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Monday, August 24, 2026

08/24 Links Pt1: Netanyahu orders zero-tolerance response to Gaza kites; Netanyahu says Iran tried to kill one of his sons; Treasury launches ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ against Iran

From Ian:

'I wanted to die': Husband and wife kidnapped on October 7 reveal hell they endured in Gaza - from seeing girls 'beaten to pieces' and sexually assaulted to being starved and tortured
When Aviva Siegel thinks back to the 51 days she spent as a hostage in Gaza, the spectre of Israeli women returning from sexual assault, bleeding and bruised, crowds her mind.

'I'm a witness of all of the girls who were beaten up into pieces,' she tells the Daily Mail from her home in northern Israel.

When one girl came back after the abuse, 'she was purple; I wanted to die,' Aviva admits. 'That was one of the hardest moments: knowing what was happening to the young girls.'

Women around the 65-year-old were forced by their Hamas captors into wearing tight, barely fitting clothing, and showering naked in front of the terrorists – with one guard entering the bathroom and forcing a girl into performing oral sex.

She sits next to her husband, Keith, who was kidnapped alongside her from their former home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, one of the hardest-hit communities during Hamas' deadly onslaught.

It's almost been three years since that fateful day, yet the duo are still haunted by a mental 'album of pictures' from Gaza. 'Sometimes they run after me, and try to control me, and control my head,' Aviva says.

Keith, 67, who wasn't freed until after 484 days in the enclave, still finds himself obsessively showering, convinced he is somehow still imprinted by the 'dirt, the dust, the smoke' of the underground tunnel network.

'I even think, to this day, that I haven't been able to get rid of some of it. I sometimes have weird thoughts about not being clean,' he says.

Aviva, who was born in South Africa, released a book about the harrowing experience in March named 'The Main Thing is to Wake up to a New Morning,' written following her November 2023 release from captivity.

'Everybody who reads the book will feel what it's like to be a hostage in Gaza, underneath the ground, feeling like it's the end of the world,' she says.

Their story starts off the same as the thousands of other Israeli survivors of the massacre, which saw 1,200 people killed and 250 taken captive by Hamas.

On the morning of October 7, the couple bolted up at 6.30am to the sound of sirens blaring.

At 10.30am, Hamas gunmen stormed their home and broke into the safe room where they were hiding.

'They pulled us violently, brutally, out of the safe room, into our living room, and we were surrounded by between ten and 15 terrorists, screaming at each other and screaming at us,' Keith says.

During the brutal kidnapping, which saw militants ordering the couple to exit their home through the back window, Keith's ribs were broken and the meniscus in Aviva's knee was torn.

On the way to the car, terrorists shot Keith in the arm. Once in the vehicle, the couple sat, petrified, with one militant holding a knife to their faces and the other a gun.

Once in Gaza, Aviva was told to wear a hijab, while Keith was put in a robe.

The couple were kept together, but that brought little solace for Aviva, who was constantly terrified she'd witness her husband's death by asphyxiation in the torturous tunnel network.
In new book, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib argues Hamas has held Palestinian population hostage for 20 years
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who lived in the Gaza Strip from the age of 10-15, describes himself as an advocate for the Palestinian people. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel, 33 of Alkhatib’s immediate and extended family members have been killed. But in his latest book, Hamas and Its Two Million Hostages, Alkhatib argues that Hamas — rather than Israel — bears primary responsibility for the suffering and political stagnation of the people of Gaza.

Alkhatib is a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he directs Realign for Palestine, a project focused on pragmatic, nonviolent Palestinian advocacy. There, he denounces Hamas and advocates for Palestinian statehood alongside a secure Jewish state.

On Friday, Alkhatib spoke with Jewish Insider about his new book, his experiences growing up in Gaza and his outspoken criticism of Hamas. He also discussed the backlash he has faced from within his own community and why he believes that, ultimately, the terrorist group will have no role in the enclave’s future.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Jewish Insider: What inspired you to write Hamas and Its Two Million Hostages, and what does your book add to public debate on this issue that isn’t already out there?
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: I wanted to weave in elements of my personal story with Gaza’s contemporary history, and add a human dimension to what I felt was Hamas’ devastating impact on the Palestinian people, their destructive role in setting back the Palestinian national project and the radicalization of the society.

