Route of the tunnel system in Beit Hanoun (IDF spokesperson, August 15, 2025)
Meeting of Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations. Right: (Left to right) PIJ secretary general Ziyad al-Nakhaleh; Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya; Samir Masharawi of Dahlan’s faction; deputy secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Jamil Mazhar; and secretary general of the Popular Front – General Command, Talal Najji (Hamas Telegram channel in Judea and Samaria, August 14, 2025)
Meeting of Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations. Right: (Left to right) PIJ secretary general Ziyad al-Nakhaleh; Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya; Samir Masharawi of Dahlan’s faction; deputy secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Jamil Mazhar; and secretary general of the Popular Front – General Command, Talal Najji (Hamas Telegram channel in Judea and Samaria, August 14, 2025)
Palestinian criticism of the tents provided by Israel, claiming they turn into furnaces in the Gazan heat (Arabi 21 News, August 17, 2025)
Palestinians detained for supporting Hamas and incitement (IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Facebook page, August 16, 2025)
Mustafa and Abdelatty at the Rafah crossing (al-Mashhad, August 18, 2025)
IDF forces continued extensive air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, eliminated terrorist operatives and destroyed weapons and terrorist facilities, including a seven-kilometer-long tunnel system in the northern Gaza Strip. The forces focused on the al-Zeitoun, al-Sabra, al-Shuja’iya and al-Tuffah neighborhoods in Gaza in preparation for an operation to take control of the city.
Hamas and the Palestinian factions accepted the updated proposal of Egypt and Qatar, based on the Witkoff outline, for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of ten live hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages. The factions were reportedly dissatisfied with Hamas’ handling of the negotiations and demanded that it act to end the war.
Israel and the international community continued increasing the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip by land and air, including food and tents. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund began a pilot program which would allow families to pre-order aid packages. Nevertheless, Hamas continued to spread its “hunger” propaganda and again warned of the collapse of the health system.
The Egyptian foreign minister announced that 5,000 Palestinian policemen were being trained and would be stationed in the Gaza Strip. Egypt also announced its intention to appoint a committee of 15 technocrats to manage the Strip for half a year, while in France efforts were being made to establish an international force to operate under a UN Security Council mandate. Hamas condemned the statements of the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister who called for dismantling the weapons of the “resistance.”
The UN secretary general’s report included Hamas in the list of organizations committing sexual violence.
The Palestinians condemned Israeli minister Ben-Gvir’s visit to the prison cell of Marwan al-Barghouti and minister Smotrich’s decision to advance the E1 plan to create territorial contiguity between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem.
The IDF
IDF forces continued air and ground activity throughout the Gaza Strip, focusing on the al-Zeitoun, al-Sabra, al-Shuja’iya and al-Tuffah neighborhoods in Gaza City in preparation for an operation to take control of the city. The forces attacked terrorist targets, primarily of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), some of which operated from civilian buildings. They attacked terrorist squads and operatives, among them the head of the military control department in Hamas’ Rafah Brigade, a Hamas squad operating near the al-Ma’madani Hospital in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood, and terrorists who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Also destroyed were military buildings, rocket warehouses and weapons, tunnels and underground facilities, rocket launch and sniper positions, explosive device sites and other terrorist infrastructure, including a tunnel system about seven kilometers (ca. 4.4 miles) long in Beit Hanoun in the north (IDF spokesperson, August 13–19, 2025).
Route of the tunnel system in Beit Hanoun (IDF spokesperson, August 15, 2025)
Gaza City spokesperson Hasni Mahna said the situation in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood was “catastrophic,” with widespread displacement of residents caused by the bombings and destruction carried out by the IDF. He claimed the IDF used booby-trapped robots to penetrate the alleys and narrow areas of the neighborhood, and afterwards demolished houses and other structures, causing entire residential blocks to collapse into rubble. The operations were accompanied by the entry of IDF bulldozers which razed the remaining buildings to the ground (Ultra Palestine, August 17, 2025). Reports indicated waves of displacement from the east and south of Gaza City toward the port area, Ansar and the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in the west of the city, due to the intensive aerial and artillery attacks in al-Zeitoun and al-Sabra. According to the report, most families could not find shelter and did not have tents (Facebook page of Osama al-Kahlout, August 17, 2025).
