Monday, March 24, 2025

03/24 Links Pt1: Want to fight Jew-hate, Dems? Reject the ICC’s Bibi blood libel; Northern Ireland Is Not Gaza; Hamas Terrorists releases footage of hostages Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana

From Ian:

Resistance is terror
In a recent pronouncement, the Iranian foreign minister re-emphasized the Islamic regime’s mandate for the Palestinians to continue their “resistance” against Israel.

The term “resistance” is used to sound like a noble pursuit, but in this context, it has long been a euphemism for something far more sinister: Terrorism.

What Palestinian leaders, like Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, refer to as resistance is, in reality, a call for violence and bloodshed targeting civilians. The devastating effects of such venom are observable as each call for resistance translates directly into murderous acts of hatred.

Statements such as “resistance in all forms, by all means,” are not calls for peaceful protests or diplomatic efforts. They are calls for assaults, stabbings, hostage-takings and rocket launchings, plain and simple. The message is clear, the only option is to fight Israel by all means, no matter the consequences for innocent people on all sides. It is a rallying cry for those who claim free-speech protections to morph their civil disobedience into physical attacks, assaults and unfettered violence.

Let’s be clear: Resistance that targets civilians is terrorism. Calls for a “holy war” against Israel tacitly endorse the murder of innocents. When Palestinian and radical Islamic leaders glorify attacks like Oct. 7 claiming them to be justifiable resistance, they are applauding, incentivizing and instigating each act of terror. And when leaders who are supposed to represent their people in pursuit of peace use their platforms to advocate for violence, they make peace impossible.

This rhetoric of violence is not confined to the Middle East. On college campuses and in communities across America and throughout the world, we increasingly hear the chant: “When people are occupied, resistance is justified.” While this phrase might sound like a defense of oppressed peoples, its meaning becomes aborted and hijacked when we examine how it’s being used. The “resistance” in this chant is not a call for peaceful protest or civil disobedience—it promotes, attempts to justify and encourages further violent actions endorsed by the Palestinian and radical Islamic leaders who are determined to destroy Israel, America’s only democratic ally in the Middle East, often referred to as “Little Satan.” When these slogans are shouted in support of groups that engage in terror, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in their targeting of Israeli civilians and state infrastructure, Jewish students know that they themselves are being targeted and threatened, which is part of the intended purposes of the haters.

The resistance mantra is cloaked in the language of human rights advocacy, while it ignores the reality of the violence being perpetrated in its name. When resistance means the murder of innocent civilians—whether in Hebron, Tel Aviv or at a music festival—it is no longer about freedom; it’s about terror. The moral justification implied by “resistance” is rendered meaningless when it involves bombings, rocket attacks, rape and the abduction of civilians. These are not acts of a people striving for liberation—they are crimes against humanity and specifically against Jewish human rights.
Northern Ireland Is Not Gaza
Just how ridiculous this scenario sounds illustrates the chasm separating Hamas from the Provisional Republican movement in terms of political culture, methods, and aims.

Regular readers of this Substack will be aware of the depths of my hatred for the Provisional Republican movement and all its works but it is and always has been very different from Hamas.

It never called for the extermination or forced removal of the Protestant majority, nor did it claim that London was Ireland’s rightful capital. It was not driven by an ideology of religious or racial supremacy.

More broadly, the Provisional IRA did not see itself as part of a larger religious war against Protestants in Northern Ireland. Unlike Hamas, it never had the backing of a powerful state like Iran or Qatar to provide steady financial and military aid. There was no worldwide network of militant Catholic fundamentalists willing to commit acts of terrorism in support of their cause. Nor did it enjoy support among progressive circles in Western democracies. The only significant external support it received was occasional weapons shipments from Libya’s dictator, Muammar Qaddafi, and donations from sympathetic Irish Americans in the pubs of Boston and New York.

Furthermore, modern Irish nationalism in all its forms is largely a Protestant invention. Its roots go back to Wolfe Tone and the Society of United Irishmen. They looked towards an Irish identity which included all religious expressions in the country and though they betrayed it with horrendous acts of sectarian violence that was also the stated aim of the Provisional Republican movement.

The Provisional IRA never fostered a cult of martyrdom or resistance as ends in themselves. Suicide bombings were entirely alien to it in practice and principle. Even the 1981 hunger strikes in which seven Provo prisoners died were not acts of suicidal fanaticism but rather a calculated battle of wills with the British government. Had the British government conceded to their demands, they would have ended their strikes immediately.

The oversimplified, feel-good narrative of the Good Friday agreement offering a model for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does more harm than good.

