Israel greenlights Gaza takeover, defying allies: Unbiased Updates, Aug. 8, 2025
Israel presses forward with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to take control of the Gaza Strip. Lawmakers voted overnight to advance the strategy, even as world leaders warn it could backfire.
Plus, a President Donald Trump-imposed deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire has come and gone. Will the Russian leader show up to peace talks? Or escalate the war even further?
And Florida’s so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” hits a wall. A federal judge has halted further construction at the controversial immigration detention center. But what happens to the hundreds of migrants already housed there?
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Aug. 8, 2025.
Israel’s cabinet approves war plan for full military takeover of Gaza
Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to escalate the war and gain full military control of Gaza early Friday morning. As cabinet members met for ten hours behind closed doors, protesters gathered outside Netanyahu’s office, demanding an end to the war with Hamas and the return of hostages.
Inside, Netanyahu’s government pushed for war with its most aggressive plan yet, sparking intense divisions within Israel’s military. The plan permits troops to advance into heavily populated areas of Gaza City, where Israel believes Hamas fighters and hostages — perhaps 20 still alive — are being kept.
So far, Israeli forces have seized about 75% of Gaza territory. However, much of Gaza City and other populated areas remain outside their control.
This all follows Netanyahu telling Fox News, right before the vote, that he does plan to fully take control of Gaza, even as his military chief warns of disaster. Here’s the long-term plan.
Well, we don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it, we don’t want to be there as a governing body. We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli prime minister has offered few details on who those Arab forces might be or when his plan would take shape. But his plan faces international blowback.
Leaders from France, the UK, Japan and Canada have renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire. Some have even vowed to recognize a Palestinian state as early as September.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Israel’s decision “wrong,” saying, “This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.”
Hamas called the Israeli move a “clear reversal” of ceasefire talks, warning that a full-blown occupation would come at a ” heavy and costly price.”
Trump appears to soften Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deadline as Putin summit nears
Friday marks President Donald Trump’s original deadline that demanded Russian President Vladimir Putin agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face new U.S. sanctions. However, Trump appears to have backed off on his threat.
In the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump emphasized that the decision was up to Putin. Plus, Trump said he was willing to meet with Putin even if the Russian president refused to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Watch:
Reporter: Is your deadline still standing for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire tomorrow, or is it fluid now?
Trump: It’s gonna be up to him. We’re going to see what he has to say, but it’s going to be up to him. Very disappointed, yeah?
Reporter: Does Putin have to meet with Zelenskyy in order, and before you and Putin have to meet?
Trump: No. No.
Reporter: So you’re willing to—that’s actually important because the president — President Putin — said this morning he was pretty dismissive of this idea of meeting with President Zelenskyy.
Trump: Who was?
Reporter: President Putin was.
Trump: I don’t know. I didn’t hear him.
Reporter: So for you to meet with him, he doesn’t have to agree to meet zelenskyy. Is that what you’re saying?
Trump: No, he doesn’t. No.
Trump’s comments came just hours after the Kremlin confirmed plans for a one-on-one summit within days. And in Moscow, Putin personally suggested the United Arab Emirates as a possible host city.
Despite increasing impatience from Washington, Putin still hasn’t committed to a ceasefire and continues to demand guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO.
Meanwhile, Trump’s team continues to keep negotiations ongoing, hoping that diplomacy can succeed where sanctions haven’t.
But critics warned that any deal that excludes Ukraine risks handing Putin a major diplomatic win.. Without ending the war.
Judge halts construction at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center
A federal judge put a hold on construction at Florida’s controversial immigrant detention center, nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, while its environmental impact is being debated in court.
District Judge Kathleen Williams called the request to pause “pretty reasonable,” siding with environmental groups worried about damage to the Everglades ecosystem.
She’s ordered a 14-day halt on all new construction — including lighting, paving, fencing and excavation.
The detention center is on a former airstrip surrounded by federally protected wetlands, which are home to endangered species like the Florida panther.
Hearings will resume on Tuesday, but for now, only construction is on hold. Detainees already inside can stay, and current operations will continue, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Texas House set for key redistricting vote as deadlines loom
A fierce redistricting battle will reach a climax Friday in Texas as lawmakers make another attempt to pass a controversial map that could add five Republican seats to the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The vote has already failed twice this week after over 50 Democratic state representatives fled to other states, mainly Illinois, to prevent a quorum.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responded by issuing civil arrest warrants and suing Gene Wu, the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, calling him the “Ringleader” of the walkout.
Wu has until 5 p.m. CT to respond to the Texas Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. John Cornyn said the FBI has become involved to help find the missing lawmakers. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned of punitive action if Democrats do not return Friday. He also asked an Illinois court to order their return, though it’s unclear if that petition will succeed.
Many Democrats are thought to have sought refuge in Illinois, where Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker has strongly supported their effort to block Republicans from voting.
Transgender troops denied retirement, face separation without benefits
The U.S. Air Force faces backlash after making a bold move to deny early retirement to transgender troops who have served up to 18 years.
Instead of allowing them to retire early with benefits as originally promised, the Air Force now states they will be separated without pay. It’s a reversal that’s left some feeling betrayed.
The move follows the Trump administration’s policy of barring transgender troops from serving. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way back in May.
Air Force officials said every request for early retirement was denied, even for those who had been told they could leave.
According to The Associated Press, the military prematurely promised retirement benefits to about a dozen service members, only to be informed later that the decision had been reversed.
Civil rights attorneys have called the move “arbitrary and cruel,” saying legal challenges are likely on the way.
Martian coral? Rocky reminder that Mars once had liquid water
NASA’s Curiosity Rover just found something that definitely piques our curiosity. Check this out: A rock that looks like it came straight from a coral reef.
No, Mars hasn’t turned tropical, but it is showing signs of having had a watery past.
NASA said these branchy, coral-like shapes probably formed billions of years ago when Mars had liquid water. Minerals likely got trapped in cracks, hardened over time, and after billions of years of wind erosion, voilá! Space coral.
And while Mars is too cold for liquid water now, there is plenty of ice on and beneath the surface.
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Finding aloha after devastation: Maui is rebuilding after Lahaina firestorm
The island of Maui has suffered a profound sense of loss since the wildfires that devastated the old Hawaiian capital of Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, killing 102 people. Two years after thousands of residents lost their homes and jobs in the blaze that largely burned the bustling center of art and culture to the ground, a bright spot of hope is on the horizon: The return of the Maui County Fair.
Residents are navigating a long and rocky path toward healing wonder: Will this major social event help an island still reeling from the storm? Could fair rides, craft shows, and a community coming together assist in healing Maui’s aloha spirit?
SAN video editor and producer Emma Stoltzfus explores these questions and offers a closer look at how the fair’s return could help revive Maui’s spirit — and what it truly means for the community’s healing. Read the full story now >
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
