DAY 656 OF THE WAR: Ceasefire Talks Delayed by Hamas Response; Netanyahu Replaces Edelstein with Loyalist; Is There Starvation in Gaza?

Tel Aviv Diary, July 23, 2025

Last night, after finishing the initial draft of Tel Aviv Diary, I headed out to a political meeting in my neighborhood. While there, I received a notification: Steve Witkoff—President Trump’s emissary for hostage affairs and various other matters—was on his way to the Middle East. That, of course, seemed like a promising sign. Witkoff had been expected to travel only if a deal was imminent or if his presence was needed to help resolve the final outstanding points.

I quickly updated the diary entry on my iPhone to include the news, and once home, I added Witkoff’s expected arrival to the headline. However, just a few minutes later, a clarification came through: Witkoff wasn’t heading to the Middle East—he was traveling to Rome. The trip was reportedly unrelated, though being in Rome would place him closer if needed. I deleted the sub-section and title I had written. Still, I held on to a sliver of optimism that something might be in motion.

Today, it became clear that an agreement may not be imminent. This time, the hold-up isn’t on Israel’s side, but Hamas’s. The group had delayed responding to Israel’s latest offer, which included revised maps and further concessions. All eyes were on Hamas’s expected counterproposal. Today, when it was finally submitted to Egyptian and Qatari mediators—they took one look and told Hamas to go back to the drawing board. It was not a reasonable proposal. It was unacceptable to them, and certainly to the Israelis. Late tonight, it appears that Hamas may have responded with a slightly better approach

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Today, hostage negotiation mediators and American frustrations were increasingly directed at Hamas. The terror group may be stalling, calculating that global images of suffering in Gaza serve their narrative. But the longer the delay, the greater the toll—on the very people they claims to represent. Tomorrow, Witkoff is expected to meet with Ron Dermer, as well as the Prime Minister of Qatar, in Italy.

Reports of hunger—and even possible starvation—continue to emerge from Gaza. There’s little doubt that Hamas is amplifying these accounts, instructing its supporters abroad to mobilize around them, and likely exaggerating the scale. That may well be true. But it doesn’t change the underlying reality: by all credible accounts, there is a serious food shortage in Gaza. At the very least, countless people in need are not receiving enough to eat.

It’s time to acknowledge a hard truth: our attempt to use an American front company to establish food distribution centers in Gaza has failed. It is not delivering sufficient aid to those who need it most. Worse, the effort has also resulted in casualties—and has become a public relations debacle for Israel.

But we’re at an impasse. We do not know if Hamas is willing to accept an agreement (see above). Still, that cannot be an excuse for inaction. We need a serious, workable plan to get enough food into Gaza. From the outset, Israel has said it would not allow the civilian population to starve. Action must be taken now before it is too late.

They may not support us—they may even be our enemies—but we cannot allow this humanitarian crisis to deepen on our watch. For their sake, and for ours.

NETANYAHU REPLACES DEFENSE & FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE HEAD TO APPEASE ULTRA-ORTHODOX

This afternoon, it actually happened. Likud members convened, and at the Prime Minister’s request, voted to remove MK Yuli Edelstein, the former Speaker of the Knesset, from his influential post as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee

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Edelstein, a well-respected veteran within the Likud, has maintained a more independent stance than Prime Minister Netanyahu—particularly when it comes to the demands of the ultra-Orthodox parties. His unwillingness to fully comply with the demands of the ultra-Orthodox led to a partial withdrawal of their support from the coalition—something Netanyahu appears unwilling to tolerate.

Edlestein

The vote was meant to be conducted by secret ballot. According to the Likud party’s own constitution, if five Knesset members request a secret vote, it must be granted. But Prime Minister Netanyahu turned to his preferred legal adviser—who also serves as the party’s legal counsel—for a ruling that the provision did not apply in this instance. The result: a public vote. And once the ballots were cast in the open, the outcome was inevitable—Netanyahu would get exactly what he wanted.

That same afternoon, Netanyahu—who had been “sick” earlier in the day (and therefore, did not attend his corruption trial hearing)—suddenly recovered and made his intentions clear: he wanted Boaz Bismuth to chair the powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The moment his preference was known, every other candidate—except Yuli Edelstein—stepped aside. And in the final, public vote, where few dared to defy the Prime Minister, Bismuth was elected chair.

The motive behind the move? Most believe it’s a short-term political maneuver. Netanyahu may buy himself a few more months of ultra-Orthodox support. But few, if any, believe it will lead to the passage of a new conscription law.

ULTRA-ORTHODOX YOUTH PROTEST

Meanwhile, ultra-Orthodox youth are staging protests across the country, blocking roads in response to the arrest of three young men who ignored their military draft notices and are now being held in military prison. Ultra-Orthodox leaders have issued sharp warnings, claiming the country will “burn” if yeshiva students are jailed for refusing to serve. How this standoff will be resolved remains anyone’s guess.

GAZA

The IDF has concluded its investigation into the shell that struck a church in Gaza. The findings indicate the strike was unintentional—caused by a targeting error. The IDF once again expressed regret over the incident.

TENSION IN RHODES, BUT TRAVEL TO GREECE CONTINUES

A group of young Israeli tourists were attacked last night on the island of Rhodes by a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators—or possibly Palestinians themselves; the details remain unclear. Fortunately, none of the Israelis were injured, and they returned home today.