LiveLive Updates July 08, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJuly 08, 2026Updates10 minutes agoCNN: U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth planning to make first visit to Israel on WednesdayU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning to visit Israel on Wednesday, CNN reported citing three sources familiar with the matter.According to CNN, Hegseth is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his counterpart, Defense Minister Israel Katz. Part of the purpose of the visit, according to the report, was to assuage Israeli concerns over the potential sale of advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, something U.S. President Donald Trump has floated during the NATO summit in Ankara.CNN added that it was not immediately clear if Hegseth's plans would be impacted by U.S. strikes in Iran overnight.Reports: Egyptian aid official among fatalities in Israeli strikes in Gaza StripAn Israeli airstrike on a civilian vehicle Tuesday evening in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City has reportedly killed Mohamed Fawaz al-Wahidi, the public relations director for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, according to reports from Arabi Post and the Palestinian Information Center.The strike occurred near the governorate building, killing al-Wahidi and two other Palestinians, including a child, local media and emergency teams from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported.The Egyptian Committee, established by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as Cairo's official relief arm in the region, is responsible for distributing food, housing displaced families in camps and clearing rubble. The incident occurred while Cairo was hosting negotiations regarding the second phase of a regional cease-fire, Al Jazeera reported.🚨 BREAKING: Israel has killed Mohamed Fawaz al-Wahidi, director of public relations for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, Tuesday evening in a strike on a civilian vehicle near the governorate building in Gaza City’s al-Sabra neighborhood, per the Palestinian Information Center. Show moreThe attack was part of a series of Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday that medical authorities in Gaza said killed at least seven Palestinians and injured 20 others. Separate drone strikes and military actions took place along the Gaza coastline, in Khan Younis, and in northern Gaza, according to medical staff at Nasser Hospital and local sources.The Israeli military and the Shin Bet also announced that Israeli forces killed two senior Hamas commanders, Ahmad Yahya Ibrahim Batsh and Hamouda Abu Daqqa, in separate operations.RECAP: IDF strikes in Gaza kill seven Palestinians, including Egyptian aid officialHere are Wednesday's latest updates:■ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN that settler attacks in the West Bank are not reflective of the Israeli government or the "settler community, which condemns them," but rather "150 or so, what you call, juvenile delinquents."■ An Israeli airstrike on a civilian vehicle Tuesday evening has reportedly killed Mohamed Fawaz al-Wahidi, the public relations director for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza.■ Israeli strikes and ⁠gunfire killed at least seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the territory's health officials said.■ Potential Democratic presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel called for a "historic agreement" between the Arab world, Israel and the Palestinian people following a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.■ Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that Israel "must withdraw from the territories it occupied in southern Syria," speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Damascus.■ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey has been "promised five jets," adding that he expects the promise of F-35s to be fulfilled during the NATO Summit in Ankara, speaking alongside U.S. President Donald Trump.In the NewsU.S. Launches 'Retaliatory Strikes' Against Iran, Hitting More Than 80 TargetsU.S. Launches New Strikes Against Iran After Three Ships Hit in Strait of HormuzAs Its Deal With Israel Stalls, Lebanon Fears Being Stuck in Same Limbo as GazaHaaretz CartoonPolice May Not Comply With Top Court in Case of Clash With Ben-GvirRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIsrael Has Long Ignored Warnings of a 'Diplomatic Tsunami.' Now It Has ArrivedDumber Than a 10-year-old: Are Israeli Students Really That Stupid?An Israeli Principal Desegregated a Tel Aviv School. Here's What HappenedAs Israel Lacks Hundreds of Patrol Officers, West Bank Staff DoublesThe 'Special Relationship' Is Gone, and Israel Isn't Ready for What's ComingRep. Dan Goldman Says Support for Israel Cost Him New York Democratic Primary