News Digest — 2/3/25
Netanyahu Arrives In Washington For Historic Talks With Trump On Hostage Deal, Iran And Hamas
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington on Sunday (2nd), where he is set to meet with senior US officials and US President Donald Trump in a high-level diplomatic visit.
Before boarding the flight, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of the meeting: “I am now heading to Washington for a very important meeting with President Trump. The fact that this will be his first meeting with a foreign leader since his inauguration holds great significance for the State of Israel.”
“First and foremost, it reflects the strength of the alliance between Israel and the United States. Secondly, it highlights the depth of our bond – a bond that has already yielded great achievements for Israel and the region, including the historic peace agreements between Israel and four Arab states – the Abraham Accords, led by Donald Trump.”
“I believe that in our meetings, we will also discuss the critical issues before us – the defeat of Hamas, the return of all our hostages, and confronting the Iranian axis in all its forms – an axis that threatens not only Israel’s security but also the Middle East and the entire world.”
“The decisions we have made during the war, combined with the heroism of IDF soldiers, have already transformed the Middle East beyond recognition. I believe that through intensive work with President Trump, we can push these changes even further for the better.”
“We have the opportunity to strengthen Israel’s security, expand the circle of peace, and usher in an era of prosperity. Security, and peace through strength. The strength of our soldiers, the resilience of our citizens, the power of Israel, and the unwavering alliance between Israel and the United States will be the foundation of this new era,“ he concluded.
Also, Minister Ron Dermer, Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, BG General (Res.) Gal Hirsch and the foreign policy adviser for the Prime Minister, Ophir Falk, were all on the flight.
UPDATE:
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his entourage arrived in Washington DC on Sunday evening (2nd). Both the prime minister and his wife Sara checked into Blair House, the official White House guest residence for guest dignitaries visiting the White House – for the 14th time.
According to general manager of Blair House, Matthew Wendel, “No foreign leader has bedded down at Blair House more than Netanyahu.”
IDF Said 50 Terrorists Killed In West Bank Since Offensive Started Two Weeks Ago
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday (2nd) that it has killed over 50 Palestinian terror operatives in the northern West Bank since launching a major counterterrorism offensive nearly two weeks ago.
Over 35 gunmen were killed by troops during operations in Jenin, Tulkarem, and the Tamun area, while another 15 were killed in drone strikes, the military said.
More than 100 wanted Palestinians have been detained, and troops have seized some 40 weapons and neutralized over 80 explosive devices during the operation, according to the IDF.
The Offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, was launched on January 21, and the military expects it to last several more weeks.
The operation, which has primarily focused on the city and refugee camp of Jenin, was expanded to Tulkarem last week, and to Tamun on Saturday night (1st).
The IDF said it demolished 23 buildings in the Jenin refugee camp which were used by terror operatives.
Troops have scanned hundreds of buildings in Jenin during an ongoing raid there, locating bomb-making labs, caches of weapons, and command centers, the military said.
The IDF also confirmed Sunday (2nd) that it had targeted Palestinian terrorists in three separate aerial strikes within several hours, in the northern West Bank, on Saturday night (1st), including a cell that was on its way to carry out an imminent attack, confirming it took out a prisoner set free as part of a 2023 deal with Hamas.
The military said the strike on the cell on its way to carry out a terror attack occurred in Qabatiya, with secondary explosions observed as a result of bombs in the car that detonated.
That strike, the IDF said, killed terror operatives Salah Zakarneh and Abd al-Hadi Kamil, the latter of whom was released as part of a hostage deal in November 2023.
Two other strikes occurred in Jenin targeting two other armed terror cells.
Since October 7, 2023, IDF troops have arrested some 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, more than 858 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
Since Hamas’ October 7 massacre on Israel’s southern border communities, the IDF has carried out more than 100 airstrikes in the West Bank, using drones, attack helicopters, and fighter jets.
Eyal Zamir Named Next IDF Chief, Set To Take Over From Herzi Halevi In March
MG (res.) Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director general, was tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday (1st) to become the next chief of staff of the Israel defense Forces.
Halevi announced his departure last month after only two years in the role rather than the traditional four. He had been expected to step down once the war in Gaza began winding down.
Zamir, 59, had been considered the frontrunner candidate to replace Halevi. Two other candidates named by Katz last week were MG Amir Baram, the current IDF deputy chief of staff, and MG, Tamir Yadai, the former Ground Forces chief.
All three were interviewed by the defense minister, with Zamir ultimately being chosen.
By law, candidates for the IDF Chief of Staff, as well as other senior positions such as police commissioner and Bank of Israel governor, must be vetted by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee. After that, a nominee is confirmed in a cabinet vote.
Halevi congratulated Zamir for being chosen.
“I have known Eyal for many years, and I am sure that he will lead the IDF forward in the face of the expected challenges and I wish him great success,” Halevi said in a statement Saturday (1st).
“In the coming weeks, we will complete a professional and high-quality handover,” he added.
Deputy chief Baram, who is set to step down from his role at the end of this month, also congratulated Zamir. “I do not doubt that he will carry out his tasks excellently, while demonstrating combat and strategic leadership, which is necessary in light of the current challenges,” he said.
Born in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat, Zamir will be the first military chief in Israel’s history to have started his service in the Armored Corps.
Zamir joined the military in 1984. After completing the tank officer’s training course, he rose through the ranks and went on to command the 7th Armored Brigade in 2003 and the 36th Armored Division in 2009.
Between 2012 and 2015, Zamir was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary.
