News Digest — 2/5/25
Trump: ‘The US Will Take Over The Gaza Strip’
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference following their meeting at the White House Tuesday evening (4th).
“We had enthusiastic talks. He’s the first foreign head of state to visit during our administration. Bibi, it’s an honor to have you with us,” he added, addressing Netanyahu directly.
Noting his accomplishments during his previous term in office, Trump expressed hope that additional countries will join the Abraham Accords.
“I really believe that many countries will soon be joining this amazing peace and economical development transaction. I think we’re going to have a lot of people signing up very quickly.”
“In our meetings today, the Prime Minister and I focused on the future, discussing how we can work together to ensure Hamas is eliminated and, ultimately, restore peace to a very troubled region,” said Trump.
“On Gaza, the President once again spoke of his plan to relocate Gazans to several sites where they will be “able to live in comfort and peace.”
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we’ll own it, and be responsible for dismantling all the dangerous and unexploded bombs and other weapons, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
Netanyahu told Trump, “I’m honored that you invited me to be the first foreign leader to visit the White House in your second term. This is a testament to your friendship and support for the Jewish state and the Jewish people. I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again: You are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”
“In the first days of your second term, you picked up right where you left off. Your leadership helped bring our hostages home, among them American citizens, you freed up munitions that were withheld from Israel in the midst of a seven-front war for our existence. You ended unjust sanctions against law-abiding Israeli citizens. You boldly confronted the scourge of anti-Semitism. You stopped funding international organizations like UNRWA that support terrorists, and today you renewed the maximum pressure campaign against Iran. All this in just two weeks. Can you imagine where we will be in four years? I can. I know you can, Mr. President.”
Netanyahu noted Israel’s accomplishments since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and noted that “we must finish the job.”
He then told Trump, “I believe that your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas, will help us achieve all these goals. You see things others refuse to see. You say things others refuse to say, and after the jaw drops, people scratch their heads and say, ‘You know what? He’s right.’”
“Israel will end the war by winning the war. Israel’s victory will be America’s victory. With your leadership Mr. President, and our partnership, I believe that we will forge a brilliant future for our region and bring our great alliance to even greater heights.”
Responding to a question on normalization with Saudi Arabia, Trump said, “They want peace in the Middle East. It’s very simple. They want peace in the Middle East.”
On the ceasefire and hostage deal, Trump said,”I can’t tell you whether or not the ceasefire will hold. We’ve gotten quite a few hostages out. We’re going to get more out, but we’re dealing with very complicated people. We hope the agreement holds.”
Trump also said that he plans to visit Israel, Gaza, Saudi Arabia and “other places all over the Middle East” though he did not specify when.
Asked who envisions living in Gaza after his plan is implemented, Trump said, “The world’s people. I think you’ll make that into an international, unbelievable place. I think representatives from all over the world will live there. Palestinians will live there, many people will live there.”
Trump: The Goal Is To resettle The People Of Gaza Permanently
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday afternoon (4th) at the White House with US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu is the first international leader to be invited for a meeting following the President’s inauguration for his second term in office.
Trump welcomed Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House and the two shook hands and posed for photos. Before their one-on-one meeting, the two gave brief statements and responded to questions from reporters.
Asked by Israel National News if the Saudis are expecting a Palestinian state as a condition for normalization with Israel, Trump replied, “No.”
“Everybody is demanding one thing: Peace. We want peace. We want people to stop being killed. And he wants peace also,” Trump added, pointing to Netanyahu.
Trump complimented Netanyahu and said, “We have the right leader of Israel. He’s done a great job, and we’ve been friends for a long time, and I think we have a combination that’s very unbeatable.”
Netanyahu reiterated that he has three goals for the war: “Getting all the hostages out, destroying Hamas’ military capabilities and making sure Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again.”
“I have three goals and I will meet all three goals. I think the President can help enormously,” he added.
Trump said that he is confident that it is possible to get a hostage deal done, saying, “Sure, why wouldn’t a deal get done? A deal can get done, we’ll see what happens. We’re dealing with very complicated people, but a deal can absolutely get done.”
