A Deadly Circus

War Day 486 Ceasefire Day 16 WAR DAY 491 UPDATE 5th HOSTAGE RELEASE AND TRUMP PLAN

Larry Price

Feb 03, 2025

WAR

UPDATE

Hostage Deal

Three More Released After 491 Days in Captivity

Eli Sharabi (left) Or Levi (center) Ohad Ben Ami (right)

Three more hostages were released on Saturday Feb 8, 2025 after 491 days of captivity. This was the fifth exchange of prisoners. Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, 18 serving life sentences for terrorism. 76 Israeli hostages still remain captive and their families fear for their survival.

The three released on Saturday were Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levi, 32, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56. They appeared frail and weak showing signs of malnutrition. According to Ynetnews, despite their condition, they walked upright with heads held high. They are now reunited with their families and were taken to the hospital for medical care.

Those who still had families.

Eli Sharabi with wife Lianne, and two daughters, Noya left) Yahel (2nd right)

Eli Sharabi, of Kibbutz Beeri, who had lost 20 kilograms in captivity, was met by his mother and sister. Upon his release he was informed that his wife Lianne and two daughters, Noya and Yahel were murdered by the Hamas terrorists in the massacre on Oct 7,2024. His brother Yossi, also taken from Kibbutz Beeri, was murdered in captivity in Gaza.

Eli Sharabi during his release and before his captivity

Or Levy during his release and before his captivity

Or Levy with his wife Einav

Or Levy was reunited upon his release with his 3-year-old son Almog who asked “Daddy why did it take you so long to come home?” Levy’s wife Einav was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. Not until his release from Gaza was he informed of his wife’s fate.

Nir Dvori, Channel 12TV military correspondent said the government was shocked to see the condition of the released hostages who looked as if they’d just been released from Nazi concentration camps.

Channel 12TV also reported that the released prisoners said they’d been kept in the dark underground in tunnels. And that sometimes been given only a quarter piece of pita bread once or twice a day.

According to Ynetnews, Dr. Hagar Mizrachi, head of the Medical Division at the Israel Health Ministry, the three exhibit signs of the hardships they endured. Mizrachi described their condition as suffering from severe malnutrition and significant weight loss.

Ohad Ben Ami during his release and before his captivity

Raz and Ohad Ben Ami

According to Ynetnews, Raz Ben Ami, whose husband Ohad was among those freed, posted on X, "I have watched the last sunrise without him. Tomorrow, we will watch it together…If he is strong enough."

His wife Raz was freed in an earlier hostage deal a year earlier.

Upon his release Ohad said that he felt as if he’d been born again.

One pundit said that was a similar statement of those who had survived the Nazi concentration camps.

Hostages on Display In Gaza

The three hostages were paraded before a crowd of Hamas supporters where they held certificates of their imprisonment. And then each made obviously forced statements.

"I was treated well, with respect and was protected," Ben Ami told a crowd of armed terrorists during the staged ceremony, before adding, "I am angry at the failed Israeli government."

Sharabi was also forced to thank his captors, saying, "I was treated well and protected. I am happy to return to my family and friends."

Levy said that he had been wounded and that his captors provided him with food and water.

Eli Sharabi

Or Levy

Ohad Ben Ami

After making their statements, the three were escorted by armed Hamas terrorists to waiting Red Cross vehicles, which transported them to Israeli forces.

76 hostages are still held in Gaza.

Hostages still to be released in Phase I

Negotiations for the second phase of the hostage deal were to have started on Feb 2,2025 but have not yet begun. A new negotiating team has been sent to Doha, Qatar to work out the final details of phase 1. 17 hostages are still to be released over the next three weeks.

Commentators say that the lives of those still in captivity are in extreme danger. Everything must be done to obtain their release as soon as possible, before it is too late.

Criticism was leveled at Prime Minister Netanyahu for not being in Israel when the hostages were released. Netanyahu who met with President Trump this week, remained in the USA for the weekend and met his wife Sara, who has been in the USA for nearly two months, and his son Yair, who has apparently relocated to Miami.

Also, Yoav Galant, former Israeli Minister of Defense told Ynetnews that the hostage deal was not as good as the one reached in July. Gallant said that many lives could have been saved had the earlier deal been implemented.

Gallant said that during meetings on the hostage deal Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritch and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sabotaged earlier plans to release the hostages by threatening to quit the government and thus causing the Netanyahu led coalition to fall requiring new elections.

Gallant said Netanyahu had not done enough to secure the release of the hostages. What changed? he was asked. Was it the Trump effect? Gallant said that Netanyahu didn’t listen to President Biden during the previous deal that was turned down, but to Smotritch and Ben Gvir. But now he was listening to Trump, and not to Smotritch and Ben Gvir.

GAZA

Rendition of plan for rebuilt Gaza submitted by Prof. Joseph Pelzman (insert upper right)

After a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump made headlines around the world when he announced he would favor a plan to relocate Gazans to other countries.

According to a report in the Times of Israel, George Washington University Prof.Joseph Pelzman, was approached by the Trump administration to think out of the box and come up with a plan to rebuild Gaza.

Reportedly Pelzman told the Trump team, “you have to destroy the whole place, restart from scratch.” A statement President Trump has also made.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Trump’s plan as an idea that “could change history,” “worth listening carefully to,” and “the first original idea that has been raised in years.”

Prof. Pelzman reportedly delivered the plan to the Trump team in July 2024.

The Times of Israel reported that a recent poll showed that 70% of Israelis surveyed approved of the Trump plan to empty Gaza of the population. One pundit said that the Israelis are still furious with Hamas and their supporters in Gaza and feel that if the Gazans are ‘relocated’ the threat of another attack and massacre and war will be eliminated.

