport.

The army will also set conditions to guarantee the enduring departure of Palestinians by “prohibiting the return of those who do not sign a pledge to reject terrorism.”

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is setting a budget to cover the costs of deportation and to allocate funds for Palestinians who will renounce the right of return.

Israel’s far-right Otzma Yehudit Party, led by former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, submitted a bill to the Knesset proposing financial incentives for Gaza residents who choose to leave.

The ministerial committee for legislation was scheduled to study the bill on Sunday. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Ben-Gvir to postpone the discussion for two weeks until the necessary preparations are made.

According to Israel's Channel 12, Ben-Gvir agreed to a request from the PM to postpone the discussion of the bill. But he called for an immediate implementation of what he called a “voluntary migration program” for Palestinians in Gaza to encourage their deportation.

He argued that Israel should never have allowed fuel and humanitarian aid into Gaza, alleging that it benefits Hamas.

“We cannot always act under pressure,” he said. “It is true that standing up to the President of the United States is not easy, but I expected the Prime Minister to tell the truth instead of promoting stories.”

“We need to launch an initiative to encourage voluntary migration today. President Trump says there is time, but for Israel’s interests, we have no time to waste,” he added.

Gen-Gvir’s bill stipulates that any Gaza resident who opts to emigrate will receive a financial aid package determined by the Israeli Ministry of Finance.

The right-wing Israeli Mida website claimed that official figures put the number of Palestinians from Gaza entering Egypt since October 7 at 115,000.

Other Israeli researchers say that at least 1,012,713 Arabs left Palestine from Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and the Gaza Strip between 1967 and 2024, a silent phenomenon that should be encouraged.

In an article published by Walla, researcher Eli Ashkenazi said that since the end of January 1951, Israel has been engaged in a series of plans to displace the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, by force or by material temptations, but that those plans have failed.

Ashkenazi recalled that at the time, Israel engaged in a plan to resettle refugees in Sinai. “This plan didn't pass. Israel therefore thought about settling 20,000 Palestinians from Gaza in Libya and the same in Iraq,” he wrote, adding that this plan didn't work either.

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Arab World

Committee Led by Assistant Interior Minister Investigates Death of Young Man in Syrian Police Custody

Mohammad Ghamira, a Syrian Civil Defense worker who died after mistreatment at a police station in al-Haffah, in the Latakia countryside. (Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management)
Mohammad Ghamira, a Syrian Civil Defense worker who died after mistreatment at a police station in al-Haffah, in the Latakia countryside. (Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management)
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Committee Led by Assistant Interior Minister Investigates Death of Young Man in Syrian Police Custody

Mohammad Ghamira, a Syrian Civil Defense worker who died after mistreatment at a police station in al-Haffah, in the Latakia countryside. (Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management)
Mohammad Ghamira, a Syrian Civil Defense worker who died after mistreatment at a police station in al-Haffah, in the Latakia countryside. (Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management)

Syrian authorities have detained seven people in connection with the death of a 29-year-old man who was beaten while in police custody, as two government ministers pledged to hold those responsible accountable once investigations are completed.

Mohammad Hossam al-Din Ghamira died Sunday at Latakia University Hospital from complications of bleeding in the brain and digestive tract after being beaten following his detention at al-Haffah police station in Latakia province.

Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba announced that a committee had been tasked with investigating the circumstances of his death. Its work would extend beyond the case to evaluate the performance of police departments across Syria, particularly in the Latakia province.

In comments to the Syrian state news agency SANA on Monday, al-Baba said that the committee would issue recommendations and that citizens would see improvements in police performance in the coming weeks.

The ministry “does not deny its responsibility for this unfortunate incident,” al-Baba acknowledged, while urging that the case be kept within its proper context without exaggeration.

He explained that the committee had arrived in al-Haffah to hear testimony from Ghamira’s family and local residents and had three days to complete its work.

A separate independent and professional medical committee was also formed to conduct a forensic examination of the body.

The Emergency and Disaster Management Ministry reported that Ghamira, one of its employees and a father of two, suffered from hemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly.

According to the ministry, he died from complications of cerebral and gastrointestinal bleeding caused by the beating.

A family source who requested anonymity told AFP that Ghamira had been accused in a financial case and detained for three days before being released for lack of evidence. The source alleged that he was “severely tortured,” causing his health to deteriorate before his death.

Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh mourned Ghamira as a “brother, friend and colleague” and confirmed that personnel at the police station accused of beating him had been detained and would face legal action.