I felt that there’s a consistent gap in the discourse from a Palestinian self-interested point of view. Even though many Palestinians and Arabs and Muslims will tell you privately how devastating Hamas is, there’s a disconnect in the discourse outside of Gaza versus inside Gaza — where you’ll find a ton more willingness to speak out, not just because of the consequences of Oct. 7, but because of the totality of the last 20 years of their rule.

One of the things that’s really frustrating is how there is this persistent narrative that Gazans are all Hamas, Gazans support Hamas. It’s very difficult for the other side, for the Israelis and the pro-Israel folks, to see the humanity of Palestinians because they so fundamentally believe that Gaza is inseparable from Hamas. Nevertheless, I argue and maintain that directly and indirectly, Hamas has taken Gaza captive and is holding 2 million people as hostages.
Khaled Abu Toameh: Repurposed Jihadists: Palestinian Terrorist Organizations Reborn as Political Parties
Why should Egypt be searching for a formula that would facilitate Hamas's return to Palestinian politics? Should Egypt and the rest of the international community not instead be demanding that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad surrender their weapons, dismantle their military structures, and disappear from Palestinian political life?

This new Palestinian "unity" alliance being planned would mean that instead of producing new and moderate Palestinian leaders, the election could result in a parliament in which Hamas, PIJ, and other rejectionist groups become major political power brokers and representatives of the Palestinians.

Is this really what Washington and its Western allies want? Are Western governments once again entertaining the fantasy that Islamist terrorist organizations can be transformed into legitimate political parties?

Hamas members can remove their military uniforms and put on suits. PIJ operatives can replace their rifles with election posters. They can talk about democracy, elections, and political partnership. None of that necessarily changes what they plan.

A "Western-driven disaster" could be developing in which accountability for Hamas is replaced by efforts to rescue the organization politically. "Hamas must never again be trusted with Palestinian politics. It should face the kind of post-defeat reckoning that Nazi Germany faced after World War Two or that the Baathist regimes of Iraq and Syria faced after their collapse. Why would a defeated terror organization that inflicted immense damage on its own people, its neighbors, and the entire region be offered an exit strategy or a political off-ramp? What possible campaign promise could Hamas present that makes it worthy of consideration in Palestinian elections? More war and jihad (holy war)? More governance failures? More corruption and theft of aid? Hamas is a spent force, a used and discarded object, a wrecked entity that cannot be repaired or repurposed." — Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American analyst from Gaza, X. August 21, 2026.

"Western governments, elites, and observers continue to display remarkable naivete about the Middle East, Arab political culture, and ideologically driven movements. Democracy is not simply voting at a booth. It is the creation of a democratic tradition, a free society, an open media environment, and a civic ethos that is not driven by ideology, religion, or extremism. The United States, under a Republican administration twenty years ago, made a grave mistake by insisting on elections that included Hamas. Will the Trump administration repeat the same error once again?" — Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, X, August 21, 2026.

The problem with the Western approach then was the assumption that participation in elections would moderate Hamas. Instead, Hamas used elections to gain legitimacy and power while retaining its weapons, ideology, and terrorist infrastructure.

There is no reason to believe that things would be different now. Hamas and PIJ might even accept cleverly-worded conditions to enable them to participate. They might go as far as saying they accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They will say whatever is necessary to get through the political door.

The real questions should be simpler: Will Hamas, PIJ and other Palestinian terrorist organizations recognize Israel's right to exist? Will they renounce terrorism? Will they surrender all their weapons? Will they dismantle their military wings? Will they abandon jihad as a means of eliminating Israel?

Unless the answer to all these questions is unequivocally yes, terrorists should have no role in elections, government, or Palestinian decision-making.

After October 7, 2023, the international community should be discussing how to remove Hamas and PIJ from Palestinian political and military life – not how to help them have seats in parliament.


UKLFI: Natasha Hausdorff on E1 row and proposed UK trade ban with areas of Israeli settlement in West Bank
The row between Britain and Israel over Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem has escalated. UK Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband MP, described Israel's publication of a tender for building housing in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim as "an unacceptable and destructive act" which would "cut across the heart of Palestine".

His statement concluded: "In the coming weeks we will set out a comprehensive set of measures to respond to Israeli government policies, protect the viability of the Palestinian state, target sanctions at those who participate in illegal settlement expansion and support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians."

Israel's Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, replied on X: "I reject outright the statement of the UK Foreign Secretary and the patronising tone of his words".

He continued: "The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom. More than a century ago, the Balfour Declaration formally recognised the historic right of the Jewish people to re-establish their national home in the Land of Israel - including in the area in question."

