Israel News for 5-20-2025
News Update
The White House confirmed U.S. engagement in direct talks with Hamas to release all of the hostages and end the war. The WH Press Secretary said, “The president wants the war in Gaza to end. The president continues, not just through his team but personally, to speak with the parties involved. He made it clear to Hamas that he wants to see all hostages freed.” A Washington Post report yesterday claimed that the White House issued an ultimatum demanding that Israel end the war or risk losing U.S. support.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Thani said that negotiations between Israel and Hamas have reached a dead end, blaming Israel. He said, “One side seeks a comprehensive agreement for Gaza, while the other insists on a partial deal. We have not been able to bridge the gap.” Meanwhile, in remarks made at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, Adam Boehler, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, said progress was being made. “We’re getting closer to a deal. If Hamas presents a legitimate offer and is ready to release hostages, we’re open to it. I do think we’re closer [to a hostage deal] than we ever were, and part of that is because of movement that the IDF and Israel did on the ground—it strengthens our hand.”
The U.K., France and Canada issued a joint statement yesterday demanding an immediate end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid. They accused Israel of withholding essential aid, calling it a potential violation of international humanitarian law. They also condemned any attempt to displace the population of Gaza. The statement warned of potentially imposing sanctions on Israel. Today, the French Foreign Minister reiterated the main points of the statement and France’s support of a Palestinian state as well as the threat of EU sanctions. Other Western countries and humanitarian agencies joined in the condemnation of the new humanitarian aid distribution system devised by Israel and U.S., saying that it is totally inadequate to properly service the Gaza population.
Meanwhile, the IDF offensive in Gaza continues, with hundreds of Hamas targets struck over the last several days. The IDF insists that it is taking great precautions to avoid civilian casualties as well as harming the hostages. Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 22, a combat engineer with the 601st Battalion, was killed in action in northern Gaza. Chirak was a resident of the Harasha outpost in the Binyamin region of Samaria and the son-in-law of Yehuda Eliyahu, director-general of the Settlement Directorate in the Defense Ministry. He is survived by his wife Emunah, whom he married just seven months earlier, as well as his parents and three sisters.
[No country can allow a terrorist army to exist along its border, especially one that perpetrated the horrors of Oct. 7. It simply does not make sense in any context or scenario, except for when it relates to Israel. It is immoral to allow Hamas to continue to remain armed and in tact in Gaza. The fastest and simplest way to end the war and the humanitarian crisis is for the nations of the world to join together and force Hamas to release all of the hostages and to surrender and leave Gaza. Forcing Israel to live alongside Hamas means siding with evil and darkness. The Jewish People have suffered the wrath of evil and darkness. Never Again.]
