Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday that the Civil Administration has declared 170 dunams (42 acres) of land surrounding the Herodium archaeological site in the Etzion Bloc as “state land.” This means land that is not privately owned can be used for various purposes including Jewish community development.

This news serves as a catalyst for transforming the Herodium site into an international tourist center, said Gush Etzion Regional Council Chairman Yaron Rosenthal. He added that it will “bring prosperity to the entire region” and is “a magnificent testimony to our historical connection with this part of the country.”

Smotrich has authority over the Civil Administration as part of his role as a second minister in the Defense Ministry. AFSI congratulates him on his tireless work and success in advancing development in Judea and Samaria, Israel’s heartland.

Source:
Israel appropriates 42 acres in West Bank’s Etzion Bloc, declaring it state land, by Jeremy Sharon and Sam Sokol/Times of Israel, April 1, 2024

The IDF summed up the results of the operation at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which ended this morning after two weeks.

“Over the last two weeks, the IDF and the ISA conducted precise operational activity against terrorist operatives and infrastructure at Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. The forces apprehended approximately 500 terrorists identified as affiliated with terrorist organizations and eliminated hundreds of terrorists in the Strip. The apprehended suspects were transferred for further interrogation to the ISA and Unit 504 in the Intelligence Directorate,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated Monday afternoon.

The forces found large quantities of weapons, intelligence documents throughout the hospital, encountered terrorists in close-quarters battles and engaged in combat while avoiding harm to the medical staff and patients.

Regardless of US support, Israel must enter Rafah, destroy the network of terror tunnels there, hostages believed to be held there and finish the job of eliminating Hamas and PIJ.

Source:
200 terrorists eliminated, 500 arrested in 2-week operation at Shifa Hospital, by Israel National News

Three people were seriously wounded in a terror knifing at a mall in the southern Israeli city of Gan Yavne late Sunday, authorities said. There had been growing concern that a relatively calm Ramadan period could give way to a fresh outburst of violence.

The attack at the city’s Friendly mall was the second of the day, after an off-duty soldier was stabbed and lightly injured at Beersheba’s main bus station.

The three victims, all in serious condition with multiple stab wounds, are two men aged 25 and 20, and a 17-year-old boy. The 19-year-old attacker was eliminated by security forces.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said an increased police presence and continued programs arming civilian quick response squads were needed to bolster the fight on terror. “We’re at war, and certainly the enemy has more motivation to harm us,” he said.

Source:
Three seriously wounded in terror stabbing spree at Gan Yavne mall, by Times of Israel Staff, April 1, 2024

The clarification from the USA weakening the sanctions against Israelis in Judea and Samaria is the second time that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has outmaneuvered American policy. Smotrich has now succeeded twice in his struggle against the United States.

Early last Friday, as a result of Smotrich’s threat, the USA unfroze the bank accounts of the Israelis on which sanctions were imposed. Previously, Smotrich rejected an American demand to transfer frozen funds to the Palestinian Authority.

According to Besheva journalist Assaf Mishnayot, Smotrich’s repeated success shows a significant shift in the balance of economic power between Israel and the United States.

It also shows that a representative of a sovereign nation will not allow outside political influence to dictate how to run its country.

Source:
Smotrich vs. Sanctions: A second victory for Israel’s Finance Minister, by Israel National News, March 29, 2024

An official in the American government claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office informed the White House that it would send a delegation to Washington to discuss the upcoming Rafah operation.

Netanyahu had previously canceled the delegation following the U.S.’s decision to allow the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister’s Office denied the report. “Contrary to publications, the Prime Minister did not approve the departure of the delegation to Washington.” Netanyahu said, “My decision not to send the delegation to Washington in the wake of that resolution was a message to Hamas: Don’t bet on this pressure, it’s not going to work. I hope they got the message,”

However, just today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the War Cabinet he will dispatch a delegation to Washington next week. No date for the meeting has been set and the delegation’s departure is not yet approved.

If Prime Minister Netanyahu’s message is a bit confusing, too bad! Israel is conducting its business as a sovereign nation as it sees fit. That’s the message here.

Sources:
After dodging, Netanyahu greenlights delegation to Washington, by. Ynetnews, March 28, 2024

Report: Netanyahu to send delegation to DC despite UN vote, by Israel National News, March 27, 2024

Three people were injured Thursday morning by gunfire after shots were fired towards a bulletproof bus transporting students and two cars near the Palestinian Authority Arab village of Al-Auja in the Jericho area. The attack was perpetrated by Abu Rida al-Saadi, a PA security officer from Jenin. Magen David Adom reported that a 30-year-old man was seriously injured, and a young man and 13-year-old boy were lightly injured. Reportedly, the injured adults were “peace activists” in their newly acquired bus.