Rocket Fire
On August 17, 2025, a rocket was fired from the central Gaza at Kibbutz Alumim, near the Gaza Strip border, and was intercepted (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, August 17, 2025). A rocket fired from the southern Gaza Strip at Israeli territory fell inside the Strip (IDF spokesperson, August 18, 2025).
On August 18, 2025, Egyptian State Information Service head Diaa Rashwan announced that Hamas and the other Palestinian factions[1] had given their “unreserved consent” to the updated proposal of the mediators Egypt and Qatar, and stated that “the ball is now in Israel’s court” (al-Qahera, August 18, 2025). Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad said the proposal was based on the outline presented by United States special envoy Steve Witkoff for a 60-day ceasefire, and it included several changes which, according to Rashad, did not surprise Israel. He said compromises had been reached regarding Israel’s redeployment inside the Gaza Strip, adding that the proposal was meant to halt the plan to “displace” Gazans from the Strip (al-Arabiya, August 18, 2025). According to an unofficial report, ten live hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages would be returned in exchange for the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners and all female prisoners, extensive humanitarian aid would enter through Rafah Crossing, and hospitals and bakeries would be repaired (Telegram channel of journalist Mahmoud al-Louh, August 18, 2025).[2]
Hamas and other Palestinian factions confirmed receipt of the outline and said their goal was to stop Israel from taking over Gaza City and to bring about the end of the war. However, they repeated their “red lines,” issues they would not concede in the negotiations:
Hamas figure Izzat al-Rishq said the proposal Hamas agreed to focused on a partial deal but opened the door to a comprehensive agreement which would end the war and lead to a complete Israeli withdrawal. He said the decision had been made after extensive consultations with all the Palestinian factions and it represented all of them in “a spirit of national responsibility.” He added that Hamas and the factions noted their “positive, flexible” approach to bring a quick end to the “war against the Palestinian people” (Telegram channel of Muhammad al-Arja, August 18, 2025).
Taher al-Nunu, media advisor to the head of the Hamas political bureau, said negotiations on the comprehensive agreement would begin on the first day of implementing the agreement and carrying out the “prisoner” exchange. He claimed that Hamas had fulfilled its duty toward the Palestinian people to end the war despite “Israeli stalling,” and “proved” it had not been responsible for the delay. He called on the mediators to pressure Israel to approve the deal and added that Hamas had not yet received conditions from Israel and all options were open. He added that the United States was one of the guarantors of the agreement and it did not contain any anything about disarming the “resistance” (al-Jazeera, August 18, 2025).
PIJ spokesperson Muhammad al-Hajj Mousa said the organization had responded positively to “preserve the Palestinian people” and they were now waiting for the “occupation” to respond. He added that the “resistance” had red lines it would never retreat from and said its “flexibility” in negotiations was not a sign of weakness. He claimed “the American administration is capable of ending the war and we want guarantees to prevent the return of the occupation” because “the occupation wants full submission and Gaza without Gazans for the sake of a Greater Israel” (al-Jazeera, August 18, 2025).
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said Hamas’s agreement to the outline provided a “glimmer of hope” for the entry of humanitarian aid and the rescue of the Palestinian people from a “humanitarian disaster.” He claimed the proposal was similar to Witkoff’s, and its approval was a significant step toward a permanent ceasefire in the future (Sada al-Balad, August 18, 2025).
Before the outline was accepted, a meeting was held in Cairo attended by leaders of Hamas and other terrorist organizations, including the head of the Hamas political bureau in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, and PIJ secretary general Ziyad al-Nakhaleh. Reportedly, they promised not to cease their “tireless efforts to stop the aggression and the war,” adding that the top priority at this stage was an immediate and comprehensive halt of the “aggression,” lifting the “siege” from the Gaza Strip, and ensuring immediate, safe, unhindered entry of humanitarian aid. They also noted the need to confront Israel’s plans to reoccupy the Strip and “displace” the Gazans, and to invest efforts immediately to stop them (Hamas Telegram channel in Judea and Samaria, August 14, 2025).
