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Wednesday, February 04, 2026

02/04 Links Pt1: Hamas terrorists use ambulances, schools, hospitals in violation of US-brokered ceasefire; US charges Elias Rodriguez with terrorism in killing of two Israeli diplomats

From Ian:

Trump signs bill ending shutdown, with more than $4 billion for Israel
Legislation that U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law on Tuesday included more than $4 billion for Israel, as well as several other provisions in support of the Jewish state, according to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Trump acted fewer than three hours after the U.S. House of Representatives cleared the bill that would reopen the federal government through Sept. 30 after a short shutdown. The Senate had passed the legislation earlier.

Atop the list is $3.8 billion for the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, which includes $3.3 billion in security assistance and $500 million for missile defense, such as Iron Dome and Arrow.

“Congress sent a powerful message about the strength and vibrancy of the U.S.-Israel alliance,” AIPAC stated. “This funding makes America safer, stronger and more prosperous, and ensures our democratic ally can defend itself from our shared enemies.”

Other funding includes $47.5 million for U.S.-Israel emerging technology cooperation (a $27.5 million increase), $75 million for U.S.-Israel counter-drone and directed energy investment (up $20 million), $80 million for U.S.-Israel anti-tunnel defense cooperation (a $32.5 million increase), $37.5 million for the Nita Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act that supports economic cooperation and peace building and $3 million for U.S.-Israel international development cooperation.

The measure also bans funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA); the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, both in The Hague; and the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry against Israel.

“Congress once again came together to send an unequivocal and bipartisan message of support for Israel and the U.S-Israel relationship,” AIPAC stated. “This strong bipartisan support reflects that the enduring partnership between the United States and the Jewish state remains stronger than ever.”
US charges Elias Rodriguez with terrorism in Washington killing of two Israeli diplomats last May
A man accused of killing two Israeli diplomats in Washington last year was indicted on four additional counts of terrorism, in a new indictment that was unsealed on Wednesday.

The new indictment includes nine charges, including hate crimes, filed earlier. Several of the charges carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said.

"These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under DC Code, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror," US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement.

Prosecutors accuse Elias Rodriguez, 31, of opening fire on people leaving an event for young professionals and diplomats hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel.

He fired approximately 20 shots from a semi-automatic handgun, and called out "Free Palestine," according to prosecutors.

Lawyers for Rodriguez did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, who both worked for Israel's Embassy in Washington, were killed.

Darren B. Cox, the FBI assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, said Rodriguez wrote and published a manifesto as an attempt to "morally justify his actions" and inspire others to commit political violence.
US slams South Africa’s expulsion of Israeli diplomat
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said South Africa’s expulsion of Israel’s senior diplomat prioritized political grievances over the country’s national interests and its citizens’ well-being.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Pigott called Pretoria’s move “another example of its poor foreign policy choices. Expelling a diplomat for calling out the African National Congress party’s ties to Hamas and other antisemitic radicals prioritizes grievance politics over the good of South Africa and its citizens.”

South Africa declared Israel’s chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata on Jan. 30 and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours, according to a statement from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Department of International Relations and Cooperation, DIRCO).

South African officials said the decision was based on what they described as “violations of diplomatic norms,” including the alleged use of official Israeli platforms to criticize South African leadership and a failure to notify authorities of visits by senior Israeli officials.

In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry designated South Africa’s top diplomat in Israel, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours. The ministry said that “additional steps will be considered in due course.”

The diplomatic exchange further strains relations between Jerusalem and Pretoria, which have deteriorated sharply since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Both countries recalled their ambassadors in the weeks that followed.

South Africa has been a leading critic of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and has pursued legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, both based in The Hague.

The United States has strongly opposed South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. President Donald Trump last year froze most U.S. aid to South Africa, citing Pretoria’s positions toward Washington, including its ties with Russia and Iran and its legal campaign against Israel.

Incoming U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell has said that defending American policy on Israel will be a top priority when he assumes his post later this year.


Benjamin Weinthal: Hamas terrorists use ambulances, schools, hospitals in violation of US-brokered ceasefire, IDF official says
Amid the recent start of phase two of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that Hamas has violated the deal through its misuse of ambulances, hospitals and schools to regain control of the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF provided Fox News Digital with exclusive video footage of what it alleges is Hamas operatives using an ambulance to transport terrorists and weapons from the "inner yard of the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital" to various checkpoints in northern Gaza.