Others, like Gen (ret.) Giora Eiland said on Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet that such a plan, and that to resettle Gaza with Israeli settlers, is divorced from reality.

Danny Ayalon, former Israeli Ambassador to the US, thought that if over 6 million refugees from the Syrian civil war could have found shelter why not only 2 million Gazans? Ayalon said that Trump has experience in large building projects and could carry out the plan.

However, Alon reportedly told ILTV that It remains unclear whether U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about America taking control of Gaza or if this is merely a negotiating tactic, according to former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon.

"We have seen this method before," Ayalon told ILTV, referring to past negotiations with Canada, Mexico, and Panama. "He sets a very high bar and then has much more room to maneuver and negotiate. This may be the case here, but quite frankly, if you take out the political argumentation or the political gist, it does make sense."

Ayalon explained that Gaza is essentially a demolition site, and Trump, with his extensive experience as a builder, understands how to handle large-scale reconstruction projects. He added that the U.S. could manage the effort, given its ability to bring in billions—if not tens of billions—of dollars, which could ultimately benefit the U.S. Treasury.

"This is out-of-the-box thinking, and we will see how it is received," Ayalon said.

So far, European and Arab nations have come out against any relocation plan.It remains unclear whether U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about America taking control of Gaza or if this is merely a negotiating tactic, according to former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon.

Nothing New In Trump’s Plan

Meanwhile, a documentary on the history of Gaza that aired on Channel 1 Kan broadcasting on Saturday night Feb 8,2025 made it clear that the Trump idea is not new. Attempts have been made since WWI to deal with Gaza. In 1947 Israel’s then Prime Minister David Ben Gurion wanted to annex Gaza as part of Israel but the idea was rejected. Various other methods were later tried, including building apartments in the Sinai for Gazans who were willing to move. Free bus service and monetary incentives were also offered, but were rejected by the Gazans who stubbornly refused to leave. Some Gazans were sent to Jordan. There, a new anti-Israel organization was formed by Egyptian-born Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, who had been in the Egyptian army, and a member of the Moslem Brotherhood. Arafat’s new Fatah organization was deported to Lebanon from Jordan during ‘Black September.’ Arafat then sent terrorists from Lebanon to infiltrate Gaza and establish a resistance front. Later, Hamas was formed, and nurtured by Israel under the infamous ‘conception,’ fostered under Netanyahu’s various regimes, that Hamas’ nationalistic ambitions could be quelled by money. The fact that Israel was a foreign entity of infidels on holy Arab land was overlooked until the ‘conception’ turned out on Oct 7,2023, to be a delusion.

War

Day 486 Ceasefire in Gaza Day 16

Hostages released so far in Phase I of the Ceasefire with Hamas

So far, 842 Israeli soldiers and security personnel have died since the war began on Oct 7,2023.

According to the Times of Israel, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed so far as part of the three-phase ceasefire deal with Hamas which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase. This does not include the five freed Thai citizens, fieldworkers at Israeli farms along the border, who were dragged into Gaza.

The freed hostages are among 251 Israelis and foreigners kidnapped on October 7, 2023, when 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded Israel in a surprise attack, murdering 1,400, amid rampant acts of brutality and rape.

79 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF. This includes the body of Hadar Goldin has been held hostage in Gaza since Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Yarden Bibis, 35, was one of the three hostages released on Saturday Feb 1,2025. His wife Shiri and children Ariel and Kfir are still being held in Gaza. Yarden Bibis said that while in Gaza he was frequently taunted by his Hamas terrorist captors about the fate of his wife and children. Upon his release from captivity Yarden Bibis was informed that Israel possessed no information concerning the fate of his wife and small children. The IDF said there was a “grave concern for their lives.”

Bibas was wounded and abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, when he left his family and rushed to help fight the terrorists. His wife Shiri and their two sons were taken separately. At the time, Kfir was 10 months old and Ariel was 4.

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Ofer Calderon (left) Yarden Bibis (center) Keith Siegel (right)

TV commentators pointed out that of the three hostages released on Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners, Yarden Bibis was the only one not smiling.

The Washington Post reported that Israel has agreed to release more than 1900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of the three phase ceasefire deal that went into effect on Jan 19,2025, the day before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

According to Ynetnews, more release rounds remain in the first phase: three rounds of three hostages each, followed by a final release of 11 hostages on day 42. This includes long-held captives, Israeli Bedouin Hisham al-Sayed and Ethiopian-Israeli Avera Mengistu who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015 and were captured.

This last stage is expected to include the bodies of eight hostages from the original list of 33. After this phase, 24 hostages will remain in captivity, not classified as deceased by Israel.

As of Feb 1, 2025 105 hostages have been returned alive to Israel, including 81 Israelis and 23 Thai and Filipino workers.

The bodies of 39 hostages were returned to Israel. Three killed by friendly fire after escaping Hamas captivity and being mistaken for terrorists. The bodies of 36 other hostages were brought out of Gaza through military operations.

Of the original 251 hostages taken to Gaza 73 were reportedly killed on Oct 7,2023, the day of the Hamas sneak attack on Israel.

Channel 12TV’s Arab affairs reporter Ohad Hemo said that many of the released prisoners were hard core terrorists and that the IDF should ‘eliminate them before they become yet other Sinwars.’ (Yahya Sinwar was the head of the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza who was released as part of the IDF soldier Gilad Shalit’s prisoner exchange in 2011.)

