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A diplomatic source said on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insistent on finalizing all the details of the hostage deal before bringing it to the vote of the Security Cabinet and the Cabinet.

“Netanyahu strongly refused Hamas’s demand to change the deployment of troops in on the Philadelphi Corridor and thus he is standing firmly against Hamas’s other demands today, which deviate from the understandings that were reached during the negotiations. It seems that this insistence bears fruit, but until the matters are completely finalized, Prime Minister Netanyahu will not convene the Cabinet and government.’

Earlier in the evening, Shas Party Chairman Aryeh Deri announced that Israel and Hamas have overcome the obstacles on the path to implementing the hostage deal.

“A few minutes ago I received a final message that they overcame all the obstacles and the deal is underway. Now they are dealing with the final technical wording. I want to congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu, he’s responsible for the deal,” Deri stated.

News is coming out minute by minute on the fate of this “deal.” Right now we can only be certain that Netanyahu will decide when to bring it for a vote. We can also hope that in addition to freeing hostages, Israel is getting a sizable benefit from this deal – most likely from the incoming US administration. Mike Waltz, Trump’s incoming National Security Advisor has stated that following the release of terrorists, if Israel needs to “go in again to eliminate Hamas we are with them.”

Source:
Diplomatic source: Cabinet will not meet until deal is finalized, by Israel National News, January 16, 2025

Residents of the Gaza envelope communities are enraged that the IDF has begun to build a high stone wall near Sderot, saying this proves that the army has not changed its old and failed security perceptions,

“As soon as I saw the wall,’ said a resident of the city whose son was murdered along with 1,200 others during the Hamas invasion last October 7, “I realized that nothing has changed nor will change here. We’re back to October 6.”

Yarin Sultan, a member of the Israel Envelope Forum, also sharply criticized the move: It is “another link in a chain of conceptual failures. The state continues to cling to outdated approaches that are satisfied with cosmetic treatment [of the problem] and do not provide real security to the residents of the south.”

The army said in response that the wall was being built so that train service can recommence to the town. “The IDF is working on a variety of efforts to enable the return of the train, including tailored military operations and an ongoing situation assessment,” said its spokesperson. This is with the understanding that this is an important strategic national infrastructure and a central factor in the process of restoring the western Negev.”

Source:
‘We’re back to October 6’ – IDF builds wall around Sderot, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, January 16, 2025

Only days before the end of his term and two weeks before the expiration of the previous order, Biden extended the order declaring a state of emergency in Judea and Samaria and allowing for sanctions to be imposed on Judea and Samaria residents for another year.

Biden stated there’s a “high level of violence from extremist Jewish residents, the forced displacement of residents from their villages” accusing it of being “a serious threat to peace and stability in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel, and throughout the Middle East.”

He added, “Israel has harmed the financial system of the Palestinian Authority. It still holds tax money that should go to the Palestinians. Israel is also increasing the pace of construction in communities in Judea and Samaria.

Thankfully, January 20 is four days away! Yesterday, US Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz announced that with the start of President Trump’s term next week, they would work to repeal the sanctions imposed by Biden.

Source:
President Biden extends order permitting sanctions on Judea and Samaria residents, by Israel National News, January 15, 2025

On Monday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, took to X/Twitter to condemn the latest ceasefire proposal now under consideration in talks in Doha, Qatar. He has threatened to oppose ratification of the agreement if it is brought to a vote.

Smotrich lambasted the deal, which would be implemented over three phases, as a “catastrophe” for Israel’s security.

“The emerging deal is a catastrophe for the national security of the State of Israel,” Smotrich wrote. “We will not be part of a surrender deal that would include releasing arch-terrorists, ending the war, and erasing the achievements that cost us so much.”

Smotrich also claimed the proposed agreement would “abandon many hostages,” a reference to the plans to release just 34 of the remaining 98 Israeli hostages during the first phase of a potential ceasefire, leaving the fate of the remaining hostages uncertain and linked to Hamas’s compliance with the truce.

Breaking this afternoon: Under the terms of the emerging ceasefire, it is expected that the first 33 hostages to be released will be humanitarian cases, an Israeli security source told The Press Service of Israel on Monday as reports swirled throughout the day of an impending ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.