Meeting of Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations. Right: (Left to right) PIJ secretary general Ziyad al-Nakhaleh; Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya; Samir Masharawi of Dahlan’s faction; deputy secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Jamil Mazhar; and secretary general of the Popular Front – General Command, Talal Najji (Hamas Telegram channel in Judea and Samaria, August 14, 2025)
However, “sources in the Palestinian factions” reported heated debates and a tense atmosphere during the meetings. According to “sources,” the factions were dissatisfied with Hamas’ handling of the ceasefire negotiations. PIJ secretary general al-Nakhaleh reportedly demanded a “bold, wise national decision without hesitation” for a ceasefire, and representatives of PIJ, the PFLP, and Dahlan’s faction told Hamas they would no longer provide support and backing if the movement did not decide to end the war and remove Israel’s “pretexts” (al-Sharq, August 15, 2025). On the other hand, Hamas-affiliated news sites and faction leaders who participated in the meeting denied reports of disagreements or tensions. They claimed the unity of the factions was firm and stable and they were united in their commitment to stop the “aggression” and foil the “extremist plans” of the Israeli government (Shehab, August 17, 2025; Palestine Online, August 17, 2025).
Humanitarian Aid
This past week, IDF forces, through the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), continued bringing extensive amounts humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the UN and other countries, to alleviate the distress of the local residents:
The COGAT reported that in the week ending on August 17, 2025, more than 1,660 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid had entered the Gaza Strip, most of them carrying food. In addition, the UN and international organizations collected nearly 2,250 trucks with humanitarian aid from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim Crossings and distributed them in the Gaza Strip. On August 18, 2025, 370 trucks entered, while the UN and international organizations collected and distributed aid brought in by 350 trucks. In addition, UN tankers entered bringing fuel for the operation of essential systems (COGAT X account, August 17–19, 2025).
Chart showing the rise in UN aid truck collection (COGAT X account, August 17, 2025)
In preparation for moving the Gazan population from the combat areas in the north and center of the Gaza Strip to the south for their protection, the supply of tents and equipment for sheltering civilians was renewed. The COGAT stated that the aid was transferred through the Kerem Shalom Crossing by the UN and international organizations, following strict security checks by the Crossings Authority of the Israeli Ministry of Defense (COGAT, August 16, 2025).
Palestinian criticism of the tents provided by Israel, claiming they turn into furnaces in the Gazan heat (Arabi 21 News, August 17, 2025)
The airdrops of hundreds of pallets of humanitarian aid increased with the participation of the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Greece, Italy, Singapore, Indonesia and Denmark (IDF spokesperson and COGAT X account, August 13–19, 2025).
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) launched a pilot program to allow Palestinian families to pre-order food packages at distribution centers. According to the program, which began at a station in the Saudi neighborhood of Rafah on August 17, 2025, and is expected to expand in the coming weeks, participants receive a photo ID card with an identification number and can use a dedicated system to order food packages that would be kept for them on designated days. The foundation noted that the initiative was intended to prevent the need to run after aid packages and to make distribution more convenient and accessible. The foundation also said the data was stored securely and would never be exposed (GHF Gaza website, August 18, 2025).
The Abu Ma‘ghseeb clan stated that its youth security teams, together with those of the al-Masdar clan, were engaged in securing the entry of large aid convoys into the Gaza Strip. According to the clan, a total of more than 80 aid trucks arrived for the World Kitchen organization, about 90 trucks for the commercial sector, and 40 additional trucks for UNICEF. All the convoys arrived safely at their designated warehouses (Facebook page of the Abu Ma‘ghseeb Youth Association, August 17, 2025).
Promoting “hunger” propaganda
The Hamas ministry of health in Gaza claimed that 266 people, 112 of them children, had died of hunger and malnutrition since the start of the war in October 2023 (Hamas ministry of health Telegram channel, August 19, 2025). Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, director of the Children’s Hospital at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, claimed that 35 children suffering from acute malnutrition had been admitted on one day alone. He claimed that child mortality had risen significantly and warned that there would be severe long-term consequences, given that children suffering from acute malnutrition could develop irreversible health problems (Al Jazeera Ajil Telegram channel, August 17, 2025).
The office of UN high commissioner for human rights in the Palestinian territories claimed that its personnel had “documented” 11 IDF attacks on aid convoy guards in the northern and central Gaza Strip since the beginning of August 2025, killing 46 Gazans, most of them convoy guards. It further claimed that between May 27 and August 13, 2025, at least 1,760 Gazans had been “documented” as having died while trying to obtain aid, 994 of them at GHF distribution points and 766 along aid convoy routes. The office claimed that most of the [alleged] “crimes” had been carried out by IDF forces and that although it knew of the presence of “other armed men” in those areas, it had no information about their involvement in the killings (UN website, August 15, 2025).
