5️⃣0️⃣ HOSTAGES 🎗️ – Day 651 still held captive in Gaza, with no interventions from the Red Cross or the Palestinian Red Crescent /
. Trump administration envoy Adam Boehler: a deal to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas is “closer than it’s ever been,“ citing Israel’s military gains against Iran-backed forces as creating a political window; he called Hamas „very hardheaded,“ warning their refusal to compromise remains the main obstacle.
. Family of hostage Nimrod Cohen marks his 21st birthday, urges leaders to return him https://lnk.sk/aotey

SYRIA 🇸🇾 /
. Syrian President Al-Sharaa launched a sharp rebuke of Israel in a televised address after the ceasefire, accusing it of fueling instability in Syria. “The Israeli entity seeks to turn our land into a theater of chaos. The Syrian people are always ready to defend their dignity,” he declared.
. Syrian security forces are preparing to redeploy to the Druze-majority Sweida city to quell fighting by the Druze and Bedouin tribes, the Syrian interior ministry spokesperson said on Friday. https://lnk.sk/dhiem
. The Syrian presidency accuses Druze fighters in Sweida of violating the ceasefire that led to the withdrawal of government forces from the southern province on Thursday. https://lnk.sk/efak3
. Israeli airstrike targets a group of Bedouins on the outskirts of Suwayda city (Walgha area) after their advance against Druze fighters.
. IDF soldiers receive a warm welcome in the Druze villages of Syria.
. 50–70,000 of the Arab Tribal Army has been mobilized against the Druze in Sweida.
. Syrian regime-affiliated groups set fire to Druze homes in the village of Mazraa. In the video, the speaker boasts, “We’ve torched the homes of the Druze pigs.”
. Secretary Marco Rubio held a phone call with the Saudi Foreign Minister to discuss the situation in Syria.

GAZA /
. Israel expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, where three civilians were killed, and announced that the circumstances are still under investigation.
. The Israeli government emphasized that it never targets religious sites and does everything possible to minimize civilian casualties, stressing that the real responsibility lies with Hamas, which repeatedly uses churches, hospitals, and schools as shields for its operations. https://lnk.sk/hl579 ; https://lnk.sk/mert0
. The IDF and Shin Bet have announced the killing of a senior Hamas figure involved in the October 7 attacks, along with other operatives, in a recent airstrike in Gaza.

ISRAEL 🇮🇱 /
. The International Criminal Court in The Hague announced on Wednesday that it had rejected Israel’s request to cancel or withdraw the arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
. Israel has refused to renew visas for heads of at least three UN agencies in Gaza. https://lnk.sk/rem29
. After Catholic monks’ vineyard was burned in wildfires, Israelis dig in to help replant. https://lnk.sk/sts58

IRAN 🇮🇷 /
. France, Britain and Germany tell Iran that they want it to resume diplomacy immediately over its nuclear program, warning that if no concrete steps are taken by the end of the summer they will restore UN sanctions. https://lnk.sk/fx137
. New intelligence assessments indicate that while the Fordow nuclear site sustained severe damage during last month’s strikes, Iran’s Natanz and Isfahan facilities remain largely intact and could resume uranium enrichment within months if Tehran chooses to do so.

JUDEA & SAMARIA /
. Police reopen case into settler attack after report raises questions about decision to close probe.

USA 🇺🇸 /
. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has threatened to publicly declare that Israel no longer welcomes Christian groups to Israel over what he said was Jerusalem’s failure to approve tourist visas for evangelical missions.
. House Judiciary Committee: Biden Admin. funded anti-Netanyahu groups. https://lnk.sk/uza17
. American support for Israel in its war against Hamas has reached its highest level since the conflict began and includes a surprising surge of support among younger voters in Gen Z, according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris poll. https://lnk.sk/obfz7

UKRAINE 🇺🇦 /
. The vehicle carrying Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wolf, the Chief Rabbi of Kherson, Ukraine was struck by a Russian drone. Miraculously, the rabbi and passengers all survived.

Sources: Times of Israel, Jewish Breaking News, NBC News, Algemeiner, Israel National News, Jerusalem Post, YnetNews and Open Source Intel
©️ ICEJ Slovakia / ICEJ Institute; peter.svec@icej.sk