It tempts Israeli progressives to believe that they are faced with an enemy comparable to the Provisional IRA and treats Hamas as a bunch of colourful, hot headed natives incapable of meaning what they say, indeed of meaning the very opposite of what they say.

So, please, no more hawking the Good Friday Agreement as a one-size-fits-all solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Instead, let’s see a bit more humility from British and Irish politicians, diplomats, and so-called “peace activists”, those guys don’t hold the secret formula for resolving every conflict.

Let’s hope for reality based negotiations focused on reducing harm and, one day, a settlement reached by the parties themselves.
NYPost Editorial: Want to fight Jew-hate, Dems? Reject the ICC’s Bibi blood libel
If Democrats ever care to show they actually do stand against antisemitism, they’ll offer some plan of action for standing up against the moral stain on the Western world that is the International Criminal Court.

Senate Democrats weeks ago used the filibuster to kill a bill sanctioning the ICC for its morally hideous arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant.

The ICC warrant is based on utterly specious allegations of war crimes brought over Israel’s legitimate self-defense in its multi-front war with Iran and its proxies — a struggle for existence.

It’s a blood libel, in other words, and any American elected seriously interested in fighting Jew-hate would start there.

That Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the self-described shomer (Hebrew for “guardian”) of the Jewish state, played stage manager in killing the bill is doubly shameful.

Beyond its propaganda value, the warrant has real-world impact: It required Netanyahu, on a recent US trip, to fly a circuitous series of detours, to be sure he could safely land in case he needed medical attention.

That’s because many of the 27 European Union nations back this sick weaponization of international law against Israel.


Seth Mandel: Why Is Steve Witkoff Repeating Putin’s War Propaganda?
Does Steve Witkoff believe Ukraine has a right to exist?

It’s a legitimate question to ask after the envoy’s appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show. Although the United States does not need to be neutral when mediating a conflict’s resolution, we should never put the dissolution of one party to the conflict on the table. Yet this quote from Witkoff, now Trump’s top envoy to Russia-Ukraine peace talks, comes awfully close to doing so:

“There’s a sensibility in Russia that Ukraine is a false country. That they just patched together, in this sort of mosaic, these regions. And that what, that’s the root cause in my opinion of this war: that Russia regards those five regions as rightfully theirs since World War II. And that’s something that nobody wants to talk about. Well, I say it out loud, how are we going to solve this thing unless we solve the central issue that underpins the conflict?”

It’s true that Russia denies the existence of the Ukrainian nation, and that this is central to Vladimir Putin’s continued pursuit of Ukraine’s territory.

So what, then, does Witkoff mean when he says this issue must be “solved” if the war is to end? It has already been solved: Ukraine exists as an independent state, and the United States has committed in writing to the reality of that fact on the ground.

Indeed, we can argue over what exactly is required of us by the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, in which Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal in return for an American guarantee of support to maintain Ukraine’s territorial integrity. But surely it goes without saying that the agreement precludes us from actively abetting the destruction of the Ukrainian nation-state.

That agreement didn’t come out of nowhere, either. Contrary to Witkoff’s framing of this as a post-WWII conflict, the first Ukrainian state was established in the mid-17th century, 300 years earlier. Beset by disloyal allies and external foes, the new state turned to Moscow for protection. It was a fatal mistake; Moscow took it as an opportunity to swallow the Ukrainian state and chip away at its independence. Far from the Ukraine-Russia borders being arbitrary lines drawn within a larger empire, the two sides often had to speak through interpreters. They were separate polities, and the Ukrainians stood just as much a chance of being incorporated into Poland and Lithuania’s territory as Moscow’s. Witkoff appeared on the scene nearly four centuries after that tug-of-war began.

Yet the truth is even simpler than that. Let’s say the Budapest Memorandum never happened (or never explicitly obligated the U.S. to the maintenance of Ukraine’s borders). And let’s say Witkoff isn’t aware of the long history of the conflict into which he has just been planted, like those Colorform stickers we had as kids which could be constantly re-stuck into different scenes in the book. It would still be preposterous to consider putting America’s imprimatur on Putin’s demented philosophy of ethnic elimination.
Witkoff admits he may have been ‘duped’ by Hamas in ceasefire talks
US special envoy Steve Witkoff acknowledged on Sunday that he may have been misled by Hamas during the recent failed ceasefire negotiations.

“I certainly hope we get everybody back to the table and get the hostages home,” Witkoff said on Fox News Sunday. “I thought we had a deal — an acceptable deal. I even thought we had an approval from Hamas.”

“Maybe that’s just me getting duped,” he admitted. “I thought we were there, and evidently, we weren’t.”

Witkoff reaffirmed America’s commitment to Israel, making it clear where the responsibility for the conflict lies.