Countering the “Hunger” Propaganda
An investigative report revealed that the stories of 12 Gazans who appeared on social media, in reports by leading international aid organizations, and in several major American media outlets as the “faces of Gaza hunger” did not include the complicated medical histories that explained their severe appearances. According to the report, the 12 Gazans, including children, suffered from serious health issues unrelated to hunger or to the actions of any third party, and were part of the Hamas “hunger” narrative propaganda in the Gaza Strip. International news organizations responded by saying they could not report independently from the Gaza Strip and therefore relied on agencies and local journalists working inside the Strip (The Free Press, August 18, 2025).
The Situation in Gaza
The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that on August 13, 2025, the organization assisted in evacuating 32 children and six sick adults, along with 99 companions from the Gaza Strip. Twenty-five children and the six adults were evacuated to Italy, five children to Belgium, and two children to Turkey (WHO director-general’s X account, August 13, 2025).
The United States State Department announced it had temporarily suspended issuing entry visas to Gazans, following a thorough review of the procedures under which several temporary visas had recently been granted to medical and humanitarian workers. No reason was given for the move, but it was emphasized that any decision to grant a visa was a matter of national security and intended to ensure that applicants did not pose a threat. According to the report, the measure comes as part of the stricter visa policy adopted by the American administration in June 2025 (Quds, August 16, 2025).
Hamas mechanisms and affiliated media continued to present claims of “deliberate” harm to the healthcare system and the spread of diseases in the Gaza Strip:
Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, warned as usual of a severe shortage of equipment and medicines for treating the sick and wounded, of the spread of bacteria causing serious infections leading to death or amputation, of an increase in cases of flaccid paralysis and the number of deaths from it, and of the spread of skin diseases caused by the intense heat, lack of water and lack of hygiene (Shehab agency, August 13, 2025).
Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of pediatrics and maternity at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, said that the health system in the Gaza Strip had been destroyed by Israel, and that “the occupation” had so far prevented medical delegations from entering hospitals (al-Aqsa TV Telegram channel, August 13, 2025).
The Hamas ministry of health in Gaza reported the deaths of five patients from advanced paralysis due to the lack of ventilators and medicines. The medical staff was reportedly exhausted and working under conditions of hunger and direct attacks, surgeries were sometimes carried out without anesthesia [sic], and thousands of patients were [allegedly] left untreated. In addition, the heat wave contributed to the outbreak of diseases in the refugee camps, where children suffered from diarrhea, dehydration and infectious diseases. Meanwhile, about 15,000 seriously ill and wounded patients, including oncology and dialysis patients, required urgent evacuation which was not possible due to the closure of crossings. In addition, about 83% of people with disabilities had [allegedly] lost their equipment (alresala.net, August 17, 2025).
Hamas Governance
On August 13, 2025, Israel attacked Gazans looting humanitarian aid in the northern Gaza Strip. Local residents expressed anger at the looters, who arrived armed with knives and other weapons, rioted on the truck routes and even attacked each other over basic foodstuffs. It was further noted that the looting endangered the lives of drivers and guards and led to exorbitant insurance costs (Facebook page of al-Shati Camp, August 13, 2025).
“Eyewitnesses” reported that gangs from Yasser Abu Shabab’s militia, which is supported by Israel, arrived in areas of the northern Gaza Strip, including Beit Lahia and Jabaliya, accompanied by armed operatives and with special vehicles. They reportedly prevented local residents from trying to check their homes, claiming they were preparing the area for the return of civilians under their control. According to reports, the gangs interrogated civilians at the Indonesian Hospital, detained at least 500 civilians and handed them over to the IDF (Ramallah News Telegram channel, August 17, 2025).
