A new report from the Israeli Ministry of Health submitted to the United Nations details severe atrocities suffered by hostages held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has urged his government not to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he attend the upcoming Auschwitz liberation anniversary event. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November over alleged war crimes during the Gaza war, but Duda emphasized the importance of Netanyahu’s presence at the commemoration.
Intelligence sources from the U.S. and Israel estimate that only about 20 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain alive. This figure, shared during ongoing negotiations in Qatar, includes civilians and female Israeli soldiers but excludes male soldiers, whose inclusion might slightly increase the count.
The Biden administration released 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Oman on Monday, marking another step toward the administration's goal of closing the detention facility. These men, described by U.S. Department of Defense records as “former al-Qaeda members,” were captured after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On Saturday, the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a rocket that struck the Erez Crossing, a critical border point for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
The Biden administration's former Director of Hostage Rescue and Recovery and current Senior Vice President for Global Operations at The Soufan Group, Christopher O'Leary, told MSNBC that terrorist groups are "stronger now than they’ve ever been."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released video evidence on Monday allegedly recovered from Hamas operatives, showing terrorists planting a bomb near the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza. The IDF claims the video underscores Hamas’ practice of using civilian infrastructure for military purposes, violating international law.
Alan Dershowitz, Harvard law professor emeritus, told Newsmax on Sunday that Hamas is likely to release a small number of American hostages before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Speaking on Sunday Report, Dershowitz predicted this move as a symbolic gesture toward Trump but emphasized it would not halt the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Middle East stands at a pivotal crossroads. Iran, emboldened by its nuclear advancements, poses an existential threat not just to Israel but to global stability.
