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In-Depth Issues:
Israeli Hostages Endured Untold Adversity in Gaza Captivity - Isabel Kershner ( New York Times)
Eitan Horn, a freed hostage in his late 30s, lost about half his body weight and was forced to walk for about 12 hours through the tunnels beneath Gaza when his captors wanted to move him, his sister-in-law, Dalia Cusnir, said.
Elkana Bohbot's wife said he had returned with severe stomach pain because his captors had tried to fatten him up before his release, after months of receiving hardly any food.
The captives had been kept largely incommunicado with little food and sometimes shackled. In many cases, they were held in dank, dark tunnels deep under Gaza.
"Every one of them has endured untold adversity and horrors," said Prof. Itai Pessach, vice president of Sheba Medical Center, near Tel Aviv, and founder of its hostage medical team. "They will probably need weeks, months and even years to heal."
Le Figaro: Hizbullah Is Rebuilding - Itamar Eichner ( Ynet News)
The French newspaper Le Figaro on Saturday detailed Hizbullah's covert efforts to rebuild following Israel's decisive military victory.
Hizbullah is undergoing a deep, secretive restructuring - aided by Iranian operatives and extensive internal reforms.
Following the targeted killing of Hassan Nasrallah on Sep. 27, 2024, in the Dahieh quarter of Beirut, Hizbullah fell into disarray.
Hizbullah member Wafik said: "For 10 days, no one answered calls. We were like a body in a coma. Only the fighters in the south kept operating, following emergency protocols in case our number one disappeared."
After two weeks, Iranians - led by Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force - arrived to restore the chain of command. "They restored the army in 10 days, but the political echelon remained vacant," said Wafik.
Though it has disarmed in much of southern Lebanon, Hizbullah retains weapons stockpiles in the Beqaa Valley and north of the Litani River.
Hizbullah retains domestic influence: 27 parliamentary seats, ties with the Lebanese army, and robust Shiite support.
Poll: 75 Percent of Young West Bank Palestinians Believe Israel Has No Right to Exist - Mora Deitch ( Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University)
A survey conducted on Sep. 1-7, 2025, for INSS found that 54% of Palestinians in the West Bank believe the State of Israel has no right to exist (75% of those aged 18-34), 69% think Israel will not endure over time, and 50% believe Israel can be destroyed following the events of Oct. 7.
The two-state formula is perceived by many Palestinians, especially younger respondents, as a temporary rather than final arrangement.
71% view normalization between Israel and Arab states as a betrayal of the Palestinian people.
74% are concerned about the destruction of cities in the West Bank, following the devastation in Gaza.
Indonesia Denies Visas to Israeli Gymnastics Team ( Ynet News)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned Indonesia's decision to bar Israel's national gymnastics team from entering the country for the upcoming 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which begins Sunday.
"All eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to participate in international sports competitions and events without any form of discrimination from the host country," the IOC said.
The Ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans Is a Moral Outrage - Brendan O'Neill ( Spiked-UK)
Britain is now a country that cannot guarantee the safety of visiting Jews from Israel - what a disgrace.
That's what the sick ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the Europa clash with Aston Villa on Nov. 6 reveals: that Britain accepts it has become a hostile environment for Jews.
And it thinks the best way to deal with this is by keeping certain Jews at bay. For their own safety, you understand - to placate those twisted sections of society that hate and boycott everything Israeli.
We are basically accommodating the frothing ideology of the Israelophobes rather than accommodating visiting Israelis.
What an indelible black mark against Britain it will be if certain Jews are kept out in order to dull the rage of the filth who hate them.
This is like saying the solution to anti-Jewish pogroms is to get rid of Jews. No Jews, no problem.
To ban Jews to try to calm those who hate them is a grotesque genuflection to the twisted logic of Jew-hatred.
Peace Has Come to Gaza, but the War Against Jews in Britain Goes On - Danny Cohen ( Telegraph-UK)
For many British Jews, the drumbeat of antisemitism is becoming the persistent backdrop to our lives. It is altering how we see the world.
The scale of the problem, the horror of events, the amount of people we now realize hold antisemitic views is making a growing number re-assess their futures.
The Jewish community is absorbing incidents of violence, hate and prejudice on a daily basis.
