Author: AFSI Staff

Hamas is generating as much as $5 million a day from goods entering Gaza while rebuilding tunnels, accumulating weapons, and planning possible attacks on Israeli troops, including attempts to kidnap soldiers, according to separate Israeli television reports this week citing security officials.

Neomi Neumann, a former head of research at Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, told the Kan public broadcaster on Thursday that Hamas continues to exercise effective control over Gaza’s population through a decentralized system of taxation, aid distribution, and covert enforcement.

Neumann, now an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, estimated that Hamas earns between $2 million and $5 million daily by imposing heavy taxes on goods entering the enclave and exploiting humanitarian assistance.

“Everything that enters the Strip becomes a source of income for Hamas,” Neumann said in the interview. “It confiscates some of the humanitarian aid and sells the goods at high prices on the black market.”

AFSI Insight
Hamas’s reported $2–$5 million in daily revenue while rearming and plotting soldier abductions exposes the danger of allowing this terrorist organization to retain control of Gaza. Humanitarian aid and commercial goods must not become sources of funding for terrorism. AFSI maintains that there can be no meaningful ceasefire or lasting security while Hamas retains its weapons, terror infrastructure, and governing authority. Hamas must be completely dismantled and Gaza demilitarized before Israel considers further withdrawals or reconstruction. Israel’s security must come first.

Source:
Hamas Rakes in Up to $5 Million Daily in Gaza While Rearming, Plotting Soldier Abductions, Israeli Reports Say, by Debbie Weiss/The Algemeiner, October 8, 2026

More than 75 senior retired US generals, admirals, and military lawyers have signed an open letter rejecting claims that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, saying that the facts and applicable legal standard do not support such a finding.

The signatories, including retired officers who commanded US armed forces in combat, wrote in the October 7 letter: “As retired senior military leaders and legal experts, on this, the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 brutal attack on Israel, we reject claims that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.”

The letter states that a finding of genocide requires evidence of acts intended to destroy a protected national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, in whole or in part. The signatories said Israel “has neither intended to, nor destroyed, Palestinians as a group in Gaza,” and argued that the evidence points to the contrary.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes the statement from more than 75 retired U.S. military leaders and legal experts rejecting allegations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Their assessment reinforces what AFSI has maintained: Israel’s war is against Hamas and other terrorist organizations—not the “Palestinian” people—and accusations of genocide ignore the realities of a conflict in which Hamas deliberately operates among civilians. Misusing the term “genocide” not only distorts the facts but risks undermining the ability of Israel and other democracies to defend themselves against terrorism.

Source:
US generals and admirals: Israel did not commit genocide in Gaza, by Israel National News, October 7, 2026

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Tuesday for permanent Israeli sovereignty over territory held in Gaza and Lebanon, presenting territorial losses as a necessary penalty for enemies that initiate wars.

“A side that started a war and lost it will lose territory to the victorious side,” Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism Party, told the first National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) held in Jerusalem.

In his address, which came three weeks before Israel’s Oct. 27 general election, Smotrich outlined a postwar agenda combining territorial sovereignty, voluntary emigration from Gaza and greater Israeli independence from Washington.

“I demand that the State of Israel permanently apply its sovereignty over the territories it currently holds, both in Gaza and in Lebanon,” he said.

Smotrich argued that Israel’s enemies have been able to regroup, rebuild and attack again after previous rounds of fighting because they ended along the same territorial lines as they began. Territorial losses would impose a lasting price for aggression and deter future wars, he said.

AFSI Insight
Smotrich’s call for permanent Israeli sovereignty in Gaza and Lebanon reflects a critical lesson from October 7: territory surrendered to enemies who seek Israel’s destruction becomes a launchpad for the next war. AFSI supports the principle that those who wage war against Israel must face lasting consequences—and that Israel must retain the freedom to control strategically vital territory. The same principle must apply even more strongly to Judea and Samaria, the historic heartland of Israel, where sovereignty and security are inseparable. Israel should not return to the failed cycle of withdrawals, temporary ceasefires and renewed terrorism.

Source:
Smotrich urges permanent Israeli sovereignty in Gaza, Lebanon, by Canaan Lidor/JNS, October 6, 2026

Some 3,700 years ago, the Philistines of Gerar went after the patriarch Isaac, hitting him where it would hurt the most. They filled his father Abraham’s wells with dirt to drive him off the land. On Tuesday afternoon, on a hill above Alon Road in Binyamin, Isaac’s descendants met the same weapon in a deadlier form. A flock of sheep drank from a water trough that local residents say terrorists from the Arab village of al-Mughayyir had poisoned, and within minutes dozens of animals were convulsing in the grass. By evening, nine sheep and the dog that guarded them were dead, and more than 40 others were being treated where they had collapsed.

