Israel celebrates release of hostages as Hamas vows to repeat Oct 7th

Important Takeaways:

  • Israel is celebrating the release of eight hostages and preparing to welcome three more on Saturday. However, the joy is tempered by the reality that terrorists are being freed from Israeli prisons, and there is still no clear plan for Gaza’s future.
  • Israeli officials say the three hostages set to be released from Gaza on Saturday are Ofer Calderon, American-Israeli Keith Siegel, and Yarden Bibas. Bibas is the father of 2-year-old Kfir and 5-year-old Ariel, who remain in captivity in Gaza along with their mother, Shiri.
  • The eight hostages released on Thursday returned to a hero’s welcome from family, friends, and the entire nation.
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exclaimed, “Arbel, Agam, Gadi, Welcome Home! The entire State of Israel embraces you, as do my wife, Sarah, and I.”
  • 80-year-old Gadi Moses, who endured captivity for 482 days, returned to Israel smiling as he reunited with his children. He had been abducted from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where his partner was killed and many of his family members were also taken hostage. All of them were freed a year ago in a previous deal — except him.
  • Arbel Yehud reportedly spent her entire 482 days in isolation. Her chaotic exit from Gaza saw her surrounded by angry mobs of Gazans yelling and pushing as she made her way to safety.
  • Her ordeal was so disturbing that Netanyahu temporarily suspended the release of Palestinian prisoners until he received assurances from mediators that such incidents would not happen again.
  • The five Thai hostages, who have no family in Israel, were greeted at the hospital by Thailand’s ambassador. They appear to be in good health. “Thank you, thank you so much. I’m sure that they will feel at home here,” Thai Ambassador Pannabha Chandraramya told the Israeli crowd gathered to greet the hostages.
  • Palestinian Prisoners Released; Terrorists Celebrated
    • Among the 110 Palestinian prisoners released on Thursday in exchange for the hostages was Zakaria Zubeidi, a notorious West Bank terrorist leader responsible for numerous deadly attacks. He received a hero’s welcome in Ramallah, where he thanked Allah for his freedom.
    • Despite suffering over a year of devastating losses, Hamas continues to project an image of victory. A senior Hamas official recently stated, “The Palestinian people were not defeated. The enemy did not achieve its goals.”
    • In an interview with Iranian television, Mohammed al-Najjar, head of Hamas’ youth department, boasted, “October 7 will be repeated with attacks from the West Bank, Lebanon, Egypt — from the east and from all directions. We have achieved a great victory against an enemy that claimed to be invincible.”
    • Hamas official Taher Nounou insists that Hamas will continue to govern Gaza…
    • Negotiators will begin discussing the next phase on Monday, aiming for the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

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Meaningless: Deal failed to permanently end conflict with Hamas, allowing them to maintain control and power

Terrorist V for Victory

Important Takeaways:

  • Although the agreement may put an end to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, it does not, in any way, reflect a shift in the radical and dangerous ideology of the Islamist group, as outlined in its 1988 Covenant. The document quotes Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood organization (of which Hamas is an offshoot), as saying: “Israel will arise and continue to exist until Islam abolishes it, as it abolished what went before.”
  • The main points of the Hamas Covenant state:
    • The Palestinian issue is a religious-political Muslim problem, and the conflict with Israel is between Muslims and the Jewish “infidels.”
    • All Palestine is Muslim land and no one has the right to give it up.
    • An uncompromising Jihad must be waged against Israel, and any agreement recognizing its right to exist must be totally opposed.
  • The ceasefire-hostage deal does not require Hamas to disarm or cede control over the Gaza Strip…. The terrorist group seems to be convinced that the deal will enable it to keep control of the Gaza Strip and prepare for more massacres of Jews.
  • Shortly after the ceasefire-hostage deal was announced on January 15, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya made it clear that his group intends to pursue its Jihad against Israel.
  • The new US administration, to avoid more violence and bloodshed, must insist that Hamas be removed from power.
  • This can only be accomplished by applying pressure and sanctions on Hamas’s Qatari and Iranian sponsors.

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Israel, Hamas ceasefire-hostage deal involves 3 phases

3 Phase Ceasefire Deal CBN News screenshot

Important Takeaways:

