News Digest — 2/6/25
Four Surveillance Soldiers Freed From Gaza Head Home After Week At Hospital
Four of the five freed surveillance soldier hostages returned home from the hospital on Wednesday (5th), 11 days after their release from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa, and Karina Ariev were treated at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva after their release on January 26, during the second hostage prisoner exchange of the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.
The four were released from captivity in an elaborate ceremony orchestrated by Hamas, which paraded them on stage wearing fake IDF fatigues and distributed certificates and “gift bags” to mark their 15 months of captivity.in Gaza.
They stayed at the hospital several more days than planned in order to be with their friend and comrade, Agam Berger, after her release on January 30.
The soldiers were offered the chance to spend some time at the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel complex in nearby Ramat Gan upon their release from the hospital, according to Israeli media, but chose to return to their homes.
Videos posted to social media showed dozens of people awaiting the four women in their hometowns with flags and welcome signs to celebrate their return.
The families of the soldiers put out a statement Wednesday (5th) as they were discharged from the hospital: “In the last ten days since our daughters Liri, Karina, Agam, Daniella and Naama returned, the girls stayed in a private, closed compound within the hospital where they were treated professionally and sensitively with the utmost consideration for their special conditions.”
“We are embarking on a path of rehabilitation,” the families’ statement continued, “and we are confident that the embracing and professional experience of the medical and administrative team… was a significant and important step for healing in the continuation of each of the girls’ journey on their return home.”
“We would like to thank the people of Israel for the warmth and love that we and the girls have received. The girls are expected to have a long rehabilitation journey, and we ask that you respect the privacy, quiet and time that they need to slowly return to themselves,” the families concluded.
The mayor of Naama Levy’s hometown of Ra’anana, Chaim Broyde, said Wednesday (5th) that “our hearts are overflowing with excitement on the occasion of Naama’s return to us in Ra’anana, to her warm and loving home.”
“The Ra’anana community embraces our beloved Naama, and will do everything to support her and make her return to routine easier, and we look forward to the return of all the hostages to their homes.” Broyde was quoted as saying by local television news.
The five soldiers were among seven female troops abducted from the IDF surveillance unit at the Nahal Oz army base during the Hamas led massacre on October 7, 2023.
One of the abducted surveillance soldiers, Ori Megidish, was later rescued alive, and the body of a second one, Noa Marciano, was recovered after she was murdered in captivity.
Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered.
Gaza’s Jewish Population Was ‘Resettled’ Twice – By Daniel Greenfield
President Trump’s proposal that the Arab Muslim colonist population occupying parts of Gaza be resettled touched off outrage, complaints about ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide.’
Those same complaints were entirely absent when Gaza’s Jewish population was forcibly resettled not once but twice, first during the War of Independence when Egypt invaded and seized control of Gaza (setting the stage for contemporary events as the Egyptian government partnered with the Muslim Brotherhood, which later became Hamas, to stage attacks from Gaza into Israel).
And second, by the Israeli government during its withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which turned over the territory to the Arab Muslim population in the hopes of peace.
Instead of peace, the Arab Muslims selected Hamas and spent the succeeding years waging an endless war against Israel.
During those times, politicians and the media approved of the ethnic cleansing of Jewish communities from Gaza.
After the Jews were gone, here’s how the AP cheerfully covered a synagogue burning by Hamas supporters.
“Fireworks lit up the sky, Palestinian gunmen fired in the air in celebration and crowds set fire to the synagogue in the abandoned Morag settlement, close to Palestinian towns. In another synagogue, gunmen climbed on the roof and waved flags of militant groups, including Hamas, shouting “Allah is great.”
“It is only the first step to more liberation… Tomorrow we’ll liberate all of Palestine,” Gaza resident Mohammed Khamish Habboush shouted into a mosque loudspeaker.
“Almost immediately, Palestinians started carrying off what was left in the debris of the Jewish settlements, including chairs, tables, and shopping carts. In the former settlement of Netzarim, women ululated in celebration. Young men tore down electricity poles, grabbing the wires, and several people carried off window frames.”
The London Times typically described the scenes as “Thousands of Palestinians swarming into the forsaken former Jewish settlements and Arab youth setting fire to synagogues and other symbols of the hated occupation.”
The same media that thought the forcible ‘resettlement’ of Jews from Gaza was fine should shut up about proposals to resettle Arab Muslims.
The media and politicians don’t oppose resettlement and ethnic cleansing when it comes to Jews. They proved that already. They simply oppose applying it to Hamas supporters occupying Gaza.
Politicians and the media don’t oppose forcible resettlement. They just support Islamic Terrorism.
Netanyahu Gifts Trump With Golden Beeper
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented President Trump with gifts of a golden pager and a regular one during their meeting Tuesday (4th), as tokens of one of Israel’s most spectacular anti-terror successes last year.
The President understood immediately, saying, “That was a great operation.”
The Mossad had booby-trapped thousands of pagers that it managed to sell to Hezbollah through a third party, and when they were simultaneously detonated in September, about 30 Hezbollah operatives were killed and 3,000 were wounded.
According to Mossad agents speaking to the American news show 60 Minutes two months later, “It was the tipping point of the war” against the Lebanese terror group, which soon agreed to a ceasefire with Israel.
For his part, Trump gave Netanyahu a picture of the two of them and, referring to the prime minister by his nickname, he wrote a dedication across its top,” To Bibi, a great leader.”