On Yom Kippur, an Islamist extremist mounted a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
On the streets of Britain the marches continue, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Many of the protestors are calling for "global intifada." They want to attack Jews wherever in the world they find them.
Can Britain's Jews live their lives with the freedom and security that all others take for granted?
The writer is a former director of BBC Television.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- Hamas Aims to Keep Grip on Gaza Security - Ahmed Jadallah
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal told Reuters from Doha that Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period and could not commit to the group disarming.
Asked for comment on Nazzal's remarks, the Israeli prime minister's office said, "Hamas is supposed to release all hostages in stage 1. It has not. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are. Hamas are to be disarmed under this agreement. No ifs, no buts. They have not. Hamas need to adhere to the 20-point plan. They are running out of time."
(Reuters)
- State Department: Hamas Planning Attack Against Palestinian Civilians
The State Department said Saturday there were "credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza. This planned attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement."
"The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms. Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire." (U.S. State Department)
- Hamas Back in Control of Hospital Hideout - Suha Ma'ayeh
Heavily armed Hamas fighters seized the Jordanian Field Hospital complex in Gaza City after Israeli forces withdrew as part of a ceasefire deal. This followed a gunbattle with a rival Palestinian group - the Doghmosh family, re-establishing Hamas control over what had long been a redoubt for the Islamist militants. Israel's military said Hamas had turned a building on the hospital grounds into a base of operations.
In October, the IDF took journalists to the Jordanian Field Hospital to show a tunnel with an underground rocket production site that opened next to a small building for Hamas personnel behind the hospital.
The IDF released drone footage from inside the tunnel, which showed several rooms, a bathroom, rocket casings and a lathe.
(Wall Street Journal)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Palestinians Attack Israeli Troops in Gaza, IDF Responds - Einav Halabi
After Palestinians directed gunfire at an Israeli engineering vehicle in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Sunday, the Israeli Air Force launched retaliatory strikes. Palestinian reports said Israeli Navy vessels also opened fire.
On Friday, armed Hamas terrorists emerged from tunnels and opened fire on Israeli troops in two separate incidents in Khan Yunis and Rafah. Several of the terrorists were killed in airstrikes.
(Ynet News)
- Israel Links Opening Gaza Border Crossing with Egypt to Returning Hostages' Remains
Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt will be reopened "based on how Hamas fulfills its part in returning the hostages' remains," the Prime Minister's Office said Saturday.
(Jerusalem Post)
See also Israel Has Received the Remains of 12 of the 28 Dead Hostages
Israel said Hamas handed over "two coffins of deceased hostages" from Gaza late Saturday. Hamas has now handed over the remains of 12 of the 28 dead hostages in Gaza.
(AP-Politico)
- Netanyahu Denies Trump Forced Truce on Him, Says War Ends when Hamas Disarmed - Lazar Berman
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied Saturday that President Trump had strong-armed him into agreeing to the current ceasefire deal. "He did not force this deal on me, because I worked together with him on its wording," adding that he had made significant changes to it right up until the last minute.
Netanyahu repeated that if Hamas doesn't agree to disarm, in accordance with the peace plan, this will be done "the hard way." Only after Hamas is disarmed and Gaza demilitarized, "then the war will end," he said. (Times of Israel)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
The Gaza War
- Palestinian Deradicalization Is Essential for Peace - Dr. Dan Diker
The first principle of the U.S. plan for ending the Gaza war - "Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone" - reveals the central contradiction that has haunted every peace initiative since Oslo. The plan begins with deradicalization.
Three decades of failed peacemaking should have taught us that ideology precedes everything else in the Middle East.
Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza was heralded as a test case for Palestinian self-governance and territorial compromise. Instead, by 2007 Hamas violently seized control, transforming Gaza into a forward base for Iranian-backed terror operations. Oct. 7 did not occur due to the absence of a Palestinian state: It occurred precisely because there was a de facto Palestinian state in Gaza.
The ideological structure underlying any Palestinian entity remains fundamentally based on jihad and the cancellation of Israel. That cancerous indoctrination is inherent in the Palestinian collective mindset and institutional framework.
Creating a Palestinian state now will inflame radicalization, not diminish it. Hamas had an 18-year period to radicalize an entire generation in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority's "pay to slay" program - disbursing more than $300 million annually to terrorists and their families - continues to this day. The PLO Charter explicitly calls for preparing younger generations ideologically and practically for armed struggle.
