Israel has firmly rejected a 15-point proposal for Gaza presented by the Board of Peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israeli forces will remain in the enclave until Hamas completely relinquishes its weapons.

“Israel stands firmly against the 15-point Gaza document introduced by the Board of Peace,” Netanyahu stated during Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. “The Israel Defense Forces will not proceed with any withdrawal until Hamas is thoroughly disarmed.”

Ongoing dialogues between Israel and the United States focus on the disarmament of Hamas, with Netanyahu emphasizing that any forthcoming agreement must ensure the complete dismantling of the group’s arsenal.

“Disarmament must be authentic, not just superficial,” Netanyahu remarked, underscoring the need for tangible action.

“When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons,” he added.

Hamas remains committed to a Gaza roadmap agreed with mediators and representatives of the Board of Peace in Cairo 10 days ago, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters.

Hamas expects mediators and the United States to “press Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap,” he added.

Trump had teased a disarmament of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza as a landmark step toward peace, but there remained skeptics, including Israel’s Netanyahu, whose Sunday comments put him at odds with the latest Board of Peace proposal as the Trump administration seeks to move forward with a broader plan for Gaza following the ceasefire reached last year.

Trump said last month that there had been a breakthrough in efforts to advance the peace process and that Hamas had agreed to lay down its weapons. Hamas controlled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, while the future disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces remain central issues in negotiations over the territory.

Netanyahu made clear Sunday that Israel would resist provisions in U.S.-backed proposals that his government considers unacceptable.

He also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank.

“As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said. “Neither ‘Fatahstan’ nor ‘Hamastan.’”

The Israeli leader’s rejection of the 15-point proposal underscores the hurdles facing efforts to turn the ceasefire into a lasting settlement, particularly over the sequence of Hamas’ disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal.

Netanyahu indicated Israel would continue working with Washington but said the government would hold firm on its security demands, particularly its insistence that Hamas be fully stripped of its weapons before Israeli troops leave their positions in Gaza.

Netanyahu also used his remarks Sunday to address Israeli operations elsewhere in the region, saying the military had recently acted “forcefully” in Lebanon and carried out what he described as “very important activity.”

On Iran, Netanyahu said Tehran has refrained from striking Israel because “it knows what a powerful blow we will deal it if it does,” while praising Trump and the U.S.-Israel alliance over efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“I greatly appreciate President Trump,” Netanyahu said.” He is the greatest of our friends in the White House. I greatly appreciate the historical partnership with the U.S. against Iran’s attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.

“And I wish to emphasize once again: With or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Because the existence of our precious country, the country of all of us, the existence of Israel, is not up for negotiation.”

California families are facing a hefty price tag as they gear up for the back-to-school season, with parents spending close to $175 on basic school supplies this year. This increase adds pressure to many already tight household budgets.

According to research from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation reported by Times of San Diego, the cost of a standard set of 21 essential classroom items has jumped to $173.45, marking a 7.7% rise compared to last year’s prices.

Some school supplies have experienced even higher price hikes. Notebooks have soared by around 23%, while the cost of loose-leaf paper has risen 20%, and index cards are up by 22.2%.

Lunch boxes have seen nearly a 27% increase. Meanwhile, parents find themselves paying roughly 8% more for essentials like dry-erase markers and glue sticks.

Additionally, the prices of other staples, including No. 2 pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and binders, have climbed between 5% and 7%, contributing to the overall cost burden on families.

The increases can become especially painful for households buying supplies for multiple children while also contending with high rents, rising utility bills and increasing costs for everyday necessities. They are being driven by a combination of higher manufacturing costs, inflation and spiking prices for imported goods, where many of these items are made.

“Everything goes up but the paycheck,” Mark Davis, a San Diego father of five, told NBC 7.

“I have to pay for gas, rent, bills, and food [for all of us]. It’s a struggle day-to-day, but you gotta get up and make it,” he said.

Davis was among families who sought assistance at a back-to-school event in Encanto Saturday ahead of the San Diego Unified School District’s return to classes Monday.

The event was organized by California state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, who told the outlet: “I know the cuts that are coming as a result of some of the legislation, and it’s important for people to know where they can go if certain things are no longer accessible for them,”

Food costs are another concern for struggling households in San Diego County, where officials estimate more than 93,000 people will lose their CalFresh benefits this year.

