VFI News Israel Pulls Delegation from Qatar After Hamas Response Stalls Progress

In this powerful episode of VFI News, Barry Segal reports on Israel’s military strikes in southern Syria following the massacre of Druze civilians in Suwayda. As clashes erupted between Druze and Bedouin tribes, Israel responded with targeted airstrikes against Syrian regime forces, drawing international attention and criticism. The report highlights how over 1,000 Israeli Druze crossed the border to defend their relatives, and why Israel hesitated before acting.

The episode also covers ongoing IDF operations in Gaza, the stalled hostage negotiations, and the emergence of Abu Shabab—a new group challenging Hamas from within. Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to defy international pressure to disarm, risking a wider conflict. The threat of rocket fire from Yemen’s Houthis also looms large.

Barry addresses growing instability in the Israeli government, with early elections likely, and sheds light on Vision for Israel’s humanitarian projects across the country—from bomb shelters and food aid to school supplies for children.

Stay informed, stand for truth, and support Israel in this critical hour.

#IsraelNews #DruzeMassacre #SyriaConflict #GazaWar #VFINews

Following a pivotal meeting overnight with international mediators who had come from talks with Hamas representatives, the Israeli delegation returned to Israel early Thursday morning, July 24, for consultations after over two weeks of high-stakes negotiations in Doha.

The Israeli negotiating team will leave Qatar to continue consultations on the ceasefire proposal in Israel, in light of Hamas's response on Thursday morning, the Prime Minister's Office said. US special envoy Steve Witkoff later added: “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

"While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza," Witkoff said. "It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza."

The meeting, which took place shortly after 2:30 a.m. local time, saw mediators present Hamas’s official response to Israel’s latest proposal – a plan submitted more than a week ago aimed at reaching a comprehensive hostage and ceasefire deal. While some early progress had been made on select issues, significant gaps remain, an Israeli official confirmed.

“We studied Hamas’s reply in depth,” the official said. “The delegation held internal consultations and spoke directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was decided that the delegation should return to Israel to assess how best to narrow the gaps.”

Despite the return of the delegation, Israeli officials emphasized that the move does not signal a breakdown of talks.

“This is not the collapse of the negotiations,” the official stressed. “This delegation stayed in Doha for over two and a half weeks – longer than any previous Israeli team. We've reached a stage where further progress requires consultation at home.”

According to Israeli assessments, the response delivered by Hamas “does not allow for continued progress unless there is movement in their positions.” The official added, “As things stand, it’s not in our area code.”

Jerusalem is now expected to engage in further discussions with Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators in an effort to identify creative ways to bridge the current divides.

“Israel is committed to continuing contacts even after the delegation’s return,” the source said. “We are not walking away from the table.” The official anticipates that the delegation will return to Qatar once a viable path forward toward finalizing a deal is established.

(JPost/VFI News)

“Dear Abba, we pray and ask that You would bring the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and an end to the war. We acknowledge that some situations have no human solution, especially when dealing with terrorists, and we ask for Your miraculous power to act in this hopeless situation. We thank You for hearing our prayers and answering them according to Your will. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.”

The Mossad was at the forefront of Israel’s assassination of nine out of 13 top Iranian military officials and around a dozen Iranian nuclear scientists in June. It was also deeply involved in aspects of targeting Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile installations, even if, as a rule, those dropping the bombs or pulling the trigger were Israel Air Force pilots.

With the Mossad having exposed so many of its tricks and having used hundreds of agents in June, questions are now arising about what it will do next to keep Tehran’s nuclear program and other threats at bay. A number of developments have already taken place in recent weeks, and additional details have come out about the Mossad’s June operations, which could serve as an ongoing menu for future missions.

Following a New York Times report, there has been a wave of media attention to Iranian claims that many of the recent mysterious explosions and fires that have broken out across the Islamic Republic in the last two weeks were acts of sabotage by the Mossad.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian government believe these acts of sabotage were orchestrated by the intelligence agency. However, officials are reportedly not permitted to discuss this in public, with claims attributing the incidents to coincidences or aging infrastructure.

