Mike Huckabee Visits School On Gaza Border: ‘Israel Has Right To Make Sure Hamas Never Harms It Again’
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited an elementary school in the Eshkol Regional Council near the Gaza border Monday (1st) to mark the opening of the 2025-26 school year. Huckabee’s visit took place against the backdrop of explosions from the Gaza Strip caused by ongoing military operations.
In his opening remarks, school principal Eyal Dvori turned to Huckabee and said: “Yaffa Rudaeff, an art teacher who is here with us, is still waiting for her friend Lior, whose body is still held hostage in Gaza. Do everything in your power to bring back the hostages, and end the war.”
During the visit, Huckabee was asked by Ynet whether the US administration believes Israel should end the war and whether Washington is setting a deadline. “Israel has to get the hostages back and Israel has to defeat Hamas,” he said. “Those are the two goals that President Trump has made very clear – and how that happens is something that Israel has to decide.” He added that another objective is also to “protect children throughout the land of Israel.”
On the question of a deadline, Huckabee said: “It is not our place to give a deadline, it is our place to stand with our friends.” He explained that “Israel was attacked – they did not attack anyone – they were attacked viciously and brutally… They have a right to make sure that Hamas never harms them again.”
The ambassador also addressed international pressure, saying it should be directed at Hamas. “The pressure needs to be put on Hamas. They’re the ones who created this. They’re the ones that prolonged it; they’re the ones that started the suffering, they’re the ones who continued the suffering,” he said. “I want to know when the world is going to put pressure on Hamas to feed the hostages. The pictures we are seeing of them are pictures of real starvation. They are being tortured – and I want the world to join with me in not only demanding their return, but until their return, at least treat them like human beings and give them some food.”
Huckabee, a Christian evangelical known as a staunch supporter of Israel, believes Israel has a right to annex the West Bank and integrate the Palestinian population living there into the state. When he began his tenure as ambassador in April, he visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem and blamed Hamas for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying: “They brought this upon the Gazans.”
Speaking about the group’s actions, Huckabee said its members “are not civilized, they are barbarians who carried out the most horrific massacre of people. They attacked not only soldiers, but also children, women, babies and defenseless elderly.” He added: “Everything we see in Gaza is the result of nothing but the hatred Hamas demonstrated and carried out on October 7. Now they are paying the price, and tragically many innocent people are experiencing the cost.”
Gaza Airdrops Halted: Jordan, Egypt Pull Back. Land Convoy Seen As Sufficient
Countries that have been airdropping humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip have ceased to do so until further notice, Kan News reported on Monday (1st).
According to the report, the Jordanians stopped dropping aid into Gaza last week for “logistical” reasons, while the Egyptians have not conducted a drop for a month.
Israeli officials stated that no new requests for airdrops have been submitted, and if Egypt or Jordan were to do so, they would be considered accordingly.
The report cited officials who said that other countries that participated in airdrops have reached the understanding that enough aid is entering the enclave by land and that there is no famine in the Gaza Strip, to the point where the airdrops were “just a drop in the ocean” and were not making a substantial difference in the humanitarian situation.
The airdrop operations began a month and a half ago when Israel permitted Jordan and Egypt to lead airdrops in coordination with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), together with countries such as the UAE, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and others.
Ben-Gvir Plans To Designate Global Sumud Flotilla Activists As Terrorists, Seize Boats
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir presented a plan to the cabinet aimed at halting the largest flotilla ever planned to sail to Gaza, comprising 50 ships with activists from 44 countries.
Ben-Gvir presented the plan at a discussion on Sunday (8/31) regarding steps to stop the flotilla, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Ben-Gvir emphasized that the flotilla, despite its claimed humanitarian intentions, would be regarded as an attempt to undermine Israel’s sovereignty and support Hamas in Gaza.
“The proposed plan lays out measures, reinforcing Israel’s unwavering position in safeguarding its borders and ensuring national security,” he stated.
Under the new suggested directive, all activists arrested in connection with the flotilla will be detained in Israel’s Ketziot and Damon prisons, which are used to hold terrorists under stringent conditions typically reserved for security prisoners.
The activists will be held in prolonged detention, unlike the previous practice of releasing detainees after brief overnight stays. Activists will be denied special privileges such as television, radio, and specialized food, in an effort to impose a clear message that supporting terrorism will not be tolerated.
“We will not allow individuals who support terrorism to live in comfort. They will face the full consequences of their actions,” Ben-Gvir said.
In a move to prevent any further efforts to disrupt Israel’s security, Ben-Gvir suggested that all ships participating in the flotilla will be confiscated and repurposed for use by Israeli law enforcement. The seizure would be fully legal, since the government believes that the flotilla is not only a political act but an illegal attempt to bypass the blockade.
In his public statements following the meeting, Ben-Gvir stressed that Israel would not tolerate “soft arrests” or quiet returns of flotilla participants.
“We must create a clear deterrent. Anyone who chooses to collaborate with Hamas and support terrorism will meet a firm and unyielding response from Israel,” he said. Ben-Gvir pointed out that after spending weeks in detention under harsh conditions, supporters of terror would think twice before attempting another such flotilla.
“The Israeli Navy and law enforcement are fully prepared to address any security threats that arise,” Ben-Gvir concluded.
