IAF strikes terrorists in south Lebanon • Israel, US working on additional hostage releases
‘There will be no nuclear Iran,’ Rubio says next to Netanyahu
Thanking Rubio for “unequivocal backing” for Israel’s policy in Gaza, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States, under President Donald Trump, shared a common strategy in Gaza.
Israel and the United States are working in full cooperation on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that also covered Iran and the Lebanon ceasefire.
Thanking Rubio for “unequivocal backing” for Israel’s policy in Gaza, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States, under President Donald Trump, shared a common strategy in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire is in effect between Israel and Hamas terrorists after 15 months of war.
“I want to assure everyone who’s now listening to us that President Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination between us,” he said.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reveals company worked behind the scenes to free hostage Sasha Troufanov
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed the company quietly worked to help free employee Sasha Troufanov from Hamas captivity, avoiding public comment to protect his safety.
Since learning that Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, released on Saturday, was being held in Hamas captivity, Troufanov’s employer, Amazon, has had a dedicated team working to support efforts to free him, the company’s CEO Andy Jassy said in a message to Amazon employees Saturday.
“Since we learned of Sasha and his family’s abduction, we’ve had a dedicated team working behind the scenes with experts to support efforts to secure their release and to ensure that we did the right thing for them and their safety,” Jassy said.
Jassy added that this included refraining from public comment “for fear that we would negatively impact their ability to be released or how they were treated in captivity.”
‘Severe blows to the back of the head’ Iair Horn’s mother discusses his captivity
Ruthie Strom, mother of freed hostage Iair Horn, calls for national unity and criticizes those opposing the hostage deal, urging empathy for families of captives.
Ruthie Strom, mother of Iair Horn, who was released on Sunday after 498 days in Hamas captivity, spoke with 103FM about her son’s condition, her son Eitan, who remains in captivity, and her criticism of those opposing the hostage deal.
“We keep going. My Itush [Eitan] also needs to be here, and so do all the hostages,” Strom said. Addressing opponents of the deal, she added, “I don’t think it’s the entire Israeli government. Some say we shouldn’t reach an agreement. Maybe they should send their children to Gaza to understand what it’s like for a mother whose two sons are there.”
IDF chief Halevi to fly to US for first and only visit of term
The fact that he has never visited as IDF chief also explains why Halevi’s trip is a full three days, whereas typically, such a trip might only be one or two days.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi is flying to the US on Monday for a three-day trip, the only of his term to America.
Typically, the IDF chief visits Washington, DC, more often than Halevi did.
However, he only took office in January 2023 and, by March 2023, was facing the judicial overhaul crisis, a significant operation with Gaza on May 9-13, 2023, and a significant operation with Jenin in July 2023.
Israel missed two key windows to return hostages, former negotiator says
“On August 30, we returned from a failed negotiation only to learn days later that six hostages had been killed in Rafah,” Setter said.
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Dr. Oren Setter, former head of negotiations at the Hostages Directorate under Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon explained how Israel missed two critical windows in negotiations with Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages in an exclusive interview with N12’s Dana Weiss on Saturday.
Setter, who rejoined the IDF as a reservist after Hamas’s October 7 attacks, said, “We knew they [the hostages] were being held in very harsh conditions,” adding that the hostages’ suffering was clearly communicated to Israel’s cabinet.
“This [topic] was presented in those forums. I know what we presented. In the end, everyone interprets the information as they wish,” he said, rejecting claims by some officials who said they were unaware of the severity of the situation.
Drone strike kills two near Rafah – report
Two Palestinians were killed and several injured by an Israeli drone strike east of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Sunday, citing Gazan reports
US shipment of 2,000lb bombs arrives in Israel
The supply of 2,000lb bombs to Israel had been paused by the Biden administration before President Donald Trump reinstated the shipments on January 25.
A shipment of heavy bombs sent by Washington arrived in Israel on Saturday night, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
The American ship carried MK-84 heavy munitions, which are 2,000lb (900kg) general purpose aircraft bombs, docked at Ashdod Port, and was met by IDF Technology and Logistics Directorate personnel, who transferred the munitions to Israeli Air Force Bases.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, “The supply of munitions that arrived in Israel last night and was released by the Trump administration is a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF and is further evidence of the strong bond between Israel and the US.”
IDF receives shipment of 2,000lb bombs from US
A shipment of heavy bombs sent by Washington arrived in Israel on Saturday night, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
The American ship carried MK-84 heavy munitions, which are 2,000lb (900kg) general purpose aircraft bombs, docked at Ashdod Port, and was met by IDF Technology and Logistics Directorate personnel, who transferred the munitions to Israeli Air Force Bases.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated “The supply of munitions that arrived in Israel last night and was released by the Trump administration is a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF, and is further evidence of the strong bond between Israel and the US.”
Trump’s return boosts Israel’s negotiation tactics, says former Shin Bet official
“I think the prime minister feels much more confident managing risks with a partner like Trump than with the previous one,” analyst Moshe Pozailov said.
The return of US President Donald Trump to the White House allows Israel to engage in more confident negotiation tactics that will allow it to argue for better deals, former senior Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) official Moshe Pozailov told Maariv on Sunday.
Pozailov, now a national security researcher at the Misgav Institute, said that a significant shift in the international arena could benefit Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security assessment on Saturday night in Jerusalem to discuss ongoing efforts to secure and advance the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, following the release of Sagui Dekel Chen, Iair Horn, and Alexander Sasha Troufanov earlier on Saturday.
Rubio arrives in Tel Aviv for first visit to Middle East as secretary of state
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously told reporters that the Trump administration would be the most supportive US presidential administration to Israel
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Tel Aviv late on Saturday in his first visit to the Middle East.
- 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 Re’im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
- 73 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 4:00 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