(JPost/VFI News)

"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day." – Psalm 91:5

Eight IDF soldiers were wounded, two moderately and six lightly, when a terrorist conducted a ramming attack at the Beit Lid Junction near Kfar Yona on Thursday morning, July 24. The soldiers had been waiting at a bus stop.

While one of the terrorists was arrested, a second suspect, Arkan Khaled, 27, from Taibe, is still being searched for, according to the police.

Magen David Adom teams administered aid at the scene of the attack. “I saw the bus stop shattered, glass broken, and eight injured people nearby,” MDA motorcycle paramedic Idan Shina said. “Three of them had been thrown about 15 meters back into the dirt behind the bus stop. All were fully conscious and told us that while they were standing at the bus stop, a vehicle suddenly sped toward them, hit them, and fled the scene.”

“We performed an initial triage; other bystanders began assisting the injured, guided over the phone by MDA’s 101 dispatch center. A young man and woman, about 20 years old, were assessed at the scene in moderate condition with injuries typical of vehicular trauma,” he added.

(JPost/VFI News)

“Lord, we pray that You bring healing to the wounded, protect the soldiers who serve our country, and guard our cities from further acts of terror. May justice be swiftly served to the terrorists, and Your peace reign in our land.”

Child malnutrition in Gaza is rising sharply, according to a United Nations study, as the European Union warned Thursday it could take action against Israel if the flow of humanitarian aid does not increase.

A report published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that of 56,440 children under the age of five screened in Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City during the first two weeks of July, nearly 5,000 were found to be suffering from severe malnutrition.

That figure represents nearly 9% of those examined, compared to 6% a month prior. In February, during an Israel-Hamas ceasefire when more aid was entering Gaza, the figure was just 2.4%.

A European Commission spokesperson stated that despite some Israeli steps, the situation remains dire. "All options remain on the table if Israel does not deliver on its aid agreement," the EU said.

Israel denies famine allegations and insists it provides access to aid, sharing images of trucks at Gaza crossings. The UN counters that delivery conditions remain too dangerous to distribute supplies effectively.

The report emphasized, "Only a massive scale-up in food aid distributions can stabilize the situation and rebuild trust." It added that Gazan families often survive on a single poor-quality meal per day, with some going days without food.

(TOI/VFI News)

“Lord, we ask for Your divine intervention in Gaza—bring provision to the suffering, soften hardened hearts, and let justice and mercy prevail amid conflict and need. We pray that the aid that is being delivered will reach the people who need it and that Hamas will not be able to get its hands on it. We also pray that any attempt by Hamas to vilify Israel and make it seem as if the starvation in Gaza is Israel’s fault will be refuted. Let the truth shine forth. In Yeshua’s name we pray.”

Join Batya Segal for this week's Parasha, where she talks about the people of the Lord, their vows before the Lord, and the journey that they took. This week's Parasha is from the book of Numbers 30:2-36:13.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid to Gaza and continuing to refuse to release hostages during a visit to the war-torn region.

“Today I visited the Gaza Strip. I spoke to commanders and soldiers of the IDF on the frontline fighting to bring our hostages home, and to remove Hamas’s vast terror network and tunnels aimed at killing our citizens,” Herzog stated.

He added that Israel was committed to ensuring humanitarian aid reached civilians in need. “Despite the danger, despite the pain of knowing our hostages are still held in brutal captivity,” he said, “huge quantities of aid are flowing in – in conjunction with UN and EU efforts agreed by Israel. Hamas loots the aid and prevents its proper distribution.”

Herzog declared: “It is the terrorists of Hamas – hijacking aid and refusing to agree to a hostage release and ceasefire – who are kidnapping the civilian Gaza population and subjecting them to their tragic suffering.”

He urged world leaders to stop accepting Hamas propaganda and lies, and to hold the terror group accountable for its crimes against both Israelis and Palestinians.

(INN/VFI News)

Lord, bring truth to light and end the manipulation of aid. Strengthen those striving for justice and rescue the captives from Hamas’s grasp. Let compassion, wisdom, and protection guide every effort to bring peace.