On his plan to relocate Gazans, Trump was asked what other countries would accept Gazans if Jordan and Egypt do not agree to do so and replied, “I think Jordan and Egypt will. I know they’ve said they’re not going to accept, but I say they will. I think other countries will accept it also.”
“I think that Gaza is a demolition site right now. If you look at Gaza, there’s hardly a building standing, and the ones that are, are going to collapse. I think we need another location that’s going to make people happy.”
“If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people permanently, in nice homes, where they can be happy and not be killed, like what’s happening in Gaza… the whole thing is a mess, and I think that if we can resettle… Gaza’s not a place for people to be living, and the only reason they want to go back is that they don’t have an alternative.”
“You could build four or five or six areas, some place where they can live. I hope we can do something,” Trump stated.
Netanyahu’s central message to Trump is that “Israel can not give up on ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza and on disarming the Strip of weapons as part of the agreements that will bring about the continuation of the hostage deal.”
Earlier, an Israeli official in Netanyahu’s entourage commented on the continuation of talks on the hostage deal ahead of the planned evening meeting between Netanyahu and Trump.
“Hamas is making all sorts of empty claims about humanitarian aid. There is concern about some Hamas deception before the next rounds. The delegation will leave for Doha on Saturday (8th) to deal with matters concerning the first phase of the deal. Israel will positively consider the possibility of extending the first phase of the deal,” the source said.
He responded to the briefing that President Trump does not want to see Hamas in Gaza, saying: “We are seeing things eye to eye. Hamas will not be in Gaza. The US also understands the problematic nature of the Palestinian Authority as a body that supports terror and acts against Israel on the international level.”
‘Thank You Heroes’ – Remembering Two Slain IDF Soldiers
The loved ones of two Israeli reservists slain in a terror attack on Tuesday (4th) are speaking to Hebrew language media about their loss.
Maj. Ofer Yung, 39, and Maj. Avraham Tzvi Friedman, 43, were both killed by gunfire during an attack at the Tayasir checkpoint in northern Samaria, which wounded six other soldiers.
The terrorist managed to infiltrate a military compound near the checkpoint, eventually making his way up to the observation post. Eventually, the assailant was killed by a grenade.
Yung, a father of two from Tel Aviv, worked as a lawyer. He is survived by his wife, Dana Meir Yung, who is also an attorney, and their children, Eitan and Ori.
“He was a wonderful father and uncle, intelligent and a hero. We will miss him the most in the world,” Yung’s sister, Hadas, told Hebrew Language news outlets.
A eulogy posted by the Tel Aviv municipality described Yung as “a man of action, on the battlefield and in civilian life.”
The city said it “shares in the grief of the family, friends and colleagues. May his memory be blessed.”
Friedman, who lived in Kibbutz Ein HaNatziv, is survived by his wife Gal and six children, ranging in age from 16 to 3-years-old.
A longtime employee of the Israel Electric Company, Friedman was known within his community for his selfless and giving nature.
“We lost a dear man and lost a close friend,” Uri Glasner told Ynet.
“Friedman lived on the Kibbutz for almost 20 years and was a central part of our community. He was raising a wonderful, close-knit, and loving family. He volunteered wherever possible and continued serving in the reserves even though he was exempt due to his age, and volunteered for many causes in our area.”
Yung and Friedman bring the Israeli army death toll since October 7th, 2023, to 844.
How The IDF Helped Save Lives And Protect Property From LA Wildfires – Ronit Zilberstein
As devastating wildfires raged across California, a special unit of Israeli soldiers at the IDF Home Front Command headquarters provided vital data analysis that proved instrumental in saving lives and protecting property. During American nighttime hours, Israeli analysts conducted comprehensive data processing and prepared detailed operational assessments for the next day’s firefighting efforts.
