Israel News for 1-28-2025
News Update
Tens of thousands of Gazan continue to travel back to their homes in the northern part of the strip. Those walking do not undergo any security checks. Vehicle are stopped and inspected by around 100, armed and highly-skilled, ex-military, ex-CIA U.S. contractors who have previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their mission is to prevent the flow of weapons and terrorists north. For more, click here.
Hamas has handed over a list to mediators that shows that 25 out of the 33 hostages scheduled to be released in phase 1 of the agreement are alive. Israeli authorities updated the families. A hostage cannot be officially declared dead while their body remains in captivity unless Israel obtains unequivocal evidence.
President Trump said he spoke to Egypt’s President el-Sisi about his suggestion to move Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries while the Strip was being rebuilt. Trump said, “I’d like to get them living in an area where they can live without disruption and revolution and violence.” He also said, “When you look at the Gaza Strip, it’s been hell for so many years…There have been various civilizations on that strip. It didn’t start here. It started thousands of years before, and there’s always been violence associated with it. You could get people living in areas that are a lot safer and maybe a lot better and maybe a lot more comfortable.”
[Everything Trump says makes absolute sense. The only catch is that the Arab nations benefit from maintaining the Palestinians in a state of suffering and misery, so that they can keep their own people angry at Israel and distracted from their own misery and living under dictatorial regimes. The Palestinian “refugee” problem could have been solved decades ago had the Arab nations wanted to. But Trump seems confident, and he definitely has a track record of making things happen that you wouldn’t think were possible, so who knows?]
The IDF and security forces continue anti-terror operations in Jenin and Tulkarm. At least 15 terrorists have been killed, over 40 injured and 35 arrested for questioning. According to an IDF statement: “Large forces are currently operating in the camp during the initial stages of the operation, which will continue indefinitely,” the IDF said in a statement. “This comes after dozens of operations in Tulkarm, Nur al-Shams and Jenin since the start of the war, aimed at dismantling terror infrastructures.” Much of the Jenin refugee camp has been destroyed.
