Author: AFSI Staff

The source for this article was published before the recovery of Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili’s remains.

On Sunday night, PM Netanyahu’s office admitted defeat in its insistence that as long as the fallen hostage Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili has not returned, the ceasefire deal with Hamas and the process of normalization in Gaza will not take place.

The PM’s press release declared: “As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism.

Contrary to official Israeli statements, the question of how the Rafah Crossing will be operated has already been finalized. Once approval is granted, the crossing could reopen within 48 hours.

From the outset, many cabinet ministers opposed reopening the Rafah Crossing, and with it, the transition to Phase 2 of Trump’s plan. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called it a “big mistake and a very bad message,” urging his colleagues: “Enough with the naivete of Witkoff and Kushner.”

Minister Orit Strook added sharply: “We are transferring Gaza to the Palestinians—with the blood of our children. In the end, we will make a decision to send soldiers to fight Hamas, and then what will we say?”

It is important to remember that the disarmament of Hamas and Gaza is the mandatory next step. This phase does not involve rehabilitation. Although we have voiced our apprehensions regarding the 20 Point Peace Plan, progress cannot occur without the full surrender of arms. Therefore, we remain in a state of anticipation and will be watching developments closely.

Source:
Netanyahu Strong-armed by US to Reopen Gaza Crossing, Gvili or Not, by David Israel/The Jewish Edition, January 26, 2026

After 843 days, the remains of the last Israeli missing from Hamas’ October 7 attack was returned, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Monday.

“After completing the identification process by the National Center for Forensic Medicine in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of the abducted Ran Gvili, of blessed memory, that their loved one has been identified and is being buried,” the IDF said.

Source:
‘All the Abductees Have Been Returned’: Israel Confirms Return of Last Hostage, Ran Gvili, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL, January 26, 2026

The government on Sunday approved a proposal by Construction and Housing Minister Haim Katz and Settlements Minister Orit Struck to establish five new community settlements in the eastern Be’er Sheva metropolitan area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that one of the new communities will be named “Rannanim,” in memory of Ran Gvili, the last hostage.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the decision is part of a broader national initiative aimed at strengthening the Negev, reinforcing Israel’s strategic areas, and deepening civilian and security presence in the south.

Minister Struck said advancing new communities in the northern Negev is a long-standing strategic goal, adding that the project is intended to change the landscape of the central Negev and enhance stability in the area. She praised interministerial cooperation in advancing what she described as a key national objective.

Source:
Government approves five new towns in the Negev, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, January 25, 2026

The Board of Peace led by President Donald Trump is expected to present Hamas with an ultimatum demanding that it agrees to disarm in the coming days.

The new international bodies expect to complete the disarmament of the Gaza Strip within three to five months. Hamas will be given a short timeframe to respond on whether it agrees to lay down its weapons. The ultimatum will include an explicit requirement for Hamas to hand over all types of weapons in its possession, not merely as a symbolic gesture.

Senior officials familiar with the details stressed that all parties understand that full disarmament of the Gaza Strip and the stripping of Hamas of its weapons are an essential and critical condition for implementing the peace plan. Without this, there will be no progress in Gaza’s reconstruction, and the international community will not transfer funds for that purpose.

If the above mentioned scenario does not materialize, there is also agreement among the international bodies that Israel would receive authorization to disarm Hamas by force.

This will certainly be intriguing, to say the least. Nonetheless, we extend our profound gratitude to President Trump for insisting on the necessity for Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Strip to disarm. While we have significant concerns regarding the long-term governance of Gaza by the Board of Peace, the call for disarmament is imperative. No other leader has ever presented an ultimatum of this nature. With President Trump at the forefront of this new Board, we anticipate a resolution regarding disarmament, regardless of how it’s accomplished.

Source:
Board of Peace sets 3–5 month timeline for Gaza disarmament, by Ariel Kahana/Israel Hayom, January 21, 2026

The advancing of bills in the U.S. seeking to require the use of “Judea and Samaria” on official documents instead of the “West Bank” represents a strategic step in defending not only Israel, but the western world, according to Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

Dagan attended events in both Florida and Georgia last week as part of his “Friends of Samaria in the U.S.” initiative, as legislators pledged to advance bills on the issue in both of those states respectively.

“Especially after Oct. 7, we all understand that construction and sovereignty in Judea and Samaria are essential to the security of Israel and the United States, and we stand together. The bill recognizing Judea and Samaria is recognition of justice and of our shared values,” said Dagan following his stop in Florida.

In 1948 the term ‘West Bank’ was established only for political purposes. It is imperative that the authentic name of the biblical and historic heartland of the Jewish people – Judea and Samaria – is understood to be truth and recorded correctly. Nothing less than this fact should be accepted.

Source:
‘Judea and Samaria’: The push to rebrand Israel’s biblical heartland, by Josh Hasten/JNS, January 21, 2026

Sources in Hamas say the group is quietly weighing a dramatic step it has long rejected publicly: allowing some of its senior figures to leave the Gaza Strip as talks move toward the next phase of the ceasefire process.

One Hamas-linked source told the paper the move would be voluntary and carried out under specific understandings, with full coordination from Hamas’ external leadership.

At the same time, the report says there is resistance inside the organization. According to another source, several commanders, particularly within Hamas’ military wing, are refusing to leave Gaza under any circumstances.

If confirmed, the preparations would represent a sharp contrast to Hamas’ repeated messaging throughout the war, during which senior officials insisted the group’s leadership would not be removed from the Strip.

