Smotrich Proposes Gaza Settlements as US-Iran Talks Stall; IDF Kills Hamas Commander (Jun 30, 1556 UTC, 1856 Israel) (Evening Edition)

• Funeral Preparations — Iran is preparing for the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with processions set to begin in Tehran on July 4. Officials from more than 30 countries are expected to attend, according to the secretary of the national committee organizing the services IRNA.
• Internal Security — Two IRGC members were shot dead at their home in western Iran in what state media described as a “terrorist” attack. The IRGC’s Kermanshah provincial command said two others were wounded. State TV separately accused “Zionist-American mercenaries” of killing a couple in their car Times of Israel. IranWire reported that a third person was wounded in the Paveh attack IranWire.
• Diplomatic Messaging — President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the nation’s role in thwarting enemy plots and described the recent US-Iran memorandum as a diplomatic achievement, warning against domestic efforts to discredit the negotiating team IRNA. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stressed the “commitment for commitment” principle, saying Iran would fulfill obligations only if the other side did IRNA.
• Economic Disruption — Four of Iran’s largest banks faced a third week of network outages, described as a major cybersecurity failure IranWire.
• Regional Ties — Baqaei described Iran-Iraq ties as deep-rooted and profound IRNA. A Pakistani researcher said stable ties with Tehran remain a long-term strategic goal for Islamabad IRNA.

• Ceasefire Violations — Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported that Israeli military vehicles were spotted moving near Kfarchouba and Haddatha, and that Israeli artillery targeted Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon Al-Manar TV. The Lebanese army detonated unexploded ordnance near Majdal Zoun, causing sounds mistaken for gunfire Bint Jbeil News.
• Drone Activity — Israeli drones continued to fly over Beirut, according to Al-Manar Al-Manar TV.
• Analyst Assessment — Analysts warned that the Israel-Lebanon deal may entrench a stalemate rather than end the war, as Hezbollah’s disarmament is unattainable without Lebanese enforcement capacity Times of Israel.

• Hamas Commander Killed — The IDF and Shin Bet announced the killing of Mohammad Fathi Abd al-Hay Abu Fakher, commander of the Yabna Battalion in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, in a strike on June 29. Abu Fakher had been recruiting and training new operatives to restore the battalion’s capabilities and attack IDF troops. He was a veteran commander and a central figure in Hamas’s smuggling network for two decades IDF Official Times of Israel.
• PIJ Commander Killed — The IDF killed Ali Qaid Mohammed Stitan, a Nukhba platoon commander in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in a strike in central Gaza on June 29. Stitan infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli forces and civilians IDF Official.
• Hostage-Holding Operative Killed — The IDF and Shin Bet announced that Talal al-Aal, a PIJ operative who held hostages in southern Gaza and commanded a cell that invaded Israel on October 7, was killed in a strike earlier in the week Manniefabian.
• Casualty Figures — IRNA reported that eight Palestinians were killed in Gaza, raising the death toll to 73,066 IRNA.
• Smotrich Proposal — Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the establishment of three Israeli settlements in northern Gaza, a proposal that drew sharp reactions [prior SITREP reference].

• Military Raids — Israeli forces raided a house in the Al-Naqqar neighborhood of Qalqilya, according to Al-Manar Al-Manar TV.
• Settler Activity — Settlers released livestock onto Palestinian farmland in Salem in an attempt to seize land, Quds News Network reported Quds News Network. Israeli forces set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in Marj Ibn Amer, according to the same source Quds News Network.
• Detainee Release — A Palestinian detainee, Ibrahim Al-Husain, was released after two years in Israeli detention and immediately hospitalized due to poor health Quds News Network.
• Settlement Expansion — Finance Minister Smotrich continued his push in the West Bank, with four additional settlement symbols approved for new communities News 0404 IL.

• US-Iran Talks — US envoys, including Witkoff and Kushner, were in Doha to meet Qatari mediators but no direct talks with Iran were scheduled, contradicting Trump’s claims of high-level meetings. Iran said it would send an expert delegation to follow up on the release of frozen funds Times of Israel Al Jazeera. The talks were described as off to a shaky start FDD.
• Iran-France Call — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot discussed regional developments and implementation of the Islamabad MoU Al-Manar TV.
• Hamas Delegation to Cairo — A senior Hamas delegation led by Zaher Jabarin arrived in Cairo to discuss the Gaza ceasefire with Egyptian officials and mediators Al-Manar TV.

• Germany — German intelligence reported that nearly half of the far-right AfD party’s 70,000 members are potential right-wing extremists, a 40% increase from the previous year. The party continues to promote an ethnically defined German identity despite court rulings against it Times of Israel N12 Chat.
• UK — Prime Minister Starmer announced a £300 billion defense investment plan, including over £5 billion for drones and autonomous systems over four years Al Jazeera.
• Monaco — An explosion at a building entrance wounded three people; prosecutors said there was no evidence of terrorism and a suspect remained at large Al Jazeera.

• United States — The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against President Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants Al Jazeera Behold Israel. The Pentagon appointed a new Defense Policy Board, with half of its members having ties to the military industry Quincy Institute.
• Canada — A faculty member at Centennial College in Saskatoon forcibly removed a student’s keffiyeh and Palestinian flag during a graduation ceremony, sparking outrage Quds News Network.

Iraq — Iraq launched a corruption crackdown, with elite Counter Terrorism Service units raiding homes in Baghdad’s Green Zone, and set a deadline for militia weapons handover FDD.