Hamas issued a 16-page document on Jan. 20, 2024 to ‘clarify the reality of what happened on Oct. 7, the motives behind it, its general context related to the Palestinian cause, as well as a refutation to the Israeli allegations.’ A second item contains reflections by a senior Hamas leader on the attack & its aftermath
Babies die from cold; Netanyahu poised to back out of three-stage ceasefire deal; garbage crisis in Gaza; Palestinian prisoner dies in Israeli custody; West Bank is becoming more and more like Gaza; NYTimes fails accuracy test – again; another Israeli official makes blatant call for genocide; Trump’s latest pro-genocide policy; calls for war crime investigation of Biden admin; Bernie Sanders tries to stop weapons sales to Israel.
“Really, it’s an across-the-board attempt to silence and take away the First Amendment right of people simply because they don’t agree with them. It’s a very dangerous precedent.” Abed Ayoub, executive director of American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Gazans retrieve bodies with bare hands; in West Bank, Israeli forces continue killing, dispossessing Palestinians; Western leaders use threats in attempt to impose ethnic cleansing plan on Egypt; church leaders in Jerusalem react to Trump’s plan; more.
Israeli leaders have their hearts set on resuming war, but Hamas keeps ceasefire going for now; West Bank in turmoil; Educational Bookshop update; Jordan, South Africa stand firm with Palestine
Trump’s executive order re-designates Yemen’s Houthis a “foreign terrorist organization.” He vowed to dismantle the group’s capabilities, a decision that seemed at odds with his proclaimed anti-interventionist stance, “America first” rhetoric. Critics argue this positions the US on a path to war with Yemen, a step many say aligns with Israel’s interests more than those of the US.
Prisoner swap; Rafah crossing opened; Palestinian Authority ready to “clash” with Hamas for control of Gaza; Jake Sullivan’s thoughts on weapons to Israel; more.
Giraldi: Netenyahu is the first foreign leader to meet with the new president at the White House… Despite Trump’s numerous pro-Israel actions, might Trump, he of the enormous ego, take the opportunity to make it clear in the face-to-face that he is the one in charge?
Palestinian and Israeli prisoners released; UNRWA carries on in spite of ban; more death and destruction in West Bank; Trump efforts amount to ethnic cleansing and assault on First Amendment
The ‘Vandenberg Coalition’ (led by Elliott Abrams, a major neoconservative for most of the last half-century) wants Trump to prioritize Israel and maintain Iran as enemy number one.