Evening Brief: Israel Orders Evacuation of Northern Gaza, Uganda Agrees to Accept US Deportees, US-EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariffs

· Guy D. McCardle

Displacement camps shelter civilians from northern Gaza circa 2023-25. (Wikimedia Commons)

Let’s dive into the stories shaping Thursday evening, August 21, 2025.

 

Israel Orders Evacuation of Northern Gaza Ahead of Major Offensive to Seize Gaza City

The Israeli military on Thursday directed medical personnel and aid groups in northern Gaza to prepare for evacuations ahead of an expanded offensive aimed at seizing Gaza City.

The military said it informed hospitals and international organizations to begin relocating patients and equipment to southern Gaza, where infrastructure is being adjusted to receive the sick and wounded.

The order follows the Israeli defense ministry’s approval of a broader operation targeting remaining Hamas strongholds. The plan includes calling up 60,000 reservists starting in early September, further fueling concerns of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the densely populated strip.

Israeli forces said they have already begun preliminary actions and are holding the outskirts of Gaza City.

Residents reported continuous bombardments overnight, with artillery and airstrikes pounding the area. Gaza’s civil defense agency confirmed strikes in the northwest and southeast of the city.

The military said its recent operations across Gaza have “created the conditions” to escalate the pressure on Hamas and enter the next phase of the war, now approaching its two-year mark.

Meanwhile, mediators from Qatar and Egypt, backed by the US, continue to push for a ceasefire. Hamas accepted the latest proposal, which Qatar described as nearly identical to a previously approved Israeli version. Cairo stated that “the ball is now in Israel’s court.”

Hamas condemned Israel’s decision to push forward with the offensive, calling it a “blatant disregard” for ongoing ceasefire negotiations and efforts to release hostages.

According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 62,122 Palestinians—mostly civilians—have been killed since the war began, a figure the United Nations deems credible.

 

Israel Seeks Jewish Diaspora Volunteers as Gaza War Drains Military Manpower

Facing a deepening manpower crisis, the Israeli Army is turning to Jewish communities abroad, especially in the US and France, for volunteer recruits to fill thousands of vacancies caused by nearly two years of intense combat in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) aims to enlist 600-700 young volunteers annually to help cover an estimated shortfall of 12,000 personnel, Army Radio reported earlier this week.

The push comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans a full occupation of Gaza City by October 7, 2025—the two-year mark since the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel. To bolster its ranks, the IDF has offered amnesty to deserters who rejoin within five days and is attempting to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews, historically exempt from service. However, only two percent of those drafted have reported for duty, despite a Supreme Court ruling ending the exemption in June 2024.

Morale among Israeli troops is reportedly low. Nearly 900 soldiers have died, more than 18,500 are wounded or suffering from PTSD, and at least 50 suicides have been reported. A recent survey by Agam Labs showed that 36 percent of reservists feel less motivated to serve, while 47 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s war strategy and handling of the hostage crisis.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir previously warned that occupying Gaza City could jeopardize hostages and overstretch the military. Though he later endorsed the plan, former officers like Guy Poran say internal dissent and political agendas are eroding trust in leadership and fueling desertions.

Meanwhile, Israeli society is showing cracks. Critics highlight the continued military exemption and lifestyle of ultra-Orthodox communities, with some yeshiva students seen vacationing abroad while peers fight on the front lines. Despite the legal end to their exemption, the enlistment impact remains minimal.

 

Palestinian Factions Begin Limited Weapons Handover in Lebanese Refugee Camps

Palestinian factions in Lebanon began handing over small quantities of weapons to the Lebanese Army Thursday, starting with the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp near Beirut.

The move follows a May agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to remove arms from the camps and place them under state control.

Only a modest batch of light weapons was turned over in this initial step, with a pickup truck seen transporting bags containing machine guns and other small arms.

Officials stated further handovers would follow from Burj al-Barajneh and other camps, including al-Bass in southern Lebanon.

The effort remains fragile. Rival factions, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, distanced themselves from the handover, calling it an internal matter for Fatah and insisting their weapons remain tied to the Palestinian right of return and resistance against Israeli occupation.