In this UKLFI Charitable Trust video, international lawyer, Natasha Hausdorff, examines the legal issues and a briefing paper by UK Lawyers for Israel regarding a proposed UK ban on trade with areas of Israeli settlement in Judea, Samaria & East Jerusalem.

Hausdorff disputes the factual and legal basis of the UK’s position on E1, referring to its location and status under the Oslo accords.

Turning to trade, she argues that international law does not require Britain to prohibit dealings with private businesses operating in these areas, examining Art. 49(6) of the 4th Geneva Convention, rules on state responsibility and the ICJ’s 2024 advisory opinion.

She also discusses the impact on Palestinian workers employed by Israeli businesses, Britain's contrasting approach to Western Sahara, and the arguments of UK Lawyers for Israel that a trade ban could itself conflict with UK obligations under trade agreements, US counter-boycott legislation and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Chapters:
00:00 Britain, Israel and the E1 row
06:21 How far could a UK trade ban go?
10:21 Is Britain legally required to stop trade?
15:01 What does the ICJ opinion actually say?
18:28 Could Palestinians lose out?
21:18 Israel, Western Sahara and double standards
25:31 Could a trade ban breach UK obligations?




Treasury launches ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ against Iran
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an “economic onslaught” against Iran’s global trade partners on Monday as part of the financial “D-Day” that U.S. President Donald Trump declared last week.

Bessent said that the sanctions program, “Operation Economic Outcast,” was an “unprecedented, whole-of-government” campaign to “collapse every last option for Iran.”

“For decades, this regime has drawn strength from a calculus that regards Iranian retaliation as certain and American enforcement as negotiable,” Bessent told reporters. “That era is over.”

Iran’s economy has long been subject to primary economic sanctions aimed at hindering its ability to trade oil, fund terrorist groups around the region and finance its missile, drone and nuclear programs.

Successive administrations have declined, however, to impose secondary sanctions on many countries and companies that do business with Iran. Many of the countries that retain economic ties with Iran are close partners of the United States, including many of the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.

The department has also generally refrained from imposing sanctions on Chinese banks and oil refineries that transact business with Iran in apparent fear of economic retaliation.

Though he declined to “name names,” Bessent suggested that those secondary sanctions would finally be imposed.

“We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” Bessent said in response to a question about the potential sanctioning of Chinese entities. “We find that the best way to engage with countries is through quiet diplomacy, and we are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations.”

“We know who they are. They know who they are,” he said. “When the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.”

Bessent said that teams from the U.S. military and Treasury and State Departments were meeting with counterparts around the world to explain the new policy.

The United Arab Emirates said that it was cutting off its trade and financial ties to Iran after the Islamic Republic fired a pair of ballistic missiles towards the country on Tuesday.
'Iran tried to assassinate one of my sons,' Netanyahu reveals
Iran tried to assassinate the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the PM said during a phone call with Channel 14's military correspondent Noam Amir, broadcast on Monday.

"This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons," the PM stated.

"Is this part of the intelligence provided to you?" Amir asked.

"Iran tried to murder one of my sons. And this is why this promise [I am making] is more than a luxury - without it, they could succeed [in killing my son.] People need to show some restraint, especially during an election campaign," Netanyahu replied.

"I spoke with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief [David Zini] and asked him to provide appropriate security to any prime ministerial candidate," Netanyahu also said.

Netanyahu also reacted to Shin Bet's hesitation over granting security to former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who polls show is a major contender to become prime minister after October's election.

"I spoke with the head of the Shin Bet and asked him to take care of the appropriate security for whoever is running for prime minister," Netanyahu told Amir.


IDF begins construction of six new training bases incorporating lessons from Oct. 7
Six training brigade bases will be built for the 7th, 188th, 401st, Kfir, Nahal, and Givati Brigades across Israel, incorporating lessons learned from October 7, a senior Defense Ministry official told Walla on Sunday.

The Defense Ministry views the project as an operational initiative because it directly affects the training and preparation of all IDF Ground Forces combat units for future challenges and extreme scenarios.

“The entire training and instruction environment will change following the establishment of the new training bases, and this will be reflected starting from the basic needs of soldiers, such as the type of beds and hot water in the living quarters, to training classrooms integrated with new technology and simulators,” the senior official explained.

He added, “A rapid access approach for tanks and Namer armored personnel carriers to the training areas has been incorporated in order to streamline the training process.”

