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Dear A.,
In a speech over the weekend, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said that the terror group will not disarm, relinquish power in Gaza or allow any external oversight in the Strip — all of which are required under the terms of the Gaza peace plan.
"Protecting the enterprise of the resistance and its weapons — this is our people's right to defend itself. The resistance and its weapons are the honor and glory of the Islamic nation," Mashaal
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added in the video message to a conference in Turkey.
"The end of the war was declared two months ago, but the battle is not over," he added. "The [October 7 Al-Aqsa] Flood, with its might, has prepared the international arena... This is our opportunity to build on this in order to expel this [Israeli] entity from our homeland and from the international stage."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry
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slammed Hamas for "making a mockery of President Trump’s peace plan," calling the speech "a direct contradiction of the core terms of the peace plan itself."
Similarly, the United States expects Hamas to "abide by the deal they signed," State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce
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said in a statement. "Hamas has agreed to all 20 points of President Trump’s 20 Point Plan. That means Gaza will be fully demilitarized for the sake of Gazans."
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Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal speaks via video message to the "Pledge to Jerusalem" conference in Istanbul, Turkey, over the weekend, vowing that Hamas will not disarm or give up power in Gaza.
Hamas also continues to violate the ceasefire by attacking Israeli troops and refusing to release the final murdered hostage, Ran Gvili.
24-year-old Ran was murdered on October 7 near the Nova Music Festival site after saving numerous lives from Hamas terrorists. His body was then taken into Gaza and has been held hostage since.
Israel has told mediators that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad know the location of Ran's body, and have
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demanded that the mediators ensure that the terrorist groups retrieve the body and return it to Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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said yesterday that Israel and Hamas are "very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire" deal, as soon as Ran is returned to his family in Israel.
The United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to fully comply with the agreement and release the last hostage.
Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.
Jake Braunstein
Senior Director, Policy Communications
Lebanon FM says Hezbollah disarmament depends on Iran; Syria stops arms shipments to Hezbollah
Iran will have the final say on whether its Lebanese terror proxy
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Hezbollah will disarm , according to Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, following a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Rajji said Hezbollah has been rebuilding itself and is concerned with "preserving itself and regaining power" and will not "hand over its weapons without an Iranian decision."
The Lebanese Armed Forces were required to disarm the terror group and deploy fully across the country under the terms of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, which ended the October 2023-November 2024 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM),
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Admiral Brad Cooper , said that Syria has thwarted several arms shipments bound for Hezbollah.
Cooper said, "The United States and our regional partners have a shared interest in ensuring the disarmament of Lebanese Hezbollah and in preserving peace and stability across the Middle East."
The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
PICTURE OF THE DAY
U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Mike Waltz in Israel
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U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz met with his Israeli counterpart, Danny Danon, in Israel for his first trip to the Jewish state as U.N. Ambassador.
Danon said, "In the face of terror and de-legitimization, the strategic partnership between Israel and the U.S. remains steadfast."
Washington Jewish Week Op-Ed: A Senator's Cheap Shot
Washington Jewish Week's Editorial Board
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penned an op-ed criticizing Sen. Chris Van Hollen's "disgraceful" attack on Jewish community leader leader Ron Halber last week.
"Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s attack on Ron Halber, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, wasn’t just thin-skinned — it was disgraceful... Republicans, Democrats, faith leaders, agency heads and local officials all know Halber as a straightforward, principled and impeccably prepared advocate. His word carries weight because he has spent decades proving it deserves to."
"Halber noted what has long been evident: Van Hollen’s ongoing hostility toward Israel and his increasingly visible role as a leader of the progressive, anti-Israel flank of the Democratic Party. The observation was neither inflammatory nor new; it was honest analysis, rooted in the senator’s own record."
"Nothing Halber said should have surprised anyone. We have long documented Van Hollen’s troubling pattern — his reflexive criticism of Israel, his indulgence of talking points that track uncomfortably close to the positions of Israel’s harshest detractors and his eagerness to cast himself as the Senate’s resident moral scold on Middle East policy."
"Van Hollen’s blunder was revealing. While Halber’s standing in the Jewish community is rooted in decades of trust, Van Hollen’s standing has been steadily eroding... Many in the Jewish community — and far beyond it — have grown weary of his one-note moralizing and refusal to acknowledge the consequences of his rhetoric. By lashing out at Halber for offering a sober, contextual assessment of Van Hollen’s record, the senator’s actions confirmed what his critics have long argued: that he prefers silencing dissent to confronting it."
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I encourage you to read and and share the full op-ed here.
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U.S., Israel launch joint naval drill; Trump reiterates that Jerusalem is 'rightful capital' of Israel
Yesterday, the United States and Israel launched their
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annual joint naval exercise , "Intrinsic Defender." The drill includes the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and aims "to strengthen strategic and operational cooperation between the two naval forces, and practice responses to various regional threats," the IDF
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said .
Israel is a vital American ally partnering with the United States to keep both countries safer and confront shared security challenges.
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Rep. Abe Hamadeh op-ed: American unity with Israel is more than just politics
Arizona Republican Congressman Abe Hamadeh
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wrote an op-ed for The Jerusalem Post about his personal connection to Israel and the importance of the U.S.-Israel partnership.
"Few issues in American foreign policy command the kind of bipartisan importance that the US-Israel relationship does. For me, that relationship is not only strategic or ideological, but it is also deeply personal."
"Currently, Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, a beacon of freedom and pluralism in a region that desperately needs both. For that reason, Congress has an obligation to continue supporting Israel and to do so in a way that transcends partisan divides."
"I have said before that America First does not mean America alone – and I will continue to champion this perspective. Our country is strongest when we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies. A strong Israel makes America stronger and safer. Our destinies are linked by democracy, values, and the simple truth that freedom must be defended."
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I encourage you to read and share Rep. Hamadeh's op-ed here.
Other notable headlines
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Scoop: U.S. discussing potential Sisi-Netanyahu summit
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Focusing on AI and electronic warfare, IDF restructures computer service directorate
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Shortly before heading to Israel, Merz pushes Abbas on Palestinian Authority reforms
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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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