Changing ideology takes generations. Until Western policymakers understand this elemental truth about the Middle East, we will continue cycling through failed initiatives.
The writer is president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
(Jerusalem Post)
- Qatar and Turkey Want to Rebuild Hamas, Not Reconstruct Gaza - Khaled Abu Toameh
In addition to Iran, Qatar and Turkey have long been sponsoring and funding Hamas and providing the terror group's leaders with shelter. In the time-honored tradition of Arab politeness, these countries may well be telling Trump what he would like to hear - secure in the knowledge that in three years, he will be off their backs. Meanwhile, they will have positioned themselves comfortably in Gaza.
A senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer told Ynet: "Qatar and certainly Turkey must not have a foothold in Gaza again. The UAE, Egypt and Jordan hate Hamas....Qatar is the one that funded Hamas in the years leading up to Oct. 7....Qatar and Turkey are both Muslim Brotherhood members who support Hamas."
Qatar has transferred $1.8 billion to Hamas over the past two decades.
Documents seized by the IDF reveal Qatar's intensive collaboration with Hamas spanning years, including attempts to thwart regional peace efforts by the U.S., marginalize Egyptian influence in Gaza, and bolster the roles of Turkey and Iran. The documents revealed that Qatari intelligence officials met with a Hamas representative to discuss supervising special training units for Hamas fighters on military bases in Qatar and Turkey.
It is laughable - and dangerous - to assume that under their current rulers, Qatar and Turkey would ever play a positive and constructive role in ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East. Qatar and Turkey are not interested in the reconstruction of Gaza. Instead, they are interested in rebuilding Hamas's military and civilian capabilities and ensuring that the terror group, perhaps in some rebranded form, remains in power.
The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. (Gatestone Institute)
- "Deradicalization" in Gaza: Measures of Success - Neomi Neumann and Devorah Margolin
While President Trump's plan for ending the Gaza war begins with the stated goal to transform the Strip into "a deradicalized terror-free zone," the plan does not clearly define what "deradicalization" entails. Nor does it offer a strategy for dismantling Hamas's ideological and institutional influence after nearly two decades of rule.
The first step must be to redefine the concept of "deradicalization," shifting to a realistic and actionable goal: reducing public motivation to support Hamas or participate in acts of terrorism. This reframing would allow for the establishment of measurable benchmarks. Within this framework, efforts should focus on creating the economic, social, and political conditions that reduce the appeal of terrorism and diminish the incentives for young Palestinians to join or endorse Hamas's violent activities.
Beyond removing Hamas from power, postwar programming in Gaza should focus on creating a reality in which returning to violence is no longer in the interest of those who previously engaged in it. To succeed, such efforts must be led by local actors who bring a viable alternative to Hamas - and must include significant investment in socioeconomic recovery, institutional reform, and a clear political path.
The first step in this process is establishing a governance alternative that is more effective, legitimate, and attractive than Hamas in the eyes of the public. Another step is to shut down Hamas-controlled media channels, establish an independent communication authority under international supervision, and initiate efforts to reform religious and educational content.
International experience in countering the Islamic State has shown that effective narratives are built on identity and meaning. To dismantle toxic ideologies, it is not enough to refute them, there must be a more compelling alternative. In Gaza's case, metrics for success should focus on the public's willingness to support a governing alternative to Hamas, their readiness to engage in demilitarization efforts, and their parallel refusal to assist Hamas in rebuilding its military capabilities or recruiting new members.
Neomi Neumann is an adjunct fellow with the Washington Institute and former head of the research unit at the Israel Security Agency. Devorah Margolin is a senior fellow at the Institute.
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
Hizbullah
- Hizbullah: One Year after Nasrallah's Elimination - Lt.-Col. (ret.) Orna Mizrahi
A year after the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbullah still clings to its extremist ideology. The ceremonies marking the anniversary of Nasrallah's elimination were attended by large crowds at several locations and
served as an opportunity for a show of force.
Hizbullah's current secretary-general, Naim Qassem, declared that the organization remains ready to confront anyone attempting to force it to disarm. Media coverage glorified Nasrallah and the path of resistance he led for 32 years as secretary-general.