  • Mediators reported Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal, pausing the 15-month war against the terrorist rulers of the Gaza Strip.
  • Once the Netanyahu government approves the deal, 33 of the nearly 100 remaining hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones over the next six weeks. The hostages have been held in brutal conditions since October of 2023 with no access to medical inspection and no contact with the outside world. It’s unclear how many of them are still alive.
  • The deal is being rolled out in three phases.
  • The first phase is six weeks long:
    • It allows 33 hostages to be returned to their families — although it’s unclear how many are still alive.
    • The IDF would also pull back from population centers to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes and receive an influx of aid.
  • Phase two is considered the most difficult. It includes the release of all remaining hostages and the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza.
  • The third phase calls for the start of major reconstruction inside the Gaza Strip.
  • President Issac Herzog addressed the nation late Wednesday.
  • “As the President of the State of Israel, I say in the clearest terms: This is the right move. This is an important move. This is a necessary move. There is no greater moral, human, Jewish, or Israeli obligation than to bring our sons and daughters back to us—whether to recover at home, or to be laid to rest,” he said.
  • Herzog continued, “Let there be no illusions. This deal—when signed, approved, and implemented—will bring with it deeply painful, challenging, and harrowing moments. It will also present significant challenges. This is not a simple situation; it is among the greatest challenges we have ever known.”
  • “Today, as the President of the State of Israel, I pledge: We will continue to act with all our might until every stage of the deal is realized and the last captive returns. We will not rest or relent until all our sons and daughters are back home,” he added.
  • Retired Israeli General Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of the Defense and Security Forum… believes it’s possible the deal could break down before all the hostages return.
  • “But if this happens and we don’t get all the hostages, the pressure on Hamas needs to be huge,” he cautioned. “Stopping humanitarian aid, attacking, firstly, eliminating all the leaders of Hamas outside of Gaza, deporting them from Qatar.”

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Israel-Hamas agree to Ceasefire and Release of Hostages

Israel Hamas Ceasefire FOX NEWS SCREENSHOT

Important Takeaways:

  • Agreement says 33 hostages are expected to be released over 42 days
  • Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire deal that also ensures the release of hostages, Fox News has confirmed.
  • “A Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal was reached following the Qatari Prime Minister’s meeting with Hamas negotiators, and separately Israeli negotiators in his office,” a source briefed on the matter told Fox News
  • The conflict, which began with Hamas’ brutal attacks on October 7, 2023, has left over 1,200 Israelis dead, more than 250 taken hostage, and thousands of others killed on both sides.
  • President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened last week if a deal wasn’t struck before his Inauguration Day that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East, quickly offered his praise.
  • The deal, brokered by Qatari negotiators and facilitated by Egyptian intermediaries, also saw significant involvement from the United States. Both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration applied strategic pressure to finalize the agreement, despite concerns about Hamas re-arming and internal tensions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
  • The agreement calls for the release of three hostages on the first day, followed by weekly batches. Women, children, and men over 50 will be prioritized initially, with younger men in humanitarian cases included later. Updates on hostages’ statuses will alternate between announcements of survivors and confirmation of those who did not survive captivity.
  • Approximately 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will be freed in exchange, with murder convicts barred from returning to the West Bank. Instead, they will be sent to Gaza, Qatar, or Turkey.
  • The cease-fire will also facilitate significant humanitarian aid to Gaza, with up to 600 trucks of supplies entering daily. By the 22nd day, displaced residents will be allowed to return to northern Gaza. Qatari and Egyptian teams will manage vehicle inspections, while pedestrian crossings will not require checks. The IDF will withdraw from the Nitzarim corridor but maintain a limited presence along the Philadelphi Route.

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Hamas makes demands and then refuses to agree to proposal when they’re met

Site-of-Israeli-strike

Important Takeaways:

  • US officials believe hostage-ceasefire deal unlikely by end of Biden’s term
  • Multiple senior US officials have reportedly acknowledged that a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas is unlikely before the end of US President Joe Biden’s term in office in January, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
  • The US officials told the outlet that one of the biggest obstacles to a deal has been the ratio of Palestinian security prisoners Israel must release in exchange for each hostage.
  • The US has said publicly that Hamas has raised the number of prisoners it originally asked for, even after executing six hostages earlier this month.
  • More broadly, WSJ reported that Hamas has made demands and then refuses to agree to a deal after Israel accepted them.
  • “There’s no chance now of it happening,” an official from an Arab country told the newspaper. “Everyone is in a wait-and-see mode until after the [US] election. The outcome will determine what can happen in the next administration.”

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Main goal of Philadelphi Corridor for Hamas was to facilitate firing long-range rockets

Tunnels-Rafah-Gaza-Strip

Important Takeaways:

