Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS reports that Saudi Arabia is making normalization with Israel conditional on the complete removal of Hamas from power in Gaza. According to a Saudi source, Riyadh is insisting that Israel “finish the job” and allow the Palestinian Authority to take control of the coastal enclave. The report highlights Saudi priorities in the context of the backroom talks. Report not confirmed by Saudi officials.
Iran has officially notified the IAEA of the cessation of cooperation, which, in its view, has completely discredited itself by its actual complicity in preparing an aggression against Iran. As a result, the remaining cameras at Iranian nuclear facilities will be dismantled, there will be no more IAEA inspections, and Grossi has effectively become “persona non grata” in Iran.
The state of Iran’s underground nuclear facilities is unknown and cannot be reliably verified. It is not even known where hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium actually are. Iran’s interest in obtaining nuclear weapons has also grown significantly, although Iran has not yet withdrawn from the NPT, but reserves the right to do so if a political decision is made to create nuclear weapons.
Reuters, citing American sources, reports that shortly after the US and Israeli attack on Iran, the Iranians began loading sea mines onto their ships, preparing to block the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, after the parliamentary vote, has kept this card in its hand. Iran’s new chief of staff, General Mussawi: “If a military response is necessary, it will be stronger and more devastating than before.”
As of the afternoon of July 2, Iran has its western and central airspace to all civilian air traffic to date.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian representative in Tehran and harshly criticized him for Kiev’s support for the aggressive actions of the United States and Israel against Iran, according to ISNA.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it was convinced that the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities by Washington and Tel Aviv were a clear signal to Tehran that it must end its policy.
Cypriot authorities raise alarm over Israeli presence. Cypriot politicians say they are buying up property and settling in strategic areas.
Stefanos Stefanou, leader of the left-wing Akel party, has warned of the formation of “ghettos” in southern Cyprus due to property sales to Israelis, citing “Zionist schools and synagogues” as part of an Israeli expansion strategy: “They are taking the country away from us,” he told a recent party convention.
In August 2023, Haaretz published an article highlighting the massive Israeli presence on the island.
According to Haaretz, Israelis were attracted by the proximity to Israel; the lower cost of living; The move was a backlash against Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reform
This year, Ynet reported that the Israeli population in Cyprus has grown from 400 in 2003 to 12,000 in 2023. Currently, over 3,000 Israelis move there each year. In March 2024, Israeli media revealed the Transport Ministry’s intention to purchase a Cypriot port to inspect aid destined for Gaza. Ynet noted that this port “could safeguard Israeli imports” if Haifa becomes unsafe. After the damage suffered by Haifa in the clashes with Iran and the suspension of operations by the shipping giant Maersk, Tel Aviv’s interest in Cyprus has become urgent.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said there were “positive signs” that a Gaza hostage-taking agreement and a ceasefire could be reached, and stressed that Israel was ready to start “proximity talks” with Hamas as soon as possible.
Hamas says it is examining ceasefire proposals received from mediators and reiterates its desire to reach a solution that ends the war permanently.
From Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro said on TV that WhatsApp has been used to spy on and kill Palestinians.
In Gaza, the Interior Ministry has given Yasser Abu Shabab 10 days to surrender and stand trial on charges of espionage, treason and forming an Israeli-backed armed gang. He has looted UN aid trucks and helped destabilize Gaza from within. The public is urged to report its position. In response, the resistance deployed elite fighters with a clear mission: eliminate the threat if it refused to surrender.
Reuters reports that Washington has offered Lebanon a roadmap that calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and other resistance groups, normalization of relations with Syria, and economic reforms. In exchange, Israel would cease its attacks and withdraw from occupied Lebanese, opening the door to international aid for reconstruction.
A new United Nations report by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese names 48 companies supporting Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the expansion of illegal settlements, based on an analysis of more than 60 companies. They include: Lockheed Martin and Leonardo for supplying weapons used in Gaza; Caterpillar and HD Hyundai for supplying machinery used to demolish Palestinian homes; Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM for supporting Israel’s surveillance infrastructure; Palantir Technologies to Provide Artificial Intelligence Tools to the Israeli Army
The report, based on more than 200 submissions from states, academics and human rights groups, warns that Israel’s genocide in Gaza is driven by profit and supported by foreign companies. It will be officially presented to the 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council today.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli officials are not sure whether Ahmed Al-Sharaa will give up the Golan Heights in any future peace deal between Syria and Israel. This comes after the Times of Israel claimed that Syria has not mentioned the Golan Heights during ongoing indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel.
Here is the status of the fronts as of 5 p.m. on July 2.
Gaza: An IDF statement says: “Under the direction of the IDF and ISA intelligence, IDF troops continue their operational activity against terrorist organizations throughout the Gaza Strip.”
On July 1, “the 99th Division identified two terrorists attempting to plant an explosive device against IDF troops. The troops identified the terrorists and directed the air operation, which struck and eliminated them. In recent days, the 36th Division has expanded its operations to other areas inside the Gaza Strip, eliminating dozens of terrorists and dismantling hundreds of terrorist infrastructure sites, both above and below ground. On the previous day, the 162nd Division eliminated eight terrorists who were in an operational command center.
In addition, several naval vessels struck several terrorist targets and terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip.”
Between July 1 and 2, the Israeli Air Force struck over 140 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip in support of ground forces. The targets hit included terrorists, military facilities, anti-tank missile launch sites that posed a threat to troops, weapons depots and other terrorist infrastructure.”
Israeli fighters also bombed several locations near the towns of Kefraya and Al-Fu’a in Idlib province (northwestern Syria). The strikes were reportedly carried out from military-type military infrastructure.
Following the widespread collapse of the former Syrian government and the loss of control over large areas of the country, Israel has expanded its air strikes on Syrian soil. The aim: to test the full capabilities of the Syrian army, especially in the area of air defense.
On the afternoon of July 2, sirens sounded in Sderot, on the border with Gaza, after two rockets were fired from Gaza. The two rockets were later intercepted.
IDF announced that it had reduced “the closed military zone, allowing the reopening of civilian areas starting at 1:00 p.m. July 2, 2025, in the Western Negev area. The IDF remains ready to defend the area.”
On the night of July 1, the IDF detected a drone crossing from Egypt into Israeli territory in an attempt to smuggle weapons; it was shot down and the weapons were confiscated.
Additionally, on the morning of July 2, IDF soldiers “detected a suspicious vehicle in the area and pursued it. The soldiers found 14 weapons inside the vehicle, arrested the suspect driver, and confiscated the weapons inside.
The Israeli military says it has arrested an Iranian-linked group in southern Syria, stating: “The group included 4 Iranian-activated Syrian armed operatives in two Bedouin villages, approximately 8 km from the Golan Heights border. There is a strong suspicion that the group planned operations against Israeli forces in the buffer zone.
Al-Quds Brigades say: “Our mortar teams shelled concentrations of Zionist troops and vehicles in the center of Khan Younis.” According to the Field Commander of the Al-Quds Brigades: “A complex dawn operation decimated Zionist forces in the Shujaiya district of Gaza.
The explosion of the minefield stranded armored vehicles; a guided missile and a TBG bunker buster hit troops sheltering in houses. Close quarters combat with light/medium weapons.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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