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Dear A.,
Israel is continuing to increase the military pressure on Hamas while also expanding humanitarian efforts in the Strip.
The IDF said today that it
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killed one of the Hamas terrorists who helped kidnap former hostage Yarden Bibas.
Yarden was released from captivity in January, tragically coming home to the news that his wife, Shiri, and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, had been abducted and murdered by Palestinian terrorists.
Yesterday, the IDF
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eliminated a terrorist cell in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza armed with AK-47 rifles, RPGs, grenades and explosives, and also dismantled rocket launchers in the area.
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Also today, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, along with other senior IDF and Shin Bet officials, to approve the military’s plans for the capture of Gaza City, one of the last remaining Hamas strongholds.
According to Israeli officials, the IDF’s plans to capture Gaza City involve first establishing humanitarian infrastructure in southern Gaza and issuing evacuation warnings for civilians to move there.
As the IDF expands its targeted operations against Hamas terrorists, Israel is continuing to surge aid into the Strip.
Yesterday,
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370 humanitarian aid trucks were brought into Gaza, while only 350 were collected and distributed by the U.N. and international organizations, leaving hundreds of trucks-worth of aid awaiting collection inside Gaza.
Israel also brought in additional fuel tankers and coordinated the airdrop of 180 pallets of aid.
And the Israeli government today
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voted to approve a budget that included $473 million in Israeli taxpayer dollars for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
At the same time, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)
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delivered more than 1.4 million meals to Gazans today, for a total of over 129 million meals distributed so far.
GHF yesterday also
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announced a
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new system for Gazans to reserve aid packages in advance.
The new system allows Gazans to create an online profile where they can say how large their family is, and then aid packages will be set aside for them on specific days.
Meanwhile, two Israeli officials
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told The Times of Israel that Israel is considering the Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a hostage deal that Hamas reportedly accepted yesterday. An official Israeli response is expected in the next few days.
As White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier today, "I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Hamas accepted this proposal after the president of the United States posted a very strong statement about this conflict on Truth Social yesterday," referring to Trump’s
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statement that all of the hostages will only be released once Hamas has been destroyed.
While Israel works to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Hamas is prolonging the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The United States must stand with Israel and increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to release all 50 hostages still held in captivity.
United Nations considers UNIFIL's renewal
The U.N. Security Council
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yesterday began considering a French-drafted resolution that would extend the mandate of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
UNIFIL was originally established in 1978 and has failed for decades to fulfill its mandate, which includes demilitarizing southern Lebanon and disarming Hezbollah.
Under UNIFIL's watch, Hezbollah developed a massive weapons arsenal and extensive terror infrastructure used to attack Israel.
The United States reportedly opposes UNIFIL's renewal but may agree to a final one-year extension.
U.N.'s Albanese defends Hamas in latest anti-Israel tirade
In a new released
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video , anti-Israel U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese openly defends Hamas, arguing that, "I don’t think people have any idea what Hamas is."
"Hamas is a political force that won the 2005 elections—whether we like it or not. Hamas built schools, public facilities, hospitals."
"It is critical that you understand, that when you think of Hamas, you should not necessarily think of cut-throats, people armed to the teeth, or fighters. It’s not like that."
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee
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called it the "most stunningly offensive comment heard in a generation."
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Albanese has been sanctioned by the United States for promoting boycotts of American companies for doing business with Israel.
Albanese's actions are reflective of the deep moral rot infecting the U.N. The United States must ensure Albanese is held accountable and push for meaningful change at the U.N.
Second public meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials
Israeli Strategic Affair Minister Ron Dermer is
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meeting this evening with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Paris, facilitated by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack.
They are expected to discuss security arrangements along the Israel-Syria border, following attacks on the Druze community in southern Syria that prompted Israeli airstrikes to help protect them.
This will be the second time within a month that Dermer and al-Shibani have met.
PICTURE OF THE DAY
BBC changes headline falsely blaming Israel for woman's death
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The BBC retracted a false headline accusing Israel of being responsible for the death of a Palestinian woman with cancer evacuated to Italy for medical treatment.
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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