News Roundup for January 27, 2026
J Street Welcomes the Return of Ran Gvili’s Remains to Israel,
“We deeply admire the Gvili family – and all hostage families – who fought tirelessly under unimaginable circumstances to bring their loved ones home. Going forward, the US and other mediators must push ahead with implementing phase two, beginning with fully reopening the Rafah crossing and surging desperately needed aid and reconstruction assistance into Gaza,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement.
Racists From All Over the World Are Uniting in Jerusalem, Times of Israel
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “The guest list includes representatives from most far-right parties in Europe, as well as dubious figures from the US and elsewhere. Perversely, racists from around the world are uniting in Jerusalem for a discussion on antisemitism.”
Trump’s Path to a (Real) Nobel: Press Israel to Free Marwan Barghouti, The New Republic
“Since October 7, 2023, [Barghouti] has been moved several times and kept in solitary confinement, as have all Palestinian security prisoners, in conditions that the Association for Civil Rights Israel has argued violate international laws.
Another Iran War Could Prove Much More Dangerous for Israel’s Economy – And Israelis’ Lives, Haaretz
“The cost of Israeli missile interceptions in the 12-day war has been estimated at 5 billion shekels. In the last six months, Tehran has been busy replenishing its missile arsenal. It learned last June that it must improve its air defense and make its missiles more precise. The better the precision, the more money Israel must spend to defend itself in another clash.”
US Believes Hamas Disarmament Comes Along With Some Sort of Amnesty, US Official Says, Reuters
“Under President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries, under the plan.”
The Stories of the Final Hostages Whose Bodies Were Returned From Gaza, Washington Post
“Rani Gvili, an Israeli police officer, was killed and his body was taken into Gaza during the cross-border assault. His body was recovered following a ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners exchange deal that began in mid-October — which also saw the release of the last 20 living captives and the return of the bodies of more than two dozen others.”
Israel’s High Court Again Postpones Ruling on Foreign Journalists’ Access to Gaza After More Than a Year of Delays, Haaretz
“At a hearing on Monday, government representatives told the court that the opening of the Rafah crossing does not guarantee that journalists will be allowed to enter the Strip, arguing that ‘the entry of journalists is not an obligation of the state [of Israel].'”
Faustian Pact: Netanyahu’s Embrace of Trump’s Board of Peace Gambles Israel’s Future, Jerusalem Post
J Street leader Sebastien Levi writes, “In the imperial approach that defines his second presidency, Trump has created the Board of Peace (BoP) with exactly what he wants: a new world order he would shape, presented as a club that can be joined for money, just like his club at Mar-a-Lago.”
The Last Hostage Returned. Can Israel Finally Exhale?, The Forward
Dan Perry writes, “There has been something deeply revealing in how Israelis have spoken about the return of the remains of the last hostages: a refusal to accept that death dissolves social ties. A declaration that dignity does not end when life does.”
