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Dear A.,


Following intense American and Israeli pressure, Hamas announced today that it will follow through with its commitment to release three hostages on Saturday as required under the terms of the hostage agreement.


Hamas' reversal came after the terror group had repeatedly said it would violate the agreement by not releasing any more hostages.


But Hamas still violated the ceasefire today, attempting to launch a rocket into Israel. The rocket fell short into Gaza, reportedly killing a Palestinian teenager. Watch the video below:



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Meanwhile, families of 11 of the remaining hostages have received proof-of-life in recent days based on testimony from those recently released from captivity.


The family of Segev Kalfon, 27, received information from one of the hostages released last Saturday that he is alive. Segev was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7; tragically, he is not on the list of hostages set to be released in the first phase of the deal.


Anat Angrest, mother of captive IDF soldier Matan Angrest, 21,
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said , "We received information that he is alive and held under harsh conditions," adding, "He was kidnapped from a tank, covered in burns. He underwent severe interrogations there, we saw it on his face in the video that we decided not to publish yet." Matan is also not on the list of hostages set to be released in the first phase.

76 hostages, including 6 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.


MUST LISTEN
Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Part 1 - Four Days In October
Dan Senor
Call Me Back Podcast





In his first English-language interview since the Israel-Hamas war began, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant talks about the initial days of the conflict, with an emphasis on one date that could have changed it all: October 11th, 2023.

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Israeli withdrawal date from Lebanon nears

Israel carried out strikes in southern Lebanon this afternoon against sites used by Hezbollah to store weapons and launchers that "posed a direct threat to the Israeli home front," the IDF
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said in a statement.


The strikes came the same time Israeli media
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reported that senior officials in Israel’s security cabinet have said that the U.S. has granted Israeli troops permission to stay "in several locations" in Lebanon beyond February 18.


The original January 26 deadline was pushed back because Hezbollah has not complied with the ceasefire and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has not sufficiently deployed to southern Lebanon to enforce Hezbollah's compliance.


Israel is
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warning the U.S. that Hezbollah is rearming with Iran's help, smuggling in cash through the Beirut airport, and aims to return to southern Lebanon immediately upon the IDF’s withdrawal from the area.

The United States must increase the pressure on Lebanon and Hezbollah to fully comply with the ceasefire agreement, and work with our allies to block Iran's support for its terrorist proxy.

Report: Israel considering strike on Iran's nuclear program

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded during the final days of the Biden administration that Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year, aiming to take advantage of Iran's weakness, according to a
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new report in The Wall Street Journal.


American military support and munitions, including "bunker buster" bombs, would likely be needed for a successful attack on Iran's nuclear sites.


"Iran is more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in November. "We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal-to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel."

Secretary of State to Rubio set to travel to the Middle East

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is
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set to visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this weekend and early next week.


"The trip will center on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies," the State Department said in a statement.

New study debunks allegations of famine in Gaza

A
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newly-published study found that 478,229 metric tons of food were supplied to Gaza during the first seven months of the war, with an average daily per capita nutritional supply of 3,004 kcal — well above the humanitarian standard of 2,100 kcal/day.


The study also highlights the consistent delivery of large food shipments via Israeli border crossings and airdrops. But "interference in food distribution by Hamas, which has been reported to divert or control aid instead of allowing its fair distribution," has led to significant distribution failures inside Gaza, it said.


Israel has facilitated the entry of over 1.3 million tons of aid into Gaza since the war began, despite Hamas’ continued looting and reselling of aid.


Since the ceasefire began in mid-January, Israel has surged humanitarian assistance into Gaza, with 12,600 truckloads of aid entering the enclave in just the past three weeks.

Other notable headlines
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Hamas calls for ‘solidarity marches’ worldwide to protest Trump Gaza plan
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Police, Shin Bet thwart car-ramming, shooting attack by Hamas supporters
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House Committee advances university foreign donations disclosure bill


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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