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In-Depth Issues:
Trump's Vision for Transforming Gaza - Ariel Kahana ( Israel Hayom)
Israel Hayom has learned that mass evacuation from Gaza, including both Hamas operatives and those categorized as the "uninvolved population," represents a cornerstone of American regional strategy - beyond mere public statements as many Israeli observers believe.
During his visit to Israel, presidential envoy Steve Witkoff's messages indicated that through substantial Gazan emigration, the administration seeks to align Trump's war conclusion objectives with his stance, shared by many in the new administration, that Hamas must cease controlling Gaza.
Witkoff stressed that considering Oct. 7's atrocities, he too considers future Hamas governance of Gaza untenable.
A senior Israeli official suggested Hamas might voluntarily surrender Gaza control and considers this the most probable outcome.
"Within Palestinian faction discussions, Hamas recognizes the necessity of transferring authority," the official said.
Hamas Held Israeli Hostage in UNRWA Facilities ( Jerusalem Post)
Mandy Damari, mother of British-Israeli former hostage Emily Damari, told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday that "Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice."
Israeli Hostages Describe Captivity ( Times of Israel)
Gadi Mozes, 80, was in complete isolation for 70 days of his captivity, locked alone in a dark room, Israel's Channel 12 reported.
For much of his time in captivity, he was held in a two-square-meter room, in which he regularly paced 7 km. every day, counting the tiles on the room floor and solving math problems to pass the time and keep his mind sharp.
Once every five days or so Mozes was given a bowl of tepid water to shower with, using a cup to pour the water over his head. He lost 15 kg. in captivity.
One of the released women soldiers told relatives, "There was a point when we barely had any food at all. We all sat around a plate of rice and tried to divide it equally between us, to the last grain. You find yourself counting. Such hunger can't be explained."
Hostage Liri Albag "would boost our morale. She told us stories all the time and told us to imagine things from our normal lives, like what we'd order at a restaurant we'd sit in."
Hamas Killed Thai Nationals Deliberately - Krit Saetae ( Times of Israel)
Among all the casualties Hamas brought upon foreign nationals, Thai workers suffered the highest number of casualties in this war.
One of the Thai survivors recounted his near-death experience on Oct. 7. In the morning, four armed Hamas militants stormed the labor camp, indiscriminately gunning down every Thai worker in sight. He managed to hide inside a bunker, narrowly escaping the same fate.
In the afternoon, Hamas fighters regrouped around the labor camp. They setting fire to the room where he was hiding. He held his breath for over 20 minutes, but as the smoke thickened, he could no longer endure it. Desperate, he broke down the door and ran into the nearby forest. Miraculously, by then, Hamas had already left.
Another survivor, who found himself in a similar situation, described how Hamas meticulously raided each labor camp, slaughtering every unarmed worker they encountered. Those who did not die from gunfire were executed with knives in gruesome beheadings.
According to Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 44 Thais were killed during Hamas's murderous attack on Oct. 7.
Israeli UN Envoy Warns of Egypt's Military Buildup: "Why All the Submarines and Tanks?" ( Jerusalem Post)
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told Israel's Kol Barama radio
that Egypt's growing military arsenal was a cause for concern.
"They spend hundreds of millions of dollars on modern military equipment every year, yet they have no threats on their borders. Why do they need all these submarines and tanks?"
"After Oct. 7, alarm bells should be raised. We have learned our lesson. We must monitor Egypt closely and prepare for every scenario. We need to ask the United States why Egypt requires all this equipment."
Disillusioned Gazans Return South after Finding Northern Homes in Ruins - Ohad Merlin ( Jerusalem Post)
Many displaced Palestinians who returned to their homes in northern Gaza after Jan. 27 returned southward after discovering their former houses in ruins.
Videos, tweets, and posts circulating on social media showed Gazan citizens returning southward, disillusioned after seeing the immense destruction left by the war.
U.S. Sending Dozens of Patriot Missiles from Israel to Ukraine - Barak Ravid ( Axios)
The U.S. military transferred 90 Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland last week in order to deliver them to Ukraine.
Last April, the Israeli Air Force officially decommissioned the Patriot air defense system, more than 30 years after it was first given to Israel during the first Gulf War.
The system became less relevant as Israel developed its own air defense systems.