In fact, three of the prisoners freed in November have been eliminated, according to the Washington based FDD (The Foundation for Defense of Democracies) website. Abdul Hadi Issam Alawneh was one of those Hamas terrorists released in November 2023. He was killed on August 26,2024 by an Israeli air strike in the occupied West Bank.

On Sunday, Feb 2, 2025, Israel’s Prime Minister flew to Washington to meet, on Tuesday Feb 4th, with President Donald Trump. This is to be Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office. Some observers say that this is a critical meeting for Netanyahu because the end of the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas is approaching, as well as the sixty-day ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to Channel 12TV, Netanyahu will propose to Trump that the hostage situation and the war in Gaza take a back seat and rather both Israel and the US should focus on Iran and Saudia Arabia as their top priority. The US response will not be available until after Tuesday’s meeting.

Some pundits say that this may simply be a Netanyahu negotiating tactic.

Trump considers himself a deal maker, say the pundits. So they expect some compromise to take place that will allow Netanyahu a better position in relation to the hostages, and perhaps restarting the war as his ultra-right wing parters are demanding.

Israel’s PM Netanyahu (left) US President Trump (right)

While in Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff on Monday to initiate talks on the second stage of the hostage release deal with Hamas.

According to the Times of Israel, as per the terms of the ceasefire and hostage deal, negotiations for the second phase of the agreement must begin no later than the 16th day of the first phase, that is Monday Feb 3,2025.

However, the new terms, Iran and Saudi Arabia first, that Netanyahu has requested may also mean a postponement of the implementation of Phase II, which calls for the end of the war. According to the agreement, as long as Phase II is postponed, the ceasefire stays in place. This, say the pundits, may be Netanyahu’s interim goal.

Veteran political correspondent Nachum Barnea wrote in Ynetnews that, “Netanyahu will try to sniff out the new Trump: what turns him on, what turns him off, what gets him off his feet. He will meet a president at the peak of his life, at the peak of his power, at the peak of his euphoria. His ambitions are great; his gratifications are immediate; his patience is short.”

And, the Walla news site reported Saturday that Netanyahu will not send a team of negotiators to Qatar until after his meeting with Trump.

According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu’s decision is a “very worrying sign” about the implementation of the second phase, an anonymous Israeli source told the news outlet, expressing concern that it could also negatively impact the fulfillment of the ongoing 42-day first phase.

The second phase of the deal is expected to include the return of all the remaining living hostages, including men under the age of 50 and male soldiers that are held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip. In exchange Israel has agreed to a yet-to-be-determined number of Palestinian security prisoners and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.

However, on Saturday Jan 31, Channel 13 reported that the Netanyahu held a meeting on Friday Jan 30,2025 on the possibility of resuming the war in Gaza. The report quoted senior Israeli officials who said that the Prime Minister seems to be pushing for a resumption of the war, and has asked the IDF to present operational plans. One pundit speculated that this may also be a negotiating ploy Netanyahu plans to use in talks with Trump.

According to veteran military correspondent Ron Ben Yishai, writing in Ynetnews, “Netanyahu’s US trip marks a key moment in the war, shaping the next phase of the hostage deal and realigning regional dynamics.There are many questions that loom over the deal’s stability and Trump’s push for mass relocation of Gazans.”

However, both Jordan and Egypt have said they opposed the relocation of Gazans to their countries. Ynetnews reported on Sunday Feb 2nd, that “70 terrorists released in the deal are stranded in Cairo. Turkey and Qatar had pledged to take in only some of them. Those in a Cairo hotel complained of "unwelcoming attitude" from Egypt.”

Also, according to Ynetnews, "Until now, no Arab country has agreed to accept even one released and deported Palestinian prisoner," a source in the Palestinian Prisoners Authority told Ynet today (Sunday). "Turkey will accept the Jerusalem deportees only after it checks their background."

Pundits say that neither Jordan, with a majority Palestinian population, nor Egypt, nor Qatar are interested in importing terrorists that might cause trouble and even attempt to overthrow their countries.

Also staying at the Egyptian hotel is the released terrorist Muhammad al-Tous, who surprised Hamas leadership when he voiced his views against the October 7 massacre and declared that he advised his grandchildren “not to follow the path of attacks.” Al-Tous, 69, originally from Bethlehem, has been in prison since 1985 and is considered the oldest Palestinian prisoner released in the deal.

As for the ongoing negotiations, Ben Yishai thought, “These two developments, the start of negotiations for Phase II of the hostage deal and an end to the war, along with Netanyahu’s discussions with Trump, are deeply interconnected, with far-reaching implications for the Middle East.

“The negotiations on the second phase will focus on three main issues: Israel’s demand for the release of all hostages; Hamas’ demand for an end to the war, along with guarantees from the U.S. and mediators that Israel will uphold a lasting cease-fire; and Hamas’ push for the release of hundreds of terrorists

“…the negotiations are expected to be difficult and fraught with crises, as Hamas seeks to secure its survival as a political entity in Gaza. 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.”

Reportedly, Hamas has offered to stay as a police force and ruling military power in Gaza with the Palestinian Authority managing the running of government.

But Einav Tsengauker, the mother of the kidnapped Matan, who was not included in phase one of the deal, also arrived in Washington on Sunday.

After she landed, Tsengauker, one of the leaders of the families' protest, said that she came to Washington to put pressure on Netanyahu to insure that the deal to continue.

"So many hostages could have been saved if we had carried out the deal in May. Over the past few months, our government has torpedoed deals, we have warned and warned - (former National Security Minister ultra-nationalist MK Itamar) Ben Gvir admitted this," she said.

