Israel at war day 478: What happened in Gaza, West Bank?
Civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud among six to be released this week • Israel will allow returns of Gazans to north
Hamas says it gave proof Arbel Yehoud is alive
Hamas said that it has proved to Israel that hostage Arbel Yehoud is alive and blamed Israel for breaking the terms of the hostage deal in an official announcement on Sunday.
"We are following up with the mediators on the occupation's prevention of the return of the displaced from the south to the north[in Gaza], which represents a violation and breach of the ceasefire agreement," the statement began.
"The occupation is stalling under the pretext of the prisoner Arbel Yehoud, even though we informed the mediators that she is alive, and we gave all the necessary guarantees for her release. We hold the occupation responsible for the obstruction in implementing the agreement, and we are following up with the mediators with full responsibility to reach a solution that leads to the return of the displaced."
Go to the full article >>Hamas to Arab media: Mediators working to apply pressure for release of Arbel Yehoud
Senior Hamas officials said that mediators are working to apply pressure on negotiations for the release of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud, according to a report from Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.
Go to the full article >>Bibas family: When Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were not on Saturday's list, our world collapsed
The family welcomed Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, and Naama Levy home while vowing to continue to fight for the Bibas family.
When the list of the names of the captives set to be released Saturday was published and did not include Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, "Our world caved in on us," their family said in a post on Instagram over the weekend. Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir - as civilian women and children, should have been released before female soldiers, according to the terms of the hostage deal.
Go to the full article >>IDF fires on 5 Lebanese who try to cross into Kfar Kila as 60-day withdrawal deadline expires
Shooting likely wounded some of those who approached
The IDF on Sunday morning fired on five Lebanese persons who tried to cross into Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon, given that the 60-day deadline for the military to withdraw passed earlier Sunday morning.
Go to the full article >>Defense Minister Katz begins interviews for three IDF Chief of Staff candidates
The selection process began rather quickly following current IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi's announcement to resign last week.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday announced that he has started interviewing all three candidates on his shortlist to be the next IDF chief.
While it was expected that Katz would move fast to select Herzi Halevi's replacement for the job, following the current IDF chief's announcement on January 21 that he would step down on March 6, the defense minister threw a wrench into the works at the end of last week adding dark horse candidate Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai.
Both the Jerusalem Post and the entire Israeli media got two of three candidates on the final list correct: Defense Ministry Director-General and former deputy IDF chief Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir and outgoing IDF deputy chief Maj. Gen. Amir Baram.
Go to the full article >>Hamas to Arab media: Mediators working to apply pressure for release of Arbel Yehoud
Senior Hamas officials said that mediators are working to apply pressure on negotiations for the release of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud, according to a report from Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.
Go to the full article >>'Hamas will pay for breaching hostage deal,' military expert says
“It’s hard to know what caused Hamas to violate the agreed terms, but they will clearly pay a price for it,” Kuperwasser said.
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.”
Go to the full article >>Trump: Jordan and Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza
"I’d love you to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza strip right now, and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess," Trump said.
US President Donald Trump said that Jordan and Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza when he spoke to reporters on Saturday.
Trump said he spoke about the matter with Jordan's King Abdullah on the phone earlier in the day and told him that the Gaza Strip is currently a "real mess."
He said that he told King Abdullah during the call, "I’d love you [Jordan] to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza strip right now, and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess. I’d like him to take people."
Go to the full article >>IDF Arabic Spox: Netzarim corridor to remain closed until hostage Arbel Yehoud released
IDF Spokesman in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, issued a statement to residents of the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning noting that the Netzarim corridor will not be available until the release of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud, he wrote on X on Sunday morning.
Go to the full article >>Trump releases thousands of one-ton bomb shipments frozen by Biden to Israel, official says
The delivery was frozen by the Biden administration in May due to the Israeli operation in Rafah.
The White House released 1,800 one-ton bomb shipments previously frozen by former US president Joe Biden, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday.
The delivery was frozen back in May of last year due to the Israeli operation in Rafah.
Later on Saturday, US President Donald Trump wrote that "a lot of things" were on their way to Israel in a post on the social media platform Truth Social.
"A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel but have not been sent by Biden are now on their way!" the post said.
Go to the full article >>Israel at war: What you need to know
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza.
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 at the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
- 90 hostages remain in Gaza.
- 49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says.
- The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30.
- The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4:00 a.m.
- Netanyahu confirmed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire on January 17, 2025
- 735 terrorists will be released as part of the hostage deal