News Roundup for February 17, 2026
Willful Blindness, Word on the Street
“The central threat to Israel’s future is not the words critics choose to describe what’s happening here. It is the reality of what is happening, day in and day out,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes.
Eleven Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza, Rescuers Say, BBC
“The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said at least 600 people have been killed since the ceasefire went into effect.”
Prosecutors Plan to Charge an Israeli Settler With Killing a Palestinian Activist in the West Bank, AP
“Attacks from settlers and home demolitions by authorities have spiked dramatically over the past two years, but the death in July of Awdah Hathaleen has drawn particular attention due to his involvement in the 2025 Oscar-winning film “No Other Land,” which chronicled Palestinian villagers’ fight to stay on their land.”
Indonesia Says It’s Preparing Thousands of Peacekeeping Troops for Trump’s Gaza Plan, New York Times
“Brig. Gen. Donny Pramono, the Indonesian Army spokesman, said that around 1,000 troops would be ready to deploy to Gaza by early April, and the contingent would then grow to as many as 8,000.”
‘My Wife Was Massacred’: Ex-hostage Decries Netanyahu Gov’t Bid to Downplay October 7, Haaretz
“The released hostage said he initially thought the removal of the word was a clerical error, ‘but then I heard ministers talking about us not needing to be the victims, that we weren’t massacred. I feel it’s important to mention: I was there, I was massacred, my wife was massacred,'” Levy told Kan Bet public radio.”
Medics in UK and US Say They Have Been Barred From Gaza After Speaking Out, The Guardian
“Under international law Israel is required to allow and facilitate the unimpeded and rapid passage of humanitarian aid. Provided with no reason for being blocked from entry, medics who spoke with the Guardian believed their refusals came after giving first-hand testimony from their time in Gaza.”
Smotrich to Arab MKs: It’s Not the Government’s Fault ‘You Murder One Another’, Times of Israel
“Violent killings have been rampant in Arab cities and towns over the past decade, but the issue worsened considerably in 2023 when the number of homicides jumped to 244, doubling the previous year’s figure of 116. The tally dipped slightly in 2024 before reaching new heights last year, when 252 people were murdered.”
The Crime Epidemic in Palestinian Communities Like Mine Is a Crisis for Jews Who Care About Israel, Too, JTA
“This is not because Arab communities are more ‘violent’ by nature or because we are poor. It is a symptom of a political reality in which Palestinian citizens of Israel — more than 20% of the country’s population — have been abandoned by their government, left to the mercy of illegal weapons, extortion, drugs and organized crime. Personal security ought not be a radical demand. It is the most basic condition of citizenship,” writes Fida Nara Tabony, co-director of programs at New Israel Fund.
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