“The US stands with the State of Israel,” he declared. “We need to be clear who the aggressor is here, and that is Hamas.”

Witkoff’s comments come several days after Israel launched surprise strikes against terrorist targets in Gaza, following Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages and its rejection of Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that President Donald Trump "fully supports" Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip.

Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, later similarly expressed support for Israel’s renewed military campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization.

In a post on X, Waltz stressed that Hamas is to blame for the renewed fighting due to its refusal to release more hostages.
‘Tehran paid Israeli to spy on Dimona nuclear site’
The Israel Police and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) arrested Eduard Yusupov, a 65-year-old resident of Netivot in the western Negev, on Sunday on suspicion of committing serious security offenses by collaborating with Iranian intelligence operatives and performing directed missions in exchange for payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars.

According to investigators, Yusupov established contact with an individual claiming to be an Azerbaijani citizen based in Dubai beginning in October. For this contact, Yusupov completed numerous assignments, including surveillance and photography of critical infrastructure and security installations across Israel.

His targets allegedly included IDF bases, Haifa Port, the Haifa oil refineries and the Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona. The Southern District Attorney’s Office is expected to file charges against him in court on Monday.

In their statement, security officials added, “The Shin Bet and Israel Police again warn citizens and residents of the State of Israel against maintaining contact with foreign entities from enemy states and/or unidentified sources, let alone carrying out missions for them in exchange for payment or any other reason.

“These entities, including intelligence and terror operatives from enemy states, continue their efforts to recruit and deploy Israelis to carry out security, terror and espionage missions in Israel. These entities also attempt to recruit Israelis through approaches on social media.”

This case represents part of a troubling pattern of Iranian espionage recruitment targeting Israeli citizens that has accelerated since the beginning of the current Gaza war.
UN to pull a third of its international staff from Gaza, after one killed last week
The United Nations said Monday it will “reduce its footprint” in the Gaza Strip after an incident at one of its compounds last week, in which one staffer from Bulgaria was killed and five other employees were wounded.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a regular news briefing the move was taken for security and operational reasons and would involve the withdrawal of about 30 of the 100 or so international staff currently in Gaza.

“What we’re doing is reducing the number of international staff members by about one third this week, maybe a bit more likely to come. It’s a temporary measure. We hope to have people return to Gaza as soon as practicable,” he said.

He stressed that the UN was not leaving Gaza.

“The secretary-general has taken the difficult decision… even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies,” he said. “The organization remains committed to continuing to provide aid that civilians depend on for their survival and protection.”

Dujarric said that based on information currently available, explosions at a UN compound in Deir Al Balah on March 19, killing a Bulgarian UN worker and leaving six others — from France, Moldova, North Macedonia, the Palestine territories and the United Kingdom — with severe injuries, came from an Israeli tank.

“The location of this UN compound was well known to the parties to the conflict,” he said, noting that UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres had demanded “a full, thorough and independent investigation.”

Israel has denied it was behind the March 19 explosion at the UN guesthouse in central Gaza.

Asked if the UN believed the compound had been deliberately targeted, Dujarric said: “I think that’s one of the reasons we need to have a pretty clear and transparent investigation. The point is that the Israelis knew exactly where this UN facility was, and it was hit by a shell from one of their tanks.”

‘I’m accused of being an antisemite because I criticise Israel’ claims Francesca Albanese in Rest is Politics appearance
The UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, has claimed that allegations of antisemitism have been “weaponised” against her during an appearance on the popular The Rest is Politics podcast.

The independent human rights expert was responding to a prompt from former Conservative MP Rory Stewart, co-host of the show with former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who said: “You’ve been under a lot of attack from people accusing you of being antisemitic.

“So, I wanted to give you an opportunity to talk a little bit about your empathy for Israelis [and] your understanding of their position, before we return to what you want to talk about, which is your empathy for Palestinians and for Gaza.”

Albanese responded saying it was “shocking” that “today, the word antisemitism is no longer what it was for me three years ago”.

She said she had felt “sick in her stomach” the first time she was accused, but went on to say that the allegations have been “weaponised” against her over recent months.

“Antisemitism is hatred or discrimination against Jewish people because they are Jewish,” she said. “Now, the allegations of antisemitism against me have nothing to do with [that].”

She went on: “I’m accused of being an antisemite because I criticise Israel.”

The JC has previously reported on Albanese’s history of controversial statements. On October 7 2023, which saw more than 1,200 killed and over 250 taken hostage by Hamas, she wrote on X: “Today’s violence must be put in context.”

She has also drawn comparisons between Israel’s actions and the Holocaust and between Benjamin Netanyahu and Adolf Hitler. Under the IHRA definition of antisemitism, comparisons between the policies of the Israeli government and those of the Nazi regime is a form of anti-Jewish hatred.

