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In-Depth Issues:
Israeli Hostages Report: Not a Single Person in Gaza Showed Kindness - Yoseph Haddad ( Facebook)
All the living hostages returned to us, but not even one of the people abducted on Oct. 7 has said that anyone in Gaza cared about them, helped them, or tried to save or assist them in any way.
On the contrary, the captivity survivors who've returned say that there's no one in Gaza, not a single person from child to the elderly, who didn't treat them with hatred, contempt, and violence.
Among all the residents of Gaza, there wasn't even one Righteous Among the Nations!
This is the most hate-filled and inhumane place on the planet!
The writer is an Arab-Israeli journalist and advocacy activist for Israel who served in the IDF.
With Gaza Ceasefire, Hamas Is Back in Charge and Dissent Is Once Again Dangerous - Rawan Suleiman ( Ha'aretz)
In Gaza, Hamas's Interior Ministry, internal security forces, and police have resumed operations.
The Interior Ministry declared its intention to "settle accounts" with those militias that cooperated with Israel.
But Gazans who enjoyed a brief, limited period of freedom of expression during the war have also become targets.
Several cases have been reported of civilians killed by Hamas's security forces. One of those killed was well-known Fatah leader Hisham al-Saftawi.
One Gaza resident known for his opposition to Hamas told Ha'aretz that persecution of dissidents has only intensified.
"Does Trump not know that dozens of social activists have disappeared for days? Does he not know that their families are afraid to publish their names for fear they'll be killed?" he said. "This is a regime of fear and crime."
Egypt Seeking to Boost Armed Forces - Amir Bohbot ( Jerusalem Post)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been pressing forward with reforms to strengthen the Egyptian military.
A massive reinforcement of the Egyptian Armored Corps is reflected in a $5 billion deal with the U.S. that has seen the improvement of existing tanks and the upgrading of the rest of the ground forces, including the purchase of missiles and guided ammunition.
He has led a significant buildup of forces in the Sinai Peninsula, involving the deployment of tanks and troops, building infrastructure such as roads, bunkers, bases, airfields, and developing existing airports.
Egypt has also built a naval force in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, while purchasing aircraft and submarines, and absorbing corvettes into its ranks.
Western Intelligence Officials: "Hizbullah Is Rebuilding" - Amichai Stein ( Jerusalem Post)
Hizbullah has recently accelerated the pace of its reconstruction efforts, Western intelligence officials told the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
"Hizbullah is rebuilding faster than the Lebanese army is dismantling," they said, adding that Hizbullah has managed to rearm itself - including with rockets - recruit new fighters into its ranks, and restore its sites and bases.
Most of these efforts are taking place north of the Litani River.
Follow the Jerusalem Center on:
New Whole Blood System Cut Israeli Battlefield Deaths in Half ( ILTV-Ynet News)
Moshe Tzadok, manager of the automatic blood-typing unit at Magen David Adom (MDA), said,
"For trauma patients, we need a special type of blood called low-titer O whole blood."
Unlike standard blood used in transfusions, low-titer O whole blood contains red blood cells, plasma with anticoagulants, and platelets, making it far more effective for treating severe trauma and rapid blood loss.
"This kind of unit is special for bleeding patients," Tzadok explained. "This blood is better than what was used before."
"Twenty years ago, when they used packed red blood cells, the mortality rate was about 15% of injured soldiers in the field. Now, according to the army, it dropped to 7%."
Germany to Buy Israeli Spike Missiles for $2.3 Billion - Dean Shmuel Elmas ( Globes)
The German Army has decided to procure Spike advanced anti-tank missiles from Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion).
The Spike is manufactured by Eurospike - a joint venture founded in 2004 by Rafael (20%) and German defense giants Rheinmetall and Diehl (40% each). Most of the production is carried out in Europe.
A senior defense official said Spike is "becoming NATO's unofficial missile and the most sought-after missile in the world."