However, according to the Kan public broadcaster, it is Netanyahu who is pushing for a negotiating team with the Saudis, not Trump. Still, one pundit sees this as a perfect alignment of goals between Trump and Netanyahu.

The Times of Israel writes that Israel is pushing for the establishment of a negotiating team to hold talks on official relations with the Gulf state. The report added that the Trump administration wants to achieve peace between Jerusalem and Riyadh as part of the president’s vision for a “Golden age of peace in the Middle East.”

Ben Yishai also said that Netanyahu and Trump would discuss Iran and steps to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and regional threats. Ben Yishai wrote that there will likely be agreements on diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, alongside discussions on potential military action should Iran push forward with weaponizing its nuclear program. It is expected that both sides will agree that if Iran begins producing a nuclear warhead, Israel and the U.S. would respond with coordinated action.

Ben Yishai reports that Netanyahu is also expected to present Israel’s new defense doctrine, shaped by the lessons of October 7. This doctrine emphasizes a proactive strategy along all borders and in Israel’s ongoing "campaign between wars" (MABAM), targeting military buildups in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank and potentially Syria.

Ben Yishai also wrote that Trump is likely to support this proactive approach and commit to aiding Israel in implementing it. However, he may also demand that Netanyahu take political risks, especially within his fragile coalition. This would happen if Israel aligns more closely with Trump’s proposed framework for post-war Gaza.

Meanwhile, according to Ynetnews, the IDF says the tunnels in south Gaza are still a problem and sees years of conflict still ahead. The tunnels, says the IDF, could be used to restart weapons production, conceal thousands of weapons, and hide senior commanders.

Meanwhile, Israel has arrested two Israelis, Yuri Aliaspov and Greg Andriev, accused of transferring sensitive information about the Iron Dome missile defense system to Iranian agents. Alisapov said his desperate financial straits led him to spying for Iran He had also been instructed to paint graffiti on walls in Israel..

Also, Iran revealed a new long-range ballistic missile the Iranian military claims can reach Israel. This came the day after Iran showed off a new underground missile facility on the south coats and two weeks after unveiling an underground naval base.

According to the Times of Israel Western countries have grown concerned over advances in Iran’s ballistic missile program, accusing it of destabilizing the Middle East.

The Times of Israel reports that Iran has repeatedly vowed to destroy Israel. And that Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat and has indicated it could act alone in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities if needed.

At the same time, Tehran has signaled its willingness to restart negotiations over its nuclear program, which has been the subject of tensions with Western countries for decades.

The times of Israel reported that during his first term, Trump pulled the US out of a nuclear pact between Iran and world powers that curbed its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, saying it did not go far enough to prevent Tehran from producing a weapon.

Though Iran claims its program is peaceful, it has enriched uranium to levels that the UN’s atomic watchdog says are reached by countries seeking to make a bomb. In December, the UK, France, and Germany said there is no “credible civilian justification” for Iran’s enrichment of uranium.

Also, according to Ynetnews, an Iranian spokesman boasted that little Hamas brought Israel to its knees.

Gaza

Gazans head home to north Gaza

Netzarim Corridor (gray)

As part of the first phase of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Netzarim crossing, an eight-kilometer wide strip of Gaza that now separates south Gaza from north Gaza, was reopened last week. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans left their temporary homes, mostly tents and improvised shacks in the southern Rafah area, for the north.

What they found, according to their statements, was devastation beyond their wildest imaginations. Many blamed Israel but also Hamas for the destruction. Many turned back to the south, finding no place to lay their heads.

Gazans heading through Netzarim corridor to north Gaza

One returning Gazan who was heading back south was quoted in the Jerusalem Post, “I’m going back to Al-Mawasi in Khan Yunis, in the desert. It’s easier to find level ground there, you can sit there, there’s water… Here, (in the north) people are shouting and crying in their houses. This is indescribable… I’m not staying. I lost 20 years of my life. My house, my home, my farm… nothing left. There’s a pit instead of my house.”

According to the UN, over 60% of the homes in Gaza have been totally destroyed and over 90% at least damaged

Dark Red is Gaza. Red strip/ black letters, Philadelphi (left) Netzarim, (right)

According to the Jerusalem Post, civilians were furious at Hamas and Israel after finding the north of the Gaza Strip in ruins: "Where’s our home? Where’s our future?"

According to the Times of Israel, US hired security firms, employing former special forces veterans, staff key Gaza checkpoints. They work alongside Egyptian security personnel to carry out inspections at the checkpoint where the Netzarim corridor meets Salah al Din street, the main thoroughfare through the corridor.

One Gaza woman who said she worked in education, was filmed saying: “May Allah have vengeance on the occupation. This war was uncalled for. They (Hamas) did not prepare us for it. Our homes are gone and our children are gone. Where are we going back to? To the rubble? We didn’t benefit by anything… I hope someone takes us out of here. Two entire generations were destroyed… We were humiliated. I had a new villa worth $250,000; it was destroyed.

“I call on our President Mahmoud Abbas to save us, and I thank Turkey for standing with us. I wish they would see this video and embrace us and take me and my girls. This is the suffering of after the war – if this war is even over.”

In another interview, from a live broadcast from the Falasteen TV channel, a TV anchor noticed large groups of Gazans going back south after visiting the north. Inquiring as to the reason for their return, the citizens answered: “It’s a complete destruction. Buildings have collapsed and the streets are filled with debris.”

“We want a solution,” said another one. “Everything is just mounds of sand. We want someone to find us a solution for this. We want to live and sleep and find refuge… no water and no food.”

