The History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-says-striking-hamas-targets-gaza-will-intensify-military-force-rcna196831

Israel launched extensive airstrikes in Gaza, the most intense since the start if the ceasefire. Israel claims the strikes aim to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages, while Hamas accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire and putting prisoners in Gaza at risk. Netanyahu’s government vowed to intensify military action against Hamas in the future. Gaza officials reported heavy casualties and destruction after the attack, and negotiations for a ceasefire extensions are uncertain.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/16/mahmoud-khalil-first-amendment-trump

Courts have tended to find that legal permanent residents like Khalil have 1st Amendment protections, but his detention and the case for his potential deportation rests on a clause that allows the Secretary of State to deport or deny admission to the United States to people who “compromise a compelling United States foreign policy interest.” The intention behind this piece of law and its use in the past was the deportation of prominent international political figures.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/protesters-take-trump-tower-nyc-demand-release-mahmoud-khalil-rcna196265

Body released by Hamas is Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, family says NBC News

This past Friday, The Bibas family confirmed and announced that the remains returned by Hamas were identified as Shiri, the mother of the Bibas family. This follows an initial return of incorrect remains, with Hamas claiming the error may have happened if Shari’s body “mixed” with others when they were hit by an Israeli airstrike. The IDF claims that Shiri and her children were inhumanely murdered, while Hamas claims they were killed by an Israeli airstrike. Shiri, along with her two young children, were abducted during the October 7th attack, and her husband was released separately in a ceasefire agreement.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-says-no-us-soldiers-needed-gaza-us-would-take-over-after-war-2025-02-06

It seems Pres. Donald Trump has decided that the US and his leadership would be best suited to rebuild and “handle” Gaza after the war. In a TruthSocial post, he claims, “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting. The Palestinians … would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.” He also claims that no US soldiers would be needed, which poses the question of how and if Palestine will willingly cede to Trump’s rule.

 REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/live-blog/trump-rfk-tulsi-gabbard-netanyahu-tariffs-live-updates-rcna190377

“Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and houses for the people of the area. Do a real job, do something different.” Donald J Trump God-King of the United States.

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Full video.

We live in hell.

According to AP News, Israel has released 110 prisoners on Thursday after 8 hostages in the Gaza Strip were released by Hamas-led militants. There were also reports of crowds of Palestinians, mostly relatives and friends of the released prisoners, surrounded/mobbed the busses carrying the prisoners. From AP News, “The prisoners released include 30 who were serving life sentences for deadly attacks against Israelis; seven were allowed to return to the occupied West Bank, but the rest were being transferred to Egypt before further deportation.” There is also an article on Aljazeera featuring breaking news on the same issue but with more commentary quotes from the people expressing their emotions.

Pictures and article are on AP News, (https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-01-30-2025-3cc7131495a60ce2bda73ca691abb7c8)

Link for Aljazeera article (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/1/30/sorrow-elation-as-palestinians-witness-the-release-of-israeli-captives)

https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0123/1492412-gaza-mideast

Newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed strong support to Israel on a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He went on to praise Israel’s actions against Hamas and Hezbollah. The article also goes over the recent ceasefire deal and Trump lifting sanctions on settlers.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/trumps-un-ambassador-pick-says-israel-has-biblical-right-to-west-bank

With Trump’s inauguration, there will be changes in the USA’s policy on Israel and specifically Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Both Trump’s UN ambassador pick, Elise Stefanik and the new US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, have supported Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Stefanik has even agreed with the statement that Israel has a “biblical right to the entire West Bank.” Huckabee has claimed “There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria.”

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-837718

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-hostages-01-15-24/index.html?t=1736963245098

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ceasefire-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-rcna160847

“The Israeli government and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will pause fighting in Gaza and lead to the phased release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, a source briefed on the talks tells CNN.” Becky Anderson in Doha, Qatar, Jeremy Diamond & Mick Krever

Unofficial announcement of a Ceasefire in Gaza and the planned release of the hostages on both sides. Within these reports still, you see the discrepancy in Western reports of the terms hostages versus prisoners as if the “prisoners” that Israel has taken are not also hostages. More information will be available about the specifics when an official ceasefire has been released.