Netanyahu praised Trump fulsomely in their post meeting, joint press conference, in which the President promised that the US will take over Gaza in order to rebuild it and move the entire Palestinian population there to other countries for their own safety and to enable them to build better lives for themselves.
Netanyahu first repeated Israel’s goals in Gaza: “Destroy Hamas’ military and engineering capabilities, secure the release of all the hostages, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”
He then said to Trump, “Your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas will help us to achieve these goals. And I’ve seen you do this many times. You cut to the chase, see things others refuse to see, say things others refuse to say, and after the jaws drop, people realize you were right.”
“This is the kind of thinking that enabled us to bring about the Abraham Accords, and will enable us to shape the Middle East and bring peace,” he added.
Trump Says Attack On Iran Not His Priority
On Tuesday (4th), Trump dismissed reports that the US and Israel were preparing military action against Iran as misleading in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
“I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle Eastern Celebration when it is signed and completed. “God Bless the Middle East,” Trump wrote on the platform, The Financial Times reported.
“I want Iran to be a great and successful country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran to smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,” Trump wrote.
The statement came as Trump issued an executive order Tuesday (4th) signaling a return to “maximum pressure” sanctions aimed at compelling Tehran to address nuclear concerns. The order directs US agencies to conduct a “robust and continual campaign” to eliminate Iran’s oil exports, including sales to China, the Financial Times reported.
Iran maintains its nuclear program serves peaceful civilian purposes, though it has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels.
Israel Withdraws From UN Human Rights Council, Joining US: ‘Obsessively Demonizes Israel’
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday (5th) announced Israel’s withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council. In doing so, Israel joins the United States, which announced its withdrawal on Tuesday (4th).
“The UNHRC has traditionally protected human rights abusers by allowing them to hide from scrutiny and instead obsessively demonizes the one democracy in the Middle East – Israel,” Sa’ar said in making the announcement.
Sa’ar’s full statement reads: “Israel welcomes President Trump’s decision not to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Israel joined the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC.”
“This body has focused on attacking a democratic country and propagating anti-Semitism, instead of promoting human rights.”
“In the UNHRC, Israel is the only country with an agenda item dedicated solely to it. Israel has been subjected to over 100 condemnatory resolutions, over 20% of all resolutions ever passed in the council – more than against Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela combined.”
The UNHRC never condemned the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023.
On Tuesday night (4th), US President Donald Trump signed a presidential order marking the withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council and UNRWA, saying that “the US disproportionately funds the UN.”
A political source emphasized Wednesday evening (5th) that the UNHRC is made up of countries that represent the complete opposite of respecting human rights, and that trample human rights underfoot, such as Algeria and Cuba. “This is a body known for its discriminatory attitude toward Israel, which also cries out against the backdrop of its almost complete disregard for real human rights criminals in countries like Iran, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela and North Korea,” he said.
According to the source, the distortion in the Human Rights Council reached “another low point when it did not even find it appropriate to condemn Hamas’ horrific massacre on October 7. In light of the Council’s ongoing discrimination since its establishment, Israel decided to suspend its relations with the Council in Geneva.”
Sa’ar’s announcement came hours before United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a UN meeting later Wednesday (5th) that in the search for solutions in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas militants, “we must not make the problem worse,” his spokesperson said after US President Donald Trump proposed that the US take over the war-ruined enclave.
After Over 30 Years Of Ties, Israel Opens Its First Embassy In Moldova
Foreign Minister Gideom Sa’ar on Tuesday (4th) opened Israel’s first embassy in Moldova, over 30 years after the two countries established diplomatic relations, the Foreign Ministry said.
Sa’ar attended the inauguration ceremony in the capital Chisinau, where he was joined by Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi.
“This is an historic moment that marks a milestone in the relations between the countries,” Sa’ar said while describing Moldova as “a friendly country to Israel.”
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Sa’ar also met with Moldova President Maia Sandu and invited her to visit Israel. During the meeting, Sa’ar discussed the campaign against Iran’s axis of allies as well as the war in Ukraine.
“The Iranian threat is the most urgent,” he said but also warned about the danger from Turkey.
“It is important to pay attention to Turkey’s actions in the region,” Sa’ar said, according to the statement. “Turkey is currently the most dominant country in Syria – it aspires to be the leader of Sunni Islam in the region.”
Land-locked Moldova is bordered by Romania and Ukraine. Israel recognized Moldova’s independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. A year later , the two countries formed diplomatic relations and since 1994 Moldova has had an embassy in Israel.
However, Israel did not have an embassy in Moldova, instead relied on roving ambassadors, most recently Joel Lion, who was the diplomatic representative in Armenia, serving both countries since 2022.
In a joint press conference with Popsoi, Sa’ar recalled the 1903 pogrom in the Moldovian capital as well as events during the Holocaust, the Kan public broadcaster reported. According to a US State Department report, experts have estimated that up to 200,000 Jews who live in Moldova were murdered in the Holocaust.
Sa’ar thanked Moldova for recognizing “this painful period in history, and what it has done to ensure that those event’s are not forgotten.”
Incoming ambassador Joel Lion has moved to Chisinau, from where he will run diplomatic, trade, and tourist relations.
Lion noted that some 70,000 Jews have migrated from Moldova to Israel. Moldova, he said, could be a sought-after destination for Israeli tourists and the embassy sees one of its first tasks is to reveal the country to potential visitors.
Sa’ar decided to open the embassy in Moldova in December last year, shortly after he took up the role of top diplomat in a cabinet reshuffle. The announcement came the same day that he said he would close Israel’s embassy in Ireland, citing “the extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government.”
