I
srael’s far‑right finance minister announced that the demolition phase of Gaza’s reconstruction is finished and that talks with the United States are moving forward on a business plan for the territory. Smotrich, speaking Wednesday, called the Gaza Strip a “real estate bonanza” and said the proposal sits on President Trump’s desk. Other headlines cover criticism of increased West Bank school‑trip funding, the high cost of evacuating Gaza City, analysis of a U.S. hostage’s father on Trump’s Gaza policy, Miri Regev’s announcement that Uber will operate in Israel without a formal application, and debate over whether global outrage at Israel concerns Gaza or antisemitism. Additional stories include solar‑system optimization tips, reports of extremist officials in Israel, a forgotten Jewish orphanage in the American South, an Arab writer’s hesitation to equate Gaza with the Holocaust, predictions that liberals will be excluded from Israel, a Haaretz exposé, questions about a U.S. firm and Eastern European drivers linked to Gaza aid, and a march of thousands of Israelis to Gaza aimed at renewing Jewish settlement rather than freeing the area.