Local residents said a terrorist cell from the Arab village of al-Mughayyir slipped into the grazing area and poured a toxic substance into a water trough used by the local flocks, Arutz Sheva reported. Shepherds said the sheep began showing severe poisoning symptoms shortly after drinking. Residents rushed to the hill with veterinary medications. The shepherding dog drank from the same trough, developed severe symptoms soon after, and died. Security forces arrived and launched searches for the suspects.

Residents said Tuesday’s attack was the 13th poisoning in the grazing lands along Alon Road in the past year, and they attribute all of them to a cell operating out of al-Mughayyir. In earlier attacks, a few animals died each time. On Tuesday, roughly 50 sheep drank the poison.

AFSI Insight
AFSI views the repeated poisoning of water sources used by Jewish shepherds in Binyamin as a deliberate campaign of agricultural terrorism designed to drive Jews from their land. Thirteen attacks in a year—killing and sickening livestock—cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. The pattern demonstrates the need for decisive action against those responsible, stronger protection for Jewish communities and farms, and recognition that controlling the land requires protecting the people who live and work on it.

Source:
The Philistines’ weapon: Palestinian terrorists poison the wells of Jewish shepherds in Binyamin for the 13th time, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel365News, October 8, 2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the state memorial ceremony for the October 7 massacre at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, marking three years since the Hamas attack.

Opening his remarks, Netanyahu addressed the bereaved families and said that he and his wife, Sara, stood alongside them in their grief.

“Your grief is the nation’s grief. I know what a void has been torn within you,” Netanyahu said. “Everything reminds us of our loved ones: The empty chair at the table. A favorite food. A touching song. We will cherish the memory of each and every one of the fallen.”

Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu quoted the prophet Isaiah: “To give them beauty instead of ashes.”

“Terrorism will not extinguish the eternal light of our nation – the light of our loved ones who were murdered,” he said. “By their light, we will persevere on the path. We will persevere in reaching out a hand to one another. We will persevere in marching forward – for the future of the nation and the State.”

AFSI Insight
Marking three years since October 7, Netanyahu has delivered an unmistakable message: surrender to terrorism is out of the question, and there will be neither forgiveness nor forgetting. AFSI firmly stands with Israel in its resolve to bring Hamas and all those responsible to account.

To ensure long-term safety, the campaign must continue until Hamas is completely dismantled, national security is re-established, and the critical lessons of October 7 are fully implemented. Israel cannot allow its citizens to ever again be exposed to enemy threats without consequence. It is our prayer that this unwavering resolve extends to countering every Iranian proxy and jihadist group seeking to endanger Israel and its citizens.

Source:
Netanyahu vows at memorial: ‘No forgiveness’ for October 7 killers, by Israel National News, October 5, 2026

The heads of two Israeli regional councils bordering Gaza are demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly commit that Israel will not permit Gaza reconstruction or further IDF withdrawals until Hamas has been completely disarmed and stripped of its ability to rule.

Uri Epstein, head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, and Michal Uziyahu, head of the Eshkol Regional Council, sent the demand ahead of Sunday evening’s security cabinet meeting, according to Channel 14.

“We will not accept a return to a reality where a terror organization builds strength beyond the fence, and our residents are asked to rely on assessments about its intentions,” the council heads wrote. “The commitment to changing the security reality must be realized on the ground.”

Their letter follows growing opposition to plans being advanced by President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly supports the Gaza border leaders’ demand: no reconstruction, no IDF withdrawal, and no return to the pre-October 7 status quo until Hamas is completely dismantled. Israel cannot trade temporary promises for the security of its citizens. Hamas must be stripped of its weapons, terror infrastructure, leadership, and ability to govern. The lesson of October 7 is clear: Israel’s security must come first, and there can be no “peace” while Hamas remains in power.

Source:
Gaza Border Leaders to Netanyahu: No Reconstruction, No Withdrawal Until Hamas Is Gone, by The News Desk/ The Jewish Edition, October 5, 2026

When The Jewish Edition reported on the first 10 names released in the IDF’s “Press Files,” those cases already raised serious questions about the international media’s Gaza news operation.

It turns out those 10 were only the beginning.

On October 1, the IDF announced that following an extensive investigation, it had identified 170 Gaza residents killed during the war who were presented as journalists or media workers but had actually served in terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

According to the IDF, the evidence includes intelligence information, open-source material, interrogations, documents produced by the terrorist organizations themselves and documents recovered by Israeli troops inside Gaza.

The military has created a dedicated IDF “Press Files” database containing the names and photographs of those identified, along with their terrorist affiliations, positions and evidence that can be publicly released.

