J Street Responds to Hamas’ Grotesque Handover of Four Hostage Bodies, J Street
J Street Vice President Adina Vogel Ayalon called the handover of four Israeli hostages’ bodies “a painful reminder of the utter depravity of Hamas and the failure of all of us to bring them home alive.” She urged continued efforts to uphold the ceasefire and hostage deal, stating, “We must commit to ensuring this ceasefire and hostage deal holds, and every hostage is returned home.”
The American Jewish Establishment Is Abandoning Us, The Times of Israel
J Street Israel Director Nadav Tamir condemned the Conference of Presidents for hosting Amichai Shikli, Israel’s far-right Minister of Diaspora Affairs, stating, “If Shikli were an American politician expressing opposition to the release of hostages and support for more war, those Jewish leaders would have condemned him firmly.”
[Webinar] USAID Briefing: Trump & Musk Sow Chaos Worldwide, J Street
Former West Bank and Gaza USAID Mission Director Larry Garber and Israeli-based peace advocate Dr. Yael Braudo-Bahat join J Street for an on-the-ground perspective of Trump’s and Musk’s efforts to shut down USAID.
Fate of Bibas Family Recalls Trauma of Oct. 7, Renewing Fears for Gaza Truce, The New York Times
The Israeli military announced that the bodies of Shiri Bibas’s two young sons, abducted to Gaza in October 2023, were returned but had been killed by terrorists in Gaza, contradicting Hamas’s previous claim that they died in an Israeli airstrike. Additionally, the body purported to be Ms. Bibas’s was determined to belong to someone else, prompting further tensions and uncertainty regarding the fragile ceasefire.
Israel to Free 602 Palestinian Prisoners Tomorrow, Says NGO, The Times of Israel
Israel is set to release 602 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ongoing hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas. The group includes 445 individuals from Gaza arrested after Hamas’s October 7 attack, along with others serving long sentences, life sentences, or re-arrested after a 2011 prisoner exchange.
Three Empty Buses Explode in Israel in Suspected Terrorist Attack, The Washington Post
No injuries were reported after three empty buses in central Tel Aviv exploded last night. Israeli officials claimed it was a possible terrorist attack. Shortly after, Prime Minister Netanyahu held an emergency security meeting in response to the bombing and ordered the IDF to carry out an “intensive operation” in the West Bank.
Netanyahu Orders West Bank Military Operation After Israel Bus Blasts, CNN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank following a series of bus explosions near Tel Aviv, which authorities described as an attempted mass bombing attack. While no casualties were reported, Israel heightened security and accused Hamas of violating a ceasefire deal by returning remains that did not match any hostages.
Saudi Arabia Invites Leaders of Gulf States, Egypt, and Jordan for Talks on Friday, Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited leaders from Gulf Arab states, Egypt, and Jordan to an informal meeting in Riyadh on Friday to discuss regional issues, including Gaza’s post-war reconstruction. Arab states have rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians elsewhere and will further address joint Arab action at an emergency summit in Egypt on March 4.
All of Israel Prepared for Heartbreak. Netanyahu Prepared an Ugly Attack, Haaretz
Yossi Verter writes, “In his cold political calculations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prefers to sacrifice soldiers and young men who remain in the Gaza Strip and resume the war. This would at least keep the government in power.”
Ossoff Chose Principle Over Politics, Voting Against Some Weapons for Israel, The Georgia Recorder
Jay Bookman commends Senator Jon Ossoff for voting to stop the sale of weapons to Israel, writing, “As he explained at the time, his vote was a protest against Israel’s massive, disproportionate and indiscriminate retaliation in Gaza, using U.S. military equipment, that had killed tens of thousands of non-combatants and left hundreds of thousands close to starvation.”
With Gaza Rule at Stake, Palestinian Forces Struggle to Make Their Case, The Washington Post
Claire Parker writes, “The clashes highlighted how poorly equipped the Palestinian Authority security forces are compared with the groups they are seeking to subdue. The campaign also underlined questions about how far Palestinians would go to fight fellow Palestinians and whether the authority could maintain its popular legitimacy if it did so.”