The UN "Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People" Must Be Dismantled - Ben Cohen and David May ( Foundation for Defense of Democracies)
On Nov. 10, 1975, when the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 3379, equating Zionism with racism, it also passed Resolution 3376, which created the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP).
The Palestinians are the only people to have a dedicated propaganda organ inside the UN. In 2024, financial resources dedicated to servicing CEIRPP stood at $3.1 million per year.
The U.S. government should seek its dissolution and block the allocation of additional funds for CEIRPP's work.
The writers are senior analysts at the FDD.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- U.S. Plan Splits Gaza in Two - One Zone Controlled by Israel, One by Hamas - Dov Lieber
The U.S. and Israel are considering a plan that would divide Gaza into separate zones controlled by Israel and Hamas, with reconstruction only taking place on the Israeli side until Hamas can be disarmed and removed from power.
On Tuesday in Israel, Vice President JD Vance said there are two regions in Gaza, one relatively safe and the other incredibly dangerous, and the goal is to expand the area that is safe. Presidential advisor Jared Kushner said no funds for reconstruction would go to areas that remain under Hamas control, and the focus would be on building up the safe side.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect Oct. 10 drew a yellow line on the map that marks the Israeli military's area of control. It is essentially a thick cushion hugging Gaza's borders and surrounding the area of Palestinian control. The Israeli zone is supposed to shrink as various benchmarks are hit.
The administration had considered rebuilding areas that Hamas didn't control even before the ceasefire, in hopes it would improve conditions for Palestinians and serve as a symbol of a post-Hamas Gaza, officials said.
The plan to build up Israeli-controlled areas in Gaza could weaken Hamas politically while enabling Israel's military to conduct operations that further erode the group's ability to fight, said Ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. "It's doable and optimal," Guterman said of the plan. (Wall Street Journal)
- State Department Rebukes International Court of Justice Opinion Demanding Israel Facilitate UNRWA Gaza Aid - Faith Wardwell
The State Department rebuffed a ruling from the International Court of Justice on Wednesday that Israel has an obligation to allow aid to reach Gaza in collaboration with UN agencies.
In a post on X, the State Department said, "Another corrupt ruling by the ICJ. As President Trump and Secretary Rubio work tirelessly to bring peace to the region, this so-called 'court' issues a nakedly politicized non-binding 'advisory opinion' that unfairly bashes Israel and gives UNRWA a free pass for its deep entanglement with and material support for Hamas terrorism."
"This ICJ ongoing abuse of its advisory opinion discretion suggests that it is nothing more than a partisan political tool, which can be weaponized against Americans." (Politico)
See also Israel Categorically Rejects the ICJ's "Advisory Opinion"
Israel categorically rejects the ICJ's "advisory opinion" regarding UNRWA. Today's ICJ advisory opinion should have called out the terrorist activity that UNRWA has been involved in: UNRWA employees directly took part in the October 7th massacre and continue to assist Hamas's terrorist operations - all under the auspices of the UN.
Israel provided the UN with extensive evidence proving Hamas's infiltration into UNRWA. To this day, UNRWA still employs more than 1,400 Hamas operatives. Israel will not cooperate with an organization that is infested with terror activities. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
See also
Israel Will Not Allow UNRWA to Operate in Gaza despite ICJ Ruling
An Israeli official said that UNRWA will "not set foot in Gaza" again despite an International Court of Justice ruling Wednesday calling on Israel to work with the UN agency, Israel's Channel 11 reported. The official said every UN agency which operated in Gaza either failed in its mission or allowed itself to be controlled by Hamas.
(Times of Israel)
- International Olympic Committee Suspends Cooperation with Indonesia after It Banned Israeli Gymnasts
The International Olympic Committee's executive board recommended Wednesday that global sports federations cease holding events in Indonesia after the country barred Israeli athletes from the gymnastics world championships in Jakarta. The IOC also said it was ending "any form of dialogue" with Indonesia about hosting future Olympic events.