Beit Lahiya, north Gaza

The anchor kept pressing, asking if they were sure they made the right decision by going back south, when a donkey-drawn carriage carrying a family passed by, with one of them shouting: “Miss, there is no life. Only death in Gaza. We’re going back to the [Rafah] crossing. Open the crossings and let us pass!”

Another blogger quoted by the Jerusalem Post filmed a video in the southern part of the Gaza Strip showing debris and rubble, adding: “Did you see the change and reform of the ‘Godly’ movement? … This is what the ‘Godly movement’ did to us. They changed and reformed all of the contours of the country. May Allah curse your honor, Hamas!”

Others wrote similar messages on their social media accounts. One named Ahmed wrote: “I went back to Gaza, and I’ve been sleeping for three nights in the streets. Thanks for the victory!” Another X/Twitter user from Gaza wrote: “The north is literally destroyed. I want someone to convince me what we gained from October 7th!”

According to Ron Ben Yishai, writing in Ynetnews, “Early discussions between Israel and the U.S. have reportedly produced an understanding that a transitional governing body—comprised of the Palestinian Authority, the UAE, Egypt and possibly Qatar—would oversee Gaza’s civilian administration. This phase would also include serious discussions on normalizing ties with Saudi Arabia, contingent on Israel agreeing to a political process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“It is important to note that Trump has openly voiced support for a two-state solution. His 2020 "Deal of the Century" explicitly outlined a future Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank and Gaza.

“Furthermore, his repeated demands for the temporary relocation of hundreds of thousands of Gazans to Jordan and Egypt may serve as leverage—both on Arab states and Hamas—to accept a new civilian authority in Gaza and engage in a long-term resolution of the Palestinian issue.”

The threats of large-scale displacement and withholding Gaza’s reconstruction funds as long as Hamas remains in power are Trump's primary tools to enforce his vision for a hostage release and cease-fire deal, including on Israel.”

However, Israel Hason, former head of the Shin Bet (Israel’s FBI) said that of course Jordan and Egypt don’t want the Gazans. They would only strengthen the Moslem Brotherhood.”

As for new rulers in Gaza, Gen (res) Yair Golan, now head of the Democratic (Labor and Mertz) party, told a panel on Channel 12TV that there was no strategy in the war. And now, without a change in the rulers of Gaza, without Hamas, Israel will never be safe.”

According to Ephraim HaLevi, former head of the Mossad and former head of Israel’s Military intelligence, Israel should consider releasing Marwan Barghouti, a terrorist serving consecutive life sentences who has been in prison for 25-years. Barghouti, according to HaLevi, speaks fluent Hebrew and is someone Israel can talk to.

Barghouti was a top lieutenant to Palestinian Authority founder Yassir Arafat and even though he is in prison, is still considered a strong contender to assume the helm of the Palestinian Authority once 87-year-old President Mohammed Abbas steps down.

Observers point out that part of the problem with the ‘day after’ in Gaza is how to keep Hamas from regaining power. Barghouti, as leader of the Palestinian Authority, an arch-rival of Hamas, may be the answer, according to HaLevi.

But, Ben Yishai thinks that Israel has an interest in keeping Hamas intact until the second phase of the cease-fire agreement is completed. “This is because a party is needed to facilitate the return of all hostages—both the living and the dead—one that can be somewhat relied upon and pressured by mediators when necessary, as was the case at the start of the current phase.

“This is where Netanyahu’s talks with Trump come into play: a key factor in the success of Phase II is their agreement on Phase III of the deal, which would address the final end to the war, Gaza’s reconstruction and the entity that will replace Hamas as the enclave's civilian government and law enforcement authority.

Both Israel and the White House, according to Ben Yishai, are firm in their desire to prevent Hamas from returning to rule Gaza or rebuilt its military strength. “However, one key point of contention remains: Trump is determined to end the war (in Gaza) almost at any cost.

Commentators on Israel TV said the reason was that Trump has his heart set on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. He sees the current war in Gaza as a stepping stone to the prize. If he can solve this war’s puzzle, wend Israel and Hamas through the maze of the cease-fire negotiations, now in Phase I and approaching Phase II, and even get to Phase three, he can be considered a master peacemaker.

An important part of meeting with Netanyahu, according to these pundits, is to get some agreement that brings Saudi Arabia into the US embrace, joining fellow Middle Eastern countries like Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates in the 2020 2021 Abraham accords . That agreement normalized relations between these countries and Israel. “Trump is set on creating a new Middle East, for which he will be granted the prize.”

Some cynics point out the relative worthlessness of the Nobel Peace Prize saying that former US President Barak Obama won the prize just as he began his first term in office, but rather than bring peace, Obama brought about the disastrous Arab Spring that led to the displacement of millions of Arabs, many of whom are terrorists who now plague much of the Western world.

Meanwhile, according to Ynetnews, in the Gaza Strip, six people were reported injured on Monday Feb 2nd in three IDF strikes. The IDF said it attacked a vehicle that violated the agreement and drove into the northern Gaza Strip on a pedestrian path.

North

IDF soldiers in south Lebanon

The cease-fire, extended to Feb 18, is holding in the north, although Israel bombed targets in Lebanon’s Beka valley and suspected convoys on the Syrian/Lebanese border carrying Iranian weapons into Lebanon.

According to Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet an Iranian courier was stopped at Beirut airport carrying a suitcase filled with cash meant for Hezbollah. Another courier from Turkey was also stopped at the airport with a suitcase filled with cash.

