War Summary, Day 704: Hamas rejects Trump’s last proposal, Hamas leaders are targeted and some may have survived, details emerge behind the Qatar strike, Netanyahu and Trump claim U.S. is not involved, Netanyahu calls on Gazans to revolt and make peace, 30 Hamas buildings go down in Gaza City, Houthis launch two attacks, and Defense Minister sanctions families of Jerusalem terrorists.

By Mrs Bruria Efune

Top Headlines

– Hamas rejected Trump’s last proposal
– Which Hamas leaders were targeted, and which may have survived
– Details behind the Qatar strike
– Netanyahu and Trump claim U.S. was not involved
– Netanyahu calls on Gazans to revolt, make peace
– 30 Hamas buildings downs in Gaza City
– Two attacks from the Houthis
– Defense Minister sanctions families of Jerusalem terrorists

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Hostages – Qatar

Hamas official Basem Naim told Middle East Monitor that disarmament is a non-starter in any agreement—Hamas would have to remain armed. In other statements, he rejected U.S. President Trump’s recent proposal, calling it a “humiliating surrender document.”

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At 4pm on Tuesday, Israel’s Air Force targeted a meeting of Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar. This is the first time Israel has carried out an airstrike in Qatar, and the first time Israel targeted a non-enemy state since the raid on Entebbe in 1976.

The operation was named “Operation Summit of Fire.”

As usual, Hamas is denying that anyone of importance was eliminated, and so it will take time until we have full confirmation. But Israel is optimistic that the strike was successful.

The primary targets who were likely eliminated are:

1. Khalil al-Hayya, who served in three different positions during the war: head of Hamas in Gaza, head of the negotiation team, and member of the leadership council. He was seen as the main candidate to be elected as the new head of Hamas’s political bureau after the assassinations of Yahya Sinwar and Ismael Haniyeh.
2. Zaher Jabarin, who during the war was appointed head of Hamas in Judea and Samaria, and also served as a member of the negotiating team. After the assassination of Sinwar, he was also appointed a member of the leadership council.
3. Nizar Awdallah, who played a central role in negotiations. A few years before the war, he ran against Sinwar for the leadership of the political bureau in Gaza, and almost won. After Hinyeh and Sinwar were eliminated, Awdallah was appointed a member of the leadership council.

Other senior Hamas leaders were there, such as Ghazi Hamad, a member of the negotiating team who gained prominence during negotiations for the Shalit deal. He is known for going on Arabic TV and promising a million more October 7th attacks. Bassem Naim may have also been at the meeting.

If the reports are true, then only two senior figures from Hamas’s council remain alive: Khaled Meshaal, the former head of the political bureau, and Mahmoud Darwish, who headed the Shura Council and was promoted only during the war, following the chain of eliminations.

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Doron Kadosh of IDF Radio says that the operation had been planned for several months already, and was accelerated in the last month when Hamas began showing significantly more rigidity regarding a deal. The IDF maintained readiness to act when given the signal.

Prime Minister Netanyahu today said that the decision to move ahead with the operation was made on Monday, after a Hamas terror attack killed 6 in Jerusalem. When the opportunity was identified this morning, the IDF took it.

The operation was carried out with 15 fighter jets, and more than 10 precise aerial munitions which were launched at the target just seconds apart. Only one target was struck, before the pilots returned to Israel safely. Aerial refueling were carried out both on the way to and from the mission.

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Immediately following the operation, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a short and direct statement, making clear that the U.S. was not involved in the strike.

“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

U.S. President Trump released a longer statement, explaining his perspective. In summary:
– The Trump administration was notified about the attack moments before it happened.
– The administration tried to warn Qatar, but it was too late.
– The decision to strike was made by Netanyahu, not Trump.
– Bombing Qatar, a U.S. ally, does not advance Israel or America’s goals.
– Eliminating Hamas leaders is a worthy goal.
– Trump feels badly about the location of the attack.
– Trump wants all the hostages released, and the war to end now.
– Trump spoke to Netanyahu after the strike, and Netanyahu said he wants to make peace.
– Trump also spoke to the Prime Minister of Qatar, and thanked him for his friendship.
– Trump directed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to finalize the defense cooperation agreement with Qatar.

Qatari Prime Minister Al-Thani strongly condemned the strike, and attempted to frame Israel for sabotaging negotiation efforts. He called for retaliation from Arab sates in a “unified manner.”

