Monday, January 27, 2025

01/27 Links Pt1: Hamas’s crimes against women must not be erased; Eight dead in Hamas list of 33 hostages to be freed; Released Hostage: ‘2 million terrorists’ in Gaza

From Ian:

Hamas’s crimes against women must not be erased
International non-governmental organisations, normally at the forefront of campaigning to end violence against women and girls, were slow to issue any kind of response. Human Rights Watch issued 51 press releases about Gaza in the eight weeks following 7 October, including accusations about ‘Israeli war crimes’. But when it finally addressed the 7 October rapes in December 2023, it merely called for an investigation, rather than addressing the already extensive evidence.

The United Nations finally got round to sending a special representative on sexual violence to Israel several months after the Hamas attack. Its report acknowledged that there were ‘reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence – including rape and gang-rape – occurred across multiple locations of Israel and the Gaza periphery during the attacks on 7 October’.

Yet even this, it seems, was not enough to spur global networks of feminist campaigners into action. The names Naama Levy and Emily Damari have never been uttered by those feminists who, only a few years ago, were getting worked up about knee-touching, bad dates and rudeness on social media.

That the hostages released so far have been able to walk out of Gaza with their heads held high is testament to their incredible strength of character and phenomenal bravery. Reports suggest that Emily Damari asked her Hamas captors to free fellow hostage Keith Siegel in her place because she believed he was in worse shape than her. Her request was denied. On making it safely back out of Gaza, Damari ditched the Palestinian lanyard all the hostages had been forced to wear and draped herself in the Israeli flag. Her body may have been abused but her spirit remained undefeated. Damari, a living embodiment of resilience and fortitude, should be a celebrated feminist icon, a role model for an entire generation of girls. Instead, newly released hostages are still having to fight to have their plight acknowledged.

This weekend’s release of women soldiers raises questions about the hostages left behind, including Shiri Silberman Bibas, who was taken captive alongside her husband and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. Sadly, these young boys and their mother may now be dead, although this has not yet been confirmed. If Bibas and other female hostages are released in the coming days it will be no thanks to global organisations that campaign for an end to violence against women and girls. Tragically, we must even ask who will believe the captives’ story when they are ready to talk about their experiences.

We should celebrate the release of Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. But we must not forget how few professional feminists agitated for their release.
Israel: Eight dead in Hamas list of 33 hostages to be freed
Eight of the 33 hostages intended for release during the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip are dead, according to a list provided by Hamas.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer confirmed that the terrorist group stated the remaining 25 hostages are alive. The list was delivered to Israel overnight on Sunday.

After repeatedly violating the truce deal with Israel, Hamas is to release three additional captives on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem announced on Sunday night.

The hostages to be released are civilian Arbel Yehud, Israel Defense Forces soldier Agam Berger and an unidentified man. Three more abductees are to be freed on Saturday, per the terms of the ceasefire.

So far, seven hostages have been freed. Yet 87 of the 251 individuals taken by Hamas during the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, are still in Gaza. This includes the remains of at least 34 hostages, confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier killed in 2014. Another soldier’s remains were recovered earlier this month.

Hamas failed to provide the list on Saturday, as required by the terms of the ceasefire, prompting Jerusalem to postpone the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

On Monday, Palestinians began crossing on foot via a coastal road through the Netzarim Corridor south of Gaza City. Vehicle crossings via a parallel highway inland followed, leading to heavy traffic. While vehicles are subject to inspection under the ceasefire agreement, the details of the inspection process remain unclear.
Bibas family ‘nightmare’ as children and mother left off hostage list for another week
The relatives of the only children still held hostage in Gaza have said that their “world came crashing down” when they were left off the list of those slated for release yet again.

The family of Shiri, 33, Kfir, 2, and Ariel, 5, were named for release in the first phase of the deal which requires Hamas to prioritise the release of civilian women and children.

The Bibas father, Yarden, is slated to be released later in the deal’s first phase.

But the mother and children have not been released in the first two exchanges of the deal.

Relatives of the family have condemned Israeli media for failing to convey “our pain, our struggle, and, most importantly, the crucial discussion about the complexity and tragedy of them not being on the list,” after Hamas violated the deal by releasing captive female soldiers before civilian women.