On Tuesday, the IDF announced that Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Vladimir Loza, 39, from Ashkelon, was killed while fighting Hamas in Gaza. His death raised the number of Israeli troops killed to 451 since the start of the ground incursion on October 27, 2023, and 895 total across all fronts since the October 7 massacre.

The IDF reported that 17 soldiers are currently in serious condition, 148 in moderate condition, and 16 in light condition. Since the beginning of the war, 6,108 IDF soldiers have been wounded: 3,678 lightly, 1,518 moderately, and 912 seriously.

Of the 451 deaths since the ground operation began, at least 77 were due to operational accidents, including 31 from friendly fire and 28 from weapons mishandling. The rest involved military vehicle accidents, fire deviations, and other causes.

(i365/VFI News)

“Father, we lift up the families of the fallen IDF soldiers. Bring Your comfort to those mourning, and strength to those still fighting. May their sacrifices not be in vain, and may peace be established in Israel and throughout the region.”

Israeli leaders on Thursday, July 24, condemned French President Emmanuel Macron after he announced that France will officially recognize the “State of Palestine.”

“Macron just awarded Hamas a prize for committing the October 7 massacre. This shameful act is nothing less than a betrayal by one of the so-called ‘leaders’ of the free world,” said Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Defense Minister Israel Katz added, “Macron's announcement of his intention to recognize a Palestinian state is a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism... Instead of standing with Israel at this critical moment, the French president is acting to weaken it.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated, “I thank President Macron for giving us a reason to finally apply Israeli sovereignty over the homeland's territories in Judea and Samaria.”

Other leaders, including Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, also accused Macron of encouraging terrorism and rewarding Hamas. MK Simcha Rothman said, “Applying sovereignty will make it clear to the entire world: the Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel — today, tomorrow, and forever.”

(INN/VFI News)

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness." – Isaiah 5:20

Archaeologists believe they have found one of the oldest burial sites in the world at a cave in Israel, where the well-preserved remains of early humans dating back some 100,000 years were carefully arranged in pits.

The findings at Tinshemet Cave in central Israel, published in an academic journal earlier this year, build on previous discoveries in northern Israel and add to a growing understanding of the origins of human burial.

Of particular interest to archaeologists are objects found beside the remains that may have been used during ceremonies to honor the dead and could shed light on how our ancient ancestors thought about spirituality and the afterlife.

“This is an amazing revolutionary innovation for our species,” said Yossi Zaidner, one of the directors of the Tinshemet excavation and a professor of archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “It’s actually the first time we are starting to use this behavior.”

Archaeologists working at Tinshemet since 2016 have discovered the remains of five early humans that date back to around 110,000 to 100,000 years ago, according to various technologies.

The skeletons were discovered in pits and carefully arranged in a fetal position, which is known as a burial position, said Zaidner. Many were found with objects, such as basalt pebbles, animal remains, or fragments of ochre, a reddish pigment made from iron-rich rocks.

These objects, some sourced from hundreds of kilometers away, had no known practical use for daily life, so experts believe they were part of rituals meant to honor the dead.

Tinshemet Cave is a dark slash in central Israel’s rolling hills filled with squeaking fruit bats. Inside and around the cave is an unassuming stone mound, which Zaidner calls “one of the three or four most important sites for study of human evolution and behavior during the Paleolithic time.”

The Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age, lasted from as early as 3.3 million years ago until around 10,000 years ago. Tinshemet Cave is from the Middle Paleolithic era, roughly between 250,000 to 30,000 years ago.

Some of the researchers’ findings were published in Nature Human Behavior. Notable discoveries include two full skeletons, three skulls, more than 500 ochre fragments, and various tools. Archaeologists are continuing their work with precision tools and expect to be at the site for years.

(TOI/VFI News)

“Lord, may the discoveries from our land continue to unveil the rich spiritual and cultural history You've placed here. Let these findings inspire awe for Your creation and deepen appreciation for the roots of humanity.”

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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