Overview

• The prime minister’s office announced a formal decision to occupy the entire Gaza Strip with U.S. approval to force Hamas’s capitulation and secure hostage releases.
• Senior IDF leaders, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, have warned that a full occupation is too costly and risky and have scrapped the wartime emergency state to cut back on reservist call-ups.
• More than 600 retired Mossad, Shin Bet and IDF officials have appealed to President Trump to press Israel to end its offensive, calling the war unjust and harmful to Israel’s identity.
• Hamas has reiterated its precondition for restarting negotiations, demanding the daily entry of at least 250 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza.
• The UN Security Council will convene a special session on August 5 to address the remaining hostages and vote on a cease-fire resolution.