When the four Israeli women soldiers were freed on Saturday, fears over the Bibas’s fate soured. If alive, they should have been released before any soldiers, according to the terms of the deal.

In a statement on Saturday, the Bibas’s relatives described how their “world came crashing down” when they discovered that Shiri, Kfir and Ariel, were left off the list of captives to be released later in the day.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said the terror group had violated the terms of the deal by not first freeing all female civilians.

He said Israel would make sure that civilian hostage Arbel Yehud, who is believed by Israel to be alive, is released soon, along with Shiri Bibas and her two small children, Ariel and baby Kfir.

Condemning Israeli media, the Bibas relatives’ statement went on, “Does the grave concern for their lives cancel out the fact that they are civilians in captivity who must be brought home?

“Does the grave concern for Shiri’s life mean that there is no longer a need to display her photo as a kidnapped civilian in Gaza whose fate remains unknown?

“The answer is — no.

“Liri, Daniela, Naama, and Karina — We are waiting to see you smiling, wrapped in love, at home with your incredible families,” the statement continued. “Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, and Kfir — We will continue to hope and demand your return. It’s not over until it’s over.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong


Jonathan Tobin: Trump is right about letting Palestinians leave Gaza
The only hope for those stuck in Gaza is to break free of the cycle of violence to which Hamas and other Palestinian groups are committed as a matter of inviolable principle. Staying there means not only a difficult struggle for survival in a devastated, war-torn area. It also means continuing an existence in which their leaders believe that their only purpose is to suffer and die so that the war on Israel’s existence can go on and thereby gain sympathy from ignorant, easily manipulated or antisemitic onlookers elsewhere.

The foreign-policy establishment believes that the only alternative is granting the Palestinians statehood. In a world where Palestinians were not committed to Israel’s destruction, that might make sense. But we don’t live in such a world, and that’s why the overwhelming majority of Israelis, including many formerly on the left and sensible people elsewhere, oppose it. Under these circumstances, that would mean not just rewarding Hamas and its supporters for starting a brutal war with unspeakable atrocities on Oct. 7. It also guarantees that Hamas and its allies would take over Judea and Samaria from Fatah, and thereby be enabled to make good their pledge of carrying out more Oct. 7-type atrocities from that far larger and more strategic territory.

There may be no way to break the impasse with the Palestinians, and Trump should be encouraged to return to his Abraham Accords formula and cut them out of the equation. The Palestinians are, as some wags noted during his first term, akin to the owners of a rapidly depreciating property that are unwilling to budge from a high sale price that is no longer realistic. That is something that canny real estate owners like Trump can smell a mile away. Which is to say that there is no way that the intransigent Palestinians will ever get a state—or at least, not until at some point in the far-off future when they find a way to move away from a national identity inextricably linked to the war to destroy Israel.

In the meantime, the truly humanitarian thing to do would be to start the process of resettling Gaza civilians who want a better life elsewhere, an option they have always been denied until now. That’s what the president has embraced, and he’s right to do so. Perhaps only an outlier like Trump, who never listens to what the “experts” say is possible, would even consider such a plan. Those who consider themselves to be sympathetic to the Palestinian cause or desirous of peace in the Middle East ought to support that stand.
Trump Signals MAJOR Middle East Policy Shift as Four More Israeli Hostages Freed | Jerusalem Minute
Israel on Jan. 25 welcomed four more hostages home who had been held captive by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. However, the Palestinian terrorist group has yet to release the remaining civilian hostages.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has floated major policy shifts regarding Iran and the future of the Gaza Strip while releasing weapons that were purchased by Jerusalem but withheld under the Biden administration.

Also on this episode, JNS CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief Alex Traiman and Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten discuss the latest developments in Southern Lebanon; UNWRA’s eviction from Jerusalem; U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff’s odd love for Qatar; and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi's resignation.


There is only 1 viable path for Gaza
Much as the Houthis’ decision temporarily to suspend their attacks doesn’t mean that they have lost interest in wreaking havoc, the same can be said of Hamas’s acceptance of the cease-fire. Meir Ben-Shabbat argues that, in fact, the terrorist group has only been encouraged:

The cease-fire agreement has breathed new fighting spirit into Hamas’s leadership and members. “This is the result of our people’s steadfast stance over more than fifteen months,” declared Khalil al-Hayya—the head of Hamas’s political bureau who led the organization’s negotiating team.