Hamas should move as far away as from Israel as possible! They can move to whatever country outside of Israel that will take them, but it should not exempt Hamas from fulfilling their ceasefire obligations. A crucial condition still on the “to do” list for any new location they inhabit, regardless of the length of their stay, is that they must disarm!

Source:
Hamas weighs moving senior officials out of Gaza – report, by World Israel News Staff, January 20, 2026

MK Bezalel Smotrich openly rejected President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan on Monday, marking a rare public split between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition and the Trump administration.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the establishment of the new town of Yatziv in the Gush Etzion area south of Jerusalem, MK Smotrich called for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip, promote mass Arab migration out of the area, and resettle the Strip.

“Mr. Prime Minister, it’s either us or them,” Smotrich said. “Either full Israeli control, the destruction of Hamas and the continued suppression of terrorism over time, encouraging the enemy to emigrate outward and permanent Israeli settlement — or, God forbid, the squandering of the war’s efforts and costs, and waiting for the next round.”

“We must explain to [Trump] that his plan is bad for the State of Israel and cancel it. Gaza is ours, and its future will affect our future more than that of anyone else. Therefore, we are taking responsibility for what happens there, imposing military rule, and completing the mission.”

MK Smotrich is articulating straightforward truth regarding the Board of Peace. According to the document, every country is granted a three-year complimentary trial—but a billion dollars secures a permanent position at the table. Money should not factor into the quest for an enduring peace in the region. Commentators have noted that this Board resembles less a reconstruction initiative for Gaza and more a dismantling of the United Nations. If true, given how corrupt and Israel hating the UN is, it may not be detrimental in the short term. Ultimately, Israel must be permitted to govern as it deems appropriate, particularly over land to which it holds biblical, historical and legal rights.

P.S. Let’s remember the “ceasefire” keeps getting violated and Ran Gvili is not home yet.

Source:
‘Gaza is ours’ – Israeli minister denounces Trump plan, calls to shutdown US army base in Israel, by World Israel News Staff, January 19, 2026

The flag of the State of Israel now flies over the remains of the former Jerusalem compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency – UNRWA.

The Israel Lands Authority seized the compound, located in Givat HaTahmoshet (Ammunition Hill), and began demolition of the buildings early Tuesday morning, escorted by Israel Police forces.

An additional UNRWA compound in Kafr Aqab is slated for evacuation as well. Both sites, which have returned to state control, are to be redeveloped for public use.

“The State of Israel owns the Jerusalem compound in which the Israel Land Authority is operating today,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“Today’s move does not constitute a new policy, but rather the implementation of existing Israeli legislation concerning UNRWA-Hamas,” the ministry noted.

The demolition of the UNRWA building should not be underestimated, as it signifies that UNRWA can no longer serve as a tool for Hamas. It has been a lengthy journey to reveal UNRWA’s genuine agenda, its corruption, and its profound connections to terrorism. With individuals like our colleague David Bedein, who dedicated many years to uncovering UNRWA’s activities and to halting the funding from the United States to this so-called “refugee agency,” alongside AFSI’s ongoing efforts to expose UNRWA, we experience a significant sense of vindication today. The truth regarding Israel has undoubtedly triumphed, and this particular propaganda instrument can no longer inflict harm on Israel.

Source:
Israel Reclaims Jerusalem: UNRWA Compound Seized, Demolished Under New Law, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, January 20, 2026

The Prime Minister’s Blocking of the Sovereignty Law, by Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar

Recent reports indicate that the Sovereignty Law, approved by the Knesset plenum two months ago, has been effectively blocked. Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz transferred the bill from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to the Knesset Committee, which he chairs- reportedly following instruction from the Prime Minister. The law is now frozen without debate or formal decision. This is not a minor procedural matter; it represents a significant national opportunity that has been lost, unless it is overturned.

As elections approach, the public seeks leadership that makes decisions. The people recognize determination and understand how to reward it. The choice is still open: continue hesitation or take a clear national decision. Israel’s long-term future demands the latter.

Source:
The Prime Minister’s blocking of the Sovereignty Law, by Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar/Israel National News, January 15, 2026

Israel’s security establishment assesses that even if a US strike on Iran takes place, there is no certainty that Iran will respond with direct fire at Israel, Kan Reshet Bet reported.

According to the report, Iran understands that firing at Israel would lead Israel to respond, escalating the regional conflict.

However, Israel is taking no risks, and preparations continue at the highest level, accounting for possible retaliatory fire from Houthi rebels in Yemen or Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The security establishment believes that if a US decision is made to act in Iran, Israel will receive early warning, allowing for appropriate preparations on the home front.

On Wednesday night, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issued a statement reading, “I am aware of the reports over the past day and especially in recent hours, and I wish to clarify: the IDF is closely monitoring developments. In recent days, the Chief of Staff has been conducting ongoing situation assessments. We are maintaining full oversight and are prepared for any development. The Chief of Staff has instructed to strengthen defensive readiness across all units.”

Iran is currently confronting its most significant challenge to date. Israel is maintaining a posture of defensive preparedness to address any potential threats to the Jewish Nation State. Both Israel and the citizens of Iran stand to gain enormously from a possible collapse of the Iranian regime. Are the days of the Ayatollah numbered? Is the United States playing a deception game with Iran? At this moment, it appears to be a wait and see game, one in which we hope good prevails over evil.

Source:
Security echelon estimates: US strike won’t necessarily lead to attack on Israel, by Israel National News, January 15, 2026