Gazans Protest Against Hamas and War for a Second Day, The New York Times
“Palestinians in Gaza protested against the war for a second straight day on Wednesday and chanted slogans against Hamas, frustrated and angry over the collapse of a cease-fire with Israel that many had hoped would become permanent. […] On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered for the second straight day in Beit Lahiya, some chanting ‘Hamas out! Hamas is terrorism!’ and ‘We want to live freely.’”
Israel-Hamas Mediators Say Gaza Cease-fire Talks Have ‘Reached a Dead End’, Haaretz
“Israel claims that the most recent Egyptian offer, according to which five hostages would be released, is not on the table. Israeli sources have asserted that the offer had not been given to Israel at all, but that top political officials have been made aware of it.”
In Controversial Shake-Up, Israeli Lawmakers Give Themselves More Power to Choose Judges, The New York Times
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition enacted legislation [today] that handed politicians more control over picking judges, part of a contentious effort to overhaul the Israeli judiciary that roiled the country before the war with Hamas. […] Crowds of protesters rallied outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Wednesday to demonstrate against the legislation, waving Israeli flags.”
Israeli Strikes Kill a Family of 6 and a Hamas Spokesman in Gaza, AP
“Israeli strikes overnight and into Thursday killed a family of six and a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip. A strike hit the tent where Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua was staying in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, killing him, according to Basem Naim, another Hamas official. Another strike near Gaza City killed four children and their parents, according to the emergency service of Gaza’s Health Ministry.”
Israeli Soldier Tells CBS News He Was Ordered To Use Palestinians As Human Shields in Gaza, CBS News
“CBS News spoke recently with an Israeli soldier who has questioned the military’s tactics. Tommy — not his real name, as he agreed to speak with CBS News on the condition of anonymity — fought in Gaza for the IDF, and his account of the tactics used raises some serious questions. ‘We’ve burned down buildings for no reasons, which is violating the international law, of course,’ he told CBS News. ‘…And we used human shields as protection.’ Tommy said his commander ordered his unit to use Gazan civilians to search buildings for explosives instead of dogs.”
100 Gazans Set To Move to Indonesia as Part of Pilot Work Program, The Times of Israel
“A first group of 100 Gazans is set to fly to Indonesia for work as part of a pilot program to encourage the voluntary migration of Palestinians from the Strip, according to a Hebrew media report Wednesday. […] Israel reportedly hopes that if the pilot program is successful, thousands of Gazans will be encouraged to voluntarily move to Indonesia for work and potentially decide to permanently resettle in the country — which would require Jakarta’s consent.”
Tufts International Student Rumeysa Ozturk Detained by Feds, Axios
“Federal agents took Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral candidate at Tufts University, into custody Tuesday night. Friends and supporters suspect Ozturk is the first Boston-area college student detained by federal agents over pro-Palestinian activism. […] The detention comes days after a pro-Israel group called the Canary Mission reportedly doxxed Ozturk for anti-Israel activism.”
After Years of Torture and Deprivation, Are Palestinians Finally Ready To Stand Up to Hamas?, The Forward
Dan Perry writes, “It’s clear, in retrospect, that the longstanding assumption that Gazans would rise up against Hamas under the weight of suffering was deeply naive. It failed to account for the durability of ideology, the mechanisms of fear and control, the psychological effects of long-term siege, and the ways in which people can normalize even the most intolerable conditions.”
Fragile Lebanon Ceasefire Holds — For Now, Politico
“Lebanon, of course, is also interconnected with many of the Trump administration’s other Middle East policy priorities. Israel’s renewed war effort in the Gaza Strip against Hamas is still dependent on an absence of pressure on Israel’s northern border from Hezbollah. Neutering Hezbollah, the crown jewel of Iran’s axis of resistance against the West, is seen as critical for curtailing Tehran’s regional influence and moving the needle toward a nuclear deal. And resolving Lebanon’s border disputes with Syria is also an important step for stabilizing the new government in Damascus.”