Dozens of custodial staff workers in hospitals in Gaza who had not been paid for more than five months went on a partial strike. The Musa Khalas for Logistics and Hospitality Services company, responsible for cleaning health institutions, announced that if salaries were not paid it would strike on August 19, 2025, until further notice, except in critical departments such as operating rooms, intensive care and neonatal units. Workers reportedly earn an average of 700 to 900 shekels ($207 to $265) a month and the company employs about 200 workers. The Hamas ministry of health in Gaza said a lack of cleaners could lead to a humanitarian disaster in hospitals crowded with wounded and sick people, and noted that the debt was caused by lack of an operational budget. The ministry appealed to international bodies, including the World Health Organization, for urgent assistance, but it was reported that so far the response had been limited (Palestine Online, August 18, 2025).
Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said his country had begun training 5,000 Palestinian policemen, in coordination with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, to fill the security vacuum in the Gaza Strip after the end of the war. He said the plan also included the deployment of another 5,000 policemen on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, along with the appointment of 15 technocrats in the Gaza Strip who would manage the Strip for six months to lay the foundation for security and law. Abdelatty noted that the vision for the administration of the Strip after the war was clear, and would be discussed at the conference for the reconstruction of the Strip. A “source in Hamas” said the movement was open to the Egyptian plan for the administration of the Gaza Strip after the war, but the rumors of a “comprehensive deal” were exaggerated and unrealistic. According to the “source,” the priority now was to stop the killing, remove the Israeli forces from the Strip and establish a community support committee in coordination with Egypt to oversee the withdrawal of the IDF (al-Sharq al-Awsat, August 13, 2025).
Muhammad Mustafa, Palestinian Authority (PA) prime minister, held a joint press conference with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty. Mustafa called the Gaza Strip an inseparable part of the “State of Palestine” and said the PA government was the only executive body authorized to manage the affairs of the Strip, as was being done in Judea and Samaria. He added that a temporary committee would soon be established to manage the Strip, subject solely to the authority of the Palestinian government, and not as a new political entity. He added that any attempt to disrupt the national will and the Arab and international consensus regarding the unity of Palestinian national institutions in Judea and Samaria and in the Gaza Strip would fail (Wafa, August 18, 2025).
Muhammad Abu al-Rabb, director of the PA communications center, said a Palestinian national decision had been made to appoint a committee, subordinate to the PA government, to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip. He added that a PA government minister would head the committee and several names had been considered, including a candidate from the Gaza Strip, but the matter was not final (Radio Alam, August 18, 2025).
Hamas expressed regret at the statements by PA foreign minister Farsin Shaheen, who had called for the weapons of the “resistance” to be handed over. Hamas claimed that such statements did not serve the Palestinian people and their national interests, adding that the “resistance” and its weapons were a “national right” arising from the existence of the “occupation,” and could not be abandoned except through the realization of all rights and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Hamas called for a retraction from the PA leadership and for them to stand alongside the people and national forces in the struggle to foil Israel’s plans, while stressing that the future of the Gaza Strip and “Palestine” would be determined by the united Palestinian people and not by the “occupation” (Hamas Telegram channel, August 14, 2025). Bassem Na’im, a member of the Hamas political bureau, claimed that Shaheen had no right to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people since she “represented a government that usurped power in 2007 and carried out a coup against the legitimacy of the democratic choice of the Palestinian people.” He added that the future of the Palestinians, including the selection of its legitimate leadership, would be decided by the people themselves through free, fair, comprehensive elections. Na’im accused such statements of aligning with a “malicious Zionist and international agenda” (Bassem Naim’s Facebook page, August 13, 2025).
The French foreign ministry said France was working to establish an international force in the Strip to ensure Israeli and Palestinian security. The foreign ministry proposed to assemble the force under the UN Security Council mandate and under the management of regional partners (French foreign ministry, August 17, 2025).
Hamas protested the publication of a report by the UN secretary general, which included it on the list of organizations committing sexual offenses in armed conflicts. Hamas rejected its inclusions and claimed the accusations were based on “false Israeli information” and without an independent investigation. Hamas also accused the UN of selective enforcement, claiming that it ignored Israel’s documented “violations,” and called for the decision to be canceled and for an international investigation of Israel on the matter (Hamas Telegram channel, August 15, 2025).
Terrorist Attacks
Attempted stabbing at the Qalandiya checkpoint: On August 14, 2025, Israeli security forces at the Qalandiya checkpoint saw a suspicious individual approaching on foot. During inspection, the suspect, a Gazan in his twenties, pulled out a knife. He was overpowered and detained. No casualties were reported (Israel Police Recruitment Center X account, August 14, 2025).