Israeli athletes denied visas included 2020 Olympic gold medalist and defending world champion Artem Dolgopyat in the men's floor exercise.
(AP)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Israel Draws Red Line: No Turkish Troops in Gaza - Danny Zaken
In response to a question about the possibility of Turkish troops joining the multinational force planned for Gaza,
visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Monday: "No force will enter Gaza without Israel's consent, and nothing will be imposed on it."
In discussions between Israel and the U.S. over the past week, the Americans ultimately accepted Israel's position: Turkey may provide humanitarian aid and assist in locating hostages and remains, but under no circumstances will it be allowed to deploy military forces.
In addition, the U.S. has updated Israel on the emerging mechanism for dismantling Hamas's offensive arsenal, including rockets and mortars, and the handover of small arms. (Israel Hayom)
See also Israel Insists PA Have No Role in Gaza - Nava Freiberg
Israel's Channel 12 reported Wednesday that Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined several red lines to the U.S. in recent days, including absolute opposition to the Palestinian Authority or Hamas playing a governing role in Gaza.
He also insisted that a full IDF withdrawal could only take place after Hamas is fully disarmed and the Strip demilitarized.
(Times of Israel)
- Iran behind Cyberattack on Israeli Medical Center - Or Hadar
Israel said Wednesday that Iran was behind a cyberattack three weeks ago on Shamir Medical Center (also known as Assaf Harofeh Hospital), part of a broader wave of Iranian attempts to target Israeli infrastructure and companies. In recent weeks, more than ten private firms have faced various forms of cyberattacks.
The National Cyber Directorate said the attack, which occurred on Yom Kippur, included a data breach and an effort to disrupt hospital operations. No medical services were harmed and the incident was contained early. "The attempt to harm a hospital in Israel crosses a red line that could have endangered human life," said Yossi Karadi, head of the National Cyber Directorate.
(Ynet News)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
The Gaza War
- Hamas Diminished but Not Destroyed in Gaza - Matt Bradley
Israeli security officials and experts on Gaza agree that Hamas has been badly diminished but not thoroughly destroyed. "Hamas was damaged very severely in its military capabilities, but I think it will be fair to say that it wasn't crushed," said Shalom Ben Hanan, a fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Israel's Reichman University and a veteran of the Israel Security Agency. "Maybe the threat isn't in the days to come or the nearest future. But their potential is still there."
According to an Israeli military official, 10,000-20,000 fighters remain at Hamas's disposal.
Giora Eiland, former director of Israel's National Security Council, said Hamas lost about 20,000 fighters during two years of war. But the group will have little trouble reconstituting its manpower, Eiland said. "It is easy for Hamas to regain power and it is very easy for them to recruit more and more people to replace those who were killed....Hamas is the authentic representative of the people of Gaza."
The Israeli military official said that 90% of the group's rockets have been destroyed as well as Hamas's ability to rebuild them. "Very important is the manufacturing sites, the smuggling routes and so on. It's not just taking away the fish, it's taking away the rod." (NBC News)
- The War May Be Over but the Fighting Is Not - Jonathan Schanzer
The last live hostages are out of Gaza. Hamas is battered and bloodied. All of Israel's regional foes are worse off than they were two years ago. It is important now for Israel to lock in the gains from these grueling two years of war.
The war played out on seven kinetic fronts - eight if you count Israel's Sep. 9 strike in Qatar - with additional battles in cyberspace, the mainstream media, social media, college campuses, courtrooms, the UN, and beyond.
The regime in Iran is now working feverishly to reestablish its air defenses, rebuild its ballistic missile arsenal, and perhaps even rebuild its nuclear program. There is also the rest of the Iranian axis. So long as the regime maintains its ambition of destroying Israel, its proxies will do the same. This includes Hizbullah, Hamas, Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. They continue to receive weapons, funding, and other support from the regime.