The county has funded a Safety Net Bridge program that includes food assistance, with families receiving groceries at a distribution in Chula Vista Saturday.

For father-of-four Jose Miranda, whose family relies on multiple sources of assistance, making ends meet requires both him and his wife to work.

“Just making minimum wage both [me and my wife] gotta work. We find different resources by calling 2-1-1, and sometimes we gotta find activities like this,” Miranda told the outlet.

The county plans additional food distributions and funding to help residents access health care services through the fall.

Many Southern California and major urban districts, including LAUSD and ABC Unified, are scheduled to begin classes Monday, August 12.

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In a dramatic turn of events, a ferocious wildfire described as exploding “like a bomb” has compelled tens of thousands of Canadians to flee their homes.

As the Bald Range fire wreaked havoc, aircraft were called in to rescue dozens of residents, while countless others faced gridlocked roads in a desperate bid to outrun the inferno.

Since it ignited on Friday, the blaze has scorched an area spanning at least 53 square miles across British Columbia.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, the fire has doubled in size, now threatening the communities of Summerland, Peachland, and additional regions within the province.

In response to the escalating crisis, Premier David Eby declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the province grappled with over 100 wildfires blazing across the area.

He described the Bald Range blaze as ‘like a bomb going off in the Summerland region’ which tore across 2,000 acres in roughly an hour.

The fire created its own weather system sparking lightning strikes and sending flames up to 200 feet high.

Officials said the blaze began around 5.30pm on Friday but have yet to determine its cause.

All 12,000 residents of Summerland and another 8,000 people in and around Peachland were ordered to evacuate. The communities are about 250 miles east of Vancouver. 

Eby’s office said there had been ‘significant structure loss’ but said officials had not assessed the damage because the area remained an active fire zone.

‘Conditions are extremely dangerous and changing minute by minute,’ Eby said. ‘The fires are moving incredibly quickly.’

The premier added that some residents had become trapped as the fire grew and that search-and-rescue crews continued searching for others who may have been caught in its path.

BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said more than 50 people were rescued by 18 aircraft.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also said they were investigating a possible wildfire-related death near Summerland but were unable to confirm a fatality because of the dangerous conditions.

The BC Wildfire Service said on Sunday morning that the blaze was showing signs of possibly rank six behavior which is the highest level a fire can reach.

Erick Thompson, an emergency official with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, had been providing updates on the fire from an emergency operations center before he was forced to evacuate his own family.

The devastating fire comes weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke that choked US cities in July.

‘We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their forests and brush,’ the president wrote on Truth Social.

The US is being ‘invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous and totally unacceptable,’ Trump added.

Fires that have been blazing in Canada’s Ontario province have caused massive plumes of smoke to blanket much of the eastern United States.

Those plumes reached major US cities, including Washington, DC, and New York City, on Thursday evening.

Trump has repeatedly sought to put pressure on Canada through tariffs during his second term.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the BC Wildfire Service, the RCMP, the BC Ministry of Forests, and Premier David Eby’s office for comment. 

Israel has bolstered its naval capabilities with the recent arrival of its cutting-edge submarine, the most sophisticated and costly vessel it has acquired from Germany. This strategic addition comes as regional tensions continue to rise, as per reported sources.

The introduction of the INS Drakon is poised to dramatically enhance Israel’s naval warfare and intelligence-gathering potential under the sea, according to a report by The Algemeiner. Initially slated for delivery by 2025, the advanced warship’s arrival ahead of schedule marks a significant strategic step for the nation’s defense forces.

During its christening ceremony in Kiel in 2024, a statement highlighted that the INS Drakon belongs to the Dolphin AIP class and is outfitted with cutting-edge technologies. These innovations greatly extend the Israeli Defense Forces’ operational reach across multiple theaters of conflict.

Constructed by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the Israeli Navy, the submarine plays a crucial role in fortifying a sea-based defense strategy. In the current geopolitical climate involving the conflict with Iran, defense experts underscore its importance for deterrence and retaliatory measures.

Dr. Ehud Eilam, a renowned Israeli national security specialist and former defense ministry researcher, stressed to News Media the critical nature of sustaining a relentless underwater presence for Israel’s continued security and autonomy.

