Opinion: Trump’s Gaza Plan Is Reckless, Inhumane and Illegal, Deseret News
“In a press release dated Feb. 5, J Street stated: ‘There aren’t adequate words to express our disgust at the notion of forcibly displacing millions of war-weary Palestinians with the backing of the United States of America. The President is proposing ethnic cleansing disguised as a real estate development.’”
Israel Wants To Extend First Phase of Gaza Truce by Six Weeks, Egyptian Security Sources Say, Reuters
“Two Egyptian security sources said today that the Israeli delegation in Cairo was trying to reach a deal to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal for an additional 42 days. Hamas disagrees with the plan to extend and wants to proceed with the second phase as agreed, the sources told Reuters.”
At Least 13 Injured After Car Rams Into Bus Stop in Israel, ABC News
“At least 13 people have been injured after a car rammed into a bus stop in Israel, at Karkur Junction, according to Israeli police. The suspect is a 53-year-old Palestinian from the Jenin area who is married to an Israeli citizen and living in Israel without a permit, according to police. The driver ran over and injured several civilians standing at the bus stop, police said.”
Israel’s Army Admits Failures on Oct. 7. Its Probe of the Attack Could Put Pressure on Netanyahu, AP
“The [IDF] misjudged the militant group’s capabilities. Military planners had envisioned that, at worst, Hamas could stage a ground invasion from up to eight border points, the official said. In fact, Hamas had more than 60 attack routes. Intelligence assessed in the aftermath of the attack has shown Hamas came close to staging the offensive on three earlier occasions but delayed it for unknown reasons, the official said.”
Rights Group Says Israel Has Systematically Abused Palestinian Health Workers for Their Profession, CNN
“Israel has systematically targeted Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza, arbitrarily detaining them without charge or access to legal counsel, and submitting them to torture and abuse, according to a new report by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). Between July and December, lawyers working with the Israeli nonprofit group said they visited over two dozen Palestinian medical workers, including physicians, nurses and paramedics, aged between at least 21 and 69, who had spent more than six months in isolation after having been seized by Israeli forces.”
Recently Freed Hostage Recounts Extreme Hunger, Gut-Wrenching Farewell to Still-Held Captive, The Times of Israel
“Recently freed hostage Eli Sharabi has described being chained, beaten and starved by Hamas terrorists throughout his 16 months of captivity, with the abuse getting worse when his captors perceived Israel to be worsening the conditions of captured Hamas operatives, in a lengthy TV interview broadcast Thursday.”
Is the Gaza Ceasefire about to Collapse?, Substack
Ilan Goldenberg writes, “The far-right members of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s governing coalition will not support any plan that does not entail settlement of Gaza and expulsion of Palestinians. Hamas will never agree to that, though it might agree to governance by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which already controls the West Bank, or to some transitional entity of technocrats supported by the Arab States, the PA, and the rest of the international community. Netanyahu could pursue serious Phase 2 negotiations with the support of Israeli centrists such as Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid, who are currently in the opposition, but this would likely result in the eventual collapse of his government.”
Israel’s Government Wants a Monopoly on Cruelty to the Hostages and Their Families, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin writes, “If it sounds unfair to accuse Netanyahu of spitting in the faces of hostages, add this to the charges: The Bibas family begged the government not to reveal specific details of how the children were murdered. This week, Netanyahu told the details to a visiting AIPAC group, which made it to the media. Ofri Bibas-Levy, Yarden Bibas’ sister, said this conduct was nothing less than abuse.”
West Bank Operation Tests Palestinian Leaders’ Ability to Root Out Militants, The New York Times
Adam Rasgon writes, “The Palestinian Authority deployed elite forces and armored vehicles; it set up checkpoints and engaged in daily gun battles with militants in the camp. More than a dozen people were killed, including six security officers, a journalist, a woman and three teenage boys. It also led to the displacement of thousands and widespread losses of water and power. Hundreds of people were arrested, Gen. Rajab said at a news conference in January, though it was unclear how many were gunmen.”