Browsing: Middle East

According to Katz, the planning is contingent on Hamas failing to implement President Trump’s peace plan, which calls for the immediate return of all hostages Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has instructed the IDF to prepare a comprehensive plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza should renewed fighting become necessary. The directive came during a high-level discussion on IDF preparations in Gaza with the Chief of Staff and senior military leadership. According to Katz, the planning is contingent on Hamas failing to implement President Trump’s peace plan, which calls for the immediate return of all hostages and the disarmament of the…

One was whipped. Another was put in a cage. Still another was thrown into a pit. More than one was handcuffed. In the days since they were released from two years in brutal captivity, freed hostages have shared, through their families, harrowing details of their time in Gaza. The accounts paint a picture of starvation, suffering and physical and psychological abuse. Mixed in are moments of defiance and hope, and desperate attempts to secure food or a connection to the outside world. Now that the captives are back home after more than 700 days, their loved ones report that they…

An investigation into yesterday’s shooting on Route 443, in which two people were killed, indicates the suspects posed as police officers, pursued their targets who exited the jeep they were in, and killed reservist Sergei Metatov, an innocent passerby who happened upon the scene. The investigation shows the pair of assassins rode a motorcycle resembling those used by motorcycle police officers, including police jackets, police lights, and following what appeared to be a military Rubicon jeep. They followed closely for some time before firing at the jeep. Sergei stopped his car, thinking he was witnessing a terrorist attack, and got…

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has just completed a very successful Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem right as Israel welcomed home the last 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza. The timing seemed to be orchestrated from heaven, as so many of our Feast pilgrims have been faithfully praying with us online for two whole years for the release of the remaining hostages, and they were actually here to witness and experience their joyous return alongside the people of Israel. At the very start of the Feast last Monday evening, as the full moon rose over the desert…

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk asserted that it could take “months” for the group to locate all hostages, living and deceased—a claim Israeli officials flatly reject. A Jerusalem official said Hamas knows the whereabouts of every living captive and can access them, insisting that any delay amounts to a negotiating tactic rather than a logistical challenge. The remarks come as mediators move to finalize a framework that envisions a single-phase release within 72 hours of signing. Israeli assessments cited by local media anticipate Hamas will seek more time for the return of bodies, even as it is required to…

While touring the front lines in Gaza on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told his troops that their military pressure on Hamas is what will bring back the Israeli hostages the terrorist group kidnapped. “Due to the substantial military pressure and the powerful and high-quality land invasion, you, the combat fighters, brought about the conditions to return the hostages to their homes,” he said. “The military actions led to the diplomatic achievement.” All soldiers must remain on guard, because “the enemy is still here,” Zamir said. “He has not disappeared.” Continue reading this article on jpost.com

The historic announcement early Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump of an agreement between Israel and Hamas — marking the first stage of his Middle East peace plan — dominated headlines across the globe, from the United States to Australia, Brazil to Italy. The deal, which includes the release of all hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a partial Israeli withdrawal, was widely described by international outlets as a “historic breakthrough” that could position Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, reports also raised doubts over how the plan will be implemented, including Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm and…

The Hostage Families Forum released a statement on Wednesday saying that Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi’s family plans to reveal new footage of Joshi from Gaza, where he has remained hostage since his kidnapping by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The documentation was collected by the IDF as loot and was recently brought to their attention by intelligence officials. The video was estimated to have been shot in November 2023, documenting Bipin in Hamas captivity. “The sign of life found in Gaza, which we share with you today, is for us an anchor of firm faith that he is alive,” the Joshi…

The IDF reported the elimination of Wael Mutrieh, a Nukhba platoon commander in Hamas’s Shati Battalion, citing his role in the October 7, 2023, assault and the infiltration of the Nahal Oz outpost bomb shelter. Briefing reporters, the spokesperson described intensified operations across Gaza City, with multiple divisions maneuvering alongside close air support striking hundreds of targets. The update also referenced humanitarian corridors and ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Beyond Gaza, officials linked the current phase to a broader regional picture. Israeli aircraft struck Houthi command and intelligence sites after a UAV…

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released official Hamas documents found by the IDF in the Gaza Strip that prove Hamas’s direct involvement in the funding and execution of the Sumud flotilla to Gaza. While Hamas in the Gaza Strip is responsible for what goes on within its borders, the terrorist organization also has internationally placed branches responsible for its activity abroad. The Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) organization is one such branch, linked to Hamas and serving as a wing of the movement. The PCPA was established in 2018 and functions as Hamas’s representative body abroad, operating as…