Meanwhile, five Israeli hospitals were instructed to begin preparations to receive and treat the initial returnees.

How can Israel go along with a hostage deal that does not include every hostage? How can it agree to any deal that does not require the release of all the hostages before any sort of “ceasefire” goes into effect? Let us keep in mind that on October 6, 2023 there was a ceasefire in effect. What more do we need to understand what ceasefire means to these jihadists. We pray Israel will not give up the advantage it now enjoys. This is the same old deal we’ve seen before where thousands of terrorists go free but at what cost to Israel’s security?

January 20. is just 7 days away. President-elect Donald J. Trump has threatened “there will be hell to pay” if the hostages are not released before he takes office. Nobody knows exactly what he means or intends to do to confront this. We do know it would be preferred if all the hostages were released, all terrorists remained behind bars and Israel’s defeat of Hamas was completed. The same old scenario cannot continue endlessly.

Sources:
‘Catastrophe’ – Senior Israeli minister blasts emerging deal with Hamas, by David Rosenberg/World Israel News, January 13, 2025

33 Hostages Said to Be Released First in Emerging Ceasefire Deal, Forces to Remain in Gaza, by Pesach Benson/TPS, January 13, 2025

New field documentation by Regavim reveals that the illegal outpost of Khan al-Ahmar continues to expand, even a year and a half after the most recent developments in its legal saga. Since Regavim first brought attention to this illegal site 14 years ago, Khan al-Ahmar has become a central issue in the struggle over the Adumim Region and the broader area of Judea and Samaria.

The expansion of Khan al-Ahmar underscores growing concerns over the enforcement of legal decisions and the broader implications for strategic control in this sensitive region. As has been the case for decades, Khan al-Ahmar represents an existential battleground between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Located at the narrowest point of the peanut-shaped “west bank,” Khan al-Ahmar dominates the E1 corridor, which in turn dominates the future of a Palestinian State.

If Israel succeeds in evacuating the squatters from Khan al-Ahmar, it could finally go about constructing a sprawling suburb of Jerusalem, connecting the capital with the Maale Adumim region. As a result, all hope for a contiguous Palestinian State would vanish.

Regavim stated in a letter that “These new structures highlight the alarming trend of illegal Palestinian Authority appropriations in Area C,” the Regavim letter states, “particularly in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, posing an imminent strategic threat to Israel’s capital.”

Source:
Khan al-Ahmar Expansion Increasing 18 Months after High Court’s Ruling, by David Israel/Jewish Press, January 13, 2025

Just days before his term ends, President Joe Biden and top U.S. officials are being sued by US citizens living in Judea and Samaria following U.S. government sanctions on some residents of the area.

Jewish legal organizations, including The National Jewish Advocacy Center, together with two law firms, filed the lawsuit in a Columbia court on behalf of several American citizens residing in Judea and Samaria. Among the plaintiffs are Yitzhak Levi Filant and Isaschar Manne, both American citizens from Judea and Samaria.

The U.S. government sanctioned Philant in August 2024 for “malign activities outside the scope of his authority,” adding that ”in February 2024, he led a group of armed settlers to set up roadblocks and conduct patrols to pursue and attack Palestinians in their lands and forcefully expel them from their lands.” Filant’s lawyers claim he has never acted violently against Palestinians, and the accusations are unfounded.

The fact is that these “settlers” living in Judea and Samaria are Jewish residents of Israeli. They are not violent terrorists. They live, work and protect their homes, families and the land they are entitled to live on. The false accusations against Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria are being heavily fueled by organizations like Democracy for Arab World Now. This is an organization whose board members have ties to radical Muslim Brotherhood elements and have even praised Hamas. Need we say more?

Source:
Judea and Samaria residents sue Biden admin. for sanctions, by Nissan Tzur/Israel National News

The Israeli Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced the signing of two significant agreements with Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, valued at $275 million. These deals aim to advance domestic manufacturing independence and enhance local defense production.

The first agreement focuses on the supply of thousands of munitions, while the second involves establishing a facility to produce critical raw materials for Israel’s defense industry.