A senior Israeli official told me Israel informed Russia in advance of the move and stressed it was "only returning the Patriot system to the U.S." and not supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Israel told Russia it was a similar move to the one the U.S. made two years ago when it transferred artillery shells from emergency storage in Israel to Ukraine.
How Hamas Became Invisible - Tim Black ( Spiked-UK)
Almost as soon as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was declared, footage of Hamas fighters on Gaza's streets was being broadcast to the world.
We saw masked assailants, armed with Kalashnikovs and sporting green headbands, riding pick-up trucks through crowds of cheering men.
Many in the Western media appeared surprised at the sight of Hamas out and about. Watching or reading the media coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Israel Defense Forces were not really fighting Hamas at all, but Palestinian civilians.
This erasure of Hamas from the conflict it started serves the anti-Israel narrative.
It allows for the fiction that this is an act of "genocide" against the Palestinians.
Hamas is constantly being "invisibilized." It is an absent combatant in a war in which only Israeli forces are seemingly observable.
The unspeakable act that started this awful conflict on Oct. 7 has been reduced to a mere moment in a much longer tale of supposed Israeli aggression.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- Heroes to Palestinians, but Killers to Israelis: They Now Go Free - Summer Said
More than 1,700 Palestinians are expected to be freed over the 42-day ceasefire in return for 33 hostages - some no longer alive - held by Hamas and its allies.
Israelis across the political spectrum, even if they support the ceasefire deal, have been stung by the price of freeing those held hostage. Palestinians consider many of the prisoners to be freedom fighters for the national cause.
The release of Palestinian prisoners is expected to give Hamas a public-relations boost. "The fact that Hamas, in spite of everything else, managed to achieve the release of a relatively big number of prisoners, this is a big plus for Hamas," said Ghassan Khatib, a lecturer at Birzeit University in the West Bank.
(Wall Street Journal)
See also Israel Releases 72 Palestinian Security Prisoners, 111 Gaza Detainees on Saturday - Josh Breiner
72 Palestinian security prisoners were released on Saturday in exchange for the release of three Israeli hostages. 14 of the security prisoners were serving life sentences. 111 additional Palestinians - Gazans who were detained after Oct. 7 - were also released.
(Ha'aretz)
- Hamas: The Return of Residents to Northern Gaza Heralds the Return of Palestinians to Their Homes Inside Israel
Hamas has been presenting the ceasefire agreement with Israel as an "immense victory," and regards the war it launched on Oct. 7, 2023, as a "scaled-down model" of the "final" war in which Israel will be eliminated and all the Palestinian refugees and their descendants will return to their original homes within its territory.
Hamas officials compare the return of the residents to northern Gaza - which began on Jan. 27 as part of the ceasefire agreement - to the "great return" of the Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their homes inside Israel. They called the return to the north a "historic event" that reflects the ability of the Palestinian people to realize "the dream of the great return." (MEMRI)
- Dutch Parliament Conditions Palestinian NGO Funding on Recognition of Israel - Ailin Vilches Arguello
The Dutch House of Representatives passed a resolution on Tuesday by 70-67 to make funding for Palestinian NGOs depend on their recognition of Israel's right to exist. The resolution also requires greater transparency from NGOs, including detailed information about board members and funded projects. Last year, NGO Monitor presented a report to the Dutch Parliament warning that foreign aid to Palestinian organizations was being used for anti-Israel campaigns and to support terrorism and radicalism.
(Algemeiner)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Three Hostages Return to Israel after 15 Months in Gaza Captivity - Danielle Greyman-Kennard
American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65; Yarden Bibas, 35; and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, were released from Hamas captivity on Saturday after 484 days.
(Jerusalem Post)
See also Israeli Hostages Were Caged, Beaten
Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon, who were freed on Saturday from Hamas captivity, said that in the first weeks they were kept in cages and beaten multiple times, Israel's Channel 11 reported.
Keith Siegel testified about severe food shortages and at his release he was severely malnourished.
Some hostages were reportedly held for long periods in damp tunnels with little air.
The Thai hostages freed last week also reported harsh conditions.
They were kept in two groups in different apartments in Gaza, in complete darkness. The women IDF soldiers released also shared that they were starved and kept in darkness for many days.
