Community Reaction to Trump’s Israel-Gaza Peace Plan: Cautious Optimism, Jewish Journal
“’This moment holds both real promise and tremendous peril,’ [Ilan] Goldenberg said. ‘We welcome Trump’s plan, which reflects principles long championed by J Street. Within this plan lies the promise of a lasting regional peace. Hamas must now be pressed to accept the deal and free the hostages.’”
Top U.S. Officials Join Gaza Talks as Hamas Voices Optimism, NBC
“Hamas and Egypt voiced new optimism Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s envoy and key mediators joined talks to end Israel’s war in Gaza.”
Trump’s Changes in Strategy Put Lasting Gaza Ceasefire Within Reach, Politico
“Since the spring, Trump has largely given Israel free rein to carry out its campaign against Hamas. But after Israel bombed Hamas leaders in Qatar last month, Trump changed course, soliciting the views of Arab and Muslim states and pushing Netanyahu to end the war.”
Hamas Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal From Gaza at Same Time as Release of Last Hostage, Haaretz
“A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that the group’s delegation for cease-fire negotiations in Egypt demanded that Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza take place at the same time as the release of the last Israeli hostage.”
Hamas Is Demanding the Release of a Prominent Palestinian Prisoner. This Could Be a Red Line for Israel, CNN
“Hamas is now demanding Barghouti’s release as part of a potential Gaza ceasefire deal – a move that could reshape the Palestinian political landscape. Given his prominence among Palestinians and his perceived ability to lead them toward statehood, Israel is highly unlikely to agree to his release.”
Israel Cites Security, but Palestinians Say West Bank Gates Disrupt Daily Life, NPR
“In the last two years Israel has erected hundreds of gates to restrict the movement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, making daily life more difficult for residents there.”
We Are the Owners of Temple Mount’: Israel’s Far-right Ben-Gvir Visits Al-Aqsa Compound, Haaretz
“In a video statement from one of the region’s most sensitive sites, he said, ‘Two years after the terrible [Oct. 7] massacre, we are winning here at the Temple Mount. Every house in Gaza has a picture of the Temple Mount, and today, two years on, we are prevailing here. We are the owners of the Temple Mount.’”
The Most Effective Action Jews Can Take to Fight Antisemitism, The Times of Israel
Gayle Donsky writes, “Listening to the sermon, I had a thought, an epiphany, that the most effective defense from this spiraling antisemitism and for the Jewish people worldwide would be our defeating the fast-paced authoritarian movement in our own country.”
Israel Cannot Go On Winning Like This, The New York Times
Mairav Zonszein writes, “Even if the war ends, there will then need to be a moment of soul-searching about the collective society’s responsibility for the years of mass killing and displacement. Palestinians desperately need this war to end. But so do Israelis. The liabilities of Israel’s security doctrine have become increasingly evident.”