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Dear A.,
503 days after they were brutally ripped from their homes alive, the bodies of Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz were returned to Israel.
But before handing over the bodies, Hamas displayed the coffins on a stage in front of a backdrop showing the faces of the innocent man, woman and children they kidnapped and murdered.
Behind their faces was a depiction of Prime Minister Netanyahu as a vampire, his face dripping in blood.
Hamas even added labels to the coffins, which
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read : "date of arrest October 7, 2023" — the date they were abducted alive from their homes.
The evil on display is difficult to put into words.
Crowds of Palestinians attended the event, cheering and
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celebrating as the murdered bodies of the Israelis were paraded through the streets. Palestinian parents brought their children, who were seen smiling and applauding.
And Red Cross officials again participated in Hamas' propaganda.
The Red Cross then delivered the bodies to the IDF.
Israeli soldiers covered the caskets in Israeli flags and held a small ceremony inside Gaza before transferring the bodies to an Israeli forensic facility for autopsies.
As part of the ceremony, IDF Chief Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Karim read aloud
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Psalm 83 as troops saluted:
O God, have no silence, do not be silent and do not be still, O God. 
For behold, Your enemies stir, and those who hate You raise their heads.     
Against Your people they plot cunningly, and they take counsel against Your protected ones.      
They said, "Come, let us destroy them from [being] a nation, and the name of Israel will no longer be remembered."
For they have taken counsel with one accord; against You they form a pact...
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Following the return of the bodies, Prime Minister Netanyahu
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said : "My brothers and sisters, dear citizens of Israel, on this day we are all united, in grief that is too heavy to bear. Today, every home in Israel bows its head. We bow our heads over the heavy loss of four of our hostages."
Asked about the cheering crowds of Palestinians attending Hamas' propaganda ceremony, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in an interview:
"I think that is a true reality of what we Israelis have been going through with these jihadists who've taken over Gaza and turned it into an Iranian terror base against Israel, with their hate and with a lack of morality and with the barbaric approach to life. They believe in death. We believe in life. They think death is the role model. We believe life is the role model. It was so humiliating, so disgusting, so despicable...
What they have done, these barbaric terrorists, they've ruined the hope of Israelis and they ruined the hope of Palestinians, too. What you call pure cruelty. One has to understand that to fight pure cruelty, you have to fight totally and uproot pure cruelty because terror is what leads to this vicious cycle in our region."
Many members of Congress have spoken out today standing with Israel and condemning Hamas. You can read congressional statements on
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AIPAC's X .
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson
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said this morning:
"Our hearts break as four hostages murdered by Hamas return to Israel: Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel.
It is beyond comprehension that anyone could take the lives of these innocent people—a peace activist, and a young mother and her babies.
This is pure evil. America stands with Israel in its fight to eliminate Hamas."
Senator John Fetterman
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added :
"Hamas abducted, tortured and murdered children.
Used their remains to free prisoners.
This spectacle advances the frontier of utter depravity and reaffirms standing firmly on the side of Israel."
69 hostages, including 5 Americans, are still held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza.
The United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Iran, Qatar and Turkey to release the hostages.
Major suspected terror attack in Israel averted
Tonight in Israel, three buses
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exploded in a parking lot in a suburb outside of Tel Aviv, in what is suspected to be an attempted terror attack.
Two more identical explosive devices were found and disabled. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.
The devices were reportedly intended to detonate tomorrow when the buses were in service.
Hamas' West Bank affiliate, which is based in Tulkarm,
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released a statement signaling that it's behind the attempted attack.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
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said , "I instructed the IDF to intensify operations to counter terrorism in the Tulkarm refugee camp and all refugee camps in Judea and Samaria."
Meanwhile, Israeli bus drivers across the country have been
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ordered to search their vehicles, and Israel is increasing its security throughout the country.
IDF Chief in U.S. for key meetings
Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi was in Washington earlier this week for
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meetings with senior officials, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown and CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla.
Halevi thanked his counterparts for the United States’ support and cooperation during the war against Hamas.
He also delivered a lecture to officers at the National Defense University on the IDF’s operations during the Gaza conflict, including command challenges and lessons learned.
Hezbollah operative killed in airstrike after Israeli withdrawal
The IDF yesterday
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carried out a strike in southern Lebanon, killing a Hezbollah terrorist with weapons.
This was the first terrorist eliminated by the IDF in Lebanon since Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon on Tuesday.
In a separate incident, the IDF fired warning shots in southern Lebanon after a group of suspects gathered close to the Israeli border. The suspects withdrew after the shots were fired.
Hezbollah is violating the ceasefire while the Lebanese Armed Forces fails to enforce the terms of the agreement.
The United States must increase the pressure on Hezbollah and Lebanon to fully comply with the ceasefire.
AIPAC-endorsed representatives named chairs of Abraham Accords Caucus
AIPAC-endorsed Reps. Craig Goldman (R-TX) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) were
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named as co-chairs of the House Abraham Accords Caucus today, joining returning AIPAC-backed co-chairs Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Brad Schneider (D-IL).
The bipartisan caucus works with its Senate counterpart to strengthen and expand the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states.
"I am honored to co-chair the House Abraham Accords Caucus as we continue the vital work of strengthening U.S. national security while advancing peace and prosperity across the world," Goldman said.
"We will be laser-focused on fostering broad bipartisan coalitions within the U.S. Congress to provide the resources and tools needed to promote the normalization efforts between Israel and its Arab neighbors," Wasserman Schultz added.
Iran's Supreme Leader: Qatar is "a friendly and brotherly country"
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
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said yesterday that Qatar is "a friendly and brotherly country" in a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is visiting Tehran.
Qatar and Iran are both key backers of Hamas.
Khamenei also said Qatar should release Iranian oil revenues held by Qatari banks, saying the main obstacle preventing Qatar's government from sending the money to Tehran is the Trump administration and restoration of the maximum pressure policy against Iran.
Other notable headlines
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Iran Executed At Least 975 People In 2024 In 'Horrifying Escalation,' Rights Groups Say
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Trump Administration Freezes Funds To Palestinian Security Forces
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Azerbaijan and Israel discuss bilateral ties and regional developments
Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.
Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy 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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