I hope you are doing well. To those celebrating Passover or Easter – wishing you a joyful and meaningful celebration.

I’m writing as a J Street advocacy leader to share important updates from the region as well as J Street’s statements and resources from the past week. This week, Hamas rejected a proposed ceasefire as far-right Israeli lawmakers pushed for deeper incursions into Gaza. Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis reached its worst point since the war began, with the UN warning of severe malnutrition among children as aid remains blocked; and amid growing disillusionment, thousands of Israeli reservists condemned the government’s decision to resume fighting in Gaza.

You can find more on each of these developments and others below, along with our most recent statements here.

Please feel free to reach out to your J Street Public Affairs staff if you have any questions.

All the best,
Lily

—
Lily Adelstein
She/Her
Deputy Director of Government Affairs, J Street
Cell: 202-699-2701
J Street’s Congressional Resource Page

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Hamas rejects ceasefire offer as far-right Israeli lawmakers call for escalation in Gaza

Hamas has rejected the Israeli ceasefire offer presented earlier this week, according to a senior Hamas official, instead calling for a “comprehensive” proposal to end the war. The official told CNN, “The offer is rejected in full and in detail.” The rejection prompted far-right Israeli lawmakers to issue calls for an immediate escalation in Gaza, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to unleash “hell” and pursue “complete victory.” The Israeli ceasefire proposal did not guarantee an end to the war and called for a disarmament of Gaza, both of which have been red lines for Hamas. The militant organization refuses to give up its weapons and demands that any proposal includes a permanent end to the war.

Israeli troops will remain in Gaza ‘security zones’ after war, minister says

Israel’s defence minister has said troops will remain in so-called security zones they have established by seizing large areas of Gaza even after an end to the war. Israel Katz said the zones would provide a “buffer” to protect Israeli communities “in any temporary or permanent situation”, and that “tens of per cent” of the Palestinian territory had been added since the Israeli offensive resumed three weeks ago. Israel would continue its six-week blockade of humanitarian aid to pressure Hamas to release hostages, he said, despite the UN warning of “devastating” consequences. On Wednesday Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) became the latest international organisation to sound alarm at the impact of Israel’s campaign, saying that Gaza had been “turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance.”

Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis at Its Worst Since War Began, With Thousands of Children Severely Malnourished, UN Says

Thousands of children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition, according to a United Nations report issued Tuesday, after Israel cut off humanitarian aid and all food shipments to the enclave six weeks ago. After coming under right-wing criticism for publicly discussing plans for humanitarian aid distribution, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel has no intention of resuming food or other deliveries to Gaza’s civilian population in the near future. With the UN now describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as the worst since the war began, experts are warning of impending famine and mass death.

IDF kills Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion chief, a week after eliminating his predecessor

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday killed the latest commander of Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion, Muhammad al-Ajlah — the fifth leader of the battalion to be killed by the Israel Defense Forces in the ongoing war against the terror group. The IDF announced Ajlah’s killing on Tuesday, after earlier announcing the killing of another Hamas commander who had participated in the group’s October 7, 2023, attack as well as in a propaganda ceremony surrounding the release of three Israeli hostages… Before taking the helm of the battalion, Ajlah headed its combat support company, where he was responsible for “arming the battalion’s terrorists with weapons used to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the IDF said in a statement.

Trump Waved Off Israeli Strike After Divisions Emerged in His Administration

Israel had planned to strike Iranian nuclear sites as soon as next month but was waved off by President Trump in recent weeks in favor of negotiating a deal with Tehran to limit its nuclear program, according to administration officials and others briefed on the discussions. Mr. Trump made his decision after months of internal debate over whether to pursue diplomacy or support Israel in seeking to set back Iran’s ability to build a bomb, at a time when Iran has been weakened militarily and economically. The debate highlighted fault lines between historically hawkish American cabinet officials and other aides more skeptical that a military assault on Iran could destroy the country’s nuclear ambitions and avoid a larger war. It resulted in a rough consensus, for now, against military action, with Iran signaling a willingness to negotiate.

Thousands of Israeli reservists condemn leadership for return to war

In the past few days, veterans, reservists, ex-spies and military officers, academics and former diplomats have all appealed to Israel’s leadership, penning open letters critical of the war. It began last week when nearly 1,000 air force pilots — some reservists and some retired — urged the military to secure a deal with Hamas to release the remaining hostages, even if it means withdrawing completely from Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces responded by saying that anyone who signed the letter would be fired, and Netanyahu slammed the signatories as “an extreme fringe group that is once again trying to break Israeli society from within.” But the floodgates had already been opened, and more than 10,000 Israelis — from paratrooper and tank corps reservists to doctors and educators — have since issued similar calls, including in solidarity with the pilots. Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on the letters.

IDF says Houthi missile intercepted by air defenses

A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses, the military says. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage in the attack. Sirens had sounded across central Israel, in the Jerusalem area, and in some West Bank settlements. Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched more than 20 ballistic missiles and several drones at Israel. Only half of the missiles set off sirens in Israel, and were shot down, while the others fell short.

US Mideast allies face ‘worst-case scenario’ with Trump aid cuts and tariff whiplash

U.S. President Donald Trump’s suspension of $40 billion in foreign aid days into his second administration — and subsequent large cuts — will be felt far outside Safed High School, and far beyond Jordan. Egypt, Israel and Jordan are among the top recipients of U.S. aid: In 2023, countries in the region collectively received nearly $4 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The drastic move is set to weaken countries in a tumultuous region wrestling with political instability, humanitarian issues and economic woes, a dozen analysts, officials and aid workers told POLITICO. Some added it could undermine Washington’s influence in the Middle East, which aimed in part to secure goodwill with allies in the region, support democracy, and prevent the potential rise of insurgencies and extremists.

On 1st US visit as minister; Ben Gvir to speak at Yale, NYC fundraiser for Chabad of Hebron

At least two Jewish organizations have announced events next week with Israel’s Itamar Ben Gvir when the far-right politician makes his first trip to the United States since becoming Israel’s national security minister. When Ben Gvir first joined Israel’s cabinet in 2022, the Biden administration considered banning him from the United States and American Jewish groups rose up in near-unison to condemn his extremist views and record. At various times, he and his Otzma Yehudit party have called for the expulsion of “disloyal” Palestinians, the annexation of the West Bank, and intensification of the war in Gaza. Major Jewish organizations said this week that they were unaware of Ben Gvir’s visit or had no plans to meet with him. And far-right pro-Israel groups have backed away from their initial claims that they were brokering his visit.

J STREET GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS NEWS DIGEST | April 18, 2025