American officials told Israel Hayom that the Trump administration’s public statements do not reflect what is being said behind closed doors. The officials claim that Trump distanced himself from the strike out of necessity, because of America’s security and economic ties with Qatar.

The sources say that the administration knew about the attack in advance, and that while Trump previously opposed a strike in Qatar, he gave the green light after Hamas refused to accept his ceasefire offer.

An Israeli official told Israel Hayom that there was close coordination between the U.S. and Israel, out of necessity, since the U.S. has a large base in Qatar, and military aircraft flying in their skies.

Some, including Hassan Yousef, known as the “Green Prince” or “Son of Hamas,” suspect that Qatar was secretly in on the attack as well. In Yousef’s words: “I think Hamas has become a burden for Qatar, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Qatar was informed of the attack. I wouldn’t be surprised if Qatar actually feels relieved that the Hamas branch on its soil has been closed for good.”

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In a video statement, Netanyahu said that the strike targeted the Hamas leaders in the same building where they celebrated during the October 7th massacre. After October 7th, Israel promised to target every terrorist responsible, and in today’s strike, Israel fulfilled that promise.

“There was a time when Jews could be murdered with impunity,” Netanyahu said. “But since the founding of the State of Israel, those days are over.”

Netanyahu said he hopes that the operation opens the door to end the war in Gaza, and added that Israel agreed to the principals for a ceasefire agreement put forth by Trump, beginning with the release of all hostages.

Netanyahu then addressed the people in Gaza, telling them not to let themselves be derailed by Hamas leaders who live in luxury and “don’t give a hoot about you.” He called on Gazans to accept Trump’s proposal and make peace with Israel, reassuring them that they can do it, and can have a better future—they just need to get the Hamas terrorists out of the way.

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Gaza

The IDF released the name of the fourth soldier who fell in battle in Gaza yesterday:

Lt. Matan Abramovitz, 21, from Ganei Tikva.

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All Tuesday, the IDF continued destroying high-risers and other multi-story buildings used by Hamas in Gaza City. Defense Minister Israel Katz says that the IDF attacked and destroyed 30 such buildings throughout the day.

Before every strike, the IDF issues an evacuation warning to avoid harm to civilians.

These buildings are used by Hamas for military purposes, and are also part of Hamas’s main economic center in Gaza. Destroying them accomplishes three main goals:

1. Removing Hamas military capabilities before a ground incursion.
2. Hitting Hamas’s main centers of control and profit.
3. Signaling to residents of the city that it is time to go.

The IDF issued a strong warning for all civilians to evacuate Gaza City, as the IDF prepares for a major ground incursion.

In warnings, Gazans are instructed to safe routes towards designated humanitarian zones in Gaza’s south. The IDF includes a phone number for evacuees to report incidents of Hamas roadblocks or other attempts to prevent evacuations, so that the IDF can take care of it.

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Humanitarian Aid

On September 8th:

– Close to 280 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.
– Over 280 trucks were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations. The contents of hundreds of trucks are still awaiting collection on the Gazan side of the crossings.
– An undisclosed number of tankers of UN fuel entered “for the operation of essential humanitarian systems.”
– The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributed over 1.5 million meals, without allowing Hamas to profit.

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Yemen

At around 5 PM, the Israeli Air Force downed a Houthi-launched UAV near Eilat. No sirens were activated.

At 8 PM, sirens were activated in the Jerusalem area, and the Air Force intercepted a missile launched by the Houthis.

The Houthis say they launched a ballistic missile with a cluster bomb warhead, claiming to have hit “several sensitive targets” in the Jerusalem area.

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Judea & Samaria

This morning, Hamas took responsibility for yesterday’s horrific terror attack in Jerusalem, saying that both terrorists were Hamas members.

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The IDF measured the homes of the two terrorists, in preparation for demolition.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he instructed:

1. The imposition of civilian sanctions on the relatives and residents of the villages of the terrorists who carried out the attack in Jerusalem,
2. The demolition of every illegal structure in the villages
3. The revocation of 750 work permits and entry permits to Israel

This instruction comes at the recommendation of the defense establishment and the COGAT director, Major General Rasan Aliyan.

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Sponsorship

לעילוי נשמת יואל בן לייב ולהגנת כל חיילינו ולהשבת השבויים