  • There were three other ways besides the recent smuggling of weapons through the corridor that were likely responsible for the vast majority of Hamas’s massive weapons buildup, the sources said.
  • Although these points were made in a technical and professional context, they could also have significant implications for the ongoing debate within Israel over how crucial it is for the IDF to hold onto the Philadelphi Corridor or whether it can be temporarily given up as part of a deal for the return of dozens of Israeli hostages.
  • According to people familiar with the matter, it could take Hamas years to rebuild its cross-border tunnel network, meaning certainly not during the 40-plus days Israel would theoretically leave the area during Phase I of one of the proposed hostage deals.
  • Regarding the use of the tunnels for long-range rockets, IDF sources said Rafah, in general, and the corridor, in particular, had turned out to have one of Hamas’s largest long-range rocket arsenals that the military found, compared with any other part of Gaza.
  • Hamas’s strategy was to place the long-range rockets and their launchers next to the border with Egypt to deter Israel from striking them and risking an international incident with Cairo, either by accidentally hitting Egyptian soldiers or merely causing explosions so close to another sovereign nation’s territory, the sources said.
  • Furthermore, Hamas rocket teams would hide in the large tunnels, which had launchers and inventories of rockets connected to them via their extensive space and storage capabilities, they said.
  • The Hamas rocket teams would briefly pop out of the tunnels at selected moments, only meters from the Egyptian border fence, and then either fire the rockets or set timers for them to launch, IDF sources said.
  • After a brief time of being exposed and in an area in which Israel would be very worried about attacking, even if it had much time to calculate a precision strike carefully, the rocket teams would rapidly disappear back into the cross-border tunnels, they said.

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Six hostages executed including one American while Joe Biden gets a suntan

Netanyahu-announcement

Important Takeaways:

  • Israel Defense Forces Chief Spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated on Sunday, “A few hours ago, we informed the families that the bodies of their loved ones had been located by IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Rafah. According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.”
  • The nation is mourning as six hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were found murdered in Gaza. Just a few days before this grim discovery, Hersh’s mother Rachel stood at the Gaza border, shouting a blessing to her son: “May God bless you and keep you. May God shine His face upon you and be gracious to you. May God lift up His face toward you and may God give you peace and may God bring you home now.”
  • Some Israelis blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not being willing to approve a ceasefire deal. However, Netanyahu insisted a deal must have acceptable terms – and Israel must be able to stop Hamas from attacking Israel again.
  • “The fact that Hamas is continuing to perpetrate atrocities like those it carried out on October 7 requires us to do everything so that it will be unable to perpetrate these atrocities again,” Netanyahu declared.

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Four prison employees dead several hostages taken in Russian jail by prisoners who identified themselves as Islamic State (IS) militants

courtyard-within-the-IK-19-Surovikino-facility

Important Takeaways:

  • Four prison employees have been killed after prisoners staged a revolt in a Russian penal colony and took several hostages, federal authorities say.
  • Special forces stormed the IK-19 Surovikino facility in the southwestern Volgograd region after knife-wielding prisoners, who identified themselves as Islamic State (IS) militants, claimed to have taken control of the sprawling complex.
  • The attack began during a disciplinary commission meeting, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement.
  • It was unclear how many hostages had been taken, though some reports in Russian media suggested that the prison’s director and deputy director had been seized
  • The Volgograd hostage-taking is the second such incident this summer, after six prisoners who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group captured two guards at a facility in the neighboring Rostov region.
  • IK-19 Surovikino is a high-security penal colony. It is believed to hold about 1,200 inmates.

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Israeli military recovered the bodies of five Israelis taken to Gaza as hostages

5-Hostages-recovered-from-Gaza-Reuters

Important Takeaways:

  • The bodies of kindergarten teacher Maya Goren as well as the soldiers Major Ravid Aryeh Katz, Master Sergeant Oren Goldin, Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas and Sergeant Kiril Brodski were found during an operation in the Khan Younis area.
  • The military said it had determined that Ms. Goren was murdered in captivity, while the soldiers were killed in combat on 7 October and their bodies then abducted.
  • The announcement means 111 of the 251 people taken hostage are still being held in Gaza, including 39 who the military says are presumed dead.
  • The Hostages and Missing Families Forum praised what it called the “crucial and decisive military action that provides their families with important closure and eternal rest for the murdered”.

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Why the normalization of hating the Jews

Oct-7-Hostage

Important Takeaways:

  • It apparently never occurred to either the heads of the UN or the EU to consider that if you are a terrorist organization that commits war crimes, you do not get to choose how a war that you started is waged against you.
  • If you do not want a “bloodbath,” do not take hostages, hide them among civilians, try to prevent a rescue, then if they are rescued, profess shock at the fallout that you yourself have teed up.
  • In contravention of the Geneva conventions, Hamas has refused to allow the Red Cross to check on the welfare of the hostages. One can imagine why.
  • To this day, there seems little-to-no interest in the fate or condition of the hostages still in Gaza. Instead, there is denial that the October 7 atrocities even took place, compared to an almost obsessive regard for the safety of, and humanitarian aid for Gazans. When the UN is unable to deliver the aid, Israel, not the UN, is blamed.
  • The Hamas murders, rapes, burning alive of babies and abductions – all the reasons why Israel was forced to go to war with Hamas to begin with — have retreated into the background.
  • What seems to matter instead to those who set the political and media agendas is to use the Hamas war once again to demonize the Jews as the world’s most inhuman people for wanting to live peacefully on their historical land without daily massacres from Iran and its proxies — Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and the Houthis — which apparently plan to encircle them in a “Ring of Fire” — “six fronts of aggression

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