Israel has seized strategic locations in Lebanon and over the objections of the Lebanese government has so far refused to withdraw saying that the Lebanese government and the UN have yet to take up positions in southern Lebanon that would prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding and rearming and repairing their destroyed tunnels.

On Jan 25, 2025 the IDF shot and killed 11 and wounded 8 in south Lebanon when a group approached IDF troops. Israel claims that Lebanon is not abiding by the terms of the ceasefire. According to Channel 12TV, Israel wants to keep Hezbollah from repopulating the villages in south Lebanon.

This, as Hezbollah supporters have reportedly tried to move back into south Lebanese villages carrying Hezbollah flags and posters of slain Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. Israel sees this as a provocation.

According to the Times of Britain, the head of the Lebanese Army’s Intelligence is South Lebanon, and other officers in the unit, were turning over secret information to Hezbollah, allowing the terrorist group to hide weapons near the border. Raising the question how much control the Lebanese army can actually exert in South Lebanon.

Also, Hezbollah operatives have tried to send drones into Israel. Israel’s Minister of Defense Yisrael Katz has warned Lebanon to keep Hezbollah reigned in or there would be ‘horrific consequences’ for Lebanon.

According to Ynetnews, Moshe Davidovitch, head of the Asher regional council and chairman of the Confrontation Line Forum said, “I will not call on northern residents to return to their homes. There is no livelihood there, there is no education. No tourism. No security.”

Over 60,000 Israeli residents of the north were evacuated from their homes during the war with Hamas and Hezbollah.

Syrian President Al-Sharaa (left) Saudi Prince bin Salman (right)

Meanwhile, Syria’s new transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa has flown to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to Ynetnews, Al-Sharaa’s visit to Saudi Arabia is widely viewed as a signal of the new Syrian regime distancing itself from Iran, which had been a significant ally of Syria’s deposed dictator Bashar Assad.

Since taking power, al-Sharaa has sought support from both Muslim and Western leaders, working to restore Syria’s ties with nations that severed relations during the civil war, which began in 2011 and ended in December 2024.

According to the Maariv newspaper, the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, that was hammered out with the help of US special envoy Anthony Blinken, has been criticized by Retired Israeli Navy commander Maj.Gen. (res) Eliezer ‘Chayni’ Marom, who served until recently as Israel's Northern Project Coordinator. Marom raised his concerns over Israel's current ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, fearing hidden concessions.

On the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, Marom voiced deep concerns over Israel’s approach, saying, “I have no idea how the State of Israel ended up agreeing to this deal. If we had simply run a basic war-game simulation, we would have realized that we were walking into a trap. Why? Because we locked ourselves into a fixed deadline.”

He then explained further that Israel should have said, "Look, there was already an agreement in 2006. No one has enforced it since then. So we’re holding strategic positions in the North, and we will enforce the agreement ourselves. Bring us an actual mechanism to uphold the deal, and then we’ll move back to the border."

"Until then—we stay.”

Marom pointed out that Hezbollah was simply a puppet of Iran. “Over the past 60 days, we’ve bombed targets across Lebanon, except for Beirut. We struck the Beqaa Valley several times, and they didn’t fire back. Why? Because their strategy is patience," Marom said.

Marom said Iran’s thinking was, ‘Let the Israelis bomb, let them stay 60 days, because when they leave, we’ll rebuild.’ And now, because of this deal, we must leave on February 18. There’s a fixed date. We signed it.”

Marom also issued a final warning about Hezbollah’s inevitable rearmament, stating, “We cannot stop Hezbollah from rearming. The Iranians are strategic, patient, and persistent. They will do whatever it takes to maintain control. For them, this is about religion and ideology, and they are in it for the long haul.

"Once we pull back to the border, they will start rebuilding exactly like they did before," he said.

Hostages

Handover of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud (center)

Phase I of the ceasefire is drawing to a close. So far Hamas has released 13 Israeli hostages, and five Thai workers, all held for nearly 480 days or more. Israel has released 583 Palestinian prisoners so far, some killers serving multiple life sentences.

Mass of Gazans surround white van at hostage release

The second hostage release became a PR circus for Hamas, as three Israeli hostages, held prisoner for 15-months, were led through what Channel 12TV commentators covering the event live called the ‘Via Delarosa’ the way of sorrow.

The hostages were surrounded by armed Hamas and PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) fighters who escorted the hostages, one at a time, through a veritable sea of thousands of Gazans who at any moment could have turned into a vicious violent murderous mob.

The terrorists made the released hostages appear on stage against a background portraying Hamas’ successes. The released hostages were also presented with a bag of “souvenirs” of their captivity, including a certificate as if they’d graduated from college.

Hostages holding Hamas bags heading to Red Cross handover

Prof. Roni Endevelt, a clinical nutritionist from the University of Haifa and a nutrition consultant for the hostage task force to the Jerusalem Post that,

“It appears that the returning hostages, both from today and previous, have experienced significant weight loss. The full effects will become clearer later, but the adrenaline from being released, along with the possibility that they were given large amounts of food or certain medications, could have contributed to their elevated mood and high energy levels.”

Prof. Endevelt said that in addition to psychological rehabilitation, special forces will be placed on restoring essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats to rebuild their skeletal, muscular, and organ systems.

Meanwhile, reports filtering from the interviews the hostages gave to professionals in the hospital tell a frightening story.

Hostage Gadi Mozes (2nd from right) and children shortly after release

According to Ynetnews, Gadi Mozes, 80, structured his days in captivity to maintain both his physical and mental well-being. He walked in circles, counting tiles to track his distance, and solved math problems to stay mentally sharp. For most of his 484 days in captivity, he was alone and kept a diary of his time in prison that was confiscated when he was released..