Hizbullah lost many of its commanders and fighters during the war (in an August 5 speech, Qassem claimed the organization had 5,000 dead and 13,000 wounded). The IDF claims to have eliminated 80% of Hizbullah's firepower, and its financial capabilities were severely diminished.
Most serious of all, Hizbullah continues to be a daily target of IDF strikes - eliminating operatives and destroying its military infrastructure including ammunition depots and production facilities. The absence of Hizbullah's senior, veteran leaders who were killed in the war has also hampered its decision-making process. Naim Qassem lacks Nasrallah's abilities and authority.
In practice, the Lebanese Army operates only to a very limited extent in southern Lebanon, continues to avoid clashes with Hizbullah, and focuses mainly on collecting weapons from Palestinian refugee camps (only from Fatah elements). The issue of disarmament is existential for Hizbullah, which adamantly insists on retaining its weapons - a central pillar of its power against both domestic and external adversaries.
A year after the ceasefire took effect, Hizbullah appears to be regaining its footing. It is undergoing reorganization, recruiting new operatives, finding creative methods to smuggle weapons, and generating new sources of income through its networks in South America, Europe, and Africa. The group continues to enjoy broad popular support in Lebanon, maintains cooperation with the Shiite Amal movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and retains the backing of Iran.
The writer, a senior researcher at INSS, served for 26 years in the IDF and 12 years at the National Security Council in the Prime Minister's Office. (Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University)
The Two-State Solution
- Origins of the Two-State Solution - Amb. Alan Baker interviewed by Ruth Marks Eglash
The "two-state solution" currently being discussed originated in a speech by then-U.S. President George W. Bush on June 24, 2002. It was not mentioned in the agreements that constitute the backbone of today's Middle East peace process, such as UN Security Council Resolution 242 following the Six-Day War in 1967 or Resolution 338 in 1973 after the Yom Kippur War.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's vision of the permanent status, set out in his last speech to the Knesset in October 1995, referred to the establishment of "a Palestinian entity" that would be "less than a state and will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority." It was referenced in the 2003 Quartet "Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." There was absolutely no reference to a two-state solution in the Oslo Accords.
A Palestinian state will only emanate from direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel (as agreed in the Oslo Accords); will be demilitarized and limited in its military capabilities; and the border between it and Israel will be the result of negotiation between them, and will not necessarily be the 1967 lines. Any such state must prevent terror and incitement.
Since the Palestinian Authority has never been able to develop any practical plan for governance, the two-state plan has never been given any concrete content. In the present circumstances of open and violent schism within the Palestinian leadership between Fatah and Hamas, there is little possibility of reaching any viable solution.
The writer, former Legal Adviser and Deputy Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is Director of the Institute for Diplomatic Affairs at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. (Jerusalem Post)
Observations:
- A Palestinian state, in the sense of a sovereign entity responsible for its own military build-up and deployment, borders, airspace, electromagnetic spectrum, and treaties with foreign powers, would pose an existential threat to Israel. It would lead to severe and repeated conflict in the region, undermine the stability of moderate Arab states, and imperil key U.S. interests.
- The Palestinian Authority (PA) has existed since 1994 and provides a clear indication of the nature and characteristics of a future Palestinian state. The PA, contrary to the moderate image it attempts to project in the West, continues to glorify and reward terrorism, portray the mass murderers of Jews as national heroes, and promote the belief that Israel will soon be wiped off the map.
- Dozens of PA schools, summer camps, and streets are named after terrorists responsible for the murder of Jews. Official PA media repeats again and again the message that incarcerated and "martyred" terrorists are role models.
- Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem attempted to carry out more than 1,250 serious terror attacks in 2024. Not only did the PA fail to prevent these attacks, but some were carried out by members of the PA security forces.
- However, the most likely scenario in the event of the establishment of a Palestinian state is that it would quickly be dominated by Hamas and other Islamist terror groups. Hamas is the most popular political party in the West Bank, 50% more popular than Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction. A Palestinian poll from May 2025 revealed that 59% of West Bankers still believe that Hamas's Oct. 7 attack was correct.
- A constructive discussion is needed on new paradigms for a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Palestinian future. It should begin with the international community pressuring the Palestinians to abandon their culture of terror and embrace one of coexistence and cooperation.
The writer is executive director of the Misgav Institute for National Security.
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