The Times of Israel liveblogged Monday’s events as they happened.

The IDF says a ballistic missile was fired at Israel from Yemen, with air defenses working to intercept the projetile.

The military calls on the public to heed the orders of the Home Front Command, as sirens are activated in parts of central Israel and in communities near Jerusalem due to the Houthi attack.

Saudi news outlet al-Hadath quotes a Palestinian source saying that Israeli reports indicating that the government is leaning toward a major expansion of military action in Gaza, including taking over the whole Strip, appear to “precede a new round of negotiations in the coming days.”

It is unclear if the source is speaking from knowledge of actual plans for talks or speculating on the subtext for the reports.

The source is quoted saying that contacts have continued since talks broke down late last month, and that there is heavy pressure from all sides on Hamas to show more flexibility.

The negotiators have not closed the door to a partial deal, the outlet cites the source as saying.

The tone is starkly different in Israel, where reports continue to portray Jerusalem’s view as being that talks are hopeless, pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward seeking to meet the war’s goals via an expansion of fighting.

Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s point man on hostage issues, sent a message to families of captives tonight telling them that the issue, including the negotiations, is continuing to be discussed at the highest levels, the Ynet news site reports.

“Since the return of the delegation from Doha, there have been constant situational assessments dealing with the state of the hostages, the state of talks, and plans for various alternatives,” he told them in a message, according to the report. “We are working through the whole range of our abilities and in various ways in an effort to free the hostages.”

Two defense officials tells Reuters that the military is expected Tuesday to present the political leadership with alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated.

While some in the cabinet are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials say.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has canceled plans for short trip to the United States, according to a military source.

The source says the trip was conditioned on there being a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and since that is not the case, he will not be flying tonight.

Zamir was set to attend the handover ceremony of the head of the US Central Command, as well as meet with US officials at the Pentagon, and leaders of Jewish groups, according to the IDF.

Because there is no ceasefire, “and due to the difficult situation of the hostage issue, and the great responsibility on his shoulders, he decided to cancel his trip,” the source adds.

Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad Al-Momani claims Israelis are “attacking” trucks carrying humanitarian aid from Jordan to the Gaza Strip, preventing the vehicles from making it to the enclave.

According to Momani, several trucks were forced to turn back yesterday after being accosted in Israel.

He says some of the attacks resulted in injuries, but does not offer details.

Momani called on Israel must urgently intervene to prevent these incidents, al-Momani says in remarks carried by Jordan’s official Petra news agency.

Israeli settlers blocked flour trucks from Jordan heading to Gaza to prevent the delivery of aid to starving Palestinians. – PressTV pic.twitter.com/g92D9s08fa

— Emelia (@vikingwarior20) August 4, 2025

A Hezbollah operative was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon’s Khiam earlier today, the military says.

Since a November 2024 ceasefire, the IDF says it has killed over 230 Hezbollah operatives in strikes in Lebanon, saying those targeted were violating the terms of the truce.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair brands Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad al Thani and his mother Moza bint Nasser “the modern-day Hitler and Goebbels,” claiming that Doha is “the main force behind the unprecedented wave of antisemitism around the world, not seen since the 1930s and 1940s.”

“Every Jew around the world is in grave danger because of the decades-long vilification of Jews and the Jewish state by Qatar, fueled by the billions of dollars they pour into it,” the younger Netanyahu tweets, without elaborating.

The latest controversial post from Netanyahu, who has been accused in the past of promoting conspiracy theories, is made during another impasse in hostage negotiations that are being co-mediated by Qatar.

Qatar is the main force behind the unprecedented wave of antisemitism around the world, not seen since the 1930s and 1940s.
Qatar is the modern-day Nazi Germany.
Every Jew around the world is in grave danger because of the decades-long vilification of Jews and the Jewish state by…

— Yair Netanyahu🇮🇱 (@YairNetanyahu) August 4, 2025

Just last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against criticism of Qatar, asserting that Doha has played a helpful role in the negotiations.

Critics of Doha have pointed to its close ties to Hamas and its funding to Gaza that indirectly allowed the terror group to prioritize building up its arsenal to attack Israel.

Qatar, in turn, has argued that Israel — and the US — lobbied for Doha to make such payments in order to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Several of the Israeli premier’s aides are currently under investigation over work they allegedly performed on behalf of the Gulf state.

