On Thursday, February 6, 2025, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the U.S. Capitol. Thune aims to reinforce the strong alliance between the United States and Israel and to discuss strategies for advancing peace initiatives in the Middle East.
Congress has placed a hold on a $1 billion military aid package to Israel during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington. Two congressional aides confirmed to The Hill that lawmakers halted the sale, leveraging their authority to block arms transfers exceeding a certain dollar threshold.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly praised President Donald Trump's leadership in facilitating the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas announced that an Israeli-American citizen will be released this weekend. Keith Siegel, 65, is the first of the American citizens taken hostage on October 7, 2023, to be released.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly criticized Hamas for the disorderly and dangerous conditions surrounding the recent release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Hamas declared its plans to release eight hostages on Thursday, including three Israelis—two women and an 80-year-old man—and five Thai nationals.
Two Israeli soldiers, Georgi Andreev and Yuri Eliasfov, have been accused of working on behalf of Iran. The Israel Defense Forces soldiers were charged with contact with a foreign agent and sharing classified information.