“Some of them would have to be at sea, on high alert, around the clock, if Iran suddenly attacked Israel in such a way that would cripple the IDF, including its strategic capabilities,” Eilam said.

“In such a drastic scenario, Israel’s submarine/s that would be at sea could respond,” he added.

“Israel’s other submarines might be in Haifa harbor at the time. They might be attacked and unable to operate. This demonstrates how important it is to always have submarines at sea.”

TKMS reportedly handed over the INS Drakon—the sixth Dolphin-class vessel and third modified Dolphin II-class submarine in Israel’s fleet—at its shipyard in Kiel, Germany, in late July.

Measuring more than 70 meters (230 feet) in length with a displacement exceeding 2,000 tons, the vessel is reported to be the largest submarine constructed in Germany since World War II, carrying an estimated price tag of $634 million, according to The Algemeiner.

According to Israeli outlet Ynet , Israel’s Dolphin-class fleet also provides the nation with a critical sea-based second-strike capability in its defense program.

“Everything is going according to plan with the new program for Israel,” TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard told Ynet Global.

“That also applies to the handover of the last boat of the previous series, including the homecoming in Israel,” he said of the expansive submarine program.

The INS Drakon’s arrival comes as Israel projects increasing military power across distant operational theaters, Eilam said.

“Israel has been acquiring submarines for several purposes. One of them is for deterrence and retribution, such as if Iran manages to develop nuclear weapons,” Eilam said before adding that “Israel has to be ready.”

While submarines on active deployment carry out intelligence and reconnaissance missions across the Mediterranean Sea, their primary objective remains readiness for “doomsday scenarios,” Eilam noted.

“Israel’s new submarine is bigger than others, which suggests Israel wants to have more options, such as increasing the range of the submarine’s missiles so they can reach every target in Iran, even if the Israeli submarine is in the Mediterranean Sea,” Eilam said.

“That way the submarine does not have to get closer to Iran, which requires crossing the Suez Canal, and this could be very risky, if not impossible in some situations,” he added. “The other alternative is to bypass all of Africa, which would take a long time.”

The new submarine was named INS Drakon (Dragon) — a mythical sea creature symbolizing strength, uniqueness and power — was chosen because it contains the Hebrew letters ד׳, ק׳, ר׳ (Dakar), thus commemorating the legacy of the submarine INS Dakar and its crew, the Ministry of Defense said.

News Media has reached out to the Israeli Navy, the Ministry of Defense, TKMS and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Aubrey Plaza is embracing motherhood!

The beloved “Parks and Recreation” star recently welcomed her first child with partner Christopher Abbott.

Paparazzi caught a glimpse of the new mom cradling her newborn in New York City last Sunday. The outing came after what was reportedly Abbott’s final appearance in Broadway’s acclaimed production, “Death of a Salesman.” According to TMZ, insiders revealed that Plaza gave birth to a baby girl in the final days of July.

Plaza first shared her pregnancy with the world in April, just a day after People magazine announced she was expecting and scheduled to welcome her baby in the fall.

“They feel very blessed,” an insider mentioned at the time, describing the addition to their family as “a beautiful surprise after an emotional year.”

Plaza, notably, lost estranged husband Jeff Baena in January 2025.

The former couple had been separated for four months when the director died by suicide at age 47.

Plaza and Baena’s family released a joint statement in the wake of the “unimaginable tragedy,” reading, “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

The comedian opened up about her “daily struggle” on Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast seven months later.

“Right in this very very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” she told the host in August 2025. “Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning.”

Plaza went on to compare her grief to a “giant ocean of just awfulness.”

She explained, “Sometimes I just want to dive into it and be in it. And sometimes I look at it and sometimes I just try to get away from it, but it’s always there.”

The Emmy nominee credited her “funny friends” with still being able to make her “laugh really, really hard” while navigating the tragedy.

The “White Lotus” alum married Baena in May 2021, with the duo spontaneously tying the knot in tie-dye pajamas after a decade together.

It is unclear when she began dating Abbott.

Plaza and the “Girls” alum, 40, have acted together in the “Black Bear” film and the “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” Off-Broadway production in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

Abbott broke his silence on his girlfriend’s pregnancy in a May “Today” show interview, calling it a “very exciting” development.

Prior to Plaza, the actor dated his “Katie Says Goodbye” co-star Olivia Cooke between 2015 and 2020.