Similarly, in 2014, Albanese accused American opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict of being “subjugated by the Jewish lobby”. She has since apologised for that remark.

Elsewhere in the podcast, Albanese said she had become a “chronicler of genocide” since the Israel-Gaza war began.

She also dismissed the IHRA definition, despite its acceptance by 46 countries including the UK, USA, France, Germany and Poland.

Discussing the definition, Albanese claimed it does not “define a thing”. All it does, she argued, is create an “ambiguity” between criticism of Israel for its treatment of Palestinians and antisemitism.


Report: Israel eyeing full occupation of Gaza
Israeli political and military leaders are considering plans for a fresh ground campaign in Gaza that could include a military occupation of the entire enclave for months or longer, according to the Washington Post.

Current and former Israeli officials briefed on the matter told the Post that the new tactics would likely include direct military control of humanitarian aid, targeting Hamas’s civilian leadership and evacuating women, children and vetted noncombatants to “humanitarian bubbles” while laying siege to those who remain.

Israeli officials emphasized to the Post that Jerusalem is still waiting for the outcome of ceasefire talks and no decisions have been made on whether—or how—to escalate the current phase of the offensive, which has so far consisted mostly of aerial bombardment.

According to people familiar with the planning, a full-scale invasion and occupation would require up to five army divisions, potentially stretching the Israel Defense Forces thin as reservists increasingly voice skepticism about an open-ended conflict.

Amir Avivi, a former deputy commander of the military’s Gaza division, told the Post that the IDF’s campaign last year was constrained by disagreements between political and military leaders over tactics and strategy, and by the Biden administration’s concerns about harm to Palestinian civilians.

“Now there is new [IDF] leadership, there is the backup from the US, there is the fact that we have enough munitions, and the fact that we finished our main missions in the north and can concentrate on Gaza,” said Avivi. “The plans are decisive. There will be a full-scale attack and they will not stop until Hamas is eradicated completely. We’ll see.”

Israeli officials indicate they remain willing to negotiate with Hamas through mediators before launching any large-scale invasion.
Kassy Akiva: Israel Eliminates Dozens Of Top Hamas Leaders Following Ceasefire Collapse
Israel eliminated more than a dozen Hamas leaders in the week after the Israeli Defense Forces resumed airstrikes and ground operations following the collapse of the ceasefire.

Many experts speculate that Israel was able to use the two-month ceasefire as an opportunity to gather intelligence about the whereabouts of Hamas leaders. Many of those killed were key to maintaining Hamas’ control over Gaza’s population, beyond just its militant operations. This signals Israel’s determination to dismantle both the group’s political and military grip on the territory.

Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened last week to annex parts of the Gaza Strip if Hamas continues to refuse to release the 59 hostages held by the terror group.

“I have instructed the IDF to seize additional areas in Gaza, evacuate the population, and expand security zones around Gaza to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers,” Katz said, according to The Jerusalem Post. “The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed to Israel.”

In addition to air strikes, IDF troops have begun ground activities in central and southern Gaza to create a buffer zone between the north and south of the strip.

On the first night of air strikes, Israel killed four senior Hamas officials including Essam al-Da’alis, Hamas’s political Gazan prime minister; Mahmoud Marzouk Ahmed Abu-Watfa, the Minister of Internal Affairs; Bahajat Hassan Mohammed Abu Sultan, Head of Hamas’ Internal Security Forces; and Ahmed Amar Abdullah Alhata, Hamas Minister of Justice.

Al-Da’alis was acting as a defactor prime minister and replaced Rawhi Mushtaha who was eliminated by Israel in July 2024. He was responsible for the integration of all Hamas’ branches and their uses for terrorist purposes. He also served as the key point of contact with senior Hamas terrorists outside of the strip, according to the IDF.

The next day, the IDF struck dozens of targets, eliminating Yasser Muhammad Harb Musa, who was responsible for promoting and directing terrorist activities against Israel who previously worked closely with eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, according to the IDF. Muhammad Al-Jamsi, the head of the Hamas Emergency Committee, and Yasseer Muhammad Harb Muca, the head of the Development Office in Hamas’ executive committee were also killed in the strikes.


Elderly man killed as terrorist rams bus stop, opens fire on cars in north
An elderly driver was shot dead and a soldier was seriously injured in a terror attack on a northern highway, authorities said Monday morning.

The terrorist was killed by Border Police officers who happened to be passing by as the attack took place near the lower Galilee city of Yokne’am, police said in a statement.

The victim was identified as Moshe Horan, 85, from Kibbutz HaZore’a. According to Hebrew media reports, his son, 51, was sitting next to him in the car when the terrorist fired a volley of shots at them, killing Horan.