The president of dovish Mideast lobby J Street says he can no longer argue against those characterizing Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide.

“Until now, I have tried to deflect and defend when challenged to call this genocide,” Jeremy Ben Ami writes in a post on Substack published yesterday. “I have, however, been persuaded rationally by legal and scholarly arguments that international courts will one day find that Israel has broken the international genocide convention.”

J Street, which characterizes itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace and lobbies lawmakers in Washington to adopt policies that advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, appears to become one of the most prominent Jewish American groups to legitimize the use of the term.

“The personal pain of my own family from a crime that I believe has no parallel – and my association of the word genocide exclusively with that event — means I am unlikely to use the term myself,” Ben Ami writes. “But I cannot and will not argue any more against those using the term. I simply won’t defend the indefensible.”

The medical team of the Hostages Forum assesses that hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski are severely underweight and face the risk of multi-system failure, based on footage recently published by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

David has lost nearly half of his body weight, while Braslavski has dropped 31 percent, the team assesses in a new report.

In the video of David, he is shown skeletal and digging what he said he feared was his grave.

David’s first cousin, Matan Eshet, told The Times of Israel that the family did not pay close attention to the medical team’s statement.

“They can tell me his medical condition and the statistics, but he’s in such bad shape that I can see it with my own eyes,” says Eshet. “I don’t need a degree to tell me that he’s on the brink of death.”

David’s family first caught a glimpse of the video on Telegram on Friday night, but did not watch it, says Eshet, knowing it would break their spirits.

“I was broken when I saw it,” says Eshet. “My cousin doesn’t look or sound like himself. He looks like a copy of a copy of a copy of Evyatar.”

Eshet said he had hoped for a glimpse of the cousin he knows. What angers him the most was seeing the meaty hand of the Hamas terrorist shown in the uncut video, next to David’s emaciated, wasted body.

He says he is taking a break from social media because he keeps seeing his cousin’s face.

“I see it every time I close my eyes,” says Eshet.

In a high-profile move aimed at raising international awareness, the Israeli Foreign Ministry — together with the Consulate General of Israel in New York — is broadcasting footage from a recently released video of emaciated hostage Evyatar David on a large screen in New York’s Times Square.

The footage is accompanied by captions reading “Hamas is starving the Israeli hostages,” and “Ignored by the media too busy echoing Hamas propaganda.”

David was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and is being held in Gaza under dire conditions.

Evyatar David was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova festival.
He’s being starved in Gaza.

With @IsraelinNewYork , we brought his story to Times Square because the world can no longer look away.

The hostages must be front and center on the global agenda.

We will not rest until… pic.twitter.com/XbWtQ8GzVx

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 4, 2025

“This is what real hunger looks like. This is what truth looks like,” Consul General Ofir Akunis says in a statement to The Times of Israel.

“Evyatar David is being starved by a Nazi terrorist organization that dares, with the backing of parts of the media, to spread the blood libel that Israel is starving the people of Gaza,” Akunis says.

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson says that the “mountains of Judea and Samaria” belong to the Jewish people “by right,” during a visit to the West Bank settlement of Ariel, according to a statement by the settlement’s municipal authority.

Johnson, who is among the most senior US officials to ever visit a West Bank settlement, speaks at a celebratory event attended by Ariel Mayor Yair Chetboun and the mayors of other West Bank settlements.

“Every corner of this land is important to us. It is an integral part of our faith, and therefore the significance for us is great… We stand entirely by your side,” says Johnson, according to the statement.

“Scripture teaches us that the mountains of Judea and Samaria were promised to the Jewish people, and they belong to them by right. But many people around the world do not see it like this, they label it the ‘occupied territories’ or the ‘West Bank’ or any other name,” he adds. “Every mayor here should know exactly where we stand regarding this issue — and we stand with you.”

His spokesperson does not respond to a request for comment.

Along with Johnson, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, his daughter, and Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee-Sanders also participate in the US delegation, along with Republican congressmen Nathaniel Moran, Michael McCaul, Claudia Tenney, and Michael Cloud.

Chetboun in the statement describes Johnson’s visit as “an historic moment of shared values, deep friendship, and strong partnership between the US and Israel, and between the US and Judea and Samaria, the place where the Jewish story began.”

