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JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Hamas captors gave released hostages bizarre parting 'gift' bag
Two of the recently released Gaza hostages, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen, who were held together in captivity, were forced by Hamas to participate in a staged ceremony where they received "gifts and souvenirs" from their captivity Israeli media reported Sunday night.
According to the Jerusalem Post. all three released hostages received a 'gift bag' which included a photo of Gaza from Hamas terrorists.
In a macabre and twisted bookend, the survivors were given "certificates of release" and made to pose and smile with them before being transferred to Red Cross custody.
The survivors called the tactic a "cynical game."
Anti-Israel Wikipedia editors face lifetime bans after spreading misinformation, hate
Multiple anti-Israel Wikipedia editors are likely to be topic-banned after spreading misinformation and hate across the site, the Anti-Defamation League recently announced, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The users have been under investigation by the Wikipedia arbitration board following 'disruptive behavior' surrounding their edits on the discussion of Israel and Palestine, the Jewish Journal reported.
Two Pro-Israel editors face being topic-banned as well, the Jewish Journal noted, adding the bans have yet to be voted on, but will likely occur within the next few days.
The ADL said it welcomed this potential decision, as the multiple users also enacted a 'bad-faith' campaign against the organization, undermining their credibility by editing their page on Wikipedia and claiming they were 'generally unreliable' when it came to the Middle East topic.
'I've come back to life': Released hostage Emily Damari says 'I am the happiest in the world – just to be'
Emily Damari, the dual British-Israeli citizen who was released – along with Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher – as part of the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was said to be "doing much better than any of us could have ever anticipated," according to her mother, Mandy, who released a statement via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Monday.
"Yesterday, I finally got to hug Emily, just as I had dreamed of doing for a long time," she says, thanking the public for its unwavering support over the past 15 months. "You are all an integral part of Emily's family."
"It was a great joy to catch a glimpse – along with the rest of the world – of Emily's strength, determination and charisma when she was released," she continues. "In Emily's own words – she is the happiest woman in the world; she has her life back."
Gazans who were displaced by the war began returning home on Sunday to discover the devastation brining some to express shock and extreme frustration, reported Ynet.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said 436,000 buildings were destroyed in the Strip and 276,000 were severely or partially damaged after 90% of Gazans were displaced.
"What have we achieved? I have four houses and they are all flattned," Mohammed Abu Bilal, who returned to Rafah told CNN. "Where am I? Is this my house? Is this my live?" Another resident who returned to the city said he came to see if his house was standing but found it destroyed. "We are defeated. We have no life. We will live on the streets."
Michael Waltz: Hamas will never run Gaza
Hamas will "never govern Gaza," President-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Waltz, said on Sunday, ahead of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire between the terrorist group and Israel, reported the Jewish News Syndicate.
"That is completely unacceptable," Waltz said during an interview with CBS about the prospect of a Hamas-run Gaza.
Earlier this month, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire whose first phase features the release of 33 out of 97 hostages still in Gaza in return for more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners; an Israeli redeployment in the Gaza Strip and a 42-day ceasefire. The remaining hostages are to be released in following phases whose details are yet to be negotiated.
If Hamas violates the deal, the United States will not interfere with Israeli moves to punish Hamas, Waltz indicated. "I want the Israeli people to hear me loud and clear. If Hamas reneges on this deal and Hamas backs out, moves the goalpost, what have you, we will support Israel in doing what it has to do," he said.
Hamas orchestrated crowd at hostages' release to appear bigger than in reality
Hamas critics in Gaza have been sharing on social media a photo of today's transfer of the three Israeli hostages from the terror group's fighters to the Red Cross, revealing that the crowd present was smaller than what may have appeared in Hamas's footage of the event.
According to the Times of Israel, those posting the zoomed-out photo are arguing the terrorist group is far less popular in Gaza following 15 months of war sparked by its Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught, which has left the coastal zone and its population decimated.
Only several hundred Hamas members and supporters appear to have been present at the transfer.
U.S. partially lifts arms embargo to Israel
The United States has begun lifting key restrictions from its arms embargo on Israel, with approximately 70 D9 bulldozers now cleared for shipment, according to security sources.
The bulldozers represent a portion of a comprehensive 130-vehicle acquisition agreement signed approximately ten months ago, a deal that had remained suspended under the American arms embargo. Sources familiar with the matter told Israel Hayom the authorization for the bulldozer transfer emerged from extensive negotiations with American administration officials, integrated within the broader framework of the hostage deal discussions.
Military officials emphasize the critical battlefield significance of these engineering vehicles in Gaza Strip operations. The heavy-duty bulldozers serve multiple essential functions: establishing secure movement corridors, creating access routes for combat forces, and detecting explosive devices. Their reinforced design enables them to withstand explosive impacts while maintaining operational capability.
Senior European diplomat: 'Israel has decided to attack Iran's nuclear sites in 2025'
European diplomats are scrambling to see if there is a way to minimize the risk of a military attack on Iran's nuclear program ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.
"We believe Israel has taken the decision to attack following the developments in the Middle East over the last several months," one senior European diplomat, who, like others Al Arabiya English spoke to, said on condition of anonymity.
The diplomat did not say the attack was believed to be imminent but said several European countries have opened talks with the incoming Trump team to see if there is a chance for diplomacy or another way of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Israel frees 90 terrorists in exchange for release of 3 female hostages
In accordance with the hostage release deal, Israel freed 90 terrorists early Monday morning in exchange for the three hostages who were freed from Hamas captivity on Sunday.
