Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the return of the bodies of hostages Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas.

“My brothers and sisters, dear citizens of Israel. On this day we are all united. We are all united in unbearable grief,” Netanyahu said.

“Every home in Israel bows its head today. We bow our heads for the heavy loss of our four hostages. We all ache with a pain that is mixed with rage. We are all enraged at the monsters of Hamas,” he said.

Netanyahu continued, “The four coffins of our loved ones oblige us more than ever to promise, to swear, that what happened on October 7 will never happen again. The voice of the blood of our loved ones cries out to us from the ground. It obliges us to settle accounts with the vile murderers – and we will settle accounts with them.”

He quoted Psalm 94, Verse 1, which states, “El nekamot Hashem, El nekamot hofiya (‘G-d of vengeance, Lord G-d of vengeance, appear’).”

“Our hearts are broken, but our spirits are not broken. And with this spirit: We will return all our hostages, destroy the murderers, eliminate Hamas, and together – with God’s help – we will secure our future,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu’s words convey what is in our grieving hearts today and we mourn the loss of Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas. We are too angered and shattered to comment further except to say that this day is a horrifying and shameful disgrace. A 9-month-old baby had to be traded for many terrorist murderers so his pure soul could receive a proper Jewish burial in its rightful homeland.

Source:
Netanyahu: ‘The blood of our loved ones cries out to us’, by Israel National News, February 20, 2025

The Trump administration has completely halted all funding for the Palestinian Authority security forces, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing both US and PA officials.

This time, the administration’s decision comes at a crucial time as the PA is currently fighting to maintain its power and legitimacy. In December, the PA security forces launched a widespread offensive in Jenin to root out rival terror organizations.

“For years, it has been widely acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority educates, glorifies, and finances terrorism – but our recent research uncovered dozens of instances in which the PASF officers were actively engaged in murderous acts terrorism,” Regavim Director-General Meir Deutsch said in a statement.

The PA and their ruling party, Fatah showed their unity with Hamas by their presence at the “show” of handing over the remains of the murdered hostages today.

This is a long overdue development. Funds being used to drive out “rival terror organizations” is not what the money should be used for. ELIMINATING all terror and terror organizations is what the PASF should be using the funds for. Any funding to PA security forces should be for legitimate security purposes and not for perpetuating terrorist acts against the State of Israel. If they can’t do that, then all funding should cease. It’s a no brainer.

Source:
Trump Administration Freezes Funding to Palestinian Authority Security Forces, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, February 19, 2025

The renowned observation deck, known as the “Balcony of the State” in Peduel, Samaria, will be renamed in honor of President Donald J. Trump. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Samaria Council Chairman Yossi Dagan and the Peduel Village Committee, who described the move as a tribute to Trump’s unwavering support for the State of Israel.

“The Balcony of the State” is one of Israel’s most renowned and strategically significant observation points, offering a panoramic view of the entire coastal plain—from Ashkelon in the south to the chimneys of Hadera’s power plant in the north.

Chairman of the Peduel Village Committee, Itai Bracha, stated: “The Peduel community deeply values President Trump’s contributions to the State of Israel as a whole and to the settlements in Judea and Samaria in particular.”

You can bet the AFSI Chizuk Mission looks forward to visiting this site (as we have before) if not on our upcoming trip to Israel in May, certainly in the near future!

Source:
Trump’s Samaria Observation Deck Marks Israel’s Hope for Changes in Liberated Territories, by David Israel/Jewish Press, February 19, 2025

Israel’s cabinet meeting that concluded overnight Tuesday ended without an operative decision or vote, yet an Israeli source delivered a crucial message afterward: “Israel will enter negotiations for phase two of the hostage deal, while maintaining its commitment to the war’s objectives, including the elimination of Hamas in Gaza.” The cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct negotiations for the second phase.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized that the war will not conclude until Hamas is eliminated and decisively defeated, which formed the basis for this decision.

Meanwhile, phase one of the deal continues to progress. A secret appendix to the hostage deal revealed on Tuesday indicates that within two days, four deceased hostages will be transferred to Israel.

Reports earlier today circulated like wildfire saying that a Hamas spokesman said that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas are among the deceased to be returned this Thursday, however, neither the Bibas family has received official government confirmation on this. Along with a total of four remains of deceased hostages, six living hostages will be released this Saturday which ends phase one of the ceasefire deal.

Source:
Israeli source: Hamas elimination to continue as hostage talks advance, by Ariel Kahana/Israel Hayom, February 18, 2025

On Monday the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, signed an additional lien of 320 million shekels from the Palestinian Authority’s liquidation funds in favor of the families of terror victims.

This is the latest in a series of liens on funds from the Palestinian Authority, which prevents it from using the funds and designates the authority’s funds for victims of terrorism and their families.

“This is a necessary step in our national struggle against terrorism and against the Palestinian Authority that encourages it,” Smotrich declared.

Source:
Smotrich freezes additional PA funds, by Israel National News, February 17, 2025

UNRWA remains operational in eastern Jerusalem despite its outlawing there and throughout Israel last month, an Israeli radio station reported on Sunday.

Senior UNRWA staff have left Israel and Judea and Samaria because the outlawing of the agency risked compromising their freedom of movement, Kan 11 reported. The organization’s two headquarters in Jerusalem have also closed down.

But schools and other UNRWA facilities in eastern Jerusalem and beyond remain open and operational, according to the report.

“This is inconceivable,” Shai Glick, CEO of the human rights group b’Tsalmo wrote on X. “We will physically come there and close the place down no matter what happens! We will not allow terrorism free range in Jerusalem,” he added.