Turkey, the country with the second-largest army in NATO, has openly called for the Islamic world to destroy Israel. The Erdogan regime's key ally is the wealthy microstate of Qatar, which can certainly help fund Turkish ambitions, while offering support through the networks of Islamist adherents to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The writer is executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
(Commentary)
- Gazans: We Survived, but This Isn't Life - Nir Hasson
One Palestinian prisoner released from an Israeli jail, who returned to Gaza after nearly two years, said it looks like Armageddon. True, the devastation looks like a scene from after World War II. In the south, Rafah is almost entirely obliterated, and Khan Yunis is badly damaged, while in large swaths of the north only the shells of buildings remain.
The water and power grids aren't functioning properly, and the approaching winter threatens to drown the improvised refugee camps in mud. A new saying is going around, "We survived, but this isn't life." For Gazans, the war continues in a daily struggle for survival in a devastated enclave. People are waiting for reconstruction, but this massive project will take decades and cost tens of billions of dollars. Interim living solutions will be needed for years. Meanwhile, Gaza's economy is in total collapse.
After months of paralysis, the UNRWA refugee agency is gradually resuming operations, including the distribution of flour and basic goods. Improvised markets are operating, and prices plummeted when the ceasefire was announced. Bread is again available.
Half of Gazans are displaced. Many aren't going back to their ruined homes, especially in areas across the "yellow line" where Israel still has forces, including in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and eastern Gaza City in the north, and in southern Rafah. (Ha'aretz)
See also Palestinians in Gaza Know They'll Never Return to the Life They Once Had - Ghada Abdulfattah
A ceasefire is supposed to connote peace, relief, and the chance to take a breath. Yet I feel none of those things. I don't even feel that the war has stopped. Among my friends and relatives, no one seems to trust this peace. Two years of war is a long time. Hardly anyone remembers what normal feels like.
We don't feel relief or a sense of safety because we know that whatever comes next will not be a return to the life we had. Gaza's streets are all rubble. Barely a house stands. People say it will take many months just to clear the debris, and longer still to restore water, electricity, even a single functioning road. All of our civil infrastructure has been ground to dust. (Atlantic)
- When Hamas Turned Its Guns on Us Gazans, the "Pro-Palestinian" Chorus Fell Silent - Moumen al-Natour
Gaza today stands on the edge of exhaustion. Streets once filled with life have become corridors of dust. The last Israeli hostage once held by Hamas has returned home; the movement had claimed their captivity served the dream of a state "from the river to the sea." What remains instead is a population stripped of safety and shelter still declaring triumph over devastation. Each round of war brings the same outcome - destruction followed by proclamations of glory.
Repression is the regime's primary instrument: surveillance, arrests, intimidation and unspeakable scenes of public executions and torture. Just as Hamas live-streamed the atrocities of Oct. 7 to terrify Israelis, it makes use of video recordings of its brutality against alleged enemies within to strike fear into ordinary Gazans.
Where are the protestors who for two years claimed to care for Gazans, now that footage of Hamas's cruelty against its own people floods social media? Are the activists who filled the streets of Western cities truly for us Palestinians - or simply against Israelis?
The vision of a Gaza governed by civilians is the minimum condition for recovery. A society that values education, opportunity and safety over martyrdom could begin to resemble a normal community rather than a permanent front line. The longing for normal life now outweighs the appetite for heroic slogans. People want to live without being told that survival itself is victory. Those who have lost everything cannot celebrate defeat disguised as victory.
The writer is a lawyer from Gaza, founder of the We Want to Live movement, and a former political prisoner of Hamas.
(Jewish Chronicle-UK)
See also My Gaza Is Ready for Peace. Hamas Is Trying to Destroy It. - Moumen Al-Natour (Washington Post)
- A Qatari Role in a Post-War Gaza Would Mean the Restoration of Hamas Power - Benjamin Weinthal
Qatar's financing of Hamas was essential for the group's capability to carry out the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
The Qatari regime pumped at least $2 billion into the coffers of Hamas over the last decade. Hamas used the funds to purchase weapons and build its extensive tunnel system.