The IDF says the purpose of the disclosure is to challenge years of claims that Israel has been deliberately killing journalists in Gaza.

AFSI Insight
The IDF’s identification of 170 Gaza residents presented as journalists who were also members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other terrorist organizations raises serious questions about the reliability of wartime reporting from Gaza

AFSI believes international media organizations must be held accountable for their vetting practices. A press credential does not erase terrorist affiliation, and journalists who simultaneously serve terrorist organizations cannot automatically be treated as neutral civilian reporters. The international media must confront how terrorist propaganda was allowed to enter the global news cycle—and ensure that the public is not misled about Israel’s conduct in defending itself.

Source:
Did Your Favorite News Channel Hire a Journo-Terrorist? Check Out the List, by The News Desk/The Jewish Edition, October 1, 2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in an address to the nation late yesterday afternoon that it was an Israeli passenger who helped break into the cockpit stop an Omani terrorist copilot from hijacking an Flydubai plane carrying more than 100 Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

“Citizens of Israel,

This morning, there was a serious security incident on a flight from Dubai to Israel. Almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the second pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.

I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to dive. He told me that, somehow or other, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and that together they neutralized the stabbing pilot while he was trying to sabotage the plane’s systems. Another flight crew on board entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane.

I salute these heroes, who displayed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives. They prevented a huge disaster.

The plane landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All passengers are out of danger. The stabbing pilot was arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities.

AFSI Insight
The attempted attack aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight is a stark reminder that Israelis can face deadly threats even thousands of feet in the air. Only Hashem and the courage and quick action of Israeli passengers and crew helped prevent what Israeli officials say could have been a catastrophic disaster. AFSI salutes those who acted decisively to protect their fellow passengers and underscores the continuing need for vigilance against terrorism wherever Israelis are targeted. As Ben Gurion famously said ” In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles”.

Source:
Netanyahu: Israeli Passenger Helped Foil Cockpit Attack On Flight From Dubai, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, September 30, 2026

A group of House Democrats is introducing legislation that would sanction individuals and companies involved in establishing or expanding Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, while banning goods produced in those communities from entering the United States.

The bill, called the Stop the Settlements Act, is being led by Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Don Beyer of Virginia, Greg Casar of Texas, Sara Jacobs of California and Veronica Escobar of Texas.

More than 30 additional Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors.

According to the lawmakers’ official announcement, the bill would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities involved in establishing new Israeli communities or expanding existing communities and outposts in Judea and Samaria or Gaza. It would also prohibit the importation into the United States of goods produced in those locations.

AFSI Insight
This legislation is a dangerous escalation in U.S. pressure against Israel. The proposed Stop the Settlements Act would use American sanctions and an import ban to deliberately obstruct Jewish construction and development in Judea and Samaria—including strategically vital areas such as E1.

AFSI rejects the premise that Washington should dictate where Jews may live in their legal and historic homeland. Judea and Samaria are not foreign territory to be surrendered under congressional pressure. Economic warfare against Israelis for building communities must be opposed—not expanded. The effort should be recognized for what it is: an attempt to use U.S. economic power to advance a political agenda that would constrain Israel’s sovereignty and security.

Judea and Samaria are the heartland of Jewish history and an essential component of Israel’s security. AFSI will continue to stand firmly against efforts to freeze Jewish growth, reward territorial demands, or impose a Palestinian state through American pressure.

Source:
House Democrats Push for Sanctions on Israelis, Import Ban to Force Judea and Samaria Building Freeze, by the News Desk/The Jewish Edition, October 1, 2026

In a pre-recorded speech played at the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas presented an extraordinarily positive picture of the reforms he claims his government has carried out. According to Abbas, the PA has fulfilled the commitments it made to the international community.

“We have completed the national reform program to which we committed ourselves before our people and the international community,” Abbas announced. He went on to say that the Palestinian leadership had “strengthened institutional governance, public financial management, transparency, accountability, the fight against corruption, and the rule of law.”

Abbas also claimed that his government had established a “unified national system of social protection and welfare based on need,” continued reforming the education system “in accordance with international standards,” and was advancing “democratic renewal and the empowerment of women and young people.”

AFSI Insight
Abbas’s declaration of “reform” should not be accepted at face value. If the PA continues to support terrorism, promote incitement, and educate another generation against Israel, then changing the language or structure of its programs is not genuine reform. The international community must judge the Palestinian Authority by its actions—not its promises—and should not reward empty declarations with greater legitimacy or support.

Source:
Abbas tells UN reforms are complete, the evidence says otherwise, by Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute, September 28, 2026