Israel to continue hostage talks • IAF strikes terrorist cell in the Beit Lahiya
BBC edited footage to downplay Hamas’s poor treatment of hostages – report
The BBC reporting of the hostages comes nearly a month after they aired a documentary about the war in Gaza featuring a narrator with alleged familial ties to Hamas.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was accused of downplaying the Hamas terrorist organization’s harsh treatment of Israeli hostages, according to a Sunday report by The Telegraph.
The Arabic branch of the British public service broadcaster was forced to edit a video clip of the “shadow unit” of the terror group’s Al-Qassam Brigades, the report said. The “shadow unit” was described in the video clip as “guarding the kidnapped female Israeli hostages,” who were also seen “thanking” their captors, the video described.
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) accused the BBC of spreading propaganda in a 33-page report, citing the incident.
Iran’s hi-tech police state supresses women with AI, drones – analysis
Authoritarian regimes often enforce strict clothing laws to assert their dominance over their citizens’ physical and ideological autonomy.
Iran is employing advanced technologies such as drones, facial recognition systems, and a citizen-reporting app to enforce its strict hijab laws, a United Nations report published on Friday revealed.
The report, compiled by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, highlighted severe human rights violations by Iranian authorities following widespread protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in regime custody in September 2022. It comes following two years of investigation, which included interviewing some 285 victims and witnesses and analyzing over 38,000 articles of evidence.
Amini was detained by the so-called “morality police” for allegedly failing to adhere to the country’s hijab regulations. The protests, among the most significant acts of resistance since the fall of the Shah, ignited nationwide demonstrations that quickly evolved into a broader movement against the government’s oppressive policies, particularly its restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms. The rallying cry of the protests became “Woman, Life, Freedom,” symbolizing the demand for gender equality and personal liberty.
Hezbollah condemns US strikes against Yemen
Hezbollah condemned on Sunday large-scale military strikes by the US against Yemen, according to a statement.
The strikes on Saturday targeting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have killed at least 31 people, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.
Former IRGC officers speak out against Islamic regime in rare interview with Israeli media
The testimonies provide a rare window into the fractures within Iran’s military and growing discontent among its ranks.
Several Iranian officers do not believe that Hamas and Hezbollah will not recover in strength and have also spoken out against the Islamic Republic regime in a rare interview with N12 published on Saturday.
Javad, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operative, spoke publicly for the first time to Israeli media, revealing his past involvement in suppressing protests, his recruitment into the extremist Basij militia, and shared details into the Islamic Republic’s reaction to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July of last year.
“It was an incredibly precise intelligence operation,” he said. “Mossad knew exactly where he was staying, down to the room number. It showed just how deeply Israeli intelligence had penetrated the IRGC.
Liberman announces intention to run for PM, slams Netanyahu for stalling hostage deal
Liberman criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis, accusing him of stalling the hostage deal and claiming that it benefits him politically.
Yisrael Beytenu head MK Avigdor Liberman said he intends to run for the Prime Minister of Israel in an interview with 103FM on Sunday.
Liberman was asked in the interview if he would support National Unity Party MK Gadi Eisenkot as leader, to which he responded that he has “great respect for him, but we are completely different—both in political-security views and in social issues, and he is certainly also comparable to Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz.
“Everyone has a completely different worldview, so I will run based on my own vision and path,” he later clarified. He also emphasized that he has the credentials for the position. “I have a clear doctrine. I have a proven track record in both security and economic matters. I was the only one who warned—not in hindsight, but in real time—about everything that happened on October 7.”
Two Hezbollah operatives eliminated in drone strike in southern Lebanon
Two Hezbollah operatives were eliminated in a drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning, the IDF said.
The two were responsible for directing terrorist operations in the southern Lebanese cities of Yatar and Mais al-Jabal.
The report came shortly after the Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al-Manar reported that one person was killed in an Israeli strike in the Lebanese city of Mais al-Jabal.
IDF ready to pull trigger on Hamas leadership in Gaza if hostage talks fall through
Military sources stated that Hamas leadership in Gaza remains in hiding, “and therefore believes it is immune, prolonging the situation.”
IDF sources expect the Israeli government to authorize military operations in the Gaza Strip if no last-minute breakthrough occurs in the hostage deal.
According to military sources, the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and the Southern Command expanded the bank of potential Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire.
“This target bank will enable the government to escalate operations in stages to apply pressure on Hamas leadership if negotiations for a hostage release stall,” the sources said.
Top US diplomat informs Russia about Yemen strikes, State Department says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to inform him about US strikes on Yemen’s Houthis as well as the next steps following meetings in Saudi Arabia, the US State Department said.
‘Returning to Life’ program provides holistic support for Gaza hostages and families
The National Insurance Institute and Sheba Medical Center join forces to offer medical and emotional care for former captives and their families through free personalized treatment plans.
The National Insurance Institute and Sheba Medical Center are launching the “Returning to Life” program, which will provide medical, rehabilitative, and emotional support for Gaza hostages and their families.
The initiative will operate through Sheba BEYOND Virtual Hospital, and will assist former hostages and their families as well as families of hostages who have not yet returned.
PM tells hostage negotiators to prepare to continue talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the hostage negotiating team to prepare for the continuation of talks, the prime minister announced on X/Twitter on Saturday night.
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza.
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 at the Supernova music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
- 59 hostages remain in Gaza.
- 49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says.
- The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30.
- The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4 a.m.
- Netanyahu confirmed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire on January 17, 2025.
- 735 terrorists will be released as part of the hostage deal.