While President Trump recognized the danger posed by Qatar during his first administration, when he said, "Qatar has been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," his second administration has been more tolerant toward Qatar, and Washington is advocating for Doha to have a role in Gaza's reconstruction.
Qatar has not evicted the Hamas terrorist leaders from its territory, and it continues its soft-power operation in the media to incite anti-Americanism and Islamist terrorism against Israel. Qatar's goal since Oct. 7 has been to ensure that Hamas survives.
Qatar money for Gaza reconstruction could mean material and cash funneled to the remaining vestiges of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to enable them to rebuild their terrorist organizations. Israel cannot trust Qatar or any regime whose goal is the expansion of Muslim Brotherhood ideology.
(Middle East Forum)
Israel and the West
- Subversion of Thought as a Strategy to Delegitimize Israel and Undermine the West - Eliyahu Haddad
Over the past two decades, several Middle Eastern states - including Iran, Qatar, and Turkey - have developed sophisticated digital influence operations aimed at reshaping Western public opinion, especially among younger demographics. These campaigns now utilize advanced artificial intelligence, social media algorithms, and behavioral targeting to undermine Israel's legitimacy and promote jihadist ideologies.
The operations weaponize the openness of democratic societies, exploiting freedoms of speech and digital infrastructure to destabilize political systems, manipulate information flows, and erode trust in democratic institutions.
The broader outcome is a transformation of global discourse - where AI-driven deception, digital propaganda, and ideological manipulation redefine truth, weaken democratic resilience, and shape international policy in ways that benefit authoritarian and jihadist regimes.
The writer is a serial entrepreneur and investment professional specializing in disruptive technologies and financial analysis.
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
Observations:
- While addressing the Knesset, U.S. President Donald Trump correctly called the Gaza breakthrough "an incredible triumph for Israel and the world....We have stood together through thick and thin....We have built industries together, we have made discoveries together, we have confronted evil together."
- Other allies depend on America to fight for them; Israel fights independently, defending itself and bolstering the U.S., while saving the world along the way too.
- Last January, outgoing President Joe Biden noted: "Did you ever think we would be where we are with Iran at this moment? Iran's air defenses are in shambles. Their main proxy, Hizbullah, is badly wounded....And if you want more evidence that we've seriously weakened Iran and Russia, just take a look at Syria." Since then, Tehran has been weakened exponentially more.
- Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel's many battlefronts - on sea, in the air, on the ground, and online - have served as an extraordinary laboratory for game-changing improvements. U.S. generals have watched the IDF fight in cities and tunnels effectively, losing 470 soldiers in the Gaza ground offensive that many predicted would cost thousands of Israeli lives.
- In repelling Iran's ICBM attacks and over 37,500 rocket attacks, Israel - with U.S. help - taught the world how to defend a small, densely populated area against massive bombardments. These and many other military and medical breakthroughs will be saving American lives in hospitals and battlefields for years to come.
- Since the 1898 Spanish-American War, Washington has repeatedly felt compelled to fight wars worldwide.
By contrast, Israel has always been the U.S.'s only "Do it Yourself" ally. The Jewish state usually fights alone, using American technology and know-how, improving it, and, by winning, bolstering Washington's position militarily and diplomatically. In 1967 and 1973, Israel defeated Soviet-trained and armed Arab troops, enhancing the Free World's defense posture during the Cold War.
- Despite all the pressuring, demonizing, and naysaying, Israel has won overwhelming victories in the war on terror. Thanks to this two-year war, the Islamic Republic's planned Ring of Fire engulfing Israel, while not extinguished, has been smothered. Israel showed it still knows how to fight hard and win a war. And, once again, Israel's decisive win has boosted America too.
The writer, a Distinguished Scholar of North American History at McGill University, is a Senior Fellow in Zionist Thought at the Jewish People Policy Institute.
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