“Syrians sacrificed for 14 years to reach a Syria that safeguards their dignity and humanity,” al-Saleh wrote, pledging there would be “no impunity.”

Interior Minister Anas Khattab ordered an investigative committee headed by Maj. Gen. Ahmad Mohammad Latouf, assistant interior minister for police affairs.

Khattab stressed that any violations or abuses by Interior Ministry personnel would be dealt with firmly under established laws and procedures, adding that anyone found responsible would receive “just punishment.”

Ghamira’s uncle, Issam Ghamira, told Al-Ikhbariya television that his nephew died after being struck inside the police station. He recounted that the family had informed the station chief that Ghamira suffered from hemophilia and asked that he not be harmed.

Activists and youths in al-Haffah announced a peaceful protest outside the police station following Ghamira’s burial, demanding disclosure of the circumstances surrounding his death, a transparent and independent investigation, and accountability for anyone found responsible.

Calls have also made for peaceful demonstrations in several other parts of Syria.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, several people have died while in custody since the new authorities took power. In January 2025, state media reported that a detainee died in Homs following “violations” by security personnel, who were subsequently arrested and referred to the judiciary.

Arab World

Risk of Escalation in Lebanon as Israeli Military Prepares for ‘Intensified’ Fighting

The rubble and debris of flattened buildings litter the hillside following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on August 15, 2026. (AFP)
The rubble and debris of flattened buildings litter the hillside following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on August 15, 2026. (AFP)
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Risk of Escalation in Lebanon as Israeli Military Prepares for ‘Intensified’ Fighting

The rubble and debris of flattened buildings litter the hillside following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on August 15, 2026. (AFP)
The rubble and debris of flattened buildings litter the hillside following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on August 15, 2026. (AFP)

The confrontation in southern Lebanon is entering a sensitive phase as Israeli military operations continue alongside US-mediated negotiations, while Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that the Israeli military is preparing for the possibility of several days of intensified fighting in Lebanon.

The report has raised questions over whether any escalation would remain contained or spread, although there has been no public indication of a decision to launch a wider war or set a deadline for negotiations.

Channel 12 reported that Israel remains determined to complete its operations in the Ali al-Taher Heights and linked the intensity of military activity to the negotiations. Washington, meanwhile, has reiterated its commitment to the “pilot zones” plan, maintaining that Hezbollah’s disarmament is part of the process.

Retired Lebanese Brig. Gen. Khalil Gemayel told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israeli preparations for several days of fighting did not, in his assessment, mean Israel intends to launch a broader war.

Rather, it wants to settle the battle for the Ali al-Taher Heights, securing a battlefield achievement, he added.

Any expansion of the confrontation would largely depend on the scale of Hezbollah’s response, particularly if it broadened its operations and struck Israeli communities, potentially prompting Israel to widen the fighting, he explained.

Gemayel described Ali al-Taher as a key defensive hub for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, noting that Israeli forces were attempting to advance gradually along the hills toward sensitive positions, tunnel entrances and underground facilities with the assistance of specialized engineering units.

Hezbollah intervenes locally when Israeli troops approach critical points in its defensive network, he remarked.

Capturing the area could give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a military and political achievement while dealing Hezbollah a significant military loss, he noted.

15 August 2026, Lebanon, Nabatieh District: First responders are searching the rubble following an Israeli airstrike on a house in a tourist area of Ansar, southern Lebanon, before dawn, completely destroying the building and causing extensive damage to surrounding properties. (dpa)

Retired Brig. Gen. Naji Malaeb, meanwhile, said Israel’s escalation could be part of an attempt to draw Hezbollah into a response that would provide grounds for widening its operations.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat Israel may have used an incident that caused casualties in the Ali al-Taher Heights as a pretext to expand its operational reach beyond areas it occupies. He questioned whether Israel was attempting to provoke Hezbollah into a response that would allow it to broaden its military campaign.

Malaeb said increasingly forceful rhetoric from Hezbollah and its secretary-general, Naim Qassem, including warnings that Israel would “pay the price,” made that scenario worth considering.

A wider escalation would not necessarily begin with a ground advance. Israel could instead rely heavily on air power and expand its strikes to other areas, he went on to say.

Malaeb warned that expanding the conflict from the south deeper into Lebanon could also bring Iran into the confrontation, particularly if Beirut’s southern suburbs were targeted.