Mozes said he had limited access to outside information, but glimpses of his family on TV reassured him that they were fighting for his freedom. When asked what kept him going, he said the thought of reuniting with his loved ones was his main motivation, though he also experienced moments of betrayal, wondering why he and the others were still in captivity.

Keith Siegel in hospital with daughters shortly after release

Keith Siegel, 65, who holds both Israeli and American citizenship, was held in Gaza City for 484 days. He told his family that he was frequently moved between safe houses and tunnels. He said that his captors locked him in rooms or a toilet of an apartment to prevent him from being spotted if anyone entered. According to reports by public broadcaster Kan, Siegel initially believed his son, Shai, had been killed, until he heard his voice on the radio and realized he had survived. Siegel described the severe food shortages, recounting that he had to eat meat despite being vegetarian and that his last meal was a full day before his release.

According to the Times of Israel, during his handover to the Red Cross, Siegel appeared thin and pale but was able to walk, aided by masked and armed Hamas fighters. He was forced to accept two Hamas “gift bags” and a lanyard around his neck with a Palestinian flag and the insignia of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades. He was also forcibly paraded on a Hamas stage in front of a banner proclaiming “Nazi Zionism will not win.”

Siegel’s family said he was forced to write a letter thanking Hamas for his treatment. “Hamas terrorists forced Keith to write them a detailed thank you letter while holding him captive,” his family said in a statement. “This is just one example of many that demonstrates Hamas’s cruel and cynical behavior, and highlights the urgency of bringing all remaining hostages back home.”

Also, a report in the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat news outlet said that the hostages were all under the control of a secret Hamas group called the “Shadow Unit.”

The article described the Shadow Unit is a secretive Hamas unit formed in 2006 after the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive in Gaza for 5 years until exchanged for 1027 Palestinian prisoners in 2011.

The article stated that the Palestinian terror group required trained operatives to move Shalit from place to place without detection as they evaded Israeli attempts to locate him.

This unit was largely responsible for guarding the hostages abducted during the October 7, 2023, terror assault on southern Israel. Several of the secret unit’s operatives have been spotted at the site of hostage handovers. The article concluded that the unit played a large part in moving the hostages from tunnel to tunnel, apartment to apartment, over the last 15 months.

According to Ron Ben Yishai, “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 southern Israel in the future.

“However, while Lebanon has a government and army that are not in direct conflict with Israel and therefore accepted the demilitarization demand despite Hezbollah’s opposition, Gaza lacks any governing or military authority capable of restraining Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”

According to the Times of Israel, Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik Elgarat is also among those slated for release, angrily told a Knesset committee on Tuesday Jan 28th, “my brother was left to die,” citing Hamas’s document.

“It was possible to save him, if you’d accepted the earlier (May 2023) deal,” Danny continued, and lamented the government’s insistence on applying military pressure to Hamas rather than agreeing to a ceasefire deal earlier.

Danny Elgarat brother of hostage Itzik Elgarat

“Who will be held accountable for this decision that killed 40 hostages?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Gen (res) Tomer Hyman, former head of military intelligence, told a Channel 12TV panel that there was something called the “Trump Effect,” that pushed Netanyahu to finally agree to a ceasefire deal.

And, hostage negotiator Mossad chief Danny Barnea told hostage families on Monday Jan 27th, “this isn’t a complete deal but it’s the best deal we were able to get.” Barnea also said that bulldozing the ruins in Gaza could bury the dead hostages leaving their familles to an unknown fate.

Also, Adam Boehler, a former health care investment CEO and friend of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been appointed as the US Special Envoy on hostages. He will work with Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

West Bank

IDF destroys buildings in Jenin during operation Iron Wall

The IDF has turned it’s attention to the West Bank where nascent terrorist groups were gathering momentum in order to attack Israeli targets. The offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, was launched on January 21, and the military expects it to last several more weeks.

According to Ynetnews, Sgt. (res) Eviatar Ben Yehuda, 31, from Nitzan near the Gaza border, was the first IDF casualty of the operation. Sgt. Ben Yehuda was killed in Tammun, south of Jenin,when the vehicle he was traveling in ran over an improvised explosive device (IED). Four other soldiers were also wounded in the explosion.

As of now, the IDF has focused on the towns and refugee camps of Jenin and Tulkarem but is expected to expand the operation to surrounding towns and villages.

According to the Times of Israel, the IDF says it has killed over 50 Palestinian terror operatives in the northern West Bank since launching the major counter-terrorism offensive nearly two weeks ago. Another 15 were killed in drone strikes, the military says.

The IDF said that more than 100 wanted Palestinians have been detained, some 40 weapons were seized and 80 explosives neutralized in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tammun in the northern West Bank

The Times of Israel reported on Sunday Feb 2nd that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an emergency UN Security Council session on the “ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people” in the northern West Bank, where the IDF is conducting a major counterterrorism operation.

Politics

As the countdown to the end of Phase I of the ceasefire approaches, and the end of the 60 day ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon is already upon us, the tension is still palpable in Israel’s Knesset. Ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritch has said he would bolt the coalition if the war in Gaza didn’t resume after Phase I ended. His defection would cause the government to fall forcing new elections.

Smotritch is also pushing for the Trump administration to approve of the annexation of the West Bank. This goes against the Trump administration’s apparent plan to see a two-state solution in the West Bank in order to please Saudi Arabia and bring them into Trump’s vision of a “new Middle East.”

Some pundits say that Smotritch is suggesting that Trump recognize part of the West Bank as Israeli territory.