Defense authorities later named the attacker as Karem Jabarin, 25, from the Arab-majority town of Ma’ale Iron.

According to police, Jabarin initially rammed his vehicle into a bus stop at the Tishbi Junction on Route 66 where the soldier, 20, had been waiting.

Jabarin then exited his car and stabbed the soldier.

Grabbing the soldier’s rifle, Jabarin ran down the highway and opened fire at passing cars, shooting and killing Horan.


IDF confirms missile launch from Yemen
Air-raid sirens were activated across Israel’s central region on Monday night after Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists launched a missile at the Jewish state, sending millions of civilians running for shelter.

“For the second time today, millions of Israelis are running to shelter as sirens sound across Israel following a projectile launched from Yemen,” the Israel Defense Forces confirmed.

“Following alerts that were activated a short time ago in several areas of the country, one missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the IDF subsequently stated. “The missile was intercepted before it crossed into the country’s territory; alerts were activated according to policy.”

The Magen David Adom medical emergency response organization said its “teams went out to search the scenes where reports were received” while adding that “at this stage,” no casualties were called in.

Sirens sounded in dozens of cities and towns in the country’s densely-populated center, including Tel Aviv, Airport City near Ben-Gurion International Airport, as well as on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Local media aired footage of the missile being intercepted over the capital. Missile shrapnel reportedly fell in the city of Beit Shemesh, located some 12 miles west of Jerusalem in the Judean foothills.


IDF strikes Hamas pickup trucks used on Oct. 7, confirms top terror official killed Sunday
The Israel Defense Forces carried out dozens of airstrikes Sunday night and Monday, including on empty white pick-up trucks belonging to the Hamas terror group, of the type used in the October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel and in propaganda ceremonies for the release of hostages.

The IDF and Shin Bet security agency also confirmed on Monday that a top Hamas official was targeted and killed the previous night.

Rocket sirens sounded in the Israeli community of Netiv Ha’asara near the Gaza border on Monday, but were later confirmed to have been a false alarm.

The IDF destroyed over 100 pickup trucks used by Hamas terrorists, in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Monday, the military said.

Some of the trucks were used by Hamas in its October 7, 2023, terror onslaught in southern Israel, as well as for other operations in Gaza, including to transfer weapons, the army added.

Armed Hamas gunmen were also seen parading in such vehicles during recent hostage release propaganda ceremonies.


‘50,000 Dead in Gaza’ & ‘Ramadan Peace Ruined’: Media Determined to Repeat Old Mistakes
Once again, CNN led the pack in conferring legitimacy on Hamas’ numbers, describing the figure as a “grim milestone for a war with no end in sight, as Israel resumes fighting and warns of even tougher days ahead.”

Perhaps anticipating some readers might not take the Hamas-run ministry’s claims at face value, CNN turned to that other unimpeachable source of clarity on Israel—the United Nations. According to the UN, “the majority of deaths are women and children,” though “the true toll could be much higher, with many thousands believed to still be under the rubble.”

And they were all at it. Some outlets didn’t even bother attributing the figure to Hamas’ health ministry, as a glance at Google’s top stories reveals: headlines painting Israel as recklessly escalating an “expanded offensive,” with little context beyond the suggestion of malice or collective punishment.

The media, once again, appears to have learned nothing. If the Al-Ahli debacle offered any lessons, the breathless, copy-paste coverage of the past week showed they were quickly forgotten.

Some reminders for the journalists whose standards have slipped:
The Hamas-run health ministry’s casualty counts have been repeatedly exposed as inflated and manipulated. A recent analysis by the Henry Jackson Society found male combatants misclassified as women and children to skew the ratio.
Claims that a “majority” of those killed are women and children? Debunked repeatedly.
Israel continues to drop leaflets, send texts, and urge civilians to evacuate targeted zones. Hamas, meanwhile, orders civilians to stay put—so their deaths can be leveraged as propaganda—while its leaders flee to underground bunkers.

So yes, the war has resumed—and with it, the media’s war on accuracy. Although to be fair, it’s not clear they ever observed a ceasefire to begin with.


FDD: Gaza doctor widely quoted by major media outlets has deep Hamas ties
with Israel has close familial ties to the terrorist group. Numerous family members of orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fadel Naim are or were Hamas members, including a son and nephew who were killed by the Israeli military and a brother who is Hamas leader Basem Naim, according to an analysis of open-source data conducted by FDD’s Long War Journal.

In 2009, an Israeli airstrike killed Hamas fighter Anas Fadel Naim, Dr. Fadel Naim’s son and Basem Naim’s nephew. Previously, Fadel’s nephew, Naim Basem Naim, also a Hamas fighter and the son of Basem Naim, died when he was wounded battling Israeli forces in the Shujaiyya neighborhood on January 5, 2003.