The disarmament plan, long delayed by factional disagreements, has faced resistance from groups unwilling to surrender their arsenals. Some representatives stated only “illegal” or unregistered weapons would be surrendered, while personal firearms and faction-controlled arms would remain untouched.

US envoy Tom Barrack praised the move as a “historic step toward unity and stability.” However, implementation remains uncertain, particularly as the broader issue of Hezbollah’s arsenal looms.

Lebanese officials and international observers view the limited handover as a precursor to more ambitious security efforts in the country.

 

Uganda Agrees to Accept US Deportees Under New Migration Deal

Uganda has finalized a deal with the United States to accept deported migrants who have no criminal records and are not unaccompanied minors, the Ugandan foreign ministry announced Thursday.

The agreement remains under negotiation regarding specific terms, with Uganda expressing a preference for deportees of African origin.

The US embassy in Kampala declined to discuss details, calling it part of “diplomatic negotiations,” but reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s commitment to national security and aggressive deportation policies. The arrangement aligns with the administration’s strategy to expel migrants who cannot be returned to their home countries.

Ugandan officials, including Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem, previously denied a finalized agreement but acknowledged ongoing discussions.

Oryem made it clear Uganda would not accept individuals linked to criminal organizations.

The deal has sparked sharp criticism from opposition figures and human rights advocates.

Lawmaker Muwada Nkunyingi accused the government of leveraging the deal for political legitimacy ahead of Uganda’s 2026 elections. Rights lawyer Nicholas Opio warned the agreement may violate international law, likening it to human trafficking and questioning the legal status of deportees.

The controversy follows similar US deportation cases. In July, Washington deported men with criminal histories to Eswatini and South Sudan. Those deported to Eswatini—originally from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Vietnam—remain in solitary confinement pending further repatriation.

 

US-EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariffs on Most European Goods, Leaves Key Sectors Undecided

The United States and European Union announced a preliminary trade deal Thursday that places a 15 percent import tax on 70 percent of EU goods entering the US while offering zero tariffs on American cars and industrial exports to Europe.

The agreement excludes some sectors like aircraft parts and pharmaceuticals from the new tariff but leaves major areas—such as wine, spirits, and steel—unresolved.

The 3.5-page nonbinding document represents a political commitment rather than a legally enforceable trade pact. Officials described it as a starting point for broader negotiations and a way to avoid a full-scale trade war.

The US-EU trade relationship accounts for $2 trillion in annual business.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the deal a win for US workers and industries, highlighting the EU’s agreement to open its $20 trillion market.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the move, citing relief from a looming 27.5 percent US car tariff and emphasizing that negotiations remain ongoing. The EU must pass implementing legislation by August 1 to retroactively apply the lower car tariff.

Critics argue the new tariffs could raise consumer prices and hurt economic growth. US distillers and European wine producers expressed concern over the absence of exemptions for spirits and wine, warning of possible EU retaliation after the current suspension of retaliatory tariffs expires in 2026.

Steel tariff exemptions also remain unsettled, with future talks planned to address them. The deal includes aspirational EU commitments to buy $750 billion in US energy and invest $600 billion in American industry, based on projected private-sector activity.

Economists caution the new tariff structure marks a significant increase from pre-2018 levels, when US-EU tariffs averaged in the low single digits.

 

Ukrainian Suspect Arrested in Italy for Alleged Role in Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage

Italian police arrested a 49-year-old Ukrainian man early Thursday suspected of helping coordinate the 2022 undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany.

Acting on a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, officers detained the man—identified as Serhii K.—at a bungalow in San Clemente near Rimini. He was taken into custody without resistance.

German federal prosecutors allege Serhii K. was part of a group that used a yacht rented with forged documents from the German port of Rostock to place explosives on the pipelines. He is suspected of causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of critical infrastructure.

Investigators previously found explosive residue on a yacht connected to the incident.

The September 26, 2022, blasts crippled Nord Stream 1, Russia’s main natural gas pipeline to Germany, and damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered service. The sabotage occurred as Europe moved to reduce its reliance on Russian energy amid the Ukraine war.

The case remains under investigation by German prosecutors after Swedish and Danish authorities closed their probes earlier this year.