(Ha'aretz)
- Of the Remaining 20 Israeli Hostages to Be Released, Eight Are Dead
13 Israeli citizens out of 33 have been released in stage one of the hostage and ceasefire deal.
Of the remaining 20 hostages to be released, Hamas has stated that eight are dead. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said, "The list from Hamas matches Israel's intelligence, so I can share with you that...eight have been killed by Hamas. The families have been informed."
(Jerusalem Post)
- EU and Palestinian Authority Operate Reopened Gaza-Egypt Border Crossing - Itamar Eichner
The Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah reopened on Saturday. EU foreign ministers agreed to redeploy a European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) at Rafah. EUBAM was first established in 2005 but its mission was suspended in 2007 after Hamas seized Gaza.
A senior EU official said, "The PA will provide mission personnel. European border officers from several countries will oversee operations. The crossing will be managed by PA border officers, while the IDF remains stationed around the perimeter." Most of those crossing will be wounded individuals and critically ill patients seeking treatment abroad.
"The PA is trying to create a false impression that it controls the crossing. Under the agreement, the IDF secures the crossing, and no one passes without its supervision and prior approval from the IDF and Israel Security Agency," the Prime Minister's Office said last week.
"The technical operation inside the crossing is handled by non-Hamas Gazans vetted by the Israel Security Agency who have been managing essential services in Gaza since the war began. EUBAM oversees their work. The PA's only practical role is stamping passports, as it is the internationally recognized authority for Palestinian travel documentation." (Ynet News)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
The Gaza War
- The Palestinians Experienced a Nakba but Feel Victorious - Dr. Michael Milshtein
The Palestinian side regards the current war as a historic achievement - primarily since Israel was damaged and taken by surprise at its start, and that Israel has not achieved a decisive victory.
There's a sense of accomplishment in the Palestinian arena regarding the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement which, de facto, recognizes Hamas as the dominant force in Gaza, for which no alternative exists. Despite unprecedented suffering, many Gazans view the agreement, like Oct. 7, as a national achievement.
Here and there, you might hear a voice critical of Hamas, primarily from Palestinian Authority officials, but most Palestinians believe that Oct. 7 was an attack on military targets, not accompanied by war crimes. No prominent Palestinian intellectual, political leader or political analyst speaks of regret, shame or responsibility for the massacre. There are no signs of soul-searching concerning the price of the war. Responsibility for the carnage and destruction, described as a Nakba greater than that of 1948, is laid at Israel's doorstep.
On Oct. 7, the "conception" in Israel that radical Palestinian elements could be "tamed" collapsed. The notion that occupation lies at the root of the conflict, and that the solution is a Palestinian state, collapsed too. The brutality and demonization exposed on Oct. 7 stemmed from neither political repression nor economic deprivation, but rather from a religious and cultural animosity burning for years. Israelis should liberate ourselves from ideas about striving to "deradicalize the Palestinians, like in Germany and Japan" - a process possible only via soul-searching rather than external coercion.
Hamas is an integral part of Palestinian society, fused into it. Hamas represents large parts of society and reflects deep-seated trends within it. There is no clear dichotomous divide between Hamas and the general public.
The sense of Palestinian achievement emboldens Hamas's position among Palestinians and the perception that exalts the ongoing struggle against Israel. The worst war in the history of the Israel-Arab conflict has generated unprecedented hostility and a burning desire for revenge toward Israelis.
The writer is head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at the Dayan Center of Tel Aviv University. (Ynet News)
- The Next Phase of the War - Ron Ben-Yishai
The war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, has entered its next phase - the stage of political agreements.
On Monday, negotiations will commence on the second stage of the hostage deal with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
The negotiations on the second stage will focus on three main issues: Israel's demand for the release of all hostages; Hamas's demand for an end to the war, along with guarantees from the U.S. that Israel will uphold a lasting ceasefire; and Hamas's push for the release of hundreds of terrorists - not only convicted murderers but also high-risk individuals who could pose a severe security threat to Israel. In exchange for all remaining hostages, Hamas is demanding the release of key figures whose leadership and connections could enable the terror group to rebuild its military and operational networks.
