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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.
Israel accepted a new US-backed ceasefire proposal with Hamas, prompting cautious optimism, though Hamas has yet to respond. Marking the 600th day of war, families of hostages staged mass protests, demanding urgent action from Israeli leaders. Meanwhile, the Israeli government approved a significant expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank and warned European nations that recognition of a Palestinian state could be met with further annexation.
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
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Lily Adelstein
She/Her
Deputy Director of Government Affairs, J Street
Cell: 202-699-2701
J Street’s Congressional Resource Page |
This week on j street
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| EXPERT ANALYSIS |
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Why the US Security Coordinator (USSC) Is Vital
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| DEBATE |
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Is Trump Good For Israel?
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What we’re reading
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What to Know About Aid Getting to Gaza
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| A controversial new aid center in Gaza began its work on Tuesday, with chaos and confusion marring the first days of operation…[T]he new group running aid distribution, said on Thursday that about 17,200 food boxes had been distributed in the enclave so far, with each one feeding “5.5 people for 3.5 days,” totaling more than 1.8 million meals. The flow of aid is expected to increase daily, it added. But the United Nations said the supplies constitute a mere trickle of assistance in face of the needs of a population of about two million people at risk of famine… Adding to the confusion, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s executive director resigned on Sunday, hours before the program was set to start… In a speech on Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu defended the aid distribution effort, saying it would prevent Hamas from stealing supplies…He also said the plan was “eventually, to have a sterile zone in the south of Gaza where the entire population can move for its own protection.” |
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Israel announces major expansion of settlements in occupied West Bank
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| Israeli ministers say 22 new Jewish settlements have been approved in the occupied West Bank – the biggest expansion in decades. Several already exist as outposts, built without government authorisation, but will now be made legal under Israeli law. Others are completely new, according to Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Settlements – which are widely seen as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this – are one of the most contentious issues between Israel and the Palestinians. Katz said the move “prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel”, while the Palestinian presidency called it a “dangerous escalation”. |
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Israel accepts new US proposal for ceasefire with Hamas, says Israeli official
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| Israel has accepted the new proposal for a ceasefire with Hamas from US envoy Steve Witkoff, according to an Israeli official. The Israeli official told CNN the proposal calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages, as well as a 60-day truce. The official provided no details about the beginning of negotiations for a permanent end to the war, a key Hamas demand that Israel has refused to accept. Meanwhile, Hamas said the latest framework comes from Israel and “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine,” according to Bassem Naim, a member of the militant group’s political bureau. |
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U.K. Weighs Sanctions on 2 Israeli Cabinet Ministers as Gaza Crisis Worsens
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| Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has been mulling sanctions against two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, for months — a proposal first floated by David Cameron, a foreign secretary in the previous Conservative government… Momentum toward the sanctions had accelerated in recent weeks, after Britain joined France and Canada in condemning Israel’s expansion of military operations in Gaza. British officials encountered little resistance to the idea of sanctions from the United States, where President Trump has also turned critical of Israel, warning that he wanted to “stop that whole situation as quickly as possible.” |
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Trump: I told Netanyahu striking Iran would be ‘very inappropriate,’ as deal is close
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| US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call last week not to take military action against Iran that could disrupt Washington’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic… Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he had told Netanyahu not to target Iran, Trump said: “Well, I’d like to be honest. Yes, I did… I told [Netanyahu] this would be very inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution.” |
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Families of hostages stage protests on 600th day of Israel-Gaza war
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| Marking the 600th day of the Israel-Gaza war, thousands of family members of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza have held protests across the country, blocking traffic and calling for a deal securing the release of their loved ones from captivity and an end to the conflict. “600 days we are without our loved ones, 600 days that Hamas is holding them captive, and the bloody Israeli government is abandoning them to maintain the integrity of their coalition,” the families said in a statement read by Keith Siegel, a former hostage, at a rally in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. |
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Israel warns Europe that Palestine recognition may be met with West Bank annexation
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| Israeli government ministers have reportedly warned key European countries that any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state could prompt Israel to take unilateral measures as well, potentially including the annexation of parts of the West Bank, according to Monday reports. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer personally warned French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy that Israel could respond to recognition of a Palestinian state by annexing Area C of the West Bank and legalizing unauthorized outposts, the Haaretz outlet reported, citing a foreign diplomat familiar with the matter. |
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Opinion | Trump Could Put Gaza on a Better Path With One Tweet
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| “U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants the war in Gaza to wrap up “as quickly as possible.” He has it within his power to hasten its end. But to do so, he needs to reverse one of his biggest errors: He must declare the death of his proposal to build a Gaza Riviera… But even a mirage can cause damage. What the Gaza Riviera plan did accomplish was to empower the far-right Israeli leaders, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to pursue their extremist agenda of ridding Gaza of Palestinians, followed by Israeli reoccupation and resettlement.” |
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