The Israeli military said on August 28 that it is building two new humanitarian aid sites in Gaza. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said that it has distributed 140 million meals since May 2025. In southern and northern Gaza, Israeli troops carried out raids in Jabaliya and areas of Khan Younis.
Israel’s military vowed to complete an inquiry into strikes near the Nasser Hospital in Gaza that killed a number of people, including civilians, on August 25. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country “deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza.” The IDF published findings of an initial inquiry on August 26 that said troops had targeted a camera being used by terrorists.
Israel continued operations in Lebanon between August 18 and August 24, 2025. These activities included targeted assassinations of Hezbollah operatives involved in the group’s regeneration efforts and strikes on Hezbollah assets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other security personnel conducted an operation in the West Bank city of Ramallah to seize funds destined for Hamas. The effort was linked to a broader military campaign that began earlier this year, targeting Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist organizations.
Israel continued operations in Lebanon between August 4 and August 17, 2025. These activities included targeted assassinations of Hezbollah operatives involved in the group’s regeneration efforts, strikes on the group’s assets, and targeted killings of PFLP operatives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began a new operation to take control of Gaza City on August 19. The operation has been dubbed Gideon’s Chariots II and builds on the achievements of Gideon’s Chariots, launched in May. The IDF now controls approximately 75 percent of Gaza. To take Gaza City, the IDF has called up 60,000 reservists.
As Tehran continues to ready for a potential conflict, Israel has ramped up direct appeals to the Iranian public, offering water technology, urging protests, and hinting at a regime collapse. The Israeli campaign has drawn sharp backlash from Iranian leaders, while both sides maintain a shadow war marked by likely sabotage and public military preparations.
The Israeli military said it targeted and killed terrorists disguised as World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff in the Gaza Strip. The WCK denounced the individuals who posed as aid workers, saying it put humanitarians at risk. The incident adds to a longstanding trend of Palestinian terrorists infiltrating and exploiting charity groups.
Twenty-two months after Hamas invaded southern Israel and started the war, Israel’s security cabinet voted in favor of occupying Gaza City. The decision came after the conclusion of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, where Israel was unable to disarm Hamas and rescue the remaining hostages held in captivity by terrorist groups in the territory. In protest of the cabinet’s decision, the German government announced that it would halt arms for Israel that could be used in Gaza.
Israel is set to decide on occupying the Gaza Strip following the collapse of ceasefire talks with Hamas in Doha, according to reports. The decision is expected to be discussed and potentially approved in a security cabinet meeting on August 7. Hamas has warned against the move, saying it will endanger the lives of the hostages that it and other terrorist groups have held for almost two years.
Israel continued military operations in Lebanon between July 21 and July 27, 2025. These activities included targeted assassinations of Hezbollah operatives involved in the group’s regeneration efforts and strikes on its assets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began to facilitate increased humanitarian aid to Gaza on July 26, the IDF said, including completing new air drops of assistance, opening new humanitarian corridors, and pausing fighting in areas of the territory during the day. The policy change came as ceasefire talks broke down in Qatar and international pressure increased on Israel to enable more aid for Gaza.
Following a five-month manhunt, Israeli authorities said they located and apprehended the suspect behind a series of bus bombings in central Israel earlier this year. Authorities did not detail if the individual had ties to specific terrorist groups, though there are indications the bombings were connected to a Hamas branch in the West Bank
Israel continued operations in Lebanon between July 14 and July 20, 2025. These activities included strikes on Radwan Force training camps and targeted killings of Hezbollah operatives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expanded operations into part of the Gaza town of Deir al Balah, according to reports on July 21. In other sectors of the territory, the Israeli military continued to conduct precision strikes and expand areas it controls. The IDF now controls 75 percent of Gaza, according to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. An errant Israeli shell struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City on July 17.
Syrian Armed Forces entered the Druze-majority governorate of Suwayda for the first time on July 15, prompting severe clashes with Druze militias that have long resisted state control.
For the first time in the war, the Israeli military acknowledged that Hamas attempted to abduct an Israeli soldier. The incident follows Hamas speculating that “additional prisoners will fall into our hands” in a statement two days before the attack.
Five IDF soldiers were killed and 12 were wounded in an ambush in Gaza on July 7. The soldiers were part of two units operating in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, attempting to clear this area near the Israeli border. An IDF spokesperson said that the town is “a fortified target that currently contains dozens more terrorists and numerous underground tunnels that must be dismantled.” The battle took place as Israel and Hamas continue ceasefire talks.
Israel continued its operations in Lebanon between June 30 and July 6, 2025. These operations included targeted killings of Hezbollah operatives, including a smuggler for the IRGC, and a wide-scale attack on Hezbollah assets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) apprehended members of a cell in Syria who were working on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, the IDF said on July 7. It was the second operation in two weeks in which the IDF targeted suspects linked to Iran’s IRGC-QF in southern Syria. Israeli units of the 210th Division continue to carry out operations in Syria, including on Mount Hermon and along the Golan border.
Two terrorists attacked a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid site in Khan Younis on July 5, wounding two American veterans who work for the non-profit. The attack follows threats by Hamas and its affiliates against the GHF due to its links to Israel and the United States.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) apprehended suspects in Syria who are part of “a terrorist cell operated by Iran,” the Israeli military said on July 2, one of several recent raids it has conducted along the border to detain suspects. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited the Golan on July 1 and met with Israeli officers. “We must maintain a high level of alertness and keep our eyes open at all times,” he said.
Israel continued operations in Lebanon between June 23 and June 29, 2025, including targeted killings of Hezbollah operatives and a wide-scale attack on Hezbollah assets in the Ali Taher Ridge.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is working to revise civilian access routes to humanitarian aid sites in Gaza, where the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed more than 51 million meals since it began operations on May 26. The four aid distribution sites in Gaza have faced challenges amid reports of clashes between the IDF and Gazans and other incidents. The IDF is now “installing directional and warning signs, opening additional access routes, establishing barriers and checkpoints to regulate vehicle movement.” The changes come amid reports of efforts to begin a new round of possible ceasefire talks and limited IDF operations in the territory.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) stated that Hamas placed a bounty on its personnel, offering rewards to those who kill or injure members of the nonprofit organization. This development adds to the growing list of threats and acts of violence committed by Hamas and its affiliates against the GHF.
In testimony to the Senate Armed Service Committee, incoming CENTCOM Commander Vice Admiral Charles B. Cooper II highlighted the nuclear, conventional, and asymmetrical threats posed by the Iranian regime. While Israel and the US focused their short campaign primarily on Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missiles, large elements of Iran’s conventional assets survived unscathed.
Seven Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on June 24 when an explosive device detonated on their armored personnel carrier. The deaths come as Israel is shifting its focus from the 12-day battle with Iran back to fighting in Gaza. The IDF continued to find tunnels in the northern part of the territory and eliminate terrorists in clashes. Over 43 million meals have been distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since May 26.
In the final hours before the ceasefire on June 24, Iran launched eight attacks on Israel, including a missile strike in Beersheva that killed four people. Since the war began, Iran has fired an estimated 591 missiles at Israel that killed 28 people and wounded 3,431.
Iran launched four attacks against Israel on June 23, 2025: one drone attack and three ballistic missile attacks, one of which occurred in three waves and consisted of 10–15 missiles. In total, Iran fired 11–16 ballistic missiles at Israel.
Israel continued its operations in Lebanon between June 16 and June 22, 2025. The activities included several targeted assassinations of Hezbollah operatives and commanders, several airstrikes on Hezbollah assets, and one Israeli naval operation against one of the group’s outposts in south Lebanon.