Israel at war day 478: What happened in Gaza, West Bank?

Gadi Shamni, former commander of the IDF Central Command, criticized US President Donald Trump's proposal for Jordan and Egypt to accept Gaza residents to enable the strip's reconstruction, calling it "not practical," in an interview with 103FM on Sunday.

"Let’s say the Jordanians and Egyptians agree to take in hundreds of thousands. Who will leave Gaza? Those who leave will be people with more resources and greater economic stability. Those who stay will be the problematic ones, the poor, the ones who, for 50 shekels a month, will turn to terrorism. So this entire idea of ‘population migration’—I think it’s impractical," Shamni said.

He elaborated on the broader implications, saying: "The Jordanians have been suffering for years because they already host millions of Syrian refugees. Strategically, moving refugees from Gaza to Jordan would create even more instability for a country whose stability is crucial for Israel. It is vital for Israel to have a stable Hashemite Kingdom. I’m not sure such a move makes sense from a strategic perspective. It would weaken both Jordan and Egypt, creating risks that are both dangerous and unwise."

Shamni also highlighted the lack of regional support for such proposals. "It’s indeed not feasible. Palestinians, by the way, are not liked by anyone—the Jordanians don’t want them, the Egyptians don’t want them. No one wants them. They want the problem solved, and as far as they’re concerned, keeping the issue in Israel’s court is the preferred scenario. Since Trump is a new president and intimidates regional countries, it’s possible they’ll stutter a bit. But overall, I don’t think this will lead to any correct or better solution."

On Friday morning in Petah Tikva, the Gilboa family’s home was filled with quiet anticipation. Noam Gilboa, 15, paced the living room, clutching her phone as the television played endless updates. Then came the news they had waited over a year to hear: her sister Daniella was finally coming home.

When the family saw her on television, Noam admitted, “Wow, I imagined her totally different. It brought back all the emotions I’ve had this past year.”

This moment of reunion, one of hope and relief, would not have been possible without your leadership, President Donald Trump. Your decisive actions helped secure the release of Daniella and three other young women who had been held captive by Hamas for 477 harrowing days. These victories, however, are only the beginning.

Yet the road ahead remains fraught with challenges: Hamas’s calculated manipulation, such as releasing videos of hostages thanking their captors in Arabic, reminds the world of the group’s continued attempts to control the narrative.

In one such video, Daniella is seen saying, “Thank you to the Al-Qassam Brigades for the good care,” while Naama Levy added, “Inshallah, may it be a happy day, the best day, and may we all be okay.” These carefully staged displays are a reminder that Hamas is not a trustworthy partner.

For the second time in two weeks that the new Syrian government has stopped weapons smuggling, the Syrian government says it prevented a shipment of arms to Hezbollah.

This is an important development. It showcases how the Syrian government is seeking to interdict smuggling and also the region that it is serious about it.

There is likely some implicit messaging in this to Israel that Israel can trust the new government in Syria to stop the flow of weapons.

The statement on the official SANA Syrian government state media is short. It says that “the General Administration of Border Security, following monitoring and surveillance, has seized a shipment of weapons destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. The weapons were being smuggled through the Syrian-Lebanese border via the city of Serghaya in Damascus countryside.”

The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad fell on December 8. A new government was formed under Ha'yat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani. He has been seeking to restore law and order and unify the country and its many armed groups and forces.

In Bnei Brak, extremist Haredi group Am Kadosh uses a modest office front that serves as the command center for protest efforts to shield young Haredi men from IDF enlistment, according to an N12 report.

According to the report, the organization runs a comprehensive operation that includes hotlines, educational materials, and symbolic rewards for those who refuse to report for service.

Simultaneously, a separate hotline, backed by Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Minister Meir Porush, advises yeshiva students to ignore draft orders, the report noted.

The Haredi draft has long been a point of contention in Israel, with debates in the Knesset over potential recruitment laws ongoing. Despite these discussions, organizations like Am Kadosh have taken measures to actively fight against compliance. Yehuda Blau, the organization's director, describes their headquarters as a "war room," asserting, "This is a war on the soul, a war on each and every one of us."

The group’s activities include distributing thousands of brochures with titles such as "Instructional and Professional Guidance for the Haredi Young Man Dealing with a Military Draft Order." The report alleges that they also reward individuals who refuse to enlist. "We send personal messages of appreciation to every young man who does not enlist or report," Blau revealed. Their representatives assure callers that as long as they continue yeshiva studies and heed their rabbis' guidance, they are under no real threat beyond psychological pressure.

US President Donald Trump spoke with King Abdullah of Jordan on Saturday. The phone call is an important first step in the administration's beginning to get a grip on foreign policy in the region. Trump has already spoken with the Saudi Crown Prince, and this is his first conversation with a leader in the region. According to reports on CNN, the US president has floated an idea for housing some Gazans abroad while Gaza is rebuilt.