"You see an armed suspect going into the ambulance with a Kalashnikov. The ambulance is connecting the dots for us. We passed the information to the American headquarters of the footage of the militants," an IDF official said of the video shared with Fox News Digital.

The first phase of the agreement required that Hamas return all hostages held in Gaza. The second core part involves the disarming of Hamas, the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist movement.

An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "There are disturbing developments over the last few weeks. We see the return of Hamas to the front line, to the yellow line."

The yellow line separates IDF-controlled territory in Gaza, which is estimated to be 53%, from the enclave area not under Israeli control.

"Hamas has returned to schools, hospitals and kindergartens and is turning them into military bases. A Hamas commander is in charge of each school in Jabalia in northern Gaza," the IDF official claimed.

They continued, "We have seen Hamas with Kalashnikovs and, over the past few weeks, Hamas has been using ambulances. We have tracked over several weeks that Hamas uses ambulances to do checks in Jabalia. It is a big change. We see the confidence of Hamas using ambulances. It is a symbol for Hamas that it is gaining confidence and rebuilding itself, a sign of a potential raid on our bases in the future."
Restricted Video
RAW FOOTAGE: Hamas terrorists systematically using ambulances to move terrorists & weapons from a hospital to a school, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

US struggles to secure Gaza reconstruction funds amid Hamas disarmament standoff
The United States has yet to secure funding commitments for its Gaza reconstruction plan as potential donors voice concerns that disagreements over Hamas disarmament could lead to the continuation of full-scale war in the enclave, sources told Reuters.

Hamas laying down its weapons is a key requirement under US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war. It calls for the IDF to withdraw troops as Hamas disarms and for Gaza's reconstruction to be overseen by a "Board of Peace" chaired by the US President.

Trump's plan got a boost this week with the reopening of Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt. But sources close to Hamas say the terrorist group has yet to start talks on disarming, a move that is meant to precede the start of rebuilding Gaza's destroyed cities.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the Board's planning said that countries were hesitant to commit funds to a rebuilding plan unveiled last month by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, until Hamas disarms.

"Countries want to see the funding will go for reconstruction within demilitarized places, and not to throw the money into another war zone," one of the sources said.

"If we pass that obstacle, then funding will not be an issue."

Seven Western diplomats told Reuters that the funding holdup, which has not been previously reported, was also being driven by a demand by some potential donors for funds to be managed by the United Nations rather than the Board of Peace.

The funding delay leaves Gaza's population in limbo, unable to begin clearing rubble or rebuilding basic infrastructure, and feeds into worries among US allies that a fragile October truce, shaken by repeated Hamas cease-fire breaches, could break down and lead to a resumption of heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas terrorists.

Alongside governments, potential donors could also include private sector contributors, diplomats, and the two sources said. They estimated the potential rebuilding cost to be in the range of $100 billion.

That money would fund a "New Gaza" rebuilt from scratch to include seafront residential towers, data centers, and industrial parks, Kushner said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22.


Iran negotiations must include ballistic missiles, domestic repression, Rubio says
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran cannot be limited to the nuclear file.

Speaking in Washington at a summit on critical mineral development, Rubio appeared to reject Tehran’s desire to exclude the Islamic Republic’s domestic repression and support for regional proxies from upcoming talks with the United States.

“In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things,” Rubio said. “That includes the range of their ballistic missiles, that includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, that includes a nuclear program and that includes the treatment of their own people.”

The United States and Iran had been slated for talks in Istanbul on Friday that were to include ministers from regional countries including Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Iranian media reported on Wednesday before Rubio’s comments that those talks would now be held in Oman, be limited to indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran and would focus on nuclear issues and sanctions.

“I think the Iranians had agreed to a certain format but for whatever reasons, changes in their system, or what have you, we’ll see if we can get back to the right place,” Rubio said. “The United States is prepared to meet with them.”

The secretary of state also alluded to what U.S. President Donald Trump described as an “armada” bearing down on Iran for possible military strikes. The president “retains a number of options” to respond to Iran’s brutal crackdown on protests that has left thousands of civilians dead, Rubio said.


***Turn closed caption on for English subtitles***


NGO Monitor says Hamas deeply embedded in humanitarian structures due to lack of legislation
Documents captured by the IDF in Gaza over the past two years provide new details on how Hamas allegedly monitored and influenced humanitarian organizations and hospitals, according to Gerald Steinberg, founder and president of NGO Monitor.

