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Dear A.,
Today, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the Gaza Strip and put out a
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statement responding to the increased criticisms against Israel from the international community:
"I spoke to commanders and soldiers of the IDF on the frontline fighting to bring our hostages home, and to remove Hamas’ vast terror network and tunnels aimed at killing our citizens.
"I received a full and detailed update on the extensive efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza – despite the danger, despite the pain of knowing our hostages are still held in brutal captivity.
"I asked many questions and verified facts. What is absolutely clear is that the true obstacle to humanitarian relief is Hamas. Huge quantities of aid are flowing in – in conjunction with UN and EU efforts agreed by Israel. Hamas loots the aid and prevents its proper distribution. All this whilst the GHF distribution is also being procured.
"Let’s be clear: It is the terrorists of Hamas – hijacking aid, and refusing to agree to a hostage release and ceasefire – who are kidnapping the civilian Gaza population and subjecting them to their tragic suffering.
"Israel is adamantly committed to the rules of international humanitarian law. Even in the midst of war, we are doing everything possible to help civilians in need - in keeping with international law, and our Israeli and Jewish values.
"I urge leaders from around the world to look at the facts, to see the reality. The international community must stop playing along with Hamas propaganda, lies, and modern-day blood libels, state firmly the demand for the immediate release of our hostages, and hold Hamas accountable for its crimes against both Israelis and Palestinians."
Meanwhile, as Hamas continues to undermine aid efforts and the international community refuses to cooperate, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has now
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distributed 87 million meals in Gaza, including more than two million yesterday alone.
"With nearly 87 million meals now delivered across Gaza, we’ve built a system that works in a place where nearly everything else has broken down. But no one organization can meet this moment alone. We continue to call upon the global humanitarian community, including the United Nations, to step up and help us scale our operations to feed more people," GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree said.
Highlighting Hamas' depravity and abuse of aid, the IDF released footage showing senior Hamas terrorists hiding in terror tunnels with ample food, as the terror group works to block aid from getting to civilians.
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Hamas terrorists show off their supplies of food in a video released by the IDF.
"The spread shown [in the video] is not part of the humanitarian aid delivered. As Hamas hoards resources and hides underground, civilians above suffer the consequences of Hamas’ actions," the IDF
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said .
The U.S. must continue to stand with Israel and support efforts to deliver aid to Gazans in a manner that does not benefit Hamas.
Tell Your House Member: Condemn "Globalize the Intifada"
Reps. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) are leading a resolution to condemn calls to "Globalize the Intifada" – a phrase used to incite violence against Israelis and Jews around the world.
Take 30 seconds to tell your House member to cosponsor this bipartisan resolution.
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Witkoff heading to Rome for hostage negotiations
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is
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expected to meet with senior Qatari and Israeli officials in Rome tomorrow to help advance ongoing hostage-ceasefire negotiations.
According to Axios, the meeting could be a signal that an agreement is close, adding that if sufficient progress is made, Witkoff will head to Qatar later in the week to conclude the agreement.
The deal on the table, already agreed to by Israel,
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would see Hamas release 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 murdered hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons, and a surge in humanitarian aid.
Hamas today
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reportedly gave a "disappointing" response to the latest proposal, continuing to refuse to accept the agreement.
Aid distribution is
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reportedly a key sticking point in the negotiations, as Hamas seeks to ensure the United Nations and affiliated NGOs, which routinely collaborate with Hamas, control the aid entering Gaza.
Hamas is also demanding the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) be entirely excluded from aid efforts, demonstrating the threat GHF poses to Hamas' power in Gaza.
"It is the success of GHF, by getting meals in at that number is a tremendous success, that has removed the power and the influence of Hamas financially and with using aid and food, as a weapon itself to control people," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said yesterday.
The United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to release all 50 hostages, including 2 Americans, still held in captivity in Gaza.
U.S. mediating Israel-Syria meeting
The United States is expected to
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facilitate a meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials tomorrow to help resolve tensions over the security situation in southern Syria.
This will be the first meeting between U.S., Israeli and Syrian officials since jihadist forces attacked the Druze minority community in southern Syria, prompting Israeli airstrikes to stop the attacks.
Trump comments on Iran nuclear negotiations as regime tests rocket
President Trump has
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reportedly said that he is not interested in persuading Iran to come back to the nuclear negotiating table. "If they want to come—they are welcome. But we are not going to try and convince or beg them to do so," the president said in several discussions, according to two sources who spoke with The Jerusalem Post.
Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that Iran "cannot give up our right to enrich uranium," one of President Trump's key red lines.
President Trump responded on social media, saying, "If necessary—we will strike the nuclear sites again."
Meanwhile, on Monday, for the first time since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, Iran
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conducted a suborbital test flight of one of its satellite-carrying rockets.
"Iran’s 'space program' is nothing more than a ridiculous charade designed to hide their efforts to develop long-range ballistic missiles to attack America and our allies. Don’t be fooled by their propaganda,"
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said Senator Tom Cotton.
The United States must continue to stand with Israel and ensure that Iran is permanently and verifiably prevented from enriching uranium and that its ballistic missile program is dismantled.
House Foreign Affairs Committee passes important pro-Israel bills
Yesterday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to advance several key pieces of
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pro-Israel legislation .
The first bill, led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), would accelerate arms sales to Abraham Accords partners that work with the U.S. to help counter Iran and its terrorist proxies.
A second bipartisan bill, led by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), would require a review of the U.S.-South Africa relationship, given South Africa’s deepening ties to Iran, China and Russia, and its outrageous and baseless genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
A third bill, led by Reps. Bill Keating (D-MA) and Joe Wilson (R-SC), requires the administration to develop a strategy to prevent Iran from obtaining American technology for use in the regime's drones, used to attack Israel and Ukraine.
AIPAC thanks Republicans and Democrats in Congress for advancing these important bills.
PICTURE OF THE DAY
Averu Mengistu released from hospital
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Avera Mengistu, freed from Hamas captivity earlier this year after more than a decade as a hostage in Gaza, was discharged from the hospital yesterday after five months of treatment.
Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.
Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy Communications
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Support our work to keep Israel safe.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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