An Iranian response could provide Israel with a pretext to resume attacks on Iran even without US participation, he argued.

On the ground, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported a “significant increase in Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon” over the previous two weeks, recording an average of 137 projectiles a day between August 5 and 16.

Israeli operations continued across several areas. Drones dropped explosives around the Ali al-Taher Heights and Dabsha Hill, while Mansouri came under artillery fire. Strikes and shelling were also reported around Wadi al-Hujeir, Qantara, Aitaroun, Khiam, Hadatha and Mais al-Jabal, while Israeli forces carried out explosions in Bani Hayyan and Majdal Zoun.

Arab World

Tel Aviv Says Kushner Accepts Netanyahu’s Position on Gaza

A handout photo made available by Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2-R) meeting with US President Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, (2-L), the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner (L), and Minister Ron Dermer (R), attending the Israeli cabinet meeting in Jerusalem , 09 October 2025 (EPA/Handout)
A handout photo made available by Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2-R) meeting with US President Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, (2-L), the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner (L), and Minister Ron Dermer (R), attending the Israeli cabinet meeting in Jerusalem , 09 October 2025 (EPA/Handout)
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Tel Aviv Says Kushner Accepts Netanyahu’s Position on Gaza

A handout photo made available by Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2-R) meeting with US President Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, (2-L), the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner (L), and Minister Ron Dermer (R), attending the Israeli cabinet meeting in Jerusalem , 09 October 2025 (EPA/Handout)
A handout photo made available by Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2-R) meeting with US President Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, (2-L), the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner (L), and Minister Ron Dermer (R), attending the Israeli cabinet meeting in Jerusalem , 09 October 2025 (EPA/Handout)

US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, agreed to the position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue assassinations and military operations in Gaza until Hamas fully disarms, Tel Aviv claimed on Monday.

The announcement came after Kushner met with ‌Netanyahu in Israel and a day after the American envoy met the political leader of Hamas in Egypt in a bid to revive a US plan to end the war in Gaza.

But as the two officials were meeting in Jerusalem, the Israeli military issued a warning saying Hamas was deceiving the US and mediators with a false appearance of moderation while maintaining their long-term objective of destroying Israel.

‘Lifeline’

According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, security assessments indicate that Hamas views ongoing diplomatic US mediation efforts as a strategic “lifeline” while simultaneously attempting to repair its military infrastructure in Gaza under constraints.

Israeli security officials cited by the newspaper said that despite visible pragmatic statements, Hamas has not abandoned its core goals and actively identifies international and US-backed diplomatic tracks as a way to navigate pressure.

The newspaper doubted Hamas will fully honor its promises to relinquish all its weapons. It said Hamas will attack Israel again when given the chance, meaning that Israel must stay alert.

While Kushner and Netanyahu met for four hours on Monday, the Israeli army spokesman confirmed that its forces continued to launch raids on several areas in Gaza , as well as in the Ali Taher heights in southern Lebanon.

Washington’s concerns

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Washington is increasingly concerned that Israel is trying to buy time, introduce new reservations and change the sequencing set out in Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war in Gaza.

“They feel Israel is playing games,” one source familiar with the details told the newspaper.

The message from Trump’s circle, according to sources cited by Yedioth Ahronoth, is essentially that Netanyahu must agree to the deal because the president has already delivered what Israel asked of him and now expects Israel to do the same.

People familiar with the president’s thinking also said Trump believes he has already given Netanyahu significant political support, including signals connected to the PM’s pardon request, and does not intend to keep paying for the same commitment.

Maariv cited US sources as saying that Netanyahu prioritizes his domestic political survival ahead of Israel's election in October, often discounting how his public rejections of US-led initiatives impact the Republican party, which is preparing for midterm elections in November with a slim House majority.

According to Haaretz, Trump has declined to endorse Netanyahu as a candidate in the October 27 election in part due to his poor showing in opinion polls and partially due to wartime disagreements.

Tougher message

According to people involved in the talks, the US wants Netanyahu to immediately implement a number of steps: halting attacks in Gaza, advancing withdrawals toward the yellow line, significantly increasing humanitarian aid deliveries and allowing reconstruction and civilian governance mechanisms to begin moving forward.

Unlike previous negotiation rounds, the message from Washington is now considerably tougher.

Trump wants agreements that have already been discussed to be implemented rather than reopened for another round of bargaining. A source familiar with the talks said the purpose is “to translate the roadmap commitments into concrete and verifiable steps.”