Speaking to The Media Line, Steinberg said the records describe Hamas-installed “guarantors” embedded inside NGO structures to collect information, pressure staff, and steer aid toward the group’s priorities. He said the material moves long-running claims about Hamas diversion and infiltration from suspicion to what he described as documented internal protocols, while noting that most of the cache remains unreviewed.

Steinberg pointed to the seized material as the basis for his argument that allegations now rest on internal paperwork, not inference. “The documents that we have examined recently that [we] reported on were found [and] captured by the IDF in Gaza during the last two years in operations,” he said. “There are thousands, perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands of such documents, most of which have not been examined or been sorted through.”

Some of the material has begun to surface publicly, he said, and NGO Monitor has focused on documents that reference humanitarian organizations and their dealings with Hamas.

Even within that narrower slice, Steinberg described the review as preliminary. “We’ve managed to examine closely around 50 of those documents and translated them from Arabic,” he said, adding that the translation process relied on expert review and cross-checking.

In Steinberg’s account, the documents reflect a wider system in which Hamas used civilian frameworks while building military infrastructure beneath them. “There are many, many examples of the way that Hamas planted their people… not just in humanitarian organizations… but also in the frameworks of hospitals,” he said. “They used the hospitals, they used the mosques, they used all this massive underground network under schools, all of that.”

Foreign staff working in Gaza were aware of Hamas’ influence, Steinberg argued. “Many of the foreign workers, foreign officials from organizations, were obviously aware of this.”

At the center of his account is what he called a “guarantor” system - Hamas-appointed liaisons assigned to aid organizations. “These documents consist of protocols of meetings that were held with what they call guarantors,” he said.


Human Rights researchers resign over ‘pulled’ report accusing Israel of 'crimes against humanity'
Senior Human Rights Watch researcher Omar Shakir and assistant researcher Milena Ansari quit the organization, alleging that HRW had blocked the publication of a report finding that Israel’s denial of the Palestinian right of return was a “crime against humanity.”

“I’ve resigned from @hrw after 10+ yrs – most as Israel/Palestine director – after HRW’s new ED [executive director] pulled a finalized report on the right of return for Palestinian refugees on [the] eve of its release & blocked for weeks its publication in a principled way,” Shakir, the head of HRW’s Israel and Palestine team, announced on Tuesday.

HRW said that “the report in question raised complex and consequential issues. In our review process, we concluded that aspects of the research and the factual basis for our legal conclusions needed to be strengthened to meet Human Rights Watch’s high standards. For that reason, the publication of the report was paused pending further analysis and research. This process is ongoing.”

In his resignation letter, obtained by The Guardian and Jewish Currents, Shakir wrote, “I have lost my faith in the integrity of how we do our work and our commitment to principled reporting on the facts and application of the law… As such, I am no longer able to represent or work for Human Rights Watch.”

The drafted report, titled ‘Our Souls Are in the Homes We Left’: Israel’s Denial of Palestinians, was completed in August 2025 and had been reviewed by eight separate departments, where concerns were raised.

The 33-page document argues that the denial of the Palestinian right of return, including for those who left in 1948 and 1967, is a crime against humanity based partially on a 2018 ICC pre-trial finding, which determined that preventing the return of Rohingya people to Myanmar could be prosecuted as a crime against humanity.


IDF highlights work of unit that killed 60 Hezbollah terrorists
Troops from Unit 869, part of the Israel Defense Forces’ 91st Division, are operating in Southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its terrorist capabilities, the army said on Tuesday.

According to the IDF, the unit eliminated about 60 Hezbollah terrorists over the past year and dismantled dozens of the Iranian proxy’s structures, weapons depots and observation posts.

The unit’s command centers also guided ground and aerial fire in hundreds of targeted operations across the area.

The IDF added that a new company of female combat troops will be established in March to strengthen the unit’s operational capacity and readiness.


Reservist seriously wounded in north Gaza ambush; 21 said killed as IDF strikes back
An Israel Defense Forces reservist officer was seriously wounded by gunfire from Palestinian operatives in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, the military said Wednesday.

Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, and the IDF responded with a series of strikes on Gaza, including targeting a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who the IDF said was involved in leading the October 7, 2023, onslaught, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander, and a Hamas terrorist who murdered a hostage soldier in captivity at the start of the war.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the strikes killed at least 21 people.

