J Street Thanks 145 Members of the House for Clear Rejection of Trump’s Gaza Displacement Plan, J Street
J Street has welcomed a congressional letter signed by 145 representatives, condemning President Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and force out two million Palestinians, calling it unworkable and destabilizing. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “This is a clear rebuke of Trump’s toxic ‘concept of a plan’ for Gaza – one which has already destabilized a delicate ceasefire, put hostages in more danger, and gifted a recruiting tool to terror groups.”
Thank You to 145 Members of Congress Strongly Rejecting Trump’s Gaza Plan, Substack
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami welcomes a congressional letter signed by over two-thirds of House Democrats that strongly rebukes President Trump’s Gaza plan, warning that it endangers hostages, destabilizes the ceasefire, and fuels extremism.
Hamas Names Hostages Set for Release on Saturday, The New York Times
Hamas announced the release of three more hostages for this Saturday—Alexander Troufanov, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Yair Horn—signaling that a gridlock over the cease-fire with Israel had been resolved.
145 Democrats Demand Trump Retract Gaza Comments, Axios
145 of the 215 House Democrats, led by Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), signed a letter urging President Trump to retract his remarks about the US “taking over” Gaza, calling them “dangerous” and morally indefensible. The lawmakers warned that such a move would harm US global standing, endanger American troops, and undermine efforts to rebuild Gaza and achieve peace.
In First, Netanyahu Spokesman Admits No Talks Ongoing On Truce’s 2nd Phase, in Breach of Deal, The Times of Israel
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein stated that Israel is actively working on the second stage of a hostage release deal. Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s spokesman, Omer Dostri, contradicted him, saying no such negotiations are currently taking place. This marks the first official acknowledgment that talks, which were supposed to begin last week, have not started, appearing to violate the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Saudi Arabia Spearheads Arab Scramble for Alternative to Trump’s Gaza Plan, Reuters
Saudi Arabia is leading urgent Arab efforts to develop an alternative plan for Gaza’s future, countering President Trump’s proposal to remove Palestinians and reshape the region. Draft ideas will be discussed at a meeting in Riyadh this month of countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Proposals may involve a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and a deal to sideline Hamas.
Israeli Ministers Set to Back Bill Blocking Courts From Hearing Cases Involving Foreign-funded NGOs, Haaretz
Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation is set to support a bill that would strip NGOs primarily funded by foreign governments of legal standing in court and impose an 80% tax on their donations, a move critics say is designed to target organizations opposing government policies. Opponents call it an unprecedented effort to silence dissent, while pro-government groups would remain unaffected.
IDF Strikes Hezbollah Sites in Southern Lebanon, Citing ‘Direct Threat’ to Israel, The Times of Israel
The Israel Defense Forces launched airstrikes on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, targeting weapon storage and launch facilities that it said posed a direct threat to Israel. The strikes occurred amid escalating tensions, as Lebanon’s government opposed continued Israeli military presence beyond the ceasefire deadline, while Israel cited security concerns and US support for its stance.
What Gazans Want, Foreign Affairs
A recent survey found that nearly half of Gazans expect peace in the future, while 44% foresee a long-term truce and 7% anticipate more war, with opinions divided on whether peace would come through negotiation or Israel’s dissolution. Scott Atran and Ángel Gómez wrote, “Respondents who expected a provisional truce or war believe that Israelis and Palestinians will not reach a permanent peace either because the concessions needed are spurned by the opposing side or are too painful to contemplate by one or both sides.”
Trump Wants to Play Peacemaker. Israel May Have Other Plans., The Washington Post
David Ignatius writes, “Israel wants to seize the moment, American and Israeli officials told me. If Iran won’t agree to a Libya-style abandonment of its nuclear facilities, Israel is prepared to bomb those facilities — with or without U.S. support, the officials said. The Biden administration had weighed in its final days whether to support this Israeli ultimatum but decided against it, officials said. Now it’s at the top of Trump’s inbox.”