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir resigned his post in protest over the implementation of Phase I of the ceasefire deal with Hamas. He was replaced by Likud loyalist Chaim Katz.

Gen.Herzi HaLevi (left) Incoming COS Gen (res) Eyal Zamir (right)

And, Gen (res) Eyal Zamir has been appointed the new Chief of Staff of the Israel Military. Zamir is a former deputy chief of staff of the IDF and director general of the Ministry of Defense. He was one of the leading candidates for the position. Haaretz newspaper commented on Zamir’s appointment saying that the Netanyahu government had finally made a decent decision. Current beleaguered chief of staff Gen. Herzi HaLevi will end his term on March 6th.

According to Ynetnews, as chief of staff, Zamir will face the immense challenge of rebuilding the IDF after months of intense combat, implementing a long-term restructuring plan and preparing the military for multi-front conflicts rather than the traditional two-front model.

Zamir will also have to navigate the political and military complexities surrounding the draft exemption for ultra-Orthodox men, a contentious issue that has placed strain on the IDF’s manpower needs.

Sara Netanyahu (left) PM Netanyahu (right)

Also, on Sunday Feb 2,2025 the Times of Israel reported that a criminal probe has been launched into Sara Netanyahu’s activities because of allegations of witness tampering concerning the trial of her husband Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His trial has been dragging on for over five years. Sara is accused of threatening and harassing witnesses against her husband. Mrs. Netanyahu has been living in Florida with her son Yair for the past few months.

Following a request from MK Naama Lazimi, of the left-wing Democrats party, for information regarding the allegations, the State Attorney’s Office told her that a police investigation was opened into Sara Netanyahu on December 26, 2024.

The investigation is being conducted by the Israel Police and the cybercrimes department of the State Attorney’s Office. This follows a report by Channel 12’s “Uvda” program that claimed Sara Netanyahu ordered Hanni Bleiweiss, her husband’s late aide, to orchestrate protests and an online campaign against Hadas Klein, a key witness in one of the cases in which the prime minister is standing trial.

The prime minister’s wife Sara denies any wrongdoing regarding Klein.Sara Netanyahu has already been convicted of a felony for misusing state funds amounting to some $50,000 on catered meals while there was a full-time chef on staff at the Prime Minister’s Residence. She reached a plea-bargain with the State’s Attorney.

And Yitzchak Amit was finally named president of Israel’s High Court. However, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the mastermind behind the push for Judicial Reforms, boycotted the meeting where Amit was chosen, along with two other Judicial Selection Committee members, ultra-right wing MK Orit Struck and MK Yitzchak Kreizer.

According to the Times of Israel, on Monday Feb 3rd, Justice Minister Levin declined to sign the official announcement of the appointment of Justice Isaac Amit as the new president of the Supreme Court in the state’s ledger, with the director of the Israel Courts Administration, Judge Tzachi Uziel, signing instead.

Antisemitism

Creeping antisemitism. How pro-Palestinian reporters slant the news. Here are three reports, two from CNN and the other from NPR that show and tell of truly horrific scenes and conditions in Gaza. According to the reports, all the horror was inflicted by Israel. No mention of the what started the war: the Hamas sneak attack on Israel that slaughtered 1400 Israelis and took 251 into captivity in Gaza tunnels. Even the CNN report on the release of Israeli hostages avoids the gritty narrative of Hamas' guilt that brought on the war.

https://edition.cnn.com/.../northern-gaza.../index.html

https://edition.cnn.com/.../toddler-gaza-evac.../index.html

(https://www.npr.org/.../hostages-freed-gaza-israel...)~

Editorial

At each release date Hamas controls the narrative like skilled Madison Avenue advertising executives, giving the impression that Hamas is still a powerful and vital organization.

What they presented had a distinct circus atmosphere but one that could have turned deadly in a microsecond. Hostages surrounded by a sea of Hamas supporters could have seen their armed protectors overrun, and found themselves beaten and stabbed and then dragged to a crossbar and lynched. Or simply shot by a disgruntled Gazan.

The main circus, the release of three hostages on Thursday Jan 30, 2025, astounded the Israeli commentators during a live broadcast. The hostages were slowly driven, one by one, in a Hamas SUV to the ruins of what was once Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar’s home. Then, removed from the SUV, the hostages were forced to walk through a sea of Gazans protected only by a dozen armed and masked Hamas terrorists. Anything could have gone wrong.

Finally, two hours after their release, the hostages were turned over to the Red Cross, placed in white Red Cross SUVs and driven to the meeting point with the IDF.

Commentators said that this circus was a Public Relations bonanza for Hamas giving the impression that Hamas was back in control of Gaza.

“They squeezed every drop out of that turnip,” said one commentator.

Bad enough they’d kept the hostages in inhuman conditions for 15 months, now they made them the center attraction in a circus run by ruthless, heartless enemies.

In this circus, Hamas presented themselves as a strong, victorious ruler of Gaza.

The reality is much different.

Gaza Today

Gaza has been virtually destroyed. Much as Berlin was during World War II.

Gazans returning to their homes in the north turned around and headed back to the south of Gaza. Their lives in north Gaza were over, they said.

South Gaza was only marginally better.

Below are pictures not of Gaza but of Berlin. The destruction in Hamas' Gaza was a result of the Hamas invasion and massacre of 1200 Israelis and the kidnapping into Gaza of 251 on Oct 7, 2023. The Allies carried out horrific bombing raids on Nazi Germany during WWII. And the US wiped out entire Japanese cities with nuclear bombs.