The United States, through mediators, offered Hamas terrorists free passage out of the Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza if they evacuated within 24 hours — that window ended last night. It is unknown how the terrorists ended up on the Israeli side of the yellow line, although the IDF reported that no terrorists crossed over the Israeli side of the line last night.
However, now that the 24-hour deadline has passed, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have given Israel the approval to engage Hamas targets if they are spotted on the Israeli side of the yellow line.
Meanwhile, Hamas released two more bodies to Israel, which have been identified as the bodies of Amiram Cooper, 84, and Sahar Baruch, 25.
Amiram was kidnapped alive from Kibbutz Nir Orz on October 7. He leaves behind a wife, four children and 11 grandchildren.
Sahar was taken from his home at Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7 and was killed in Hamas captivity on December 8, 2023.
May their memories forever be a blessing.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, arrived in Israel last night to meet with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, to see the work being done at the Civilian-Military Coordination Center at Kiryat Gat.
Caine and Zamir, alongside other commanders, discussed "regional developments across all fronts." Caine also toured Gaza from a helicopter.
America and Israel must continue to increase their work together to increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to fully comply with the agreement and release all the hostages.
Below are more key stories and links to share AIPAC social media content. We'll continue to provide the latest updates on our social media channels.
Shabbat Shalom,
Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy Communications
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Hezbollah is rebuilding its terror infrastructure
The Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah is rebuilding its arsenal and recruiting new operatives in violation of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.
“Hezbollah is restocking rockets, antitank missiles and artillery… Some of those weapons are coming in via seaports and weakened but still functional smuggling routes through Syria… [and] Hezbollah is manufacturing some new weapons itself,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
The Israeli Security Cabinet and other top security officials reportedly met last night to discuss the situation in Lebanon. "This is a significant discussion in light of Hezbollah's actions on the ground," an Israeli official said.
Just this morning, Israel eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in a drone strike in southern Lebanon who was involved in restoring the terror group's infrastructure.
The United States must increase the pressure on Lebanon to follow through on its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
Israel preparing to counter attacks from Iraq
The IDF and Mossad are preparing to counter threats from Iran-backed terror proxies in Iraq.
Iran has invested significant resources in its proxies in Iraq, just as it did with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Over the past two years, these terror groups have launched rocket and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. troops.
An Israeli security source warned that Iran’s terror proxies could even attempt a ground invasion beginning in Iraq and going through Syria to the Israel-Jordan border.
Trump pushing for Israel-Indonesia normalization
As the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza holds, the Trump administration is looking to expand the circle of peace by achieving normalization between Israel and Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country.
A senior White House official said it’s possible that both Indonesia and Saudi Arabia could join the Abraham Accords, a key priority for President Trump.
Indonesia’s leader, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, spoke of a need to “recognize and guarantee the safety and security of Israel,” and ended his speech with “shalom,” raising hopes of a breakthrough for peace.
“My judgment is there is good possibility, assuming the ceasefire holds,” of Indonesia joining the Accords, former State Department official Daniel Shapiro told the AP. “How and when that deal can begin to take shape — that remains to be seen.”
During his more than 2 years in captivity, Alon Ohel’s spirit and love for music didn’t fade. Today he is home in Israel and playing the piano again 🎗️🇮🇱❤️🩹
Hamas staged a fake excavation of a hostage's remains, whose body was recovered by the IDF two years ago.
The bodies of 11 hostages, including American citizens Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, are still being held by Hamas in direct violation of the peace deal.
📰 Israel’s innovative high-tech economy helps American companies stay competitive in the global economy, benefiting both nations!
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.
