The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they unfold.
Magnitude 8.8 quake in Russia’s Far East causes tsunami, Japan and Hawaii order evacuations
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake has struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, damaging buildings and generating a tsunami of up to 4 meters (13 feet) that has prompted warnings and evacuations stretching across the Pacific Ocean.
Several people are injured in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard — devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011 — is ordered to evacuate.
“Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,” Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov says in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app.
Kamchatka’s geophysical service says on Telegram: “The strongest earthquake since 1952 has just occurred in the Kamchatka seismic zone… Given the scale of the event, strong aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 should be expected.”
The US Geological Survey says the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and was centered 119 km (74 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000.
Japan’s weather agency says it expects tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) to reach large coastal areas starting around 0100 GMT.
Tsunami alarms sound in coastal towns across Japan’s Pacific coast, with authorities urging people to seek higher ground.
Gaza annexation ‘not really on the table,’ minister reportedly says
Reported Israeli plans to annex parts of Gaza are extremely unlikely to materialize and are only being leaked to the press in order to threaten Hamas into softening its demands regarding a hostage and ceasefire deal, according to a government minister and a senior coalition member quoted by Haaretz.
“It’s not really on the table,” the unnamed minister is quoted as saying by the outlet.
The similarly unnamed coalition member adds: “I find it very unlikely to happen. Right now, [we are] trying to threaten Hamas where it would be pained the most — losing land.”
Bennett accuses NYT of ‘blood libel’ after outlet notes emaciated Gazan kid had underlying illness
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett accuses The New York Times of promoting a “blood libel” against Israel after the leading American newspaper appended an editors’ note to a story highlighting the plight of malnourished Gazan children, acknowledging that a kid whose gaunt image drew global outrage had preexisting health problems.
Following claims by Israel and pro-Israel activists that images of Palestinian kids with underlying illnesses have been misleadingly used by international media to exaggerate the scale of hunger in the Strip, The New York Times says in its note that Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, 5, “also had pre-existing health problems.”
“This is simply unbelievable,” reacts Bennett. “After generating a tsunami of hate towards Israel with that terrifying picture, the NYT now quietly admits that the boy has preexisting conditions. NYT, you knew that Hamas uses babies with preexisting illnesses. We’ve been saying this for months now. You knew exactly what this picture would cause. This is a blood libel in 2025. Have you no shame?”
This is simply unbelievable.
After generating a tsunami of hate towards Israel with that terrifying picture, the NYT now quietly admits that the boy has preexisting conditions.
NYT, you knew that Hamas uses babies with preexisting illnesses.
We’ve been saying this for months… https://t.co/SOwZ0LMtyS— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) July 29, 2025
As Trump promises new Gaza aid plan, White House says details forthcoming
Details on a new aid plan for Gaza promised by US President Donald Trump are forthcoming, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly tells The Times of Israel.
During a Monday press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump declared: “We’re going to set up food centers where people can walk in and [there are] no boundaries.”
“People [currently] see the food from thirty yards away… but they’ve got fences set up so nobody can even get it. It’s crazy,” Trump said on Monday.
Israel has yet to confirm that such a plan is in the works.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump is asked when the new food centers will be set up.
“Very soon,” he responds, noting that the US has donated $60 million to the cause.
He is apparently referring to the $30 million that the US has donated to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It’s not clear whether the new food centers he spoke about would be related to the current three that are already being run by GHF.
Asked who will be running the food centers, Trump responds: “We’re going to be dealing with Israel.”
Israel to date has sought to avoid directly running aid distribution centers, instead preferring to have the IDF secure the perimeter around them.
Trump says he last spoke to Netanyahu two days ago, and the Israeli premier also wants food to be properly distributed to Gazans.
“We think [Israel] can do a good job of it… They want to preside over those food centers to make sure the distribution is proper,” Trump says. “They don’t want Hamas stealing the money or stealing the food… [Israel] will do a good job. The food will be properly [distributed].”
Asked for more information on the new aid plan referenced by Trump, Kelly says in a statement: “President Trump wants to alleviate suffering for the people of Gaza because he has a humanitarian heart. He announced a new aid plan to help Gazans obtain crucial access to food — details are forthcoming.”
Asked separately aboard Air Force One whether he still stands behind his February plan to relocate Gazans outside of the Strip, Trump claims some loved the idea while others didn’t. He says many Palestinians want to leave the enclave, adding: “We really have to see how it all works out before we do that.”
Hamas political leaders said to fear Israeli assassination attempts amid bid to restart talks
Hamas leaders are bolstering security around themselves over fears that Israel may try to assassinate Politburo members abroad, the Haaretz daily reports, citing Palestinian sources.
Sources also tell Haaretz they worry Israel could launch raids aimed at rescuing hostages.
According to the report, sources say they received conflicting messages in recent hours from countries involved in mediating ceasefire talks regarding the possibility that indirect negotiations with Israel could restart.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that Hamas’s obstinacy was the main hurdle blocking a ceasefire deal, and US President Donald Trump said yesterday that the “fight will have to be a little bit different” given Hamas’s unwillingness to negotiate.