Ben-Gvir’s action plan is expected to face criticism from international organizations, who may argue that the detention conditions violate international law. However, Israeli officials have argued that the flotillas are not merely acts of political expression but direct attempts to assist a designated terrorist organization that seeks to undermine Israel’s right to exist.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail on Sunday (8/31) from Barcelona, will be the fourth attempt to break the maritime blockade on Gaza so far this year. “It is the largest attempt to break the long-standing Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip territory by sea,” say the organizers.
IDF Adjusts Its Methods To Dismantle Hamas Stronghold – Lazar Bernan
For the past three weeks, an IDF brigade combat team has been operating in Zeitoun on the outskirts of Gaza City. This is the seventh time Israeli forces have attacked the neighborhood since October 7. Officers in the combat team assured the Times of Israel Thursday (28th) that this time, the result would be different since they are fighting in a new manner.
Brigade Commander Col. S. said a central element of the operation is the slow dismantling of neighborhoods in which Hamas operated. “The focus of the tunnels underground, and on the booby-trapped buildings above ground, allows us to guarantee that at the end of the mission, it will be very hard for the enemy to return to this territory. We can’t guarantee 100% that the enemy who fled won’t return to a certain piece of territory, but without its combat infrastructure, we will be able to destroy them during their attempts to return.”
Israeli officers said they were certain the tactic is legal and effective. Lt. Col. G. stressed, “Hamas decided to take all the homes in Gaza and turn them into terror infrastructure. There is no house where we didn’t find explosives, Nukhba uniforms, weapons, and RPGs. There isn’t a house. The moment it decided to operate in that way, we had no choice but to destroy the infrastructure above ground in almost every place.”
“In every place in Zeitoun, Hamas prepared for defense and attacks against our forces. It decided to turn every building into a military array. So we are destroying everything we need to in order to destroy Hamas…. The next terrorists that arrive won’t have anywhere to come back to. They’ll come back to open ground, from which they can’t threaten our forces.”
Officers insisted that they are doing everything they can to get civilians away from the fighting. “There are preliminary activities that we do in order to evacuate the population to interior areas so they won’t be on the battlefield,” said Capt. L. “We are unequivocally operating in a way that is moral, ethical, and appropriate.” IDF forces designate areas as “green” or “red” based on the presence of civilians. In red areas, rules of engagement are highly restricted.
Disarming Hezbollah: Much Talk, Little Action – Ehud Yaari
Lebanese President Gen. Joseph Aoun says in closed-door meetings that he has no intention whatsoever of sending his military to clash with Hezbollah. He insists that implementing the Lebanese government’s agreement to disarm Hezbollah must be preceded by dialogue and solid understandings. The government now has conveyed to the US that collection of arms cannot be completed by the end of the year, as initially promised.
At the same time, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah’s pale successor, Naim Qassem , vows to refuse handing over Hezbollah’s still impressive arsenal, repeatedly threatening to fight the Lebanese army and warning of civil war. President Aoun knows perfectly well that the military chief of staff who replaced him in March, Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, was Hezbollah’s preferred candidate.
On August 9, when a Lebanese army unit arrived at a Hezbollah bunker in south Lebanon, searching for rockets, Hezbollah operatives detonated a remotely-controlled bomb, killing six US-trained Lebanese demolition experts and wounding others.
Israel should not agree to any gesture or concession, as long as the promises of disarmament are not translated into significant actions. Hezbollah has been terribly weakened and has lost nearly all of its local allies as a result of launching a war against Israel. But it insists on retaining all of its remaining military capabilities.
The writer is chief Middle East commentator of Israel’s Channel 12 and an international fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Israel Signs $115 Million Infrared Sensor Production Deal
Israel’s Defense Industry announced on Monday (1st) the signing of a strategic multi-year contract with Semiconductor Devices (SCD) worth about $115 million.
The aim of the deal is to expand local manufacturing of advanced infrared sensors for next-generation defense systems.
The agreement aims to boost Israeli technological independence and support the Israel Defense Forces with cutting-edge solutions across the infrared spectrum for space, airborne and large-scale military platforms, while strengthening the country’s industrial base and global competitiveness in infrared technologies.
SCO, based in the Misgav region in the Lower Galilee, makes high-end infrared detectors and laser diodes. Equally owned by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems, it operates as an independent commercial entity.
The manufacturing will take place at SCD’s facilities as part of Defense MInistry Director General MG (res.) Amir Baram’s strategy to “strengthen Israel’s defense production base and local industries, allowing full support for current and future IDF operational needs.”
BG (res.) Daniel Gold, the head of the ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, said they are working “to deepen Israeli independence across the entire value chain,” remarking that the advanced infrared capabilities will ensure Israel’s “technological superiority and qualitative edge.”
According to BG Yehuda Elmakayes, head of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development’s R&D Division, the contract “will enable increased manufacturing capacity and advanced technological capabilities for next-generation IR detectors in the coming years.”
Infrared innovation was “critical not only for national defense but also for our global partners,”said SCD chief executive officer Kobi Zaushnizer.
“This investment empowers SCD to provide the most advanced, reliable and high-performance infrared technologies to the international defense community,” he added.