Counterterrorism Activities
This past week, Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activity in various areas of Judea and Samaria, detaining wanted persons and terrorist operatives and confiscating weapons and funds used to finance terrorist activity. A facility for the production of weapons and explosives in Balata, in the Nablus area, was eliminated and lathes were destroyed (Israel Police X account, August 14–18, 2025).
A study conducted by the Sada Social Center in Ramallah, which monitors digital violations of Palestinian content, identified a significant increase in searches of smartphones and their confiscation by Israeli security forces since October 7, 2023. According to the study, conducted among 526 participants from Judea and Samaria and east Jerusalem, 19.4% of respondents reported that their phones had been smashed, 21.2% said their phones had been confiscated, and 17% reported that they had been detained after a search. According to the study, the Israeli security forces focused on searching for photos of the dead and prisoners, leaders of the factions and videos of the Palestinian “resistance.” In 90% of the cases, the searches focused on Telegram, followed by Facebook (36.3%) and WhatsApp (29.6%) (Sada Social website, August 16, 2025).
Friction Between Populations
During engineering work near the village of Duma in Samaria, dozens of Palestinians threw rocks at an IDF soldier who was on leave and securing the work, and at an Israeli civilian. The soldier first fired into the air and then fired at the attackers. The assailants tried to snatch his weapon, but IDF forces arriving at the scene took control of the area. The soldier and the civilian were superficially wounded and treated at the scene (IDF spokesperson, August 13, 2025). During the funeral of the person killed, a resident of Dura, when the soldier fired his weapon, Hamas flags were waved and slogans were chanted against the State of Israel and in support of terrorism. Israeli security forces detained five suspects for incitement and support of Hamas (IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Facebook page, August 16, 2025).
Palestinians detained for supporting Hamas and incitement
(IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Facebook page, August 16, 2025)
Political Activity
Muhammad Mustafa, PA prime minister, visited Egypt and met with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and with foreign minister Badr Abdelatty. They discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, including efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and the struggle against the [alleged] “annexation and displacement” plans in the Strip and in Judea and Samaria. Mustafa praised Egypt’s support for the Palestinians and conveyed a message from PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, stating that the PA was prepared to assume all responsibility in the Gaza Strip under one rule, one law and one weapon, while uniting with Judea and Samaria. They also discussed the preparations for convening an international conference for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip (Wafa, August 17, 2025; Facebook pages of the Egyptian government and Egyptian foreign ministry, August 17, 2025).
Mustafa and Abdelatty paid a visit to the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing. Mustafa accused Israel of using the crossing to impose a “siege” on the Palestinian people and said its closure “showed the world that Israel was denying the Palestinian people food and preventing the establishment of an independent state.” He added that “Israeli aggression” should not give any international body the legitimacy to impose arrangements on the Gaza Strip. Abdelatty accused Israel of preventing the entry of thousands of trucks waiting at the Rafah crossing and stressed that his country was ready to flood the Strip with aid immediately upon the removal of restrictions. He said Egypt opposed any attempt “to uproot Palestinians from their land” (Wafa and Sawa Agency, August 18, 2025).
Mustafa and Abdelatty at the Rafah crossing (al-Mashhad, August 18, 2025)
Drafting a Temporary Constitution
PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree for the appointment of a temporary constitution-drafting committee, intended to accompany the transition from the PA to a “state” after the cessation of fighting, the withdrawal of Israel, and in preparation for general elections. Reportedly, the committee would serve as a legal source for the formulation of a temporary constitution based on the principles of international law, international legitimacy resolutions and human rights conventions, and would lay the foundations for a democratic regime based on the rule of law, separation of powers, rights and freedoms and the peaceful transfer of power. The committee, headed by Mohammad al-Hajj Qassem, includes public figures, jurists and prominent politicians, including Ziyad Abu Amr, Ahmed Majdalani, Muhammad Shtayyeh, Mahmoud al-Habbash and others, with representation for civil society and gender equality (Hama al-Watan Telegram channel, August 17, 2025).