We must assume Hamas in Gaza isn’t resting on its laurels and has already begun rehabilitating its military capabilities. It will exploit the cease-fire to revitalize its personnel, smuggle and manufacture weapons, reassert control over the population, and maximize political gains from the release of operatives in Gaza, the West Bank, and regionally.

In any reality, Israel cannot allow the existence of combat forces . . . and military capabilities that threaten its citizens’ security.

Ben-Shabbat also notes the ongoing IDF operation to root out Hamas in the Jenin area of the West Bank, officially known as Operation Iron Wall:

[W]hat’s happening in Jenin reflects rising tensions across the West Bank following the signing of the Gaza cease-fire agreement. Hamas spokespeople are riding the wave of joy and elation following the release of operatives from Israel and calling for “escalation of resistance” from the West Bank. . . . Despite the declared cease-fire in various arenas, the days ahead are far from promising quiet.


Khaled Abu Toameh: Qatar's 'Day After' Plan for Gaza: Keeping Hamas in Power
Qatar wants the Palestinian Authority (PA) government to collect the garbage, rebuild destroyed houses, and pay salaries to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas is busy rearming, regrouping and getting ready for the next attack on Israel.

[T]he PA government in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians in the West Bank, decided to suspend the broadcasts of the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera television for supporting and promoting Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups. Israel and some Arab states had also shut down the broadcasts for the same reason.

The Qataris do not want the PA in the Gaza Strip to rein in Hamas and other terrorist groups, or to prevent attacks against Israel. Instead, they want the PA to act as a front to maintain Hamas's hold on power -- as a cover for keeping Hamas in power.

Qatar has one main purpose: to safeguard its friends in Hamas, continue promoting radical Islam, and deceive Westerners into believing that the Jihadists are a better alternative to the Arab world's present regimes. Whether the new US administration will be as gullible as other Westerners in trusting Qatar remains to be seen.


Hamas' out-of-control media stunts during hostage release failed to demoralize Israel
An analysis of the event reveals Hamas targeted three main audiences. For the international public, Hamas aimed to create legitimacy in preparation for future actions. For example, the slogan on the stage declared in English: "Victory of the Oppressed Against Zionist Nazism." This was a deliberate attempt to align with woke culture, which views the world through the binary lens of oppressors and oppressed. It is too early to assess the impact of the event on this front, but it seems Hamas hoped for a different outcome with its other two audiences.

The first of these was the Palestinian public. The ceremony aimed to further establish Hamas' sovereignty over Gaza. Various symbols highlighted this: the uniforms worn by the militants, the use of institutional elements (such as stamps), and the enthusiastic crowd present at the event. What was supposed to solidify this message was the return of hundreds of thousands of residents to northern Gaza shortly afterward. However, Israel’s refusal to allow this, amid agreement violations – even if temporary – has the potential to cause Hamas embarrassment. In other words, Hamas may learn that, in distorted situations, as with agreements, statements without follow-through can cause more harm than good.

If there was a particularly glaring failure during the event, it was in relation to the Israeli public. Hamas aimed to harm morale and create humiliation. A clear example of this was a prominent sign in Hebrew declaring, "Zionism will not win." The procession of Liri, Daniella, Karina and Naama was meant to serve as a reminder of this. In practice, it was intended as a display of control. But even control has its limits. Hamas may have forced the four to speak, wear ridiculous clothing, display odd tags, and accept suspicious certificates, but it could not suppress what cannot be tamed: their spirit.

Thus, above the sign meant to undermine Zionism and social solidarity, stood four smiling lionesses, staring hundreds of murderers in the eye and projecting the exact opposite of Hamas' intent. While Hamas may have had an interest in showing they were in relatively good condition, what these women radiated went far beyond that. They spoke to an entire nation with their eyes, reminding everyone: We are strong even here, and we will soon be home with you.
‘2 million terrorists’ in Gaza, released hostage tells family
Liri Albag, the 19-year-old Israel Defense Forces lookout released on Saturday after 477 days as a captive of Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, told her parents that there are “two million terrorists” in the coastal enclave, Israel’s 103FM Radio reported on Monday.

