Israel enters Gaza City; Twisted genocide claims; Iranian revolutionary regime remains a danger

The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday night that it now controls roughly 40% of Gaza City after intensifying its ground offensive against Hamas. According to Times of Israel, Israel has intensified in recent days its strikes in the area of Gaza City, in the territory’s north, ahead of the planned offensive, despite mounting international pressure to halt the campaign.

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency said Israeli strikes on Thursday killed more than 30 people in the city, out of at least 64 Palestinians killed across the Gaza Strip. IDF assessments have reportedly indicated that some 200,000 of Gaza City’s estimated one million residents will refuse to evacuate as the military’s planned conquest of the city nears.

False “genocide” claims

A recent report published by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies has subjected the claim that Israel is committing genocide to scrutiny and discovered that it fails to pass the test of credibility. But that does not prevent the media, influencers and public officials from repeating the “genocide” mantra. Even one of the European Union’s top officials called the war in Gaza a “genocide”. The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) recently declared that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide” under the 1948 Genocide Convention – a claim that made headlines. According to independent think tank The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation, “there is only one problem: This association’s statement never defines the legal concept it purports to apply, makes no serious attempt to analyse the complexity of the situation in Gaza on the ground, and fails to apply the relevant law to the relevant facts. To brand Israel’s legitimate war of self-defence as “genocide” is not only a travesty of law and fact, but a reckless abuse of the very concept the Genocide Convention was created to protect.”

Judea and Samaria

The so-called West Bank – Judea and Samaria – is a hotbed of unrest, and Palestinian institutions are on the cusp of disintegration. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority under leadership of Mahmoud Abbas is corrupt and inefficient, remaining dedicated to the objectives of the PLO to destroy Israel. The PA is unable to control the region, and is dependent on the IDF to maintain law and order. The situation is deeply concerning. Senior Shin Bet security agency officials have warned that the Palestinian Authority is showing signs of unraveling, raising the risk of a “flare-up”. According to Shin Bet, the PA is facing severe economic strain, saying that “unemployment is rising, security personnel are receiving little or no pay, and core functions are eroding.”

Palestinians clash with Israeli security forces in the West Bank city of Nablus | Photo: Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90

“Snapback”: the Ayatollahs in Iran continue to develop a nuclear bomb

In 2015, the US, UK, France, Germany and EU reached a controversial agreement with Iran (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – “JCPoA” in short) to suspend the extensive regime of UN sanctions on Iran, in the hope that the Ayatollah’s would abandon their plans to create a nuclear bomb. That agreement is set to expire on 18th October 2025. The agreement included a so-called “snapback” mechanism, to allow any of the Western countries to unilaterally trigger reimposition of the sanctions regime against Iran should Iran fail to comply with its obligations under the agreement to dismantle its nuclear program. Recent weeks have demonstrated that Iran continues to pursue its program of producing a nuclear weapon, in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. Recent diplomatic efforts to reach a compromise with the revolutionary regime in Tehran have failed. On 28th August 2025, France, the UK and Germany (the “E3”) triggered the JCPoA “snapback” mechanism by sending a notification to the Security Council pursuant to paragraph 11 of UN Security Council resolution 2231. On the same date, Iran, Russia and China notified the Secretary-General of the UN and the Security Council Presidency that they consider the E3’s actions to be “legally and procedurally flawed”, and the E3 notification to be null and void. The Security Council now has until about 25th September to consider the E3’s snapback notification and the counter-letter of Iran, Russia and China. If a new UNSC resolution is not adopted, the extensive regime of sanctions that were in effect before 2015 will be reinstated.

Genocide Scholars Association’s Gaza statement twists law and facts

thinc.: The accusation against Israel collapses under scrutiny, muddling legal standards, factual errors and whitewashing Hamas’s war
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Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War

Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies: This study offers a thorough historical exploration and a quantitative-statistical analysis of the allegation that the State of Israel committed genocide against the Gazan population following the October 7, 2023, massacre. Specifically, we address the claims that Israel intentionally starved the Gazan population, that IDF ground forces deliberately massacred civilians, and that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out indiscriminate bombings, failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians and conducting disproportionate strikes.
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IDF says it controls 40% of Gaza City as ground offensive deepens

As part of the military operation, the IDF is “turning over every stone to bring the hostages home,” said spokesman Brig. Gen. Ephraim “Effie” Defrin.
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Three Palestinian NGOs sanctioned for working with ICC against Israel

“We oppose the ICC’s politicized agenda, overreach and disregard for the sovereignty of the United States and that of our allies,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Shin Bet said to warn PA at risk of collapse; Netanyahu holds discussion on West Bank

Security officials reportedly tell leaders that PA’s unraveling would lead to chaos; official denies PM discussing annexation at meet with ministers.
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Why Iran’s Ideology and Missiles Endanger the West: If Hitler Had Nuclear Weapons, Do You Think He Would Not Have Used Them?

Majid Rafizadeh in Gatestone: Recent remarks by a senior Iranian official, Amir Hayat-Moqaddam, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, once again confirmed what many in the West have feared: the Islamic Republic of Iran’s grand strategy has always included targeting not only Israel and its neighbors but also Europe and the United States.
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Syria’s al-Sharaa and the most dangerous mutation of political Islamism

Dalia Ziada at JNS:
The Syrian leader is heading a neo-jihadism that is more insidious and dangerous than all other forms of political Islamism and Salafi-jihadism.
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Something New for You 🎥✨:

Israel Beyond the Headlines – Palestinian statehood recognition

In this first episode of Israel Beyond the Headlines, Dr. Leon Meijer and Andrew Tucker explore the topic of Palestinian statehood recognition. They discuss questions such as: What defines a state? What is required for statehood, and how does this impact the ongoing political process?

Join us as we unpack these issues, providing insights to help you better understand the situation and the broader implications for Israel, the Palestinians, and the international community.