Israel News for 2-7-2025
News Update
Israel is awaiting the names of the 3 hostages scheduled to be released tomorrow under the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Israel has urged mediators to prioritize the release of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, whom Hamas claimed were killed in November 2023, a claim Israel says is unverified.
Armed Hamas terrorists, along with thousands of Gazans, participated today in a funeral service for Marwan Issa, a senior member of the Hamas who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last March, that was held in the El Bureij refugee camp in the center of the Strip. Issa was one of the founders of Hamas, one of the top 3 Hamas leaders in Gaza and one of the architects of Oct. 7.
Israeli airstrikes hit multiple Hezbollah-linked sites deep inside Lebanon, including the eastern city of Baalbek, last night. The strikes targeted weapons storage facilities and newly established Hezbollah outposts. US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said at a Friday press conference in Beirut that the Trump administration wants February 18 to be the date that Israel completes its withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The IDF has established a special command to address potential threats in the West Bank. The newly designated force, which includes multiple reserve brigades from the Home Front Command, will be tasked with defending border communities stretching from the northernmost tip of the West Bank, through the Sharon area and down to Hebron.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi launched Joint Task Force October 7 (JTF 10-7) to seek justice for victims of the October 7 Hamas attack, disrupt Hamas-linked financial networks and address rising antisemitic crimes in the United States. According to a Justice Department memorandum released Thursday, JTF 10-7 will pursue criminal charges, including capital crimes, against those responsible for the attack, assist victims and hostage families, investigate U.S.-based Hamas supporters and funders and collaborate with federal agencies and Israel to counter the terror group. The FBI will provide agents, analysts and linguists with expertise in counterterrorism to staff the task force and the Treasury Department and IRS will collaborate with JTF 10-7 to track and disrupt Hamas’ funding sources, including financial institutions suspected of laundering money for the group.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Netanyahu gave a golden pager as a gift to President Trump during their meeting at the White House on Tuesday. The golden pager displayed text that read: “Press with both hands,” and was given to Trump on a trophy-style display with a placard saying: “To President Donald J. Trump, our greatest friend and greatest ally. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