Basem Naim, Fadel’s brother, is a US-sanctioned Hamas official who has held several prominent roles in the organization, including minister of health. He is currently the deputy head of Hamas’s Arab and Islamic Relations Office. Notably, Basem has become a key figure in promoting the group’s message to the international media following Hamas’s war with Israel that began on October 7, 2023.

Prominent media outlets, including The New York Times, The Associated Press (AP), Reuters, NPR, CBS News, CNN, and others, have quoted Dr. Fadel Naim about casualty statistics during the war and the aftermath of specific events without disclosing his family ties to the terrorist group. It is unknown whether these outlets were aware of the Gaza-based doctor’s relationships before using him as a source.

Fadel has cast a negative view of Israel and its actions that benefit Hamas’s message locally and abroad. In a recent message posted on X, Fadel highlighted casualty figures while claiming Israel had committed genocide and explicitly targeted noncombatants.

“The Israeli occupation of Gaza has resulted in a genocidal war lasting 470 days, resulting in 10,100 massacres, 61,182 dead, and 14,222 missing persons,” Fadel wrote. He added that Israel had targeted “healthcare workers, journalists, police, and aid security personnel.”

The statistics cited by Fadel were published by the Gaza Media Office, a Hamas government body. However, several sources have identified erroneous casualty figures produced by Hamas’s various agencies during the war.


Report: Al Jazeera reporter identified by IDF as Hamas operative killed in strike
Gaza media reports that Hossam Shabat, an Al Jazeera channel reporter in northern Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while he was in his car.

A short time before that, Gaza media reported that Mohamad Mansor, a reporter in Falstin Al-Yom channel of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was also killed in a strike.

Last October, the IDF said it had uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip that showed that Shabat is a sniper in Hamas’s Beit Hanoun Battalion.

There is no official comment from the IDF at this time.
Hamas releases footage of hostages Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana
The Hamas terrorist group released video footage on Monday showing signs of life of Israeli hostages Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana, 535 days after they were taken captive during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

JNS has decided not to publish the propaganda video on its website.

Bohbot, 35, an Israeli-Colombian dual national from Mevaseret Zion near Jerusalem, and Ohana, 24, from Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel, were taken to Gaza as hostages by Hamas terrorists during their cross-border onslaught on the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on Oct. 7.

Bohbot was last seen in video footage of the terror attacks, in which he lay crumpled on a floor with his face bloodied and eyes wide with fear.

His nephew, Menashe Harush, told JNS last April that he had been living and sleeping in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square” since Oct. 8, 2023, to raise awareness for Bohbot’s plight at the hands of Palestinian terrorists.

“The video shows he is in poor condition, having lost a significant amount of weight due to persistent starvation,” his relatives said in a response published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Monday. “He suffers from skin and breathing problems in addition to being asthmatic, and has not seen daylight for almost a year and a half!

“This video is further proof that Elkana must return home to his family, to his wife Rivka and his son Ra’am David. Elkana is crying out for help, begging us not to forget him in the tunnel hell,” added the family.

Ohana was kidnapped from the festival as he and a friend attempted to provide aid to wounded fellow partygoers amid Hamas’s massacre. Last month, his family told Hebrew media they received a “clear indication” that their loved one was still alive after more than 500 days in captivity.


Abed Ziyadne, 26: Bedouin truck driver was planning his wedding
Abed Rahman Ziyadne, 26, of Rahat, was murdered by Hamas terrorists on the Zikim Beach on October 7.

He and his girlfriend, Yulia Chaban, were camping together along the beach when the Hamas attack began.

Yulia and Abed fled the site and tried to hide in sand dunes along the beach. Yulia send her family voice notes describing the chaos with the sounds of explosions and gunfire in the background.

The pair were both murdered near the beach by Hamas terrorists.

Abed was buried in Rahat. He is survived by his parents, Amal and Atef and his six siblings Nashat, Nadim, Alaa, Rawan, Bisan and Ismail.

Four of Abed’s relatives, Bilal, Aisha, Youssef and Hamza were kidnapped that day and taken captive in Gaza. Bilal and Aisha were freed in November 2023, while the bodies of Youssef and Hamza were recovered by the IDF in January 2025.

According to a state eulogy, Abed was the fourth oldest in the family, and grew up in Rahat, a Bedouin city north of Beersheba.

After finishing high school, Abed found work as a truck driver in the Beersheba area, and was hardworking and devoted, his loved ones said.