Russia has blamed the US for the attack, a claim Washington denies. German media in 2023 suggested a pro-Ukraine group may have been involved, though Ukrainian officials dismissed the allegation and German authorities urged caution.

German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig called the arrest a “very impressive investigative success” and stressed the need to fully clarify the incident.

It remains unclear when Serhii K. will be extradited to Germany.

 

New Zealand to Spend $1.6 Billion on US Helicopters, Aircraft Amid Rising Pacific Tensions

New Zealand announced a NZ$2.7 billion ($1.6 billion USD) defense upgrade on Thursday, including the purchase of five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

The move is part of a broader plan to double defense spending to two percent of GDP over the next decade in response to growing global instability and heightened competition in the Pacific.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters called the current strategic environment the most dangerous in modern New Zealand history.

Defense Minister Judith Collins confirmed the helicopters will be procured directly from the US through the Foreign Military Sales program, bypassing a broader tender. The helicopters will replace aging Kaman Seasprites, while the new aircraft will retire New Zealand’s decades-old Boeing 757s.

Collins said it could take years for delivery due to production timelines and denied the purchase was meant to counterbalance the 15 percent US import tariffs on New Zealand goods under the Trump administration’s global trade policy. She emphasized the urgency of modernizing the defense force, citing persistent breakdowns in existing aircraft and recruiting issues that have strained military readiness.

The announcement follows a pledge by New Zealand and Australia to deepen military ties as China’s influence grows across the South Pacific.

 

Thailand’s Suspended PM Testifies in Ethics Case Over Cambodia Border Dispute

Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra testified Thursday in a closed-door Bangkok court hearing over allegations she violated ethics laws during a June 15 phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

The case stems from her handling of a border dispute that later escalated into five days of armed clashes, killing dozens and displacing over 260,000 people.

Paetongtarn, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is accused of undermining Thailand’s position by appearing overly deferential to Hun Sen—whom she referred to as “uncle”—and allegedly criticizing a Thai military commander.

The controversy deepened when Hun Sen leaked the call, sparking domestic backlash.

She defended her actions as a negotiation tactic and denied causing harm to Thailand. However, Thailand’s Constitutional Court voted unanimously to review the ethics complaint and suspended her from office on July 1 while the case proceeds.

Meanwhile, Thaksin faces a separate legal threat, with a Bangkok court set to rule Friday on whether he insulted the monarchy during a 2025 interview in South Korea. A conviction could carry a sentence of 3 to 15 years.

Thaksin, ousted in a 2006 military coup, returned to Thailand in 2023 after years in self-imposed exile and served a brief sentence before receiving a royal pardon.

 

China Deploys Armed Small Boats and Aircraft to Second Thomas Shoal

The Philippine military confirmed this week that the China Coast Guard has deployed heavily armed small boats to Second Thomas Shoal, escalating Beijing’s presence in the disputed South China Sea.

A Philippine maritime patrol observed Wednesday 11 Chinese vessels conducting exercises, including fast boats and rigid-hulled inflatable boats upgraded with mounted heavy weapons and manned by personnel in camouflage.

Video released by Manila shows one of the Chinese boats armed with a heavy machine gun approaching a Philippine patrol. This marks a significant enhancement over previous Chinese deployments in the area.

Chinese forces also deployed unmanned aerial vehicles, a navy helicopter, and nine maritime militia ships, while five larger cutters practiced water cannon operations.

The Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) stated that it continues to monitor developments closely as part of efforts to safeguard national sovereignty.

This show of force follows the June 2024 clash between China Coast Guard personnel and Philippine Navy SEALs at the same location, and it coincides with growing Chinese military activity near Scarborough Shoal, where a Chinese destroyer recently collided with a cutter during a pursuit of a Philippine vessel.

US Navy ships USS Higgins (DDG-76) and USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) conducted a freedom of navigation operation at Scarborough Shoal shortly after the incident, encountering two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy frigates.

Analysts say Beijing’s latest deployments appear designed to deter further Philippine missions and enhance coordination across Chinese maritime forces. Observers warn that future direct encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels may escalate.

 

Sources: News Agencies