It's important to note that the King of Jordan and Trump knew each other from the first Trump administration. The king was one of the first foreign leaders to visit Washington and speak to Trump, arriving on January 30, 2017.

Now, the two leaders have spoken about the future. It should be noted that the Jordanian king did not get what he wanted from Trump the first time around. On the contrary, he was concerned about the US moving the embassy to Jerusalem and other issues. 

This time around, the US president has a potentially bigger question than last time when the Jordanians were asking. “President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that he had spoken with the king of Jordan about potentially building housing and moving more than 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, a remarkable proposal from a sitting US president,” CNN reported. This implies Jordan should take in more Palestinians. Jordan already has a large population of Palestinians, primarily people who fled the 1948 war and also the 1967 war.

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of the IDF Military Intelligence Research Division, discussed Hamas’s refusal to include Israeli citizen Arbel Yehoud in the latest phase of a hostage release deal, as well as the broader implications of the agreement, in an interview with Maariv on Sunday.

“It’s hard to know what caused Hamas to violate the agreed terms, but they will clearly pay a price for it,” Kuperwasser said. “From what I understand, they likely faced technical difficulties in reaching Arbel Yehoud. I hope Israel’s response will push Hamas to take more significant actions to secure her release.”

He emphasized the need to hold Hamas accountable, stating: “Every time Hamas breaches the terms of the deal, we must ensure they pay a price for it.”

Regarding Hamas’s intentions, Kuperwasser said: “Hamas has an interest in at least completing the first phase of the deal, but they will also want to move to the second phase if it strengthens their hold on power and prevents their collapse as a movement. Hamas may take steps to appear as if they are relinquishing civilian control over Gaza, but this will not be a genuine concession. They will demand guarantees against attacks following the deal’s completion.”

Kuperwasser concluded: “Hamas’s main focus is its own survival; nothing else matters to them. While they prioritize prisoner releases, Gaza’s reconstruction, and humanitarian aid, maintaining their rule is their foremost concern.”

A new video has been published showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wandering around southern Gaza, his head covered in some kind of blanket that makes him look like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings.

The new video is supposed to portray the Hamas leader as fighting in close quarters with the IDF and convey to the audience the idea that Sinwar fought to the end with tier-one special forces operators. This is quite far from the truth.

The new footage is part of the documentary series What is Hidden is Greater, broadcast on Qatari state-owned Al-Jazeera. In the new report, a video shows Sinwar wandering around southern Gaza. It’s not clear why he is dressed the way he is; the report alleges that he is supposed to be disguised as an elderly civilian. According to the series, Sinwar is able to walk in areas where the IDF is present, including with a tank in the background.

New Al-Jazeera documentary shows their “journalists” accompanying Sinwar and other H×mas terrorists, during and after the October 7 massacre.

Al-Jazeera should be banned everywhere, just like it is banned in UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel.pic.twitter.com/zzDZ7fQZmn

— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) January 25, 2025

Four Israeli hostages freed from Hamas captivity after 477 days spent their first night in Israel reunited with their families.

The women—Liri Elbag, Naama Levy, Karina Aryev, and Daniela Gilboa—are currently undergoing physical and emotional recovery at Beilinson Hospital, which has been set up to feel more like a hotel than a medical facility.

According to N12, hair stylists and manicurists arrived at the hospital to provide beauty treatments for the women.

Medical professionals have emphasized that these treatments play a crucial role in their recovery, helping restore autonomy that had been stripped away during their captivity. Some of the hostages had been unable to shower or maintain personal hygiene for months.

While the reunion with their families was filled with joy, the challenges of reintegration are already apparent. Relatives have shared with N12 that one of the women, who spent months in a narrow tunnel alone, asked others she met after her isolation, “Are we alive?”

Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher, and Romi Gonen have completed their medical checks following their release from Hamas captivity one week ago, Ynet reported Sunday afternoon. 

Praise for Hamas’s ‘achievements and the capabilities’ during the October 7th terror attacks, justification of the massacre in Kibbutz Beeri, and ‘exclusive Hamas footage’ showing Hamas leaders Sinwar and Deif all starred in the latest episode of the documentary series “What is Hidden is Greater,” broadcast on the Qatari state-owned TV channel, Al-Jazeera.

Notedly, the show’s presenter, Tamer Almisshal, was mentioned in Hamas documents exposed by the IDF spokesperson in Arabic last October as receiving directions or requests directly from Hamas. The episode was reportedly supposed to be broadcast a couple of weeks ago but was postponed due to the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

During the one-hour-long episode, Almisshal boasted with what he described as access to documents, such as the war order from October 5th and ‘exclusive footage’ from Hamas, including scenes showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar hiding while dressed up as an old person, scanning maps with Al-Qassam leader Mahmoud Hamdan and supposedly planning an attack in Rafah, even overlooking an Israeli tank several meters away. Sinwar was praised by Almisshal as “fighting from zero distance” to the very end and showing a legacy of leadership.