The Israel Prison Service said, "During the evening, 90 terrorists were transferred from various detention facilities across the country to the 'Ofer' prison, accompanied by personnel from the Nachshon unit of the Prison Service and with the assistance of the Israel Police. Upon completion of the reception procedures and receiving approval from the political authorities, all the terrorists were released from 'Ofer' prison and Jerusalem Detention Center."
U.K. police question Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Israel march
Former leader of Britain's Labor party Jeremy Corbyn was questioned under caution by police on Sunday over his participation in an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian/Hamas rally the previous day that developed into a clash with police.
Also questioned was former senior Labour party member John McDonnell, who, like Corbyn, is now an independent lawmaker in the House of Commons, reported the Times of Israel.
Both men voluntarily agreed to be questioned, the BBC reported.
Officers charged nine people with public order offenses after dozens were arrested at the protest in the British capital, the London Metropolitan Police said Sunday.
Cost of Gaza reconstruction estimated at $80 million
With the ceasefire agreement coming into effect, the world is looking ahead to the enormous economic effort that will be required to rebuild the Gaza Strip, Israeli outlet Globes reported.
The extensive destruction shrouds the horizon, and questions abound: at what stage will reconstruction work begin, and what will be the Israeli involvement compared with international efforts. Who will pay for it all, and how will the Palestinian Authority, which has no money, be involved while Hamas is still the governing body in the Gaza Strip? What mechanism will be in place to examine the quality and quantity of goods and raw materials that will enter the Gaza Strip and many more questions.
The UN estimates that reconstruction work in the Gaza Strip will cost $80 billion, 25 times more than after Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The particularly high cost stems from the fact that about 69% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip (more than 170,000) have been destroyed, including about 90% of the housing units.
Even before reconstruction, 42 million tons of rubble created by the bombings have to be cleared. The process alone is expected to cost $1.2 billion, with the UN assessment last April estimating that treatment of the rubble will take 14 years.
Houthis: 'Attacks on Israeli-linked ships to continue until last phase of Gaza ceasefire
Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militia has signaled that it will limit its maritime attacks in the Red Sea to only Israel-linked vessels.
The Houthis' Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center announced that the terror group was "stopping sanctions" on other vessels it has targeted since November 2023, according to the report.
For Israeli ships, the Houthis' attacks will only be stopped "upon the full implementation of all phases" of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal that went into effect on Sunday, it added, according to the Jewish News Syndicate.
"In the event of any aggression … the sanctions will be reinstated against the aggressor state," the statement continued. "You will be promptly informed of such measures should they be implemented."
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea called on all countries to withdraw their citizens working as crew members on Israeli ships, avoid working with Israeli freight carriers and steer clear of Israeli vessels.
British Airways to resume Israel flights on April 5
Aviation giant British Airways has announced it will resume flying to Israel from April 5, 2025. The airline's return to Israel will be gradual. It will at first operate one daily flight on the Tel Aviv-London route, raising the frequency to two flights daily from April 20, reported Globes.
British Airways suspended its flights to Israel after the escalation in the Swords of Iron war last August, and since then has continually extended the period of suspension.
From April to August last year, British Airways maintained its service to Israel, with a stopover in Larnaca. The airline has not yet said whether the resumption of flights will be in this format, or whether it will go back to direct flights as was normal in the past.
British Airways thus joins the Lufthansa Group, which has announced the resumption of Israel flights from February 1. Industry sources are optimistic about the prospects of more airlines following suit. Air France and Air India are due to resume service within the next two weeks, while Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are due to do so on March 31.
Trump team keeps Iran policy close to the vest
The incoming administration of President Donald Trump has revealed little about their policy toward Iran, with many in Washington debating the next moves on sanctions, the nuclear issue, and Tehran's broader role in global stability, according to Iran International.
"If Iran didn't flow money to terrorist groups, there would be no sanctions," Trump's pick for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio, R–Fla., said, stressing his belief that the Iranian regime prioritizes its geopolitical ambitions over the welfare of its citizens. "I see no evidence that the regime spends the money they generate for the people of Iran," he added.
When pressed on what an acceptable nuclear deal with Iran would look like, Rubio said, "We will discuss that once I'm confirmed."
Rubio's comments suggest the administration may be recalibrating its approach to diplomacy with Tehran, but the specifics remain tightly guarded.
Last week, Rep. Michael Waltz, R–Fla., highlighted the broader geopolitical stakes of Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. Waltz framed Iran's influence as extending beyond the Middle East, impacting other theaters of global conflict.
"Maximum pressure, not only will it help stability in the Middle East, but it'll help stability in the Russia-Ukraine theater as well, as Iran provides ballistic missiles and literally thousands and thousands of drones that are going into that theater," he said.
U.K. teen pleads guilty to murdering three girls at Taylor Swift-themed dance party
A U.K. teen admitted Monday to killing three girls and wounding 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer – and for possessing an al-Qaida manual, the New York Post reported.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty in the murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, as well as 10 counts of attempted murder for stabbing eight other children along with two adults who tried to help them at the kids' event on July 29.
Rudakubana faces life in prison when he is sentenced on Thursday.
The stabbings, which were carried out in the English town of Southport, triggered a week of violent rioting after the suspect was falsely identified as an asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat.