“Dad, there are two million terrorists there, make no mistake. I sat with children aged 8 and 4 who were cursing ‘the Jews,'” Albag was cited as having told her father since being released as part of the truce deal.

According to a 2024 estimate, 2,141,643 Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip.

Albag’s family has emphasized that while she and the three other female IDF hostages released on Saturday experienced “insane things that are hard to tell everything about” during their 15 months in Hamas captivity, they are afraid to speak due to the fact that 90 hostages have yet to be freed from Gaza.

Former hostage Mia Shem, who was released during the previous truce with Hamas in November 2023, told Israel’s Channel 13 News channel in an interview on Dec. 28, 2023, “Everyone there [in Gaza] is a terrorist.
Hebrew University offers full scholarship to freed hostages
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is offering full scholarships in any field of study to all released hostages, the school announced on Sunday.

The university is offering full scholarships for a three-year academic degree—covering both bachelor’s and master’s programs—to all captives freed from Gaza, along with a dedicated fund to ensure children who were held hostage can access higher education in the future.

A bachelor’s degree in Israel normally requires three years of full-time study.

The initiative includes personalized academic guidance, psychological support, and career counseling, aiming to provide a foundation for their recovery and reintegration. The program is designed to serve as a cornerstone for these individuals’ return to normalcy, equipping them with the tools to achieve their personal and professional aspirations.

“We are committed to standing by all who experienced the horrors of October 7 and the prolonged captivity under Hamas. It is our responsibility to support them in every way possible,” said Professor Tamir Sheafer, rector of the Hebrew University.

“We aim to help them rebuild a hopeful future and provide a solid anchor in their long rehabilitation journey. As Israel’s leading academic institution, we believe in the transformative power of higher education and its potential to drive personal and societal change. This initiative reflects our deep ethical and social commitment,” Sheafer said.


Hamas to release Arbel Yehoud, Agam Berger, male hostage on Thursday
After 48 hours of intense negotiations behind the scenes, an agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas on the next steps in the hostage deal on Sunday night.

On Thursday, three Israeli hostages will be released in a previously unscheduled hostage transfer. One of those who will be released is Arbel Yehoud, 29, who was supposed to be released last Saturday. The other two hostages that will be released are IDF observation soldier Agam Berger and an additional male hostage.

Israeli officials previously stated that they would not allow the return of Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north until an agreement for her release was arranged.

After Hamas and Israel reached an agreement on this – the roadblocks along the Netzarim area were removed, and Gazans began to flow from the south to the north.

During the night, Israel also received the full list of the conditions of the rest of the hostages to be released during the first phase of the deal.

An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post the list and information is identical to the information Israel had about how many hostages are alive and how many are dead out of the 25 hostages that have yet to be released in the first phase.
Islamic Jihad publishes video of hostage Arbel Yehoud, days before scheduled release
Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of hostage Arbel Yehoud, 29, on their Telegram channel on Monday.

The video was seemingly taken on Saturday, the day that the four female observer hostages were released. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has asked that the video or screenshots of the video not be made public before Yehoud’s family reaches its decision regarding its publication.

The video begins with Arbel introducing herself, her date of birth, where she is from, and both her ID number and military ID number.

She also states that she served in the IDF between October 2013 and October 2015.

“To my family: I’m fine,” she says. “I miss you so much and hope to be back with you soon, like the other girls who were liberated.”

Seven female hostages have been released so far, four this weekend and three the week before.

Yehoud then adds that she is being held by the PIJ.

She then addresses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, saying “I ask you to do everything you can to ensure that the ceasefire continues as planned so that all the kidnapped people return home safely and all the Palestinian prisoners can be freed and return home safely.”


Seth Frantzman: Hezbollah is not defeated and is re-emerging in Lebanon
On the evening of January 26 in Lebanon, there were several protests and demonstrations by Hezbollah activists. One of the videos showed men on motorcycles with Hezbollah flags.

It was difficult to confirm the place and time of the videos, but overall the sense is that Hezbollah is trying to make itself known in Lebanon after several months of quiet. Hezbollah was laying low during the first 60 days of the ceasefire with Israel.

The goal of Hezbollah was to keep quiet and make it seem that the ceasefire deal was achieving something. The Lebanese Army is supposed to deploy in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s threats are supposed to be reduced.

