4 April 2025
The wave of protests against Hamas that has swept the Gaza Strip over the past two weeks is continuing. Thousands of protesters have gone to the streets to demand the end of Hamas. Hamas and other groups have cracked down, and warned that the participants will be treated as collaborators with Israel. Last weekend, Hamas operatives kidnapped, tortured and executed a 22-year-old Palestinian man who participated in the protests.
One thing that is being made clear: like other Palestinian areas, the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip comprises dozens of powerful families who function as well-organized clans. Many do not have formal links to Hamas. They derive their power from controlling businesses and command the loyalty of hundreds or thousands of relatives. Each family has a leader, known as a mukhtar, or chieftain. Some of the larger clans in Gaza are believed to be well-armed, and have a long history of clashing over rival interests, as well as with Hamas.
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"Thousands of protesters have gone to the streets to demand the end of Hamas."
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In a stunning announcement yesterday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary would withdraw from the International Criminal Court. The announcement was made during a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for whom the ICC has issued arrest warrants. These arrest warrants are highly controversial, and several ICC member states (including France, Italy and Austria) have indicated they will not comply.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently gave the revolutionary regime in Iran a two-month ultimatum regarding its nuclear program. The U.S. has moved heavy stealth bombers into position to warn Tehran about the consequences of failing to reach a deal. Tehran has rejected the call for negotiations, and increased its threats to fire missiles in response.
Let us continue to pray this week for the Peace of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Prince of Peace. It is God alone who can establish true Shalom on earth and turn the hearts and minds of all nations and people towards His Kingdom.
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Gazan clan executes alleged Hamas operative who killed one of their relatives
Members of the Abu Samra clan of Deir al-Balah filmed killing an alleged Hamas member in the street, as dissent against terror group grows in the Strip.
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Next envoy must repel Jew-hatred ‘hemorrhaging’ at UN, says retired diplomat
Robert Wood, who recently retired after nearly 40 years in the foreign service including most recently as deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the Biden administration, has stated that the next permanent representative of the U.S. to to the UN “will need to focus on is ridding that building of antisemitism, because the entire building is hemorrhaging with it.”
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Netanyahu, Orbán and Trump defy ICC, and a morally bankrupt global order
With the re-election of Donald Trump, and Viktor Orbán’s withdrawal from the ICC, Netanyahu is proving that Israel can win its just war on the physical battlefield and on the diplomatic one as well.
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Iran has ‘several hundred’ missiles left in its arsenal
Tehran threatens missile strikes after Trump issues a nuclear ultimatum and deploys B-2 bombers.
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Europe’s Illegal Land Grab
Israel's complete jurisdiction over Area C, which legally includes building permits, zoning, construction, law enforcement and planning, was recognized and agreed to by the Palestinian leadership and the world at large for almost three decades. As stipulated in the agreement, only when direct negotiations determine the permanent fate of the territories that had illegally been occupied by Jordan until 1967, can the Oslo Accords be replaced. Until then, it is the law.
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The Silent Struggle – The Mental Toll of Saving Lives
In this interview, Marnix van Ede, Director of International Relations of ZAKA Search & Rescue, highlights the vital work of ZAKA and the urgent need for mental health support for its volunteers, who endure unimaginable trauma.
Founded on the Jewish principle of ‘true kindness,’ ZAKA is Israel’s leading disaster response organization. With 4,000 volunteers, it responds to terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and mass casualty events worldwide. Beyond emergency medical aid, ZAKA ensures the dignified recovery and burial of victims—a sacred mission at the heart of Jewish values.
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SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
Zechariah 14:1-5
A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.
2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.
4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
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Why is Israel constantly on trial? ⚖️
International law is being weaponized against Israel—but do you know how and why? *Israel on Trial: The Foundational Course* by thinc. equips you with the knowledge to understand and counter legal distortions. Learn from top legal experts and stay informed. 📚🔍
Discount code of 50 Euro: IOT2025 (price 249EU)
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