Despite a US-brokered truce entering its second phase last month, violence has continued in the Gaza Strip, with Israel and the Hamas terror group each accusing the other of breaching the agreement that came into effect on October 10, 2025.

The latest bloodshed came days after Israel reopened the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt — the only exit for Gazans that does not pass through Israel.

According to the IDF, troops of the Alexandroni Brigade came under fire from multiple gunmen during operations on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, which splits the Strip between areas controlled by Israel and Hamas.

In response, the military said, tanks opened fire on the gunmen, and airstrikes were carried out in the area, in eastern Gaza City.

The seriously wounded officer was taken to a hospital, and his family was notified.

The IDF said the incident was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire, though Hamas later rejected accusations that it was behind the overnight attack, and in turn accused Israel of breaking the truce.


Hamas terrorist who murdered IDF surveillance soldier Noa Marciano killed in strike
A Hamas terrorist who murdered IDF surveillance soldier Cpl. Noa Marciano in captivity at the start of the war in Gaza was killed in an airstrike earlier Wednesday, the military announced.

Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, a Hamas cell commander, was targeted in Gaza City’s Shati Camp in response to an overnight attack on troops in northern Gaza, during which a reservist officer was seriously wounded by Palestinian gunmen, the IDF said.

According to the Shin Bet security agency, during interrogations of captured suspects, it emerged that al-Habil “brutally murdered” Marciano in captivity.

The IDF added that Wednesday’s strike was enabled by intelligence collected by the Gaza Division, where Marciano had served as a surveillance soldier as part of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit.

Marciano, who was abducted on October 7, 2023, from the Nahal Oz base, was later killed at Shifa Hospital, according to the military. Her body was recovered by the IDF in November 2023.

Several Hamas terrorists involved in guarding Marciano were killed in strikes during the war.

After the IDF announced that al-Habil was killed, Adi Marciano, Noa’s mother, said: “We were promised that everyone involved in Noa’s murder in Gaza would be eliminated, and this promise was kept today.”

“There is no real comfort in this,” she conceded, but added that “there is knowledge that justice was done, even if only partially, for Noa. Nothing will bring her back to us.”

“She was a beloved child, full of light, sensitivity, and joy of life, and her absence accompanies us every day and with every breath,” her mother continued. “The pain of her loss will never end.”


Brother of Shin Bet chief suspected of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza
The brother of Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief David Zini is suspected of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza while serving as an IDF reservist during the war against Hamas, police said Tuesday.

Bezalel Zini was detained last month alongside a dozen others in what police initially described as “a multi-suspect affair concerning the smuggling of goods into Gaza,” with details limited by a court-enforced publication ban.

Police filed a prosecutorial statement against Zini on Tuesday, allowing his name and the nature of the allegations to be made public.

Prosecutors on Wednesday filed criminal indictments against 12 Israelis and Gaza residents, excluding Zini, on charges including aiding the enemy during wartime, prohibited dealings in property for terrorist purposes, aggravated fraud, bribery and other economic offenses.

The alleged smuggling operation reportedly involved at least a dozen Israelis, with legal proceedings now underway at both Ashkelon Magistrates’ Court and Beersheva District Court.

Ashkelon Magistrates’ Court Judge Yaniv Ben Harush on Tuesday sought to curb public speculation, saying, “It’s important the public knows no tanks or drones were smuggled—otherwise, people believe what they read on social media.”

“I’ve allowed publication of the nature of the suspicions in order to dispel the heavy cloud surrounding the suspicions,” the judge said.

Jerusalem banned the entry of cigarettes into Hamas-run Gaza during the war, with officials saying the products are sold at high prices on the black market and heavily taxed by the terror group.

Shmuel Zini, Bezalel’s brother, told journalists outside the court on Tuesday that his family believes the case is part of an alleged plot to undermine the recently appointed head of the Shin Bet.

“The path is long—but the truth will win out,” Shmuel Zini told reporters, adding: “The Israeli public understands the situation.”


‘Still problematic’: No signs of ‘reform’ from Palestinian Authority
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says signs of “reform” from the Palestinian Authority are unlikely.

“I would love to tell you there's reform in motion, but were not seeing it,” Mr Huckabee told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

“It is still problematic … it is a violation of the US law called the Taylor Force Act.

“We can not provide financial assistance as long as the PA is providing money that enriches terrorism.”