“We developed a specialized daily portal for all American forces in the field… consolidating all wildfire information in a single platform,” said Capt. Keren, who heads research and data at the Home Front Command’s Operations Branch. “This included detailed mapping of fire zones, educational facilities, and power infrastructure. When the Israeli firefighting delegation arrived on site, they presented American forces with the comprehensive collected data, enabling strategic decision-making.”
“American teams would begin each day with comprehensive situation assessments we had prepared during their overnight hours,” said Lt.-Col. Yosef Salem, head of data at the Home Front Command.
“While the United States possesses significant technological capabilities, the crucial elements of emergency decision-making, information accessibility, and inter-force coordination remain challenging for many international emergency organizations,” Capt. Keren explained. “They haven’t yet reached the technological frontier where Israel excels and has valuable expertise to share.” (Israel Hayom)
Why The Palestinian Authority Will Not Be Able To Control Gaza – Khaled Abu Toameh
Qatar and Egypt are now spearheading efforts to bring the Palestinian Authority (PA) back to Gaza and are apparently trying to persuade the U.S. administration to back the idea. If the PA has been unable to rein in dozens of gunmen in the West Bank, how can anyone expect it to take control of Gaza, where thousands of terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad continue to operate? In the eyes of Hamas and many Palestinians in Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas and the PA are traitors, mainly because they maintain security coordination with Israel in the West Bank.
A few weeks ago, the PA launched a major security operation against Iran-backed armed groups in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank. After 40 days, the PA and the gunmen reached an agreement whereby the PA security forces would stop pursuing the gunmen in the camp and release detainees, thereby signaling the failure of the PA’s security operation.
No Arab country will invest in or get involved in Gaza as long as Iran’s Islamist proxies continue to dominate it. Given the recent return of hundreds of convicted terrorists released from Israeli prisons to the streets in exchange for hostages, the possibility of another Oct. 7-style atrocity against Israelis is still all too real.
There is only one viable way to address Gaza’s problems: discard Qatar as a supposedly honest broker (it is not), designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization (it is), disarm all the terrorist groups, and oust Hamas completely from power.
The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
Why A Palestinian State Would Lead To War – Rafi DeMogge
• If a Palestinian state were to be established, it would almost certainly find itself in armed conflict with Israel, either as a belligerent party or as a passive victim unable to exert full sovereignty within its borders and restrain terrorist groups like Hamas.
• Past acts of goodwill on the Israeli side have not been reciprocated, and in fact have often been followed by increased levels of violence. Shortly after the unsuccessful Camp David Summit in 2000, Yasser Arafat launched the second intifada. After Ariel Sharon unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas overthrew the Palestinian Authority and immediately began launching rockets at Israel. The Oct. 7 massacre came at a period of relative calm in Gaza, during which Qatar cash was allowed to flow in and record numbers of guest workers could commute from Gaza to Israel.
• A second reason to be pessimistic about territorial concessions to the Palestinians is Palestinian public opinion. The Palestinian education system from a very early age teaches violent anti-Semitism, encourages terrorism, and glorifies martyrdom. There is ample immediate evidence of extreme and pro-terror views throughout Palestinian society.
• Surveys since 2000 published by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research reveal a society where extremists are a firm majority, where the desire to extinguish Israel and all Jewish presence from historical Palestine is ubiquitous, and where the primary driver of these attitudes isn’t past wrongs that the Palestinians suffered from Israel, but religious fundamentalism and an eliminationist liberation theology.
• While Western analysts often emphasize that one must distinguish between Hamas and the Palestinian people, at the ideological level the distinction is all but fiction. Hamas’ ideology and behavior are an authentic expression of Palestinian nationalism and Palestinian national aspirations today.
• Because much of the local Palestinian population is aligned with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al–Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, or other jihadist organizations, even if Israel withdrew from most of the West Bank, and even if the unpopular Palestinian Authority (or its successor) sincerely tried to retain peaceful relations with Israel, without the IDF’s presence, the Palestinian entity’s peaceful government would be overthrown or would give way to anarchy from local jihadist militias.
Rafi DeMogge is the pseudonym of an Israel-based author and researcher who writes on political demography.
