Author: AFSI Staff

The Ministry of the Interior announced today (Thursday) the granting of recognition to five additional communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley: Havat Gilad, Eival, Ma’oz Tzvi in Samaria, and Tamar and Neve Gedid – Gadi Camp in the Jordan Valley.

Receiving the settlement symbol is much more than a symbolic declaration. It is the “final stamp” of the state, enabling the settlements to receive: direct budgeting – recognition by all government ministries and the allocation of organized budgets; infrastructure – direct connection to the “Mekorot” water system and regulated electricity; security – receiving a standard for ongoing security coordinator (Ravshatz) and eligibility for residents to carry personal weapons; civil services – receiving services from Israel Post and official educational institutions.

Minister Bezalel Smotrich added a strong political statement: “The settlement in Judea and Samaria continues to grow and flourish with full force. We are killing the idea of a Palestinian state and preventing the establishment of a terror state that would endanger Israel. I thank the Ministry of the Interior, the Central Command Chief, the Civil Administration, and the Settlement Administration for leading these efforts.”

The AFSI Chizuk Mission has visited Chavat Gilad many times. We congratulate our friends there and on the other four Yishuvim. We look forward to connecting with friends in Chavat Gilad once more during our upcoming Mission this May.

Source:
Smotrich’s revolution in Judea and Samaria continues: 5 settlements officially regularized, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, February 5, 2026

Hamas plans to continue having administrative control of Gaza, contrary to what the ceasefire agreement establishes, according to a leaked document shared by KAN News on Sunday.

The document outlines how officials affiliated with Hamas must act before the establishment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), including dos and don’ts to avoid raising suspicions with the new government. The document also states that NCAG members can’t be attacked, while activities must continue “as if nothing had changed.”

The document shared on Sunday was reportedly a secret memo only to be seen by Hamas officials inside Gaza, KAN explained.

Achieving sustainable peace necessitates that all parties involved comply with the established terms of the ceasefire. In the next stage of the peace agreement, Hamas has not yet demonstrated that it is a genuine partner for peace. Its primary objective still appears to be the complete annihilation of Israel. Ongoing breaches of the ceasefire must not be overlooked, and Hamas must be held entirely accountable for failure to completely live up to its terms.

Source:
Hamas document reveals secret plan to maintain control of Gaza admin. under NCAG’s noses – KAN, by Tobias Holcman/Jerusalem Post, February 3, 2026

Israel’s finance minister says Jerusalem will give Hamas a deadline in the next few days, ordering the terror group to disarm within two months – or be destroyed.

Israel is poised to give Hamas a deadline for handing over its arsenal, a senior government minister announced Monday, after which the IDF will launch a new campaign in Gaza against the terror group should it fail to disarm.

Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich spoke at an agricultural conference focused on pioneering farms in Samaria, declaring that the Netanyahu government is on the verge of “killing” the idea of Palestinian statehood once and for all.

“We are carrying out the final elimination of the idea of an Arab state—a terror state in the very heart of the Land of Israel,” said Smotrich.

“We are killing this idea, removing it from the table forever. This term will be remembered as a turning point that killed the idea of a Palestinian state and cemented our existence. We will also reach formal sovereignty, God willing.”

Turning to the ceasefire in Gaza, Smotrich said that Israel will issue a deadline to Hamas in the next few days, giving the terror group roughly two months to disarm, or else face a renewed IDF ground campaign.

“Phase two [of the Trump plan] is dismantlement and demilitarization. It’s a shame we didn’t start this already three months ago. After all, the only one benefiting from this interim period is Hamas—because it has a ceasefire, it’s receiving truckloads [of supplies], and it is gradually re-establishing its control.”

Smotrich predicted that Hamas would not comply, and that hostilities in Gaza will resume once the deadline passes.

“In the coming days we will issue an ultimatum to Hamas—on the order of about two months—to disarm. I don’t see that happening, and therefore I’m calm. We will not stop… even one second before Hamas is destroyed. There will be no Hamas in Gaza—not militarily, not civilly, and not as a governing authority. We committed to this, and it is the central goal of the war.”

This is not the first instance of Hamas purporting to operate as a humanitarian organization. Their actions consistently demonstrate the contrary: they are a terrorist entity dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish nation. The suggestion that they will disarm is naive, and the sooner the major world powers acknowledge this reality, the more favorable the result will be for all parties concerned.

Source:
Israel poised to give Hamas deadline for disarming – minister, by World Israel News Staff, February 2, 2026

White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, this time without Jared Kushner. He is set to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Mossad Director David Barnea.

The visit comes against the backdrop of contacts with Iran. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported earlier that Islamic Republic Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet Witkoff in the coming days. The meeting is likely to take place in Turkey, and ahead of it Witkoff wants to hear Israel’s key positions for the negotiations — namely, what Jerusalem considers a good deal with the Iranians.

Israel also has red lines on the nuclear issue, including a demand for ‘zero enrichment’ and the removal of uranium from Iranian territory. But the main concern is that the Americans may ultimately settle for an agreement that addresses only the nuclear issue, while sidelining two others: Iran’s ballistic missiles and its campaign of terror and support for proxy forces.

The concern for the safety and well-being of the Iranian populace is a sentiment shared by all freedom-loving people globally. Reports of the Islamic regime’s brutal actions, including the tragic loss of life in street suppressions, demand international attention and condemnation. The systematic silencing and slaughter of citizens demonstrating for fundamental rights and self-determination constitute a grave human rights crisis that cannot be ignored by the international community.

