3 Hostages Likely Killed by Israeli Strike Last Fall, IDF Says, The New York Times
The investigation’s findings highlight the precarious circumstances of hostages in the Gaza Strip, who – like Palestinian civilians – are vulnerable to Israel’s military operations in the territory. The findings also suggest that at least some senior Hamas officials have surrounded themselves with hostages. In its statement, the Israeli military said it was “highly likely” that the hostages, Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman and Elia Toledano, had been killed “as a result of a byproduct” of an Israeli military strike targeting Ahmed al-Ghandour, the commander of Hamas’s military wing in northern Gaza.
Houthis Launch Long-Range Missile Attack Against Israel, Axios
The IDF’s missile defense system didn’t intercept the missile before it entered Israel’s airspace and said the missile “exploded” in the air, scattering debris in open areas. The IDF said fragments of air defense missiles launched to intercept the missile fell near a rail station and that a fire started near the Ben Gurion Airport. No injuries were reported as a result of the attack, but the IDF said nine people were injured while moving to shelters after alarms sounded.
UAE Vows It Won’t Take Part in Gaza’s ‘Day After’ Without Palestinian State, The Times of Israel
“The United Arab Emirates is not ready to support the day after the war in Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed posted. It is not the first time the UAE’s top diplomat has set red lines over the country’s potential involvement in Gaza.
Netanyahu Vows ‘Heavy Price’ for Houthis After Missile Hits Central Israel, Politico
The Houthis “should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” Netanyahu said. “Anyone who attacks us will not escape from our arms.”
‘We No Longer Study.’ Gaza’s Children Lose out on School, as Israel’s War Disrupts a Year of Education, CNN
“We have war, no schools… Yet the children are eager to learn,” teacher Oula Al Ghoul told CNN. She decided to set up a rudimentary classroom in the same tent in which she’s living, just to give some first-graders a chance to study.
US Ambassador to Israel: There Are Signs of ‘Israeli Flexibility’ in Gaza Hostage Deal Talks, Haaretz
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew said on Monday that there are indications of Israeli flexibility in hostage release and cease-fire talks with Hamas. Speaking to Haaretz’s Editor-in-Chief Aluf Benn at Haaretz’s National Security Conference in Tel Aviv, Lew added that the while it remains to be seen whether Hamas is willing to accept the deal, “all of us are pressing as hard as we can to meet in the middle.”
Hamas Official Says Despite War Losses, Terror Group Has Recruited ‘New Generations’, The Times of Israel
A senior Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that the Palestinian Islamist terrorist group has ample resources to continue fighting Israel despite losses sustained over more than 11 months of war in Gaza.
Under the Missiles: UN Force Caught Between Israel and Hezbollah, The Washington Post
UNIFIL, which was established in 1978 to monitor Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon after its invasion, works in the current conflict to de-escalate tensions by passing messages between the Lebanese and Israeli militaries.
Israeli Army Investigates Unauthorized Leaflet Drop Over Southern Lebanon Telling Residents to Evacuate, Haaretz
The leaflets, distributed by a military drone, were aimed at an area in southern Lebanon from which rockets had been launched into Israel in recent days. The IDF said on Sunday that the distribution was carried out without proper authorization from the army’s senior command, and that the incident is under investigation.
Israeli Minister Says Time Running Out for Diplomatic Solution with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Reuters
“The possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out,” Gallant told Austin in a phone call, according to a statement from his office. As long as Hezbollah continued to tie itself to the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, where Israeli forces have been engaged for almost a year, “the trajectory is clear,” he said.
Oman Rules Out Normalization With Israel, Says ‘Barbaric War’ in Gaza Must End, Haaretz
Oman is focusing on forging Arab and Muslim unity in support of the Palestinians, adding that “tensions in the Middle East are due to the genocidal war waged by Israel against the Palestinians. We demand an immediate cease-fire.”
My Cousin Is Still Surviving Heroically in Hamas Tunnels, Haaretz
Ifat Kalderon writes, “The Israeli government and the man who heads it is responsible for Ofer’s life. This is not a simple realization, because it was Hamas scum who kidnapped and are holding him. But the responsibility for his life is in the hands of ‘Mr. Abandonment,’ Benjamin Netanyahu. He has the ability to save Ofer. He has the power to end the suffering of the hostages who are still alive and bring them home, along with all the hostages who are no longer alive.”
As a Liberal Zionist, I Don’t See Israel Living up to Its Founding Aspirations, The Jewish News of Northern California
J Street leader Charles Rothschild shares, “My apprehensions about the future of Israel and the region predate the harrowing events of Oct. 7. Since the last Israeli election, we have seen a government that is even more radicalized, with an agenda antithetical to the vision I cherish. In the wake of Hamas’ heinous Oct. 7 attack and the ongoing war in Gaza, I have seen more and more American Jews calling for peace, equality and independence for Israelis and Palestinians.”
It’s Time to Let the Global Media Into Gaza, The Forward
Dan Perry argues, “First, the world community, including Israelis and Palestinians themselves, has a right and indeed a duty to know what is going on inside the strip. The irony, for Israel, is that the blackout has cleared the field for information coming out of Hamas — including the reports of over 40,000 killed. In the absence of verifiable information, these numbers are passed on and Hamas propaganda enjoys a near-monopolistic status in the global discourse.”
How Rituals of Faith Became Another Casualty of War, The New York Times
Erika Solomon shares, “Palestinian Muslims, particularly those coming from the West Bank, have faced routine restrictions on access to Al Aqsa for years. The Israeli agency overseeing policy for the territory, responding to a question from The New York Times about the number of Palestinians granted entry since October, said that it had issued no permits to West Bank residents, even for access to the mosque, except for ‘specific laborers.’