Palestinian reactions to Ben-Gvir’s Visit to Marwan al-Barghouti
The Palestinians condemned the publicized visit of minister of national security Itamar Ben Gvir to Marwan al-Barghouti, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, who is serving life sentences in an Israeli prison, during which Ben-Gvir appeared to threaten him:
Hussein al-Sheikh, deputy PA chairman and deputy PLO Executive Committee chairman, called Ben-Gvir’s threat to “commander” al-Barghouti “the height of psychological, moral and physical terrorism” used against the prisoners and a violation of international and humanitarian conventions and norms (X account of Hussein al-Sheikh, August 14, 2025). Al-Sheikh also paid a solidarity visit to al-Barghouti’s family home, accompanied by the Ra’ed Abu al-Hams, chairman of the PA commission for prisoners and released prisoners’ affairs, and said the Palestinian leadership was making continuous efforts at all levels to ensure his release and the release of all prisoners in Israeli prisons (Wafa, August 16, 2025).
Rawhi Fattouh, chairman of the Palestinian National, said the government of Israel was fully responsible for al-Barghouti’s life. He claimed it was a question of a “serious act of aggression amounting to attempted murder” carried out under the minister’s direction and supervision (Wafa, August 14, 2025).
Hamas accused Ben-Gvir of “storming” al-Barghouti’s cell and threatening him “blatantly, exposing the occupation’s hostility to all values.” Hamas said “the criminal act will not harm al-Barghouti’s resilience but will strengthen his determination to continue the struggle and strengthen the unity of the prisoners’ movement.” Hamas also called on the Hamas and international human rights organizations to take urgent action to provide protection for the prisoners (Hamas Telegram channel, August 15, 2025).
Palestinian Reactions to the Construction Plans in the E1 Project
The Palestinians condemned the announcement by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich of the promotion of the E1 project, which includes the construction of 3,401 housing units in Ma’ale Adumim (which lies directly to the east of Jerusalem) and connecting it to Jerusalem:
The PA foreign ministry claimed the project “reflected the idea of Greater Israel.” The ministry said resolute international intervention was required to stop Israel from carrying out the plan and sanctions had to be imposed on “the occupation” to force it to stop and to adhere to the international consensus for a two-state solution. It called the plan a continuation “of the occupation’s intentions to undermine the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state on the homeland’s soil [sic] and to undermine its geographic and demographic unity” (X account of the PA foreign ministry, August 14, 2025).
Rawhi Fattouh, chairman of the Palestinian National Council, defined the announcement as “racist” and which he claimed was intended “to bury” the idea of the Palestinian state, in line with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “Greater Israel” vision. He called it a “serious violation” of international law and a policy of “creeping annexation,” as part of a “forced population transfer” (Facebook page of Rawhi Fattouh, August 14, 2025).
Fatah spokesman Iyad Abu Zneit called the planned project a “blatant violation” of international law and warned it was a “dangerous escalation in the policy of occupation, which seeks to uproot the Palestinian presence, strengthen the apartheid regime, and prevent any chance of establishing a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.” He called on the international community, led by the UN and the EU, to take effective measures to stop the move and hold Israel accountable (Wafa, August 14, 2025).
Hamas claimed that it was a dangerous move intended to sever the geographical continuity between Ramallah and Bethlehem, isolate Jerusalem and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Hamas added that the plan exposed the “extremist colonialist nature” of the government of Israel, which ignored international law and UN resolutions, and that it would fail in the face of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people (Hamas Telegram channel, August 14, 2025).
Map of area E1 (Ahamed Abu Iyad’s Telegram channel, August 16, 2025)
Activities of the PA Security Forces
The PA security forces reportedly destroyed several “resistance” explosive devices in the town of Seida, north of Tulkarm (Hurriya News, August 13, 2025).
An opinion piece on a website known for its opposition to the PA accused it of cooperating with the “Israeli occupation” as it continued the course of security cooperation begun with the Oslo Accords, which included the “systematic suppression of the resistance,” incursions into refugee camps, detentions and targeted killings. The article added that security coordination with Israel had weakened the “spirit of resistance” and dismantled Palestinian national unity, thereby turning the refugee camps, which had been bastions of the struggle, into arenas under Palestinian police control in cooperation with the “occupation” (al-Shahad, August 16, 2025).
[1] Terrorist organizations.
[2] Hamas is still holding 50 Israeli hostages, of whom approximately 20 are believed to be alive.
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