Hostage families criticize Netanyahu's Shin Bet pick, aid trucks looted in Gaza

The IDF struck the "Al-Cairo" currency exchange office in Gaza City on Thursday overnight, citing the facility’s long-standing role in financing terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the military announced on Friday.

According to the IDF, the exchange office has been used in recent years to store and transfer tens of millions of dollars that directly supported the operations of these groups.

Originally operating under the name "Dubai," the office was renamed "Al-Cairo" in 2022 after being designated by the Israeli Defense Ministry as aiding terrorist organizations.

Throughout the current conflict, the IDF claims that workers at the exchange office continued to transfer funds to Hamas’s military wing, enabling continued terrorist activity.

In August 2024, a worker at the exchange, Tahseen Al-Nadiyya, was killed by the Israeli army after allegedly playing a key role in funding terrorist operations, the IDF said.

IDF activity in the Gaza Strip is expected to expand overnight, Walla reported.

Walla quoted the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, which informed residents on Friday that military activity, including sounds of explosions, will likely be heard overnight. 

This is a developing story.

The Hind Rajab Foundation claimed that Peru opened a formal investigation into an IDF soldier following a complaint it had filed. 

The complaint was reportedly filed by Julio César Arbizu González, who is described by the foundation as "a prominent Peruvian human rights lawyer and legal counsel to the foundation."

The foundation alleged that the IDF soldier "played a direct role in the methodical and systematic destruction of civilian neighbourhoods in the Gaza Strip during the 2023–2024 military offensive."

“Justice is not optional. Justice is imperative,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, Chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “This investigation marks a decisive step in the dismantling of Israeli impunity."

The Prime Minister's Office on Friday responded to criticism of the decision to appoint Maj.-Gen. David Zini as the new Shin Bet head to replace Ronen Bar, who was fired despite a High Court of Justice ruling that the decision was illegal.

The PMO stated that the designated head of the Shin Bet would not be involved in "Qatargate" investigations. This followed the High Court ruling that said there was a conflict of interest due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his aides' connection to the “Qatargate” scandal, which the Shin Bet is probing along with the police.

The statement said that during the war, it is inappropriate to settle for appointing an acting head of the Shin Bet, and that a permanent head of the Shin Bet must be appointed "as soon as possible."

"This is a top security priority, and any delay harms the security of the state and the security of our soldiers," the statement read. 

The statement continues that a successor of Bar must be appointed by the time Bar's term ends on June 15. According to the law, the appointment process for Zini as head of the Shin Bet will require the approval of the Grunis Committee for senior positions, and then government approval, the PMO said.

Over half of Israelis believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not pushed for a full hostage deal for political reasons, a Friday poll from N12 news site found.  

According to the poll, 53% of those polled believe that the government has not put forward a hostage deal because of political reasons, as opposed to 38% who said that they believed the reasons were substantive. N12 noted that among coalition voters, some 79% said the reasons were political. 

Of those polled, over half of the country believes that Netanyahu's goal for the war is to remain in power instead of winning the war in Gaza. Some 54% believe that the prime minister's goal for the war was to remain in power, while 36% believe that his goal is to defeat Hamas. 

Additionally, after Netanyahu's press conference on Wednesday, only 34% of the public said that they believed the prime minister's remarks, while some 62% did not. 

Maj.-Gen. David Zini, recently selected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the next head of the Shin Bet, has expressed strong opposition to hostage exchanges in internal military discussions, Channel 12 reported on Friday.

The remarks, reportedly made during closed-door meetings, have sparked concern among hostage families and added to existing criticism regarding his suitability for the post.

Zini also reportedly voiced his stance multiple times over the past year during deliberations about potential hostage deals: “I am against hostage deals; this is an eternal war.”

Hostage families, who are looking to the government and security agencies for renewed efforts to secure the release of 58 Israeli captives still held in Gaza, reportedly worry Zini's approach could impede progress. As one source told Channel 12, his views could significantly shift the tone and direction of future negotiations.

In response to Channel 12's report, the military stated it does not comment on statements made during internal discussions.