He and Yulia met in 2023 and fell in love, and they spent as much time as possible together, especially touring around Israel, visiting beaches and camping. The couple were planning to get married in early 2025.
Thanakrit Prakotwong, 35: Thai laborer was youngest of 8
Thanakrit Prakotwong, 35, an agricultural laborer from the Sukhothai province in northern Thailand, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.

Kurat Kha-Fluan, a Thai laborer who survived the attack on the kibbutz, told Ma’ariv, “I’ll never forget the terrifying and horrible moments when the Hamas came to our shelter, and starting shooting in every direction — I mostly remember chaos and confusion,” he said, noting that he had blocked out “some of the details, the moments when I saw my friends murdered in front of my eyes.”

In total, 11 Thai nationals were murdered by Hamas in Nir Oz — including Sakda Surakhai and brothers Apichart and Phongthep Kusaram — and five others were kidnapped to Gaza. Two of those kidnapped were released in November 2023, two more were freed in January 2025 and one, Pinta Nattapong, is still believed to be held hostage.

Thanakrit’s body was returned to Thailand on October 20, and his cremation ceremony was held on October 24.

He was the youngest of eight siblings, his family said, and his parents had died earlier. Thanakrit had been working in Israel for around four years, sending money home to his family and saving up for his future.

His brother, Surapol, told a local news outlet that Thanakrit was “a good person, and hardworking.”

His sister, Pai, told the news site that she was relieved her brother’s body was able to be returned home to his final resting place.


What Israel MUST do to finally end the conflict w/US Ambassador David Friedman | TALX
It may seem as if the conflict between #Israel and its Arab neighbors is intractable, but there is a path to lasting peace according to former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

In this week’s episode of TALX, hosted by JNS CEO and Jerusalem Bureau Chief Alex Traiman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman joins for an in-depth conversation on the current state of the Israel-Hamas war and U.S. foreign policy under a returning Trump administration.

Friedman shares expert insight on America’s support for Israel, the role of Iran and its terror proxies, the status of hostages in Gaza, and Steve Witkoff’s controversial involvement in negotiations. They also cover growing tensions in Israel’s political leadership, judicial oversight and the future of Gaza—including potential resettlement and Israeli sovereignty.




In Israel, Fetterman slams party’s ‘pandering’ to far left in face of ‘reality’ on the ground
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was awakened last Thursday morning by an announcement made through his Jerusalem hotel’s intercom system, alerting guests to an incoming ballistic missile attack by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

“I explained to my wife, and I said, ‘Well, this is the kind of reality of Israel, where they have these things,’” Fetterman told reporters in Jerusalem hours later.

It’s that reality that Fetterman thinks many in his party don’t understand.

“Politics, I describe it sometimes, is the business of backing away from something, and I’ve been very disappointed that my party, some of them have chosen to do that, back away from supporting Israel. I’ve always refused to pander to other factions. Why? I can’t explain. They have their own reasons. But for me, throughout all of it, I think it’s very important to lean in, not back away, or to equivocate or just say, ‘Well, what about this or those things?’ It’s really clear.”

“Some people may have described that as moral clarity, whatever that is,” Fetterman continued. “But the more that’s happened, especially after 10/7, has only strengthened a commitment to make sure Israel and the Jewish community, both here and in my nation, deserves to have at least one very, very committed voice, and in my party, and I was going to be that one.”

Fetterman was eager to talk about the trip, quickly taking out his phone to show a photo that he had taken during a visit to the northern Israeli Druze town of Majdal Shams, where in July, 12 children and teenagers were killed by a Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field.


Influencer sues UK sportswear brand for £770k over alleged axing linked to pro-Israel post
American influencer Alix Earle is suing British sportswear brand Gymshark for £770,000, alleging the company unlawfully pulled out of a sponsorship deal after she expressed support for Israel.

Legal filings at the High Court claim the TikTok star, who has more than seven million followers on the platform, was dropped after posting, “Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel,” shortly after Hamas’s 7 October attack.

Gymshark denies ever entering into a contract with Earle, but her legal team says a letter sent by the company in January 2024 accused her of breaching an agreement.

The deal was reportedly worth $1 million and included three TikTok videos, four Instagram posts, a photo shoot and an appearance at a brand event.

Earle’s lawyers argue that Gymshark’s justification for ending the partnership was unfounded, as her pro-Israel post was made prior to the agreement.

The influencer later attempted to clarify her comments, writing: “My heart continues to be with everyone who has been impacted by these horrifying acts of terrorism. I am shattered over the inexcusable, disgusting, disrespectful torturing of women, children, babies and so many others.”

