Netanyahu rejects Gaza plan, conditions Israeli withdrawal on Hamas disarmament
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a 15-point Gaza plan supported by US President Donald Trump, declaring that Israel will not begin a military withdrawal from the territory until Hamas is "truly" disarmed. Addressing his cabinet, Netanyahu stated that the Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is truly disarmed" and will continue to counter threats against Israeli forces and citizens. Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, responded by calling on the US to pressure Israel to accept the next phase of the Gaza plan. He stated that they expect mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap and avoid obstructing the process due to internal political and electoral considerations. In a separate development, Yahya Saree, military spokesperson for the Iran-backed Houthis, announced that the group had attacked an Aramco refinery in Jazan, on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, with a drone. He claimed the Houthis had "succeeded in targeting the Aramco refinery." Independent sources have not verified this claim. Two military sources reported that Houthi attacks in Yemen killed at least four soldiers loyal to the internationally recognised government and wounded 20 others. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that casualties were reported in attacks on the city of Mocha and surrounding areas, as well as Al-Khawkhah, south of the port of Hodeidah. These attacks followed Houthi claims that they had targeted military forces and equipment along the Red Sea coast. Additionally, Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the Supreme Leader, in late July as he began his third year in office. Qasem Qoreishi, deputy head of the Basij organisation, has promised that images of the Supreme Leader will be released in the future. This pledge appears intended to quell speculation regarding the health of Mojtaba Khamenei. Previous reports had alleged he was severely wounded in a February attack that reportedly killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, during the first day of a US-Israel war against Iran.