The Response from the Heads of the Land of Israel Lobby in the Knesset to the terror attack this morning:

“Promote Israeli Sovereignty over the Jordan Valley”

The terror attack this morning in the Jordan Valley is a painful reminder that the entire Land is a battlefront, and that our enemies seek to harm us in every place in the Land.

The State of Israel should have applied its sovereignty over the Jordan Valley a long time ago. But after this morning’s terror attack, promoting Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley will also be a clear statement to our enemies during the war: The Land of Israel, in its entirety, belongs to the People of Israel.

Land of Israel Statement courtesy of The Sovereignty Movement on WhatsAPP.

Source:
‘Shoot and run’: Three injured after shots fired towards bus in the Jordan Valley, by Israel National News, March 28, 2024

Israel has decided to cut off all ties with UNRWA – Gaza headquarters pictured here – over their terror ties, a government spokesman said Monday.

“UNRWA are part of the problem, and we will now stop working with them,” said David Mencer of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, which operates out of the Prime Minister’s Office. “We are actively phasing out the use of UNRWA because they perpetuate the conflict rather than try and alleviate the conflict,” Mencer said at a press briefing.

Jerusalem revealed in January that an investigation into the agency had found that a dozen of its staff members had taken part in Hamas’ October 7 invasion of Israel, when 1,200 people were massacred and 253 abducted into the Gaza Strip.

Israelis have been protesting in front of UNRWA’s Jerusalem office for weeks, demanding that the agency be thrown out of the country for aiding and abetting Hamas. Now their voices have been heard!

Source:
Israel cuts ties with UNRWA, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, March 26, 2024

Message from the Prime Minister’s Office:

The US withdrew from its consistent position in the Security Council where it only a few days ago linked a ceasefire with the release of the abductees (Article 1).

China and Russia vetoed the previous resolution partly because they supported a ceasefire without the release of the abductees.

Russia and China supported the current decision, along with Algeria and other countries.

The US did not veto today the new text that calls for a ceasefire without the condition of releasing the abductees.

This is a clear retreat from the consistent position of the US in the Security Council since the beginning of the war.

This withdrawal hurts both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages, because it gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to accept a cease-fire without the release of our hostages.

Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear last night that if the US withdraws from its principled position, he will not send the Israeli delegation to the US to confer on the upcoming Rafah operation.

Source:
Prime Minister’s Office: ‘USA changed position, no delegation to Washington’, by Israel National News, March 25, 2024

In a significant development yesterday confirmed by Israeli officials, Israel has agreed to release between 700-800 jailed Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the release of 40 hostages.

The prisoners slated for release by Israel include hundreds serving life sentences for their involvement in terror attacks targeting Israelis.

This move marks a major concession by Israel, aimed at securing the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas since October 7th.

Upon first read, it’s mind blowing the number of jailed terrorists offered for release in exchange for only 40 hostages. We cannot understand or condone this agreement.

Despite the concessions, Israeli officials are reportedly ruling out any deal that calls for the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza, one of Hamas’ key demands. Israel might only be dangling a carrot here.

Source:
Israel offers to release 800 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 murderers in hostage deal, by Social Links for Ronny Reyes/New York Post, March 24, 2024

The Central Command filed a request last Friday against the ruling of the military court Thursday, which delayed the implementation of the administrative order against activist Elisha Yered until after Purim. After the holiday, a hearing will be held regarding his appeal against the order.

Honenu criticized the request: “This request is detached and is persecution for persecution’s sake. General Fox is busy appealing this decision, which allows a settler to celebrate Purim in his home and is clearly confused. Israel deserves better.”

Attorney Adi Kedar, who represents Yered, wrote in the appeal: “The appellant takes no part in violent action and there is no security reason justifying his removal from the area.” There continues to be “no new information about the appellant’s danger to the security of the region and that there is no justification for keeping him out of it.”

It’s high time to differentiate between who is a terrorist and who is not. That Israel knowingly treats someone like Elisha Yered as a terrorist is a disgrace. Continued actions such as this do not best represent the Israeli people politically or legislatively.

Source:
IDF appeals to bar activist from Judea and Samaria, by Israel National News, March 22, 2024