Source:
Report: UNRWA illegally operational in Jerusalem, by JNS Staff, February 17, 2025

During a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump reiterated his plan for the United States to take control of Gaza while the Arab residents would be relocated to Jordan and Egypt. The proposal, which the King argued would create political instability in his country and the region, came as Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas, threatening that “all bets are off” if it does not release all remaining Israeli hostages by Saturday.

After almost a full week of Trump threatening that all hell will break loose if all the hostages are not released, late yesterday, a Hamas official said that they will release hostages as planned on Saturday under the agreement already signed.

In his meeting with King Abdullah Trump reiterated his stance that the United States would take control of Gaza. “We’re going to take it, we’re going to hold it, we’re going to cherish it,” he told reporters.

King Abdullah carefully avoided engaging in the discussion. The king had to be cognizant of the $1.5 billion in annual aid to Jordan that President Trump is expected to dispense over the next four years. However, with all the eyes in the Middle East on him, including the “Palestinians” who constitute some 80% of his own country, Abdullah could not agree publicly to Trump’s demand that Jordan take in a million Gazans.

As a gesture of goodwill, King Abdullah told Trump his country would take in some 2,000 sick children from Gaza. “I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children, cancer children who are in a very ill state, that is possible,” Abdullah told the president.

The Trump effect is in action. He is calling for ALL hostages to be released by Saturday at noon and Hamas has relented but only to abide by the agreement now in place which means releasing another drip of hostages which is far short of Trump’s demand. Can we look forward to a favorable outcome for all the U.S. and Israel? Be sure to stay tuned to this developing story.

Sources:
Trump Does Not Take No for an Answer on Gaza in Meeting with Jordanian King, by David Israel/Jewish Press, February 12, 2025

Hamas official: Hostage release to go on as planned, by Israel National News, February 12, 2025

On Monday, enforcement was carried out on about nine illegal building clusters in Firing Range 918 in South Hebron Hills, near the Israeli communities of Carmel and Maon.

The demolition concludes a long process that began with demolition orders issued in the 1990s, continued with legal petitions against the expulsion lasting over twenty years, and finally, a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court in June 2022 declaring the building illegal and must be demolished.

Roi Drucker, Coordinator of Judea and Samaria for Regavim, said: “After more than three decades of state procrastination, we are witnessing determined action to restore justice, even within a complex reality and heavy international pressures. The State of Israel is taking responsibility for its assets, law, and mainly security, doing what it should have done a long time ago. Besides the Ministry of Defense’s activity, action from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required against BDS organizations exploiting the situation for delegitimizing the IDF and the State of Israel as a whole.”

Source:
Illegal construction demolished near Hebron, by Israel National News, February 11, 2025

A data analyses of some 1,500 articles about the October 7 massacres and subsequent Israel-Hamas war published by the New York Times revealed that the media outlet presented a narrative to its readership that downplayed Israeli suffering and focused little on Hamas atrocities.

The study was conducted independently by Edieal Pinker, a professor and deputy dean at the Yale School of Management, and published in SSRN, a journal for research papers that have not yet undergone peer review.

Ninety-one percent of the articles published by the Times on the conflict did not mention Israeli casualties sustained after October 7, glossing over the fact that dozens of civilians were murdered in terror attacks and by Hezbollah and Hamas bombings.

Not surprisingly, the Times statement did not directly acknowledge or address any of the data-based points around its coverage that were highlighted in the study.

We can’t expect a serious turnaround for the foreseeable future from the ‘Gray Lady,’ the nickname for The New York Times that dates back to the early 20th century. The ‘Gray Lady’ came to symbolize the newspaper’s commitment to delivering accurate, unbiased, and reliable news to its readers. Not anymore. They’ve come a long, long way from being a trusted news source, at least as far as we’re concerned when it comes to the truth about Israel.

Source:
NY Times’ Oct. 7 war coverage ‘distorted, imbalanced’ – Study, by World Israel News Staff, February 11, 2025

Israel conveyed a message to mediating parties regarding the emaciated condition of Or Levy, Eli Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami, the released hostages on Saturday.

“Following the severe condition of the three hostages and Hamas’ repeated violations, Prime Minister Netanyahu has directed not to let this pass and to take appropriate action.”

Noya Ziv, a protester at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, told TPS-IL: “They returned thin, emaciated, we must do everything to get them out. Those who returned told us that they prepared animal cages for them, that they were kept in animal cages, we must do everything to release them and for the world to wake up already.”

The released three hostages, who were held for 491 days in Hamas captivity, appeared thin and pale – though able to stand. They struggled with exposure to sunlight but were forced to cooperate and answer Hamas’ questions in Hebrew.

In response to the condition of the hostages, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “This is what a crime against humanity looks like!”

Despite the images of the released hostages’ condition, the release of terrorists from the Ofer Prison has begun. The Israel Prison Service was preparing to release 183 Palestinian terrorists, including several serving life sentences for murder. They have been brought to the main reception centers in the ‘Ofer’ and ‘Ktziot’ prisons where Red Cross representatives will identify each one.

You can be assured that every terrorist prisoner Israel releases received adequate treatment by Israeli prison staff. They are not going home emaciated or showing signs of having been viciously and brutally treated like Ohad, or, and Eli. The American Red Cross was nowhere to be found to provide and report on treatment for our Israeli hostages. Every rational minded and peace-loving individual who claims they have true concern about the human condition must demand total eradication of Hamas and an investigation into the accountability of the American Red Cross’s inactions. Then we can advocate for shutting down the doors of the American Red Cross. better yet, let’s ask President Donald J. Trump to execute a gut rehab job on this organization. Accept nothing less.

Source:
‘Crime Against Humanity’: Hostages Returned in Emaciated Condition, by TPS-IL, February 10, 2025