However, like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah is not defeated and it is re-emerging from its hideouts. On January 26, Lebanese civilians were killed in clashes with the IDF in several places in southern Lebanon, according to reports in Lebanese media.

This appeared to be the spark to get Hezbollah to return to the streets to show off how it claims to support the Lebanese people. It is exploiting the situation because Israel did not abide by the terms of the 60-day agreement and Israel is asking for more weeks before withdrawing.

Iranian state media is emphasizing the importance of Hezbollah now. “Lebanon’s Hezbollah Resistance Movement has hailed the return of Lebanese residents to their homes in the south, saying that the nation once again showed that it would never give in to the enemy’s threats,” a report at Iran’s IRNA said on January 27.

“In a statement issued early on Monday, Hezbollah praised the resilience of the Lebanese people who stood up against all threats and aggression, highlighting their deep connection to their land and their steadfast role as guardians of national sovereignty, Lebanon’s Al-Manar news network reported.” Al-Manar is Hezbollah’s media arm.
Hezbollah chief rejects deadline extension for IDF pullout from Lebanon
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared on Monday that the Iranian-backed terror organization would reject any attempts to justify an extension of the timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Southern Lebanon.

“What comes after the period given for Israel’s withdrawal? Israel has to withdraw because the 60 days are over. We do not accept any justification to extend for one moment or one day,” he said in a recorded televised address.

The remarks follow a White House statement on Sunday that the U.S.-monitored arrangement between Lebanon and Israel will be extended until Feb. 18.

On Friday, Jerusalem announced that its military pullout would exceed the 60-day deadline set in the ceasefire agreement with the terrorist group that expired on Sunday.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement: “The IDF’s withdrawal process is conditional on the Lebanese Army deploying in Southern Lebanon, and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani [River].

“Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the State of Lebanon, the phased withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States,” the PMO statement continued.

Jerusalem “will not endanger its communities and citizens, and will insist on the full implementation of the objective of the fighting in the north, which is the safe return of residents to their homes,” it added.
‘Lebanese Armed Forces officers leaked sensitive intelligence to Hezbollah’
A top Lebanese Armed Forces intelligence officer was among dozens who have leaked secrets to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group since the start of the ceasefire with Israel on Nov. 27, The London Times reported on Sunday night, citing intelligence sources and documents.

Suhil Bahij Gharb, the LAF’s chief of military intelligence for Southern Lebanon, handed Hezbollah sensitive information from inside a command and control center run by the United States, France and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, a source told the British daily.

Gharb was said to have been allowed to enter the international situation room at the insistence of the senior Hezbollah commander Wafiq Safa, who heads the terror organization’s Liaison and Coordination Unit and reportedly survived an Israeli assassination attempt on Oct. 10, 2024.

According to an international intelligence report seen by The Times, Gharb is one of dozens of officers in Beirut’s official military who have leaked intelligence to Hezbollah, giving them advance warning of Israeli counter-terrorism raids, allowing them to move weapons and regroup.

The intelligence document cited by The Times states: “Hezbollah use[s] internal, sensitive information regarding the Lebanese army to hide its actions from the international entities in charge of regional security.” It goes on to state that the leaks raise concerns regarding the LAF’s ability to take control of Southern Lebanon, “where Hezbollah has for years been the dominant political and military force.”
Two IDF reservists arrested for allegedly spying for Iran
The Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) have arrested two Israel Defense Forces reservists for allegedly conducting espionage for Iran, a police spokesperson said on Monday.

The suspects were identified as Yuri Eliaspov and Georgi Andreyev, both according to Hebrew media reports residents of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

Eliaspov, who served in an Iron Dome unit during his regular military service, allegedly passed classified materials on Israel’s air defense systems to Tehran. Andreev was stationed at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, which also houses the Defense Ministry, according to the charges made public Monday.

Serious indictments will be filed against both suspects, according to prosecutors, who petitioned for the publication ban on the details of the case to be lifted.

Both face charges of contact with a foreign agent and transmitting classified information for the purposes of espionage. Eliaspov faces an additional charge of aiding the enemy during wartime—an offense that carries potential life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Investigators revealed that Iran first contacted Eliaspov in September, initially tasking him with spraying graffiti in northern Israel and Tel Aviv.