According to the official, the 7th Brigade training base in northern Israel, covering 20,000 square meters, including a bus parking area, is in advanced stages of construction and will receive its first group of recruits in August 2028.
IDF strikes two Hamas terrorists in Gaza who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre
The Israel Defense Forces opened fire Monday on two Hamas terrorists in the central Gaza Strip who took part in the Hamas-led invasion of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023, the military said.

It confirmed that one of them, a Nukhba Force terrorist identified as Mohammad Abd al-Nasser Jabr Abu Asaad, was slain in the Deir al-Balah area.

The pair had been recently planning to advance terrorist attacks targeting IDF troops and Israeli civilians, and attempted to rehabilitate the terrorist organization’s armed force while systematically violating the ceasefire, the IDF said.

“IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” the army added.

On Sunday, the IDF and Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) struck a Hamas weapons-production site in the Maghazi area of the central Gaza Strip, killing the commander responsible for the facility.

The IDF identified the terrorist as Ismail Abu Ful and said he was involved in manufacturing explosive devices and anti-tank rockets for Hamas’s “military” wing. The IDF said the site had been established near an aid distribution point operated by an international organization and accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure to rebuild its armed capabilities in violation of the ceasefire.

The IDF noted it issued advance warnings and used precision munitions and aerial surveillance to reduce the risk to civilians.

Also on Sunday, the IDF struck a Hamas Nukhba Force platoon commander who had infiltrated southern Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the military said in a separate statement.

The strike took place in the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said.


Netanyahu, Katz order zero-tolerance response to Gaza kites
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to adopt a “zero-tolerance” policy toward kites and balloons launched from Gaza into communities in the Negev.

“If the launches continue—powerful actions will be taken to put an end to the phenomenon,” Katz said. “A balloon and kite shall be treated the same as a drone—with or without explosives.”

He said Israel would not allow its security zone inside the Gaza border to be bypassed.

Netanyahu and Katz warned Hamas on Sunday night that if kites launched from Gaza did not stop immediately, the IDF would increase targeted strikes against those responsible and evacuate residents from areas used as launch sites.

The IDF found four kites over the weekend that crossed into Israeli territory. “No suspicious items were found on the kites,” the military said. Terrorist groups in Gaza have in the past used kites to fly incendiary devices and explosives into Israel.

The warning followed a situational assessment by Netanyahu and Katz, attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top officials, on the threat posed by drones, incendiary balloons and kites launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not return to the situation that existed before Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel will not allow Hamas or any other entity in the Gaza Strip to threaten Israeli communities again, he said.
Why Is Israel Taking Gaza Kites Seriously?
When Kites Became Weapons
In 2018, Israel faced weekly mass Palestinian riots and protests along the Gaza border fence. Within weeks, kites fitted with incendiary materials began to be launched across the border into Israel.

Palestinian terrorists soon added incendiary balloons, which could travel farther into Israeli territory. What looked like children’s playthings became delivery systems for fire and, later, improvised explosives, Molotov cocktails, and grenades.

As the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center noted at the time, Hamas did not formally claim responsibility for the low-tech attacks, but there were clear links between the terrorist organization and those launching the kites and balloons.

By the summer of 2018, the attacks had become relentless. Between July and September, incendiary kites and balloons were reported to have caused an average of 12 fires per day inside Israel.

Over just a few months, those fires scorched thousands of acres of Israeli agricultural land and nature reserves, killing wildlife, destroying farmland, and damaging natural ecosystems. The cost ran into millions of shekels, with some estimates suggesting that parts of southern Israel’s environment could take a decade to fully recover.

The use of incendiary kites and balloons by Palestinian terrorists peaked in 2018 and 2019, but it did not end there. In 2021, Hamas broke a recently established ceasefire with Israel by launching incendiary balloons into the Jewish state.

Why the Latest Kites Have Raised Alarm
That history provides the context for Israel’s concern over the latest kites. It is possible that several Gazan children simply lost control of them and that they happened to drift into Israeli communities. But Israeli officials reportedly see reasons to consider another possibility.

According to reports, the IDF believes that the kites, which did not carry incendiary materials, may have been deliberately directed across the border by Hamas to test Israel’s response to objects launched from Gaza.

There were also reports that some of the kites were attached to strings between two and four kilometers long and carried messages in Arabic, making the explanation that they were simply children’s playthings less convincing.

The unusually long strings have reportedly fueled suspicions that the flights could be connected to intelligence gathering or serve as a dry run for fiber-optic drones, a technology Hezbollah has used against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.





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