Pro-Palestine protests have ‘hijacked’ Australian streets for the past two years
AJAC Executive Manager Joel Burnie responds to the potential protest and security risks during the upcoming visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

“For the past two years, the streets of Australia have been completely hijacked by this vicious rhetoric and violence on the street,” Mr Burnie told Sky News host Chris Kenny.

“This country needs to get back on track.”


Erin Molan: Goldie Ghamari Predicts: The Regime WILL Fall And America WILL Strike — Here's Why
In Episode 95 of The Erin Molan Show, Erin is joined by Goldie Ghamari — one of the most prominent voices in the Iranian freedom movement.

Goldie delivers a chilling and unfiltered analysis of what’s happening inside Iran right now, why the Islamic regime is closer to collapse than ever before, and why she believes U.S. military action is no longer a question of “if,” but “when.”

Drawing on her experience as a former politician and her direct connections to Iranians on the ground, Goldie explains:

Why protests inside Iran have reached a point of no return
What the chants coming out of Iran really mean
Why negotiations with the regime are a dead end
How Iran, China, Russia, and the West are deeply intertwined
And what a post-regime Iran could actually look like

This is a raw, urgent conversation about freedom, truth, and the cost of silence — from a woman who has paid a personal price for speaking out.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Opening headlines & why this episode matters
01:13 Charlie Kirk case update & media transparency debate
03:37 Billie Eilish “stolen land” hypocrisy exposed
05:09 Sydney nurses plead not guilty — Erin responds
06:05 Israel, Iran & why a deal is impossible
08:20 Goldie Ghamari Interview: Iran’s breaking point & what comes next
29:15 Hollywood, hypocrisy & the West’s blind spots
31:00 Fan feedback, haters & why Erin keeps going




'Thanks Again for All Your Interest and Advice': William Burns Discussed Job Opportunities, Iran Negotiations With Jeffrey Epstein in Final Days at Obama State Department, Emails Show
On Oct. 31, 2014, William Burns was hours away from retiring as former president Barack Obama's deputy secretary of state. Before walking "out the door of State Department for last time," as Burns put it, he emailed a confidant to discuss his interest "in consulting or advisory arrangements" and said he'd be "in touch" for a meeting. The recipient was Jeffrey Epstein.

Burns frequently contacted Epstein—who had already been convicted of child sex offenses—in his final year as one of Obama's top diplomats, records released by the Department of Justice show. He referenced upcoming meetings with Iranian officials to negotiate Obama's nuclear deal. He made clear his interest in the sort of lucrative business arrangements that a well-connected and wealthy individual like Epstein could provide. At one point, Epstein invited Burns to his infamous private island, Little Saint James.

The messages suggest a tighter relationship between Burns and Epstein than Burns—who also served as former president Joe Biden's CIA director—has let on.

The Wall Street Journal reported two years ago that Burns had met with Epstein in 2014, but a CIA spokeswoman told the Journal that Burns had "no relationship" with Epstein and "did not know anything about him, other than that he was introduced as an expert in the financial services sector and offered general advice on transition to the private sector." The newly released emails, however, show friendly correspondence between Burns and Epstein.

"Off to Virgin Islands tomorrow for a week, and about to walk out the door of State Department for last time," Burns wrote at 5:36 p.m. on his final day as deputy secretary of state. "I've agreed to serve as President of the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, beginning in February. They've been generous about allowing me a third of my time for other activities, so I remain very much interested in consulting or advisory arrangements. Hope to get up to NY again next month, and will be in touch. Thanks again for all your interest and advice."

Epstein responded by saying he was "in the Virgin Islands" at his "private island/home" and would "be here all week." He told Burns to "come visit" and "bring whomever you please" and offered to send a car. Burns called Epstein "very generous" but said his vacation plans had "shifted" as he had agreed to "go off to join John Kerry in Oman with the Iranians at the end of the week." Burns said he had "promised" his wife, Lisa, that they would spend the remaining time in the Virgin Islands together and asked for a "rain check" once he returned to the "aborted vacation sometime in the next few months." Epstein told Burns to email him "if you change your mind or lisa wants to take my boat with you or jet ski scuba etc."

It's unclear if Burns took Epstein up on the offer. But hours later, Epstein emailed Burns to say he'd "set up" Burns with a bank "when you are ready." He also offered "a car and driver and or boat" to take Burns to the airport.




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