In an unusual move, ZAKA addressed Hamas in a message in Arabic on X on Tuesday, saying, "Hamas - we were in hell, now it's your turn."
Go to the full article >>
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's visit to Washington has been postponed indefinitely, according to Al Arabiya on Tuesday.
Go to the full article >>
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening to “give the order” to conquer Gaza and remove its citizens, if Hamas did not comply with an ultimatum to return all of the remaining Israeli hostages before noon on Saturday.
“Mr. Prime Minister, I urge you, following such a moral, simple, and clear statement by President Trump, to inform Hamas unequivocally: either all the hostages are released by Saturday - no more phases, no more games, or the gates of hell will be opened on them,” the finance minister said in a video statement.
Go to the full article >>
President Donald Trump told Jordan's King Abdullah that the US is going "to take Gaza" in a meeting between the two on Tuesday.
"Palestinians will live safely in another location that is not Gaza," he said, adding that the US wasn't going to buy Gaza but rather "run it very properly."
Go to the full article >>
If Hamas does not release the hostages by Saturday at noon, the hostage-ceasefire deal will end, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
Netanyahu detailed Israel's next steps following the conclusion of the political and security cabinet meeting, which convened Tuesday early afternoon to discuss Hamas's breach of the hostage-ceasefire deal.
Go to the full article >>
There will be no second phase of hostage-ceasefire deal talks until all hostages are returned, a source said on Tuesday.
The source added that the cabinet expects all nine hostages scheduled to be released in the first phase of the deal to be released in the coming days.
If three hostages are released on Saturday, as initially scheduled, the ceasefire will continue, a political source told reporters Tuesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to detail Israel's next steps following the conclusion of the political and security cabinet meeting, which convened Tuesday early afternoon to discuss Hamas's threat to end the hostage deal.
The cabinet meeting lasted four and a half hours.
Go to the full article >>
Hamas terrorists threatened to shoot Agam Berger and other hostages if Israeli forces approached where they were being held, Berger's grandfather, Aharon, told Walla in a Tuesday interview, about a week and a half after his granddaughter's release.
He also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately delaying the hostage deal. Berger was kidnapped alongside former hostages Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa, and Liri Albag. Berger was only released a few days after the other four.
Go to the full article >>
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel has full backing from former US President Donald Trump for a policy linking Gaza annexation to harm inflicted on Israeli hostages and reiterated his opposition to drafting Haredim into the IDF while speaking at the Institute for Haredi Strategy and Policy on Monday,
Smotrich argued that Israel should cut off electricity, water, and humanitarian aid to Gaza while warning Hamas that “every hostage who is harmed” would result in Israel applying sovereignty over “5% of Gaza.” He reiterated, “We have full backing” for this policy, citing Trump’s support.
Smotrich suggested that Hamas be presented with a clear ultimatum: “Once the war resumes, all the released terrorists must be re-arrested. This would take very little time, and a very simple message must be conveyed: for every hostage harmed, on that same day, we will apply sovereignty over 5% of Gaza. Another hostage, another 5%, and we have full backing from President Trump on this matter.”
Go to the full article >>
"The Middle East is experiencing a turning point," explained Blaise Misztal in an interview with Maariv regarding the US policy for the region under US President Donald Trump.
Misztal, who previously served as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and as the director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's National Security Program, currently works as vice president of policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). This organization promotes US security interests in the Middle East and touts that Israel is the most vital US security partner in the 21st century.
Misztal explained that Trump views issues through the lens of deals and negotiations but often addresses each topic separately rather than connecting them into a comprehensive regional strategy. This, he explained, is a problem.
Go to the full article >>
“We thought he would come back, but God had other plans," Hadassah Lazar, sister of Shlomo Mantzur, who was confirmed to be killed in Hamas captivity told KAN's Reshet Bet on Tuesday.
"I always said he gave me strength with his smile and his bright eyes. It’s hard to accept that he has been gone since October 7, that he was killed on the very first day," Lazar said.
The IDF informed the family that intelligence indicated Shlomo was murdered on October 7 during his abduction.
Go to the full article >>