Meanwhile, Israel, with U.S. support, will aim to prevent that outcome - not only by ensuring Hamas is excluded from Gaza's civilian governance but also by blocking any military resurgence. Israel will also demand what it sought in the Lebanon agreement: the demilitarization of Gaza - removing weapons, military infrastructure and tunnels - to prevent another deadly attack on Israel in the future. However, Gaza lacks any governing or military authority capable of restraining Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In his meetings in Washington, Netanyahu is also expected to present Israel's new defense doctrine, shaped by the lessons of Oct. 7. This doctrine emphasizes a proactive strategy along all borders and in Israel's ongoing "campaign between wars," targeting military buildups in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and potentially Syria. (Ynet News)
- What Should Be Done with Gaza? - Col. (res.) Dr. Ofer Guterman
Throughout the war, Hamas has maintained civilian control over Gaza, seized humanitarian aid and shelters, enforced its authority through internal security forces, and leveraged its control and the dire civilian conditions to continue indoctrinating the public. Palestinian society in Gaza does not see any ideological, political, or governmental horizon beyond what Hamas offers as a pathway to recovery from the destruction.
Hamas is unlikely to hand over all the remaining hostages, as it seeks to retain them as bargaining chips for its survival. The Trump administration is expected to exert direct pressure on Israel to steer the dynamics in Gaza in line with the administration's broader strategic interests.
Halting the war and withdrawing IDF forces without stabilizing Gaza or establishing an alternative to Hamas will create a power vacuum that will only reinforce Hamas's rule.
A proposal put forward by Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan would establish a technocratic administration in Gaza composed of local bureaucrats and professionals with no ties to Hamas - of which there are thousands in Gaza, many affiliated with Fatah.
The Arab states behind the proposal acknowledge that, in the initial stages, Israel would need to retain operational freedom to combat terrorism and prevent Hamas from regaining strength - a shared interest. However, Israel has hesitated to accept the proposal due to the requirement for the Palestinian Authority's involvement, doubting its ability to effectively counter terrorism, given its history of incitement and radicalization.
The writer, a senior researcher at INSS, served as the intelligence assistant to the military secretary to the Prime Minister. (Institute for National Security Studies)
- Israel Grapples with the Price of Hostage Deals - Nadav Shragai
The late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin once confessed that as defense minister, he executed the 1985 Jibril deal, releasing 1,151 terrorists for three Israeli soldiers, though he knew "the deal should never have been made. He later confronted the First Intifada and the casualties that this deal brought upon Israel. The 1,027 terrorists released by Benjamin Netanyahu in 2011 in exchange for Gilad Shalit ultimately led to the Oct. 7 massacre.
The position of the hostage deal opponents represents an ethical and moral decision no less valid than that of deal supporters. Israel is freeing murderers who, based on past experience, will return to kill many times over. Hamas has no dreams of change. The Hamas Prisoners' Bureau has already announced that the hostage deal proves that hostage-taking is the way forward, and that Israel only understands the language of kidnapping.
(Israel Hayom)
See also Am I the Only One Seeing the Horror Unfolding? - David Elmescany
In recent days, we've witnessed a macabre choreography that defies reason: Hamas releases hostages brutally seized in blood-soaked attacks, while Israel frees terrorists convicted by democratic courts - some responsible for massacres that orphaned children. Terror is rewarded with legitimacy and justice bows to blackmail.
This is no ordinary prisoner swap. Every hostage returned by Hamas is matched by the release of killers who spent years behind bars for proven crimes: bus bombings, stabbings in public squares. Terrorist groups now have a playbook. Simply kidnap civilians, film the brutality, and wait for democracies to trade terrorists for living bodies. (Times of Israel)
Hizbullah
- Iran Is Funding Hizbullah via Suitcases Stuffed with Cash, Israel Warns - Dov Lieber
Israel has complained to the U.S.-led committee overseeing the ceasefire in Lebanon that Iranian diplomats have been flying from Tehran to Beirut with suitcases stuffed with U.S. dollars to fund Hizbullah's revival, a U.S. defense official said. Turkish citizens have also been used to ferry money from Istanbul to Beirut by air. The ceasefire committee has conveyed the complaints to Lebanon's government.
Israel has targeted Hizbullah's sources of cash to hamper its ability to fight and slow its recovery. Over the past year, Israel killed central figures in Hizbullah and Iran who were responsible for keeping funds flowing. It also struck several sites where Israel said Hizbullah was keeping cash and gold during the fighting last fall. "First, Hizbullah literally has just lost a whole lot of money. Second, they now have massive expenses," said Matthew Levitt, former deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at the U.S. Treasury Department.
Until recently, Iran's main smuggling route for supplying cash and weapons to Hizbullah ran through Syria, though Israeli officials have said Iran also used Beirut airport.