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara calls the cabinet vote to remove her from office “unlawful,” and says the legal advisory system and the prosecution service she heads will continue to be “faithful to the law,” in her first comments following the government’s decision to fire her earlier today.

“The government decision made just now to end my tenure contravenes the law,” Baharav-Miara writes in a letter to State Attorney Amit Aisman, which is also addressed to her deputy attorney generals and other senior figures in the legal advisory system and prosecution service.

“Political pressure and behavior that contravenes the law will not deter us from continuing to carry out our jobs impartially, professionally, and honestly,” she writes.

“We will continue to assist the government to advance its policies in accordance with the law, to enforce the law equally, and preserve the rule of law,” she adds.

The High Court says the firing cannot take effect until it rules on the procedure used to dismiss her.

Two people in the Arab community have been shot to death in separate criminal incidents within hours, according to media reports and authorities.

One victim, named as Diaa Issawi, 25, was shot in his car in the central town of Jaljulya and died of his wounds after being rushed to a hospital.

Earlier, a 29-year-old named as Sahur Ibrahim was shot in the village of Saj’ur in Israel’s north and died after being rushed to a hospital.

Police say they are looking for suspects in both killings.

According to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog group, 155 people in the Arab community have been killed due to violent crime in 2025 thus far, a 12 percent rise over last year, when there were 138 killings at this point. The toll puts 2025 on pace to be the deadliest year ever for the community.

The IDF says it is canceling a practice of adding four extra months of service for conscripted troops, but will extend deployment time for special forces units in the future, as the military looks to rebalance service terms to address a manpower crisis during the conflict in Gaza.

Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has delayed the release of conscripted ground troops and seamlessly transitioned their service into reserve duty for four additional months.

Starting in November, the IDF says it will cancel those extra four months, meaning that soldiers who were drafted in March 2023 will be released in November rather than March 2026.

However, soldiers in the special forces units who are currently in training will be required to serve an additional four months as “career soldiers,” starting in March 2027.

Additionally, troops who draft to special forces units in the future will be required to sign on for an additional eight months (in reconnaissance units) or a full year of service (in the commando units) as career soldiers.

Last month, the military said it was set to extend the service time for troops in selective units — including special forces, commando units, and the infantry brigades’ reconnaissance units — by a year, beyond the 30 months they currently serve, per a commitment that those soldiers had made upon enlisting. The policy in practice had not been enforced, and after outcry, the military backtracked from the move. Instead, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir appointed a committee headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Abulafia, a former head of the Planning Directorate, who today presented a series of recommendations concerning service times.

Soldiers in the selective units who have completed their basic training, which normally takes a year or more, will also not have four months tacked on.

The IDF says the moves are intended to find a balance between the needs of the military for more troops and the “erosion” in the standing army after nearly two years of fighting. Therefore, the military says it does not intend to extend the service of those already in the army, but only for those in training or who have not yet been drafted.

The cost in the short term is one less team in the commando units and dozens of troops in the infantry brigades for a year. The military says it will make up the gap by bringing in reservists.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told ministers in the past day that he will seek cabinet backing for a plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, despite objections from within the IDF, Hebrew media reports.

Several ministers reportedly said Netanyahu used the term “occupation of the Strip” in private conversations describing his vision for the expansion of military operations in Gaza — a notable shift in tone as the government prepares to discuss the future of the Gaza campaign.

A senior official close to the premier is quoted in Ynet as saying, “The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.”

“There will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the IDF chief of staff doesn’t agree, he should resign,” they add.

The IDF currently holds control over approximately 75 percent of the Gaza Strip, but under the new plan, the military would be expected to occupy the remaining territory as well — bringing the entire enclave under Israeli control. It is unclear what such a move would mean for the Strip’s millions of civilians and humanitarian groups operating in the enclave.

The IDF has said it opposes taking over the whole Strip, with the army assessing it could take years to clear all Hamas infrastructure. It could also put hostages in danger of being executed should troops approach where they are being held.

Netanyahu said earlier today that he would convene the cabinet to order the IDF on how to proceed with the war effort, with some believing the premier could ask the army to hold back in order to give hostage talks a chance to percolate.