After leaving the prime minister’s service, he was appointed commander of the IDF Southern Command overseeing the military response to violent protests organized by the Hamas terror group along the Gaza border.
Between 2018 and 2021, he served as deputy chief of staff, his final role in the army at the time, before heading to the United States to become a visiting research fellow at the Washington Institute think tank.
In 2023, he was appointed director-general of the Defense Ministry, where he currently serves.
It is not yet known who will replace Zamir at the Defense Ministry when he puts his military uniform back on.
71% Of Israelis Oppose Palestinian State, Even If It Means Forfeiting Saudi Normalization
A majority of Israelis polled said they would reject Saudi normalization if it requires the establishment of a Palestinian state.
A poll by the Sovereignty Movement found that 71% of Israelis oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, with many changing their position on the issue from “for” to “against” after October 7.
According to the poll, 59% were against Palestinian statehood before the October 7 attacks and remain opposed. Twelve 12% supported it before October 7 and have since shifted their position.
Additionally, 25% supported a Palestinian state before the events of October 7, while only 4% changed from opposed to supporting it, after the Hamas assault in southern Israel.
Although many Israelis support normalization with Saudi Arabia, the majority of those polled do not support it if it requires the establishment of a Palestinian state as a precondition.
After US President Donald Trump proposed voluntary emigration for Gaza residents, 80% of those polled said they agreed with the proposal, 10% were against it and 10% had no opinion.
In July, the Knesset voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution rejecting Palestinian statehood in any form.
The new resolution passed by a majority of 68-9, includes a broader rejection of Palestinian statehood than a previous resolution.
An earlier motion passed in February 2024 by an even broader majority of 98-11 won significant support, but the July resolution, however, expressed the Knesset’s opposition to any arrangement for Palestinian statehood.
“The Israeli Knesset opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state on any land west of the Jordan River,” the resolution read. “The existence of a Palestinian state in the heart of Israel would pose an existential threat to Israel and its citizens, further extend the Israel-Palestinian Arab conflict, and destabilize the entire region.”
“It will only be a matter of time before Hamas takes over such a Palestinian state, turning it into a base for radical Islamic terrorism, fully aligned with the Iranian regime that aims to eradicate the State of Israel,” it added.
“Supporting Palestinian statehood would reward terrorism and encourage Hamas and its supporters. Israel’s enemies would see it as the victorious outcome of the massacre on October 7 and a precursor to the conquest of jihadist Islamism throughout the Middle East.
The Next Phase Of The War – Ron Ben-Yishai
The war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, has entered its next phase – the stage of political agreements. On Monday (3rd), negotiations will commence on the second stage of the hostage deal with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday (4th).
The negotiations on the second stage will focus on three main issues: Israel’s demand for the release of all hostages; Hamas’ demand for an end to the war, along with guarantees from the US that Israel will uphold a lasting ceasefire; and Hamas’ push for the release of hundreds of terrorists – not only convicted murderers but also high-risk individuals who could pose a severe security threat to Israel. In exchange for all remaining hostages, Hamas is demanding the release of key figures whose leadership and connections could enable the terror group to rebuild its military and operational networks.
Meanwhile, Israel, with US support, will aim to prevent that outcome – not only by ensuring Hamas is excluded from Gaza’s civilian governance but also by blocking any military resurgence. Israel will also demand what it sought in the Lebanon agreement: the demilitarization of Gaza – removing weapons, military infrastructure and tunnels – to prevent another deadly attack on Israel in the future. However, Gaza lacks any governing or military authority capable of restraining Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In his meetings in Washington, Netanyahu is also expected to present Israel’s new defense doctrine, shaped by the lessons of Oct.7. This doctrine emphasizes a proactive strategy along all borders and in Israel’s ongoing “campaign between wars,” targeting military buildups in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and potentially Syria. (Ynet News)
The Imperative Remains: Destroy Hamas – Bernard-Henri Levi (Wall Street Journal)
• The Jewish people respect the imperative to redeem captives. I know no one in Israel who could watch, without immense emotion, the images of the four young IDF women soldiers reuniting with their families.
• But there was another image that preceded the magnificent moment of reunion. It was the image of the small stage on which the four were forced to stand, wearing strained smiles, waving at – whom? The Palestinian crowd perched across from them on rubble? Their jailers? Then they were handed over to the Red Cross, the same Red Cross that did not visit one hostage over the past 481 days.
• This second image was chilling because of the childlike smiles of the petrified prisoners, knowing that everything could still go wrong. Chilling because of the black-clad, masked men surrounding them – some pressed close. Chilling because of what the scene signified to the crowds who watched it live, from Jabalia to Rafah, from Jericho to Ramallah, from Cairo to Amman. An army of criminals, wounded but not sunk, weakened but not defeated. An army that often returns only the remains of its captives.
• It is vital to remember that Israel has always pursued two objectives in this war: The first is the release of the hostages. The second is the total defeat of the last pogromist squads, which would otherwise emerge from this disaster cloaked in a dark aura that would again inspire those tempted, in Israel and elsewhere, by jihad.
• Nothing would be more dangerous than leaving behind as Machiavelli put it, a wounded prince. As long as Hamas retains even a fraction of its capacity to strike – or to govern – Israel can tolerate neither a “durable ceasefire,” a “peace compromise” nor a “political solution.” Hamas must be destroyed. Israel didn’t seek this war, but it must decisively win.
The writer is a French philosopher, war reporter, documentary-maker, and author of more than 30 books.
(wsj.com)