The Syrian option was largely removed by the fall of the Assad regime, increasing the importance of the Beirut airport route. Former U.S. officials expressed concern that Hizbullah might hold enough influence over Lebanese security forces for Iranian-backed couriers to escape rigorous searches at the airport. (Wall Street Journal)
UNRWA
- Brinkmanship over Israel's Ban on UNRWA - David Makovsky
Jan. 30 marks the implementation deadline for two Israeli laws passed on Oct. 28 that prohibit any government contact with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Many in Israel believe that UNRWA does not seek to solve refugee cases but instead has an institutional interest in perpetuating them. The agency's preference for returning millions of refugees to Israel rather than permanently resettling them could undermine Israel's viability and threaten the prospects for coexistence.
After Oct. 7, at least nine UNRWA employees were revealed to be involved in the atrocities committed that day. Additionally, Israel found Hamas members employed as principals and teachers in UNRWA schools, Hamas infrastructure and weapons in the basements of these schools, and Hamas data centers in tunnels underneath the agency's headquarters in Gaza.
Israeli officials have privately said that if the UN does not work out an alternative to UNRWA in the West Bank, then the agency's services there should automatically come under the PA's purview. They also believe that food distribution can be managed by the UN World Food Program, which already handles a sizable portion of Gaza food aid.
Yet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres instructed his agencies not to engage in any contingency planning related to Israel's deadline, arguing that such action would imply acceptance of such policies.
UNRWA has a smaller role in eastern Jerusalem than in the West Bank and Gaza.
The Jerusalem Municipality has indicated that it will work out educational alternatives for the few UNRWA schools located in the eastern part of the city. In the West Bank, UNRWA runs 19 refugee camps, employs 3,700 workers, provides social security and other such payments to 150,000 residents, and operates one hospital, 43 clinics, and 96 schools (serving 47,000 children).
In Gaza, before the war, UNRWA was the main provider of schooling and health services, serving over a million residents in its eight refugee camps. UN officials say the ban on contact with Israel will prevent the agency from functioning. Areas affected include
monthly visa renewals for UNRWA international staff, vehicle registration, customs agreements to facilitate the import of food and medicine, and Israeli bank transactions related to salary payments and supply chains.
Israel and the Trump administration seem more focused on the longer-term goal of reshaping the administration of Palestinian territory and aid in the wake of Oct. 7. In their view, lasting peace is unattainable as long as the Palestinian refugee issue continues to derail proposed peace deals, so efforts to rebuild Gaza must move beyond persistent refugee camps and a "right of return" model rooted in hostility toward Israel's existence.
The writer is a fellow at the Washington Institute and director of the Project on Arab-Israel Relations.
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
Observations:
- The Jewish people respect the imperative to redeem captives. I know no one in Israel who could watch, without immense emotion, the images of the four young IDF women soldiers reuniting with their families.
- But there was another image that preceded the magnificent moment of reunion. It was the image of the small stage on which the four were forced to stand, wearing strained smiles, waving at - whom? The Palestinian crowd perched across from them on rubble? Their jailers? Then they were handed over to the Red Cross, the same Red Cross that did not visit one hostage over the past 481 days.
- This second image was chilling because of the childlike smiles of the petrified prisoners, knowing that everything could still go wrong. Chilling because of the black-clad, masked men surrounding them - some pressed close. Chilling because of what the scene signified to the crowds who watched it live, from Jabalia to Rafah, from Jericho to Ramallah, from Cairo to Amman.
An army of criminals, wounded but not sunk, weakened but not defeated. An army that often returns only the remains of its captives.
- It is vital to remember that Israel has always pursued two objectives in this war. The first is the release of the hostages. The second is the total defeat of the last pogromist squads, which would otherwise emerge from this disaster cloaked in a dark aura that would again inspire those tempted, in Israel and elsewhere, by jihad.
- Nothing would be more dangerous than leaving behind, as Machiavelli put it, a wounded prince. As long as Hamas retains even a fraction of its capacity to strike - or to govern - Israel can tolerate neither a "durable ceasefire," a "peace of compromise" nor a "political solution."
Hamas must be destroyed. Israel didn't seek this war, but it must decisively win.
The writer is a French philosopher, war reporter, documentary-maker, and author of more than 30 books.
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