From Israel’s perspective, any potential diplomatic engagement or international agreement with Iran must be comprehensive, extending beyond nuclear concerns to directly address Iran’s documented pattern of state-sponsored terrorism. Overlooking or downplaying Iran’s destabilizing regional activities, particularly those directed at Israel, would be a fatal flaw. Such acts of aggression and support for proxy forces fundamentally undermine the prospects for lasting regional security and the objective of achieving genuine peace. For Israel, security is paramount, and any deal that fails to dismantle Iran’s terrorism infrastructure would be deemed unacceptable and counterproductive.

Israel is not seeking a perpetual state of conflict or diplomatic deadlock. A prolonged period of stagnation, characterized by ongoing threats and a lack of resolution, is neither beneficial nor desired. Instead, Israel seeks a clear path toward a verifiable and enduring agreement that safeguards its security interests and contributes positively to regional stability. The goal is to move beyond the current precarious situation to a framework that genuinely mitigates the multifaceted threats posed by the Iranian regime—both to its own people and to the region.

Source:
Ahead of talks, Israel sets red lines for Trump envoy Witkoff, by Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews, February 2, 2026

The Israeli government is preparing to normalize the status of 140 Jewish farms across Judea and Samaria, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday, as part of a larger effort to combat unauthorized land seizures by Palestinian Arabs.

“Anyone who seeks to see Zionism at its best—what deep commitment to the Land of Israel is, and what a true connection to the soil of the land looks like—will find all of this in the agricultural farms of Judea and Samaria,” Katz said.”

The development of housing is not the sole approach to constructing and fortifying the Land of Israel. Farms play a vital role in the ongoing existence of Zionist agricultural settlement, aiding in the prevention of encroachment on state land and enhancing security in areas that are at risk.

Join us on our next AFSI Chizuk Mission to visit and celebrate a sampling of these farms!

Source:
Israel to legalize 140 farms in Judea and Samaria, by World Israel News Staff, February 2, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel is entering a new phase in Gaza focused on dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and fully demilitarizing the territory — not on reconstruction.

Speaking at a press conference Netanyahu outlined what he described as the three pillars of Israel’s “absolute victory.” The following remarks are translated from Hebrew.

“Absolute victory rests on three things: the return of all the hostages, the collapse of Hamas, and the demilitarization of Gaza. That is the only way to ensure that Gaza will never again be a threat to Israel.”

Netanyahu said Israel has completed the mission of recovering the hostages and is now shifting its full attention to the remaining objectives.

“The next phase is not reconstruction. We have an interest in advancing this [demilitarization] phase, not delaying it. The sooner we do so, the sooner we will complete the objectives of the war.”

Netanyahu also addressed proposals regarding Gaza’s political future, rejecting them outright. “I will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza. It did not happen, and it will not happen,” he said.

Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will retain overarching security control across the region. “Israel will control security throughout the entire area from the Jordan River to the sea,” he said. “This is also true in the Gaza Strip.”

Achieving peace or rehabilitation is impossible until the Gaza Strip is completely rid of the threat posed by Hamas and it is prevented from regaining power. Netanyahu’s remarks further highlight Israel’s position that demilitarization and Israeli security oversight are critical prerequisites and not merely next steps for future discussions concerning reconstruction or political agreements.

Source:
Netanyahu: Gaza’s Next Phase Is Demilitarization — Not Reconstruction, by the News Desk/The Jewish Edition, January 27, 2026

Hamas is pushing to incorporate roughly 10,000 police officers affiliated with the terrorist organization into a new US-backed administrative mechanism in Gaza. The move is expected to meet resistance from Israel, even as the terrorist organization holds internal discussions over whether it would be willing to relinquish its weapons.

According to figures released by the terrorist organization, on the eve of the war in 2023 it employed 18,000 operatives across two policing bodies, Internal Security and General Security. During the war, 2,700 of them were killed, leaving about 15,300 operatives.

In addition, the police force mechanism included around 10,000 operatives before the war. During the fighting in Gaza, at least 1,400 members of the force were reported killed and 1,950 wounded. That leaves, at most, about 6,650 operatives considered fit for duty.

Are you interested in understanding the responsibilities that these reimagined Hamas police officers would hold? Is it truly necessary for us to speculate on this? One thing we are certain of is that Israel has not and can not agree to this.

Source:
Hamas seeks to fold 10,000 members into new Gaza administration, by Shachar Kleiman/Israel Hayom, January 27, 2026

Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil visited Israel this week voicing strong support for the Jewish state and is pledging to relocate the country’s embassy to Jerusalem if he is elected this October. He is running to oust incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

During the tour, the Bolsonaro brothers offered their support for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. “I want to express my full support for the people of Judea and Samaria for what they have endured,” Senator Bolsonaro said. “I give my full support to the people of Judea and Samaria.”

Eduardo echoed his brother’s comments, saying that the region “belongs to the Jewish people, for sure.”

“We know the historical reasons for that and all the other current political reasons for that. All over the world, people are demonstrating in support of Israel, because you are on the cultural front line. For more than two thousand years, as it says in the anthem ‘Hatikvah,’ more than two thousand years of values—that is why we are here, standing with you.”

We take great pride in calling the Bolsonaros friends of Judea and Samaria – and Sovereignty. Their dedication to the Jewish Nation State provides us with reassurance that there are indeed individuals who understand the truth about Israel!

Source:
Brazilian presidential candidate backs Israeli sovereignty in Judea & Samaria, vows to move embassy to Jerusalem, by World Israel News Staff, January 27, 2026

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