J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street’s positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.

Armenia Has Every Right to Recognize a Palestinian State. Israel Has No Right to Reprimand It, Haaretz
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “The shared destiny of Jews and Armenians should have turned Israel and Armenia into allies, but the state of Israel has chosen a different path. As a people who know what it is to combat Holocaust denial and struggle with the contempt some have for the terrible tragedies we have undergone, we should have stood by the Armenian people and recognized the historical fact that between 1913 and 1916 a genocide took place.”

Trump’s Fiercest Critics in Jewish World Universally Condemn Assassination Attempt, Haaretz
“J Street, which has been the most vocal opponent to Trump’s Middle East policies of any organization, said it was ‘horrified’ by the attack, noting ‘while details continue to emerge, we must be absolutely clear that there is no place for political violence in our country.’”

At Least 90 Killed in Israeli Strike Targeting Hamas Military Leader, The Washington Post
An Israeli military official, speaking on background in line with protocol, said the Israel Defense Forces had “precise intelligence” that Deif, the head of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was in a “compound” in the Mawasi area west of Khan Younis. It was unclear whether Deif was killed in the strike, which aid agencies and Gaza’s civil defense force said took place in an area Israel had designated as a “humanitarian zone” for civilians.

The US Held off Sanctioning This Israeli Army Unit Despite Evidence of Abuses. Now Its Forces Are Shaping the Fight in Gaza, CNN
CNN reports, “Former commanders of the Netzah Yehuda battalion, an Israeli military unit that has been accused by the United States of gross human rights violations against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank prior to October 7, have been promoted to senior positions in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and are now active in training Israeli ground troops as well as running operations in Gaza, a CNN investigation has found. Among CNN’s findings was rare whistleblower testimony from a former soldier of the unit who described a command that encouraged a culture of violence, an issue identified by US State Department investigations.”

Hamas Says It Has Not Left Ceasefire Talks After Israeli Attacks, Reuters
Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of the political office of Hamas, accused Israel of trying to derail efforts by Arab mediators and the United States to reach a ceasefire deal by stepping up its attacks in the enclave.

Abbas Blames Hamas for Gaza War; Terror Group Says PA Siding with Israel, The Times of Israel
Abbas put out a statement saying he “sees that by escaping national unity and providing free pretexts to the occupation state, the Hamas movement is a partner in bearing legal, moral, and political responsibility for the continuation of the Israeli war of genocide in the Gaza Strip.”

Four IDF Soldiers Wounded in Ramming Attack in Central Israel, Attacker Shot Dead, Haaretz
A police officer shot and killed the suspect, who acted alone. Israel Police chief Shabtai said the police have increased their presence due to heightened alerts following an assassination attempt on Hamas leader Mohammed Deif.

Families of US Hostages Request Netanyahu Meeting During DC Trip, Axios
“We believe the time is ripe to discuss the Israeli government’s strategy for securing the release of our loved ones and how the Prime Minister intends to implement that strategy,” they wrote. “Delivering a speech to Congress about Israel’s military operation in Gaza without meeting with the families of the American hostages would signal that the fate of the hostages is not the highest priority for Israel’s government.”

Israeli Officials Expect ICJ to Rule Occupation in West Bank Violates International Law, Haaretz
Israel’s foreign and justice ministries fear that the International Court of Justice’s expected ruling will lead to further sanctions by Western countries as ICC arrest warrants loom.

UN Chief Says Israel Is Forcing Gazans ‘To Move like Human Pinballs,’ Urges Funds, ABC News
In the coming months, Lazzarini said UNRWA will be seeking funds to keep its operations going through December — and for emergency appeals for $1.2 billion for the Gaza war and $460 million for the Syria crisis, both of which are only 20% funded. Without financial support to UNRWA, secretary-general Guterres said “Palestinian refugees will lose a critical lifeline and the last ray of hope for a better future.”

Lammy Urges Immediate Ceasefire During Israel Visit, BBC
“I’m here to push for a ceasefire,” he said. “The loss of life over the last few months… is horrendous. It has to stop.” Mr Lammy also urged the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an increase in the flow of aid to the territory.

Israel Launches New Gaza Strikes after Weekend Attack Kills Scores in Safe Zone, Reuters
Israel struck the southern and central Gaza Strip on Monday to put more pressure on Hamas, following a weekend strike targeting the militant group’s leadership which killed scores of Palestinians camped in a designated “safe zone.”

Argentina Designates Hamas a Terrorist Group in Show of Support for Israel, AP
Friday’s announcement professed Milei’s “unwavering commitment to recognizing terrorists for what they are,” adding that “it’s the first time that there is a political will to do so.” The US, European Union and several other countries long put a terrorist designation on Hamas, which ruled the Gaza Strip before its current war with Israel.

Food Aid Is Piling up Inside Gaza. Here’s Why It’s Not Reaching Those in Need, NPR
The U.N. and aid groups say Israel’s responsibility doesn’t end at the crossing. They say the ongoing Israeli military operations across Gaza, along with severe shortages of fuel, and looting in Gaza by armed Palestinians are crippling their ability to collect this aid from Kerem Shalom.

How Hamas Is Fighting in Gaza: Tunnels, Traps and Ambushes, The New York Times
The New York Times reports, “From below ground, Hamas’s ghost army has appeared only fleetingly, emerging suddenly from a warren of tunnels — often armed with rocket-propelled grenades — to pick off soldiers and then returning swiftly to their subterranean fortress. Sometimes, they have hid among the few civilians who decided to remain in their neighborhoods despite Israeli orders to evacuate, or accompanied civilians as they returned to areas that the Israelis had captured and then abandoned.”

The IDF’s First Investigation Into Oct. 7 Should Be a Death Knell for Israel’s Government, The Forward
Dan Perry writes, “Many leading security figures have admitted culpability for Oct. 7, some within days of the attack, indicating that they intended to resign as soon as the situation allowed. The glaring exception is Netanyahu. Instead, his office has been engaged in constant anonymous messaging aimed at absolving him of blame, and casting all accountability on the security services alone. There is little doubt that the Be’eri report, in focusing on the tactical failures of the military, could assist Netanyahu in this campaign.”

Killing Deif Won’t Be Enough to Ensure Hamas’ Loss of Civilian Control of Gaza, Haaretz
Zvi Bar’el shares, “The physical elimination of the Hamas leadership in Gaza does not offer an alternative Palestinian civilian government. The prime minister’s refusal to allow the Palestinian Authority to fulfill the role in Gaza will turn the IDF not only into the local police force and the party responsible for education, health and the supply of water and power, but alienates those who can complete the task of eliminating Hamas from civilian government and take away its historic achievement.”

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