Eliaspov then allegedly recruited Andreyev, presenting it as an opportunity to make “easy money.” According to investigators, Andreev subsequently established his own direct contact with Iranian handlers and participated in graffiti operations at their direction. Together, they also allegedly put up a poster in northern Israel reading “Children of Ruhollah,” presumably referring to Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution.

During questioning, the suspects claimed their motive was financial hardship. However, the financial compensation allegedly provided by Iran was modest, some $3,500 in Eliaspov’s case.


Israel allows tens of thousands of Gazans to return to Strip’s north
Tens of thousands of Palestinians began moving along a main road leading north in Gaza on Monday morning as Israel opened roadblocks after terror groups agreed to release six hostages in two batches this week, including civilian woman Arbel Yehoud and female soldier Agam Berger.

Starting at 7 a.m., Palestinians were allowed to cross on foot without inspection through part of the so-called Netzarim Corridor, a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza City that Israel carved out early in the war.

Massive crowds of people carrying their belongings on foot stretched along a coastal highway in a stunning reversal of the mass exodus from the north at the start of the war.

Palestinians who have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over a year are eager to return to their homes — even knowing that they have likely been damaged or destroyed in the fighting.

“It’s a great feeling when you go back home, back to your family, relatives and loved ones, and inspect your house — if it is still a house,” said displaced Gazan Ibrahim Abu Hassera.

The IDF began bringing in US monitors who are to take over policing a checkpoint on the Netzarim Corridor to prevent the movement of terror group fighters and weapons north.


What led to IDF op in Jenin—and why it won’t be the last
The Israel Defense Forces last week launched a significant counter-terrorism operation in Jenin, Samaria. Dubbed “Operation Iron Wall,” its aim is to dismantle the area’s growing terror infrastructure.

According to IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the situation in Jenin has become critical over the past 15 months, contributing significantly to the ongoing wave of deadly violence in Judea and Samaria and across Israel. During a briefing with journalists on Jan. 22, Shoshani reported that over 2,000 terror attacks and attempted attacks had been launched from Judea and Samaria since the Oct. 7, 2023 war began, resulting in 46 Israeli and foreign national casualties and over 1,200 injuries. Several high-profile attacks were linked to Jenin.

Lt. Col. (res.) Shaul Bartal, a senior research fellow at the Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, who served extensively in various security capacities in Judea and Samaria, told JNS on Friday that the Jenin operation “is yet another example of a ‘mowing the grass’ operation.”

Israel, he noted, has carried out numerous operations in the Jenin sector in the past. The most memorable include “Operation Defensive Shield” in 2002—during which IDF soldiers were accused of a fictional massacre many Palestinian texts still refer to—and “Operation Home and Garden” a year later. Both of these campaigns followed a similar pattern, said Bartal: “A war against the Jenin Battalion, targeting infrastructure and terrorists.”

In August 2024 there was “Operation Summer Camps,” which involved Jenin, Qabatiya and other locales in Judea and Samaria.

None of these offered any real solution. Jenin, he noted, has a “bloody history as the terrorism capital of Samaria, a title it has apparently held since the British Mandate period.”

The Jenin Battalion, currently operating in the city’s refugee camp, unites elements from all “resistance” factions but is led primarily by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, according to Bartal.

The P.A.’s recent attempt to rein in terrorism in the city was “mainly for show” and may even have been counterproductive, he added. Following the operations “there were numerous calls within the P.A. labeling it a ‘collaborators’ authority,'” he noted.


Israeli airstrike in Tulkarm kills Hamas commander
Israel’s military confirmed on Monday evening that an airstrike in the Tulkarem area conducted earlier in the day killed the head of the Hamas terrorist organization branch in the northwestern Samaria city.

Another terrorist was killed in the joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

According to the IDF, the Hamas commander for Tulkarem, Ihab Abu Atiwa, participated in multiple shooting incidents, including an attack on a vehicle at the Ramin Junction on July 16, 2024, which wounded three Israelis.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry earlier claimed that the strike killed two people, including Abu Atiwa, and moderately and lightly injured three others who were taken to Tulkarem’s government hospital. Video shared on social media showed a burning vehicle targeted in the noon attack in the Nur a-Shams camp.