Despite this, the lawsuit claims Gymshark executives raised concerns about “negative responses” to her involvement, including online accusations labelling Earle a “Zionist” and questioning the brand’s decision to collaborate with her while also promoting Palestinian women in its campaigns.
Meet the CAIR-Linked Group That Aims To Place Muslim Americans in Federal Jobs
Muslim Americans in Public Service is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that coordinates with federal agencies to help Muslims obtain and advance careers in government. To do so, it partners with Islamic organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, that have either condoned terror attacks or have been linked to terrorist organizations.

In addition to CAIR, the nonprofit known as MAPS touts the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations as one of its partners and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and Helping Hand for Relief and Development as two of its sponsors. MAPS has worked with CAIR to host events that bring together MAPS members "across all levels and branches of government." And while it does not disclose its donors, it says it receives "sizable in-kind donations" from its partners, as well as funding from "federal agencies," nonprofits, and state commissions.

MAPS’s affiliation with those groups—all of which have praised or been linked to terrorist organizations—could raise concerns about its efforts to place employees inside the federal bureaucracy. While it's unlikely MAPS will have success placing political appointees in the Trump administration, which has opposed affinity groups that support DEI initiatives in federal agencies and is staunchly at odds with MAPS's criticism of Israel, the group's top members include some career officials entrenched in the federal government.

Formed in 2021, MAPS is led by a board of current and former career federal employees, according to the group’s website and their LinkedIn profiles. Ahmad Maaty, the founding chairman of MAPS, is a senior economist at the Department of Justice. Other board members include Veterans Affairs official Hasan Shanawani, Office of Management and Budget examiner Farrah Pappa, United Nations mission adviser Mariya Ilyas, and White House policy analyst Ameer Abdulrahman, a former official for Democratic Senate candidate Morgan Harper.


Anti-Israel thug hurls VILE insult during Melbourne rally
An anti-Israel protest in Melbourne’s CBD turned hostile on Sunday as a demonstrator hurled a vicious insult at police, referencing a 2020 crash that killed four officers.

The confrontation occurred outside the State Library of Victoria, where hundreds had gathered for the weekly demonstration. Video footage captured protesters clashing with police as multiple individuals attempted to push through a police line.

One man who tried to break through was shoved back by an officer before other protesters began shouting abuse.

“You f--ing racists cs,” one activist yelled.

“You f--ing racist pig, you need a f--ing Porsche through you on the f--ing Eastern Road, you f--ing pig.”

The remark referenced the fatal Eastern Freeway crash in which a 19-tonne semi-trailer, driven by sleep-deprived and drug-affected Mohinder Singh, ploughed into four Victoria Police officers.

The deaths of Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, and constables Josh Prestney and Glen Humphris marked the largest single loss of life in Victoria Police history.

Singh pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years and six months in prison.

The Porsche driver who had been pulled over before the crash, Richard Pusey, was jailed for 10 months for driving offences and a further 10 months for filming the dying officers while making expletive-laden remarks.

Sunday’s protest footage, shared by the Islamic Council of Victoria, also showed demonstrators chanting “all Zionists are terrorists,” while a sign read, “Zionist kid killers be gone.”


Hundreds protest in central London against pro-Iran Al Quds Day march
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central London on Sunday to oppose the annual Al Quds Day march, calling for the UK government to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and take firmer action against extremism and antisemitic hate speech.

The counter-protest, organised by the campaign group Stop the Hate, was held at Oxford Circus as the Al Quds Day rally moved from Marble Arch to Portland Place. Demonstrators from a diverse range of ethnic, political, and religious backgrounds carried Israeli and British flags and placards reading “Free London from terror supporters” and “Ban the IRGC”.

Al Quds Day, initiated in 1979 by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, is marked annually in cities around the world to oppose Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

Wilson Chowdhry, chair of the interfaith group United by Faith and a British Pakistani Christian, told the crowd: “The IRGC is a terrorist organisation. It is the military arm of a brutal regime that funds Hamas, Hezbollah and other groups committed to Israel’s destruction.”

He warned of the regime’s reach beyond the Middle East:“It has brought chaos to the region and is spreading radical ideology into our streets, our communities, and even our schools and universities. Jewish students face harassment simply for their identity. The radicalisation of our youth is happening before our eyes, and our leaders must act now to stop it.”

Other speakers included Iranian-born human rights activist Elaheh Jamali and Middle Eastern peace advocate Loay Alshareef, who described Jerusalem as “the eternal capital of Israel” and urged Muslim communities to reject extremist narratives. The protest was peaceful and heavily policed, with CST volunteers also on site.

Several protestors told Jewish News they felt increasingly vulnerable in public and unsupported by authorities. “We’re a minority and peaceful people, but we’re not protected,” said one. “It feels like two-tier policing. Proscribed groups can march, and we’re left to speak out alone.”




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