“We initiated this historic move before the war, but accelerated it during the conflict,” said Eyal Zamir Director General of the Ministry of Defense. “Under both agreements, initial capabilities will soon expand, ultimately achieving full independence in both areas. This is a key lesson from the war that will empower the Israel Defense Forces to continue operating effectively in all theaters.”

We applaud this much needed development. The more Israel takes control of being able to produce its own arms, the less dependent it will be on Uncle Sam, not to mention freeing her from having to appease the US due to political pressures. As Israel increases its ability to produce what it needs it will further its position as an independent and sovereign nation.

Source:
Israel advances domestic defense manufacturing independence, by JNS Staff, January 7, 2025

Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Thursday a compromise agreement on a new judicial reform proposal that deals with the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee and the enactment of Basic Laws.

According to the proposed outline, the committee will include three Supreme Court justices, two lawyers (one from the coalition and one from the opposition), two MKs (one from the coalition and one from the opposition), and two ministers. Appointing a judge to the Supreme Court will require the support of at least one coalition member and one opposition member. This means that judges will not be elected by a simple coalition majority, and at the same time, there will be no election of judges by a majority that does not include any representative from the coalition.

In addition, a Basic Law will be passed differentiating the passage of Basic Laws from normal laws. This will prevent the passage of quasi-constitutional legislation in spur-of–the-moment moves. There will be no judicial review of Basic Laws, except for basic laws that violate equality in elections, which can be invalidated by a three-quarters majority of the court’s judges.

If passed, these reforms would only come into effect in the next Knesset after the next elections. While a compromise, it should, we hope, ensure that Israel will not be governed by a juristocracy, but rather by its elected government.

Source:
Ministers Levin and Sa’ar unveil new compromise judicial reform proposal, by Israel National News, January 9, 2024

In an article published by the Wall Street Journal, analyst Amit Segal wrote that US President-elect Donald Trump needs to take two steps, the most urgent of which is to end Hamas’ systematic takeover of the humanitarian aid that Israel sends to Gaza.

Without the ability to steal aid and make use of the starving population, Hamas would be at the greatest risk of collapse, within weeks, he opined.

Segal also called on Trump to allow Israel to annex (we say RECLAIM) parts of the Gaza Strip, since in Middle Eastern culture, there is nothing that hurts more than the loss of land.

The worst result for Hamas, he stressed, would be for the war to end with Israel having more land than it had when the war began.

On all of this we agree with Amit Segal. As of this writing we are 11 days away from US President-elect Donald Trump taking office and it couldn’t come sooner. Trump has threatened to raise all hell if the hostages are not released and he is a strong friend of Israel. We eagerly await positive developments from his administration for Israel on many fronts.

Source:
Amit Segal to Trump: Allow Israel to annex parts of the Gaza Strip, by Israel National News, January 9, 2024

Three people were murdered and six were wounded when terrorists opened fire from a passing vehicle at a bus and a car on Highway 55 between Karnei Shomron and Kedumim in Samaria Monday morning. The fatalities were identified as Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein, a police officer, and sisters-in-law Rachel Cohen and Aliza Raiz.

The IDF stated, “Following the initial report, terrorists opened fire toward a civilian bus and vehicles adjacent to Al Funduq. As a result of the attack, a number of civilians were injured to varying degrees and are currently receiving medical treatment. Israeli Security Forces are pursuing the terrorists, setting up roadblocks and encircling several towns in the area.”

Since October 7, this area of Israel has become a ticking time bomb for terror attacks. It seems inevitable that this latest slaughter will force Israel to initiate a full-scale operation in northern Samaria. However, the only true answer to terrorism throughout the region is the full application of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. As long as this area remains under civil administration, acts of terror will continue. The sooner sovereignty is applied and enforced; the sooner Israel can eradicate the evil entities that seek to destroy it.

Israel will respond. Today, “The prime minister approved the operations to apprehend the terrorists and bring them to justice,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says after deadly attack.

SOVEREIGNTY NOW!

Sources:
3 murdered, 6 wounded, in shooting attack in Samaria, by Israel National News, January 6, 2024

Netanyahu OKs offensive and defensive actions in Judea and Samaria, by JNS Update Desk, December 6, 2024