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Dear A.,
Earlier today, Hezbollah
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fired barrages of rockets from Lebanon at the Mount Meron area in Israel. In the first barrage, some 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon, of which one was intercepted. In the second barrage, seven rockets were fired, of which six were intercepted,
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according to the IDF. Israel is now training for logistics supplies under fire as part of its preparations for a possible escalation with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the IDF
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captured a cache of weapons at a Hamas hideout in a high-rise residential complex in Khan Yunis. The soldiers seized mortars, explosive devices, assault rifles and ammunition (pictured below). The IDF also struck a Hamas site in the area that was used by terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught. The strike killed four Hamas terrorists.
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In the West Bank, Palestinian terrorists
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wounded seven Israeli soldiers with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were carrying out a counterterrorism operation when they came under attack.
Mossad: Hamas toughening demands for hostage deal, seeks Ramadan escalation
In a rare
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statement , the Mossad said yesterday that Hamas prefers an escalation of violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to a hostage deal.
"At this stage, Hamas is fortifying its position as if it is not interested in a deal, and it strives to ignite the region during Ramadan at the expense of the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip," the Mossad said.
The statement came after Mossad chief David Barnea met CIA Director Bill Burns this weekend, "as part of the ceaseless effort to advance another deal for the return of the hostages." The meeting reportedly took place in Amman, Jordan.
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Read this new AIPAC memo on how Hamas is choosing violence over peace ahead of Ramadan, which we sent to Hill offices on Friday.
Freed hostage speaks at gathering to raise awareness of female hostages
Last night, Agam Goldstein, 17, a female hostage who was freed in the previous hostage deal, spoke at a
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gathering in Tel Aviv’s Hostages’ Square to draw attention to the plight of the 19 women held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
"I was released, yet I still stand here today. I shared some of the horrors I experienced there, that the other men and women experienced and are still experiencing," Agam said in a moving speech.
She ended her remarks with a direct plea to Hamas in Arabic: "Hafazuu ealaa al'iinsania alati baqiat fikum, wa'atlaquu sarah almukhtatafin—'If any shred of humanity remains in you, release the hostages!'"
The rally came the day after International Women’s Day and the same week the U.N. released a report saying that hostages were likely subject to ongoing sexual violence in captivity. Family members representing each of the 19 female hostages also spoke.
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New Analysis: "How the Gaza Ministry of Health Fakes Casualty Numbers"
Tablet Magazine
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published a new report by Abraham Wyner, Professor of Statistics and Data Science at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, digging into the casualty numbers out of Gaza.
Highlighting a number of abnormalities in the data, Wyner concludes: "The numbers are not real. That much is obvious to anyone who understands how naturally occurring numbers work. The casualties are not overwhelmingly women and children, and the majority may be Hamas fighters."
"Israel estimates that at least 12,000 fighters have been killed. If that number proves to be even reasonably accurate, then the ratio of noncombatant casualties to combatants is remarkably low: at most 1.4 to 1 and perhaps as low as 1 to 1. By historical standards of urban warfare, where combatants are embedded above and below into civilian population centers, this is a remarkable and successful effort to prevent unnecessary loss of life while fighting an implacable enemy that protects itself with civilians."
Congress funds expanded U.S.-Israel cooperation in agriculture, water and energy
Late Friday, the Senate
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passed important funding for U.S.-Israel cooperation in several critical areas in its annual appropriation bills, including:
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$3 million in funding for the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Foundation (an increase from $2 million last year)
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$6 million in funding for U.S.-Israel cooperation in energy and water technology
This funding was passed by the House earlier in the week, and has now been signed into law by the president.
Many members of Congress — both Democrats and Republicans — worked hard to ensure these important pro-Israel provisions were included in the final bill.
Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.
Sincerely,
Adam Harris
Director of Communications
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Support our work to keep Israel safe.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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