Netanyahu Blaming Biden Is a Lie and an Audacious Act of Ingratitude, Times of Israel
Executive Director of J Street Israel Nadav Tamir writes, “In preparation for this year’s elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu is crafting an alternative history regarding his responsibility for the October 7 massacre and also concerning the steadfast support that the Biden administration provided to Israel in its most difficult moments over the past two years.”
Israel Reopening Gaza’s Border Crossing With Egypt on Sunday After Long Closure, Associated Press
“COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said in a statement that starting on Sunday a ‘limited movement of people only’ would be allowed through the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world.”
Trump Weighs New Military Options Against Iran, New York Times
“The current set of options even includes the potential for American forces to carry out raids on sites inside Iran, and it comes in a different context, now that the protests have been brutally quashed, at least for the time being. […] Mr. Trump has not yet authorized military action or chosen among the options presented by the Pentagon, officials said.”
CCTV Shows IDF Troops Escorting Settlers Said to Be Stealing Palestinians’ Livestock, Times of Israel
“The footage published on Thursday showed settlers walking some of the livestock, followed by at least six armed soldiers in uniform, in the Palestinian hamlet of Khirbet al-Halawa, in the enclave of Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank.”
MSF Says It Will Not Share Staff Details Demanded by Israel to Access Gaza, Reuters
“Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Friday it will not submit lists of staff demanded by Israel to maintain access to Gaza and the West Bank, saying it had not been able to obtain assurances over the safety of its teams. MSF, which supports and helps staff hospitals in Gaza, is one of 37 international organisations that Israel ordered this month to stop work in the Palestinian territories unless they meet new rules including providing employee details.”
Trump Claims ‘It Looks Like’ Hamas Will Disarm; Witkoff: They’ll Give Up Their AK-47s, Times of Israel
“US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Wednesday that Hamas will also be urged to cede its weapons via an international buy-back program, providing new details regarding the program Washington plans to advance to disarm the terror group. Waltz’s remarks confirmed The Times of Israel’s reporting from recent months about plans to institute a ‘buy-back’ program where participants would be given funds or jobs and amnesty if they agree to hand over their weapons.”
The IDF Admits It Killed 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza. What Other Accusations Could Turn Out to Be True?, Haaretz
Nir Hasson writes, “The dispute over the number of fatalities may be approaching an end, but the debate on their identities is still expected to trudge on. The Israeli public must ask itself what this belated recognition indicates about the army and the government’s credibility regarding Israel’s conduct in Gaza.”
Trump Weighs Imminent Iran Strikes, but What’s the Mission?, Washington Post
Karen DeYoung writes, “The president has sent an ‘armada’ to threaten Iran, but the rationale for a possible military strike keeps changing.”