This airstrike is part of the seventh day of “Operation Iron Wall,” an offensive targeting terrorist infrastructure in northern Samaria, particularly in the Jenin area. Since the operation began, two al-Qassam Brigades commanders in Tulkarem, including Abu Atiwa, and a Jenin Brigade commander affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been reported killed.

The IDF announced on Monday evening that the IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police launched a counter-terror operation in Tulkarem.

Meanwhile, IDF operations in Jenin and nearby villages have resulted in over 15 terrorists killed and more than 40 arrests, according to the IDF. The army has dismantled about 20 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and numerous pipe bombs, using engineering tools to clear critical pathways, and confiscated dozens of weapons.

During the operation, soldiers from the Commando Brigade discovered an explosive device concealed inside a washing machine within a building in Jenin. Additionally, an observation command center was uncovered, containing gas canisters designed for manufacturing explosive devices.


Josh Frydenberg reflects on the 80-year anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg reflects on the 80-year anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz.

Mr Frydenberg outlined his pain on learning he lost beloved family members during the Holocaust.

“I lost many relatives in the Holocaust,” Mr Frydenberg told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“Despite the Nazi’s best efforts to destroy the Jewish people, they failed, and the Jewish people continue to live on.”


Jewish leader reflects on the Liberation of Auschwitz ahead of the 80th anniversary
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CO-CEO Alex Ryvchin reflects on the Liberation of Auschwitz, stating it is important to “dig deep” into the stories of survival.

The official service to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz will take place at two o’clock Tuesday morning AEDT.

“When we talk about the Holocaust and the scale of the killing, it’s almost beyond human comprehension,” Mr Ryvchin told Sky News Australia.

“That’s why it is so important to dig deep into the individual stories of misery, of survival, of hatred, of barbarism – that’s how we actually begin to contemplate and truly understand what was done.”


Nationals leader calls out Hamas for ‘hiding’ behind civilians
Nationals Leader David Littleproud slams Hamas for "hiding" behind civilians during the conflict in Gaza.

"I think Israel has been put in a very difficult situation where Hamas has hid behind civilians in a war," Mr Littleproud told Sky News Australia.

"We don't like to see civilian casualties in any way, shape, or form, no one does, but you have got to live in the real world about the threat that Israel was under."


‘Terrible stuff’: Chris Kenny rips into the ABC over ‘propaganda’ on Gaza war
Sky News host Chris Kenny says reporting by the ABC has left many people “misinformed” on what is happening in the Middle East.

This comes as United States President Donald Trump has revealed a plan to 'clean out' the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians to nearby countries in a move that could be permanent.

“They give the terrorists a platform to criticise Israel over his treatment – a Hamas terrorist whose organisation killed 1,200 people in the most grotesque way possible on October the 7th, 2023 and still they hold hostages – he's been given a platform on the ABC to criticise Israel,” Mr Kenny said.

“This is terrible stuff from the ABC, and it helps to explain why so many people fail to understand this issue, because they are fed misleading propaganda rather than the facts.”




Jewish Australians honoured by The Australian
Singer-songwriter Deborah Conway has been named The Australian’s 2024 Australians of the Year, along with Josh Frydenberg and Alex Ryvchin, for their brave campaign against antisemitism.

During an interview with Sky News host Chris Kenny, Ms Conway expressed mixed emotions over the award.

“It is an extremely more bitter, I think, than sweet, to be honest,” Ms Conway said.

“It's a win, I suppose, for the whole targeted community. And more broadly still, a win for Australians who are so shocked by the lack of authority that's kind of stepped in to quell these activities.

“We really have all been really bewildered and surprised by the ferocity of what happened on October 9th and … once the genie is out of the bottle … it's pretty hard to put it back.”


Israel Bonds Alleges that Al Jazeera Used Forged Emails to Defame Them
A Qatar-owned media outlet may have relied on forged documents to defame a major financial institution in a recent article, according to a legal demand letter from late December 2024.

The Development Corporation for Israel (DCI), commonly known as Israel Bonds, has issued a demand letter to Al Jazeera Media Network, calling for a retraction and correction of what it claims are defamatory statements in a December 2024 article. In a formal letter addressed to Al Jazeera’s General Counsel David Harleston, legal representatives for Israel Bonds detailed the inaccuracies and omissions in the article, calling it “politically motivated” and “financially illiterate.”