Yesterday, Channel 12 reported that a divide had emerged within the security cabinet on the issue, with the premier and Defense Minister Israel Katz allegedly remaining undecided.

Of those in favor of expanding Gaza operations were Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs.

On the other side, those reportedly favoring continued efforts to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal included IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Mossad chief David Barnea, the Shin Bet’s negotiator known by the Hebrew letter “Mem,” and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, who is overseeing the hostage file for the military.

Antisemitic hate crimes in New York City have decreased in recent months compared to the same period last year, according to NYPD data.

The NYPD reports 14 antisemitic crimes in July, compared to 27 during the same month last year. Last month’s total is the lowest for any month since July 2023, when there were 11 antisemitic incidents reported to police.

In June, there were 31 anti-Jewish crimes, down from 42 the previous year, and in May, there were 24 antisemitic incidents, a decrease from 52 in May 2024.

In April, there was an increase from 29 antisemitic incidents in 2024 to 41 crimes this year.

Despite the decrease in recent months, Jews are still targeted far more than all other groups.

There were 345 antisemitic incidents reported to police in 2024, 54 percent of all hate crimes in the city. Jewish security officials believe many antisemitic incidents are not reported to police.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made combating antisemitism a priority with the rollout of an antisemitism task force in his office. The Office to Combat Antisemitism held its inaugural meeting last month.

Antisemitism has played a major role in the city’s mayoral election campaign, with the leading candidates outlining plans to combat anti-Jewish discrimination.

Hardline Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi says he will not to abide by a court order freezing the attorney general’s firing, saying it “contradicts the law and is invalid.”

Immediately following the decision to fire Gali Baharav-Miara, the High Court of Justice issued a temporary order ordering the government not to change its working relationship with her, to wait on appointing a replacement and asserting that the legally binding nature of the attorney general’s instructions to the government remains in place until it issues further instructions. It had already said the firing would not take effect until after it ruled on the procedure used to remove her.

He says that she is persona non grata in his ministry from now on, “as are her legal positions, and that is how the government should treat her as well. A replacement must be appointed immediately! We obey the law. We are saying to the High Court — no.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin tells Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara she should resign and not try to “force herself” on a government that has no confidence in her, following a cabinet vote to dismiss her from office.

“It would be appropriate for you to refrain from an attempt, which will not succeed, to force yourself on a government that has no confidence in you and which cannot effectively cooperate with you,” Levin tells Baharav-Miara in a letter, saying the unanimous vote to fire her should underline this state of affairs.

“This is how anyone who puts the good of the country and the management of its affairs before their personal interests, and who respects the elected government and proper and democratic governance,” he adds.

Immediately following the decision to fire the attorney general, the High Court of Justice issued a temporary order freezing implementation of Baharav-Miara’s dismissal, ordering the government not to change its working relationship with her, and asserting that the legally binding nature of the attorney general’s instructions to the government remains in place until it issues further instructions.

The High Court of Justice has issued an injunction barring the government from appointing a new attorney general or refusing to work with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara until the bench issues further instructions following a cabinet vote dismissing her from office.

The court also affirms that its earlier ruling that the government’s decision to fire Baharav-Miara will not go into effect until it can rule on petitions against her dismissal.

The court also asserts that the “normative status” of Baharav-Miara’s legal opinions on the government remain in effect, referring to the legally binding nature of the attorney general’s instructions to the government regarding its actions.

The same applies to decisions by prosecutions, which her office oversees, the court adds.

The government has threatened to boycott Baharav-Miara and not invite her to key government forums to implement her firing in a de facto way and bypass the court, which has said her dismissal will not take effect until it rules on the legality of the procedure used to remove her. Government figures indicated after the vote that it saw her dismissal as effective immediately regardless of the court.

The injunction comes after liberal government watchdog groups filed petitions to the court immediately after the cabinet vote requesting it bar the government from hiring a new attorney general and changing its relationship with Baharav-Miara before a final ruling, in order to prevent the government “establishing facts on the ground.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announce the government’s approval of new tax benefits for IDF reservists, in a statement recorded during a cabinet meeting earlier today.

The decision will grant income tax credit points to combat reservists on a graduated scale based on the number of days served, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Today, we’re delivering additional benefits to reservists — who truly deserve everything we can give them,” Netanyahu says in the video........

© The Times of Israel