“The article is a transparent attempt to advance your publication’s antisemitic agenda by undermining U.S. financial support for Israel’s security,” said the letter signed by Ashwin J. Ram, counsel for Israel Bonds.

Israel Bonds alleges in the demand letter that Al Jazeera misrepresented facts about Israel Bonds’ products and their financial health to further an anti-Israel narrative. It also alleges that Al Jazeera’s report relied on fraudulent and unverified sources, including a forged email originating from a domain designed to impersonate the organization. The email, supposedly from an individual affiliated with Israel Bonds, was linked to a known scam targeting investors. Public Domain Registry suspended the fraudulent domain after it was flagged by Israel Bonds.

“Your publication’s purported and unprofessional reliance on such a document demonstrates, at best, a reckless and malicious disregard for the truth,” Ram asserted in the letter.

Among the grievances highlighted, Israel Bonds alleges that the article misrepresented investment policies for the State of Florida, a holder of Israel Bonds. The Al Jazeera article claimed that Florida’s Treasury guidelines require foreign obligations to hold a minimum AA- rating from at least one credit ratings agency. However, Israel Bonds clarified that the guidelines allow investments rated by at least two agencies, including ratings from Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch, which all rate Israel Bonds above the required threshold.


Rep. Mikie Sherrill responds to antisemitic vandalism in her district — without mentioning antisemitism
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) on Monday condemned an act of antisemitic vandalism and harassment at a synagogue in her district over the weekend, though didn’t label the threat specifically as an act of anti-Jewish hate.

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on Sunday outside the Oheb Shalom synagogue in South Lawn, N.J., to protest a presentation by members of an Israeli Defense Forces search-and-rescue unit, according to a statement from Oheb Shalom’s rabbi, Abigail Treu.

Protesters screamed at attendees and those driving past that they were “baby killers.” Some members of the protest group spray painted “terrorists this way,” with an arrow pointed at the synagogue, on the ground during the protest.

“My office is in touch with the mayor to gather all the facts about this concerning incident. Houses of worship must be protected and I’m grateful for the South Orange Police that ensured safety today,” Sherrill said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “Although we must ensure space for First Amendment activities, going onto private property and spray painting ‘terrorists this way’ is not only a crime, but is contrary to the values we share as a diverse community. We should all work together to make sure people are allowed to worship without fear.”

Treu, Oheb Shalom’s rabbi, said that a “caring neighbor” had cleaned the graffiti, and that the police and local prosecutor’s office are investigating the incident. Sheena Collum, the mayor of South Orange, said that police are treating the incident as a bias crime and had identified a person of interest.
‘Jew-hatred will find no refuge in NYC,’ Torres says, after Israeli eatery attacked
The Park Slope, Brooklyn location of the Israeli restaurant Miriam was the target of an antisemitic attack on Sunday, hours before the beginning of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Vandalizing an Israeli restaurant with the libel ‘genocide cuisine’ simply because it is Israeli is an act of antisemitism,” stated Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). “The distinction between antisemitism and anti-Zionism might exist on paper, but it collapses in the real world.”

Torres, who visited the restaurant on Sunday, posted a picture of himself with the restaurant owner. “Jew-hatred will find no refuge in the City of New York,” he stated. “A hate crime against the Jewish community is a hate crime against all of us.”

The restaurant posted a photo on social media that showed red paint on several of its windows, and the phrases “genocide cuisine” and “Israel steals culture.”

“Yesterday, Miriam Brooklyn Restaurant was sadly vandalized with messages of hate. But we refuse to let this darken our spirit,” the restaurant stated. “Miriam stands for inclusivity and unity and bringing people together through the shared love of delicious food and warm hospitality.”

“We celebrate the diverse flavors of the Mediterranean, where cultures intertwine and stories are shared,” it added. “We will continue to be a safe place where everyone feels welcome. Join us in spreading love, not hate.”

The UJA-Federation of New York stated that it is “deeply troubled,” and the Anti-Defamation League’s New York and New Jersey office called it “a despicable act of hateful vandalism meant to terrorize the Jewish community.”




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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