News Digest — 9/22/25
Netanyahu : ‘No Palestinian State West Of Jordan, Weighing Annexation’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that Israel’s ‘response’ to the Sunday (21st) recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western countries will be decided only after he returns from the United States next week.
“The response for attempting to impose terror-states in the heart of our land, will be given after my return from the US,” the prime minister said. “There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.”
Israeli officials claim that in conversations with senior American officials – including during US Secretary Of State Rubio’s visit last week – the American administration did not restrict Israel’s possible steps in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state.
“The American message was clear: if there is unilateral recognition , you can take unilateral steps,” two sources familiar with the discussions told The Jerusalem Post.
One of the sources noted that there was no detailed discussion of what exactly Israel might annex, but rather deliberations over several options – one of which is the annexation of the Jordan Valley.
Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon dismissed the recognition of a Palestinian state by Britain, Canada, and Australia as a “hollow declaration.”
“It’s very sad to see serious leaders taking part in this circus,” Danon said in an interview with the Post.
“We know their true motivation for this move, and they know they will change nothing. Worse still, this is support for Hamas. Everyone understands that in order to move forward, the hostages must first be returned and Hamas destroyed.”
Danon also argued against the possibility that, following the recognition, Palestine could become a full UN member state.
“This will not happen. Such a move requires approval of the Security Council, and the United States will veto it. Therefore, it will not change anything on the ground. It will only be another virtual victory for the Palestinians.”
Israel is also considering additional responses and measures against countries that recognize Palestine as a state, including the closure of foreign missions belonging to those countries – some of which deal with Palestinian Authority affairs.
The possibility of expelling foreign diplomats and halting joint projects is also being examined, according to an Israeli official.
Deputy Head Of Gaza Abu Shahab Anti-Hamas Militia Wishes The Jewish People A Happy New Year
Ghassan Duhine, deputy head of the Abu Shahab militia in the Gaza Strip , wished the Jewish people a happy New Year in a social media post on Sunday (21st).
Duhine extended “sincere congratulations to our Arab Jews, and especially to the Jewish people in general and all those who celebrate this holiday around the world.”
Several Hamas supporters took to social media to express disapproval of Duhine’s statement. They accused Duhine of being a “traitor to his homeland and religion” and a lackey of “his Zionist masters.”
Some pro-Hamas activists issued death threats, wishing Duhine to be “dragged through the streets of Gaza” paired with images of a red crosshair target overlaid on Duhine’s face.
Abu Shahab, named for their leader, Yasser Abu Shahab, is an anti-Hamas, Israel-aligned resistance group operating within the Gaza enclave.
The armed group’s stated goal is “to meet the need for civilian protection, humanitarian and aid distribution, and securing areas that will not fall victim to terror or local extremism,” according to Yasser Abu Shahab himself in a conversation with Walla, where he said, “we will protect civilians, create international pressure, and push for an end to the violence that no one wants to escalate.”
As Israel’s offensive in Gaza City proceeds and Hamas appears to be weakening, it has been reported that Abu Shahab forces have actively engaged in combat against Hamas terrorists.”
Jordan Opens West Bank Crossing Three Days After Attack, Then Israel Shuts It Again
Israeli authorities abruptly closed the Allenby Crossing between Jordan and the West Bank on Sunday (21st), forcing travelers to turn back after Jordan had briefly reopened the bridge in the wake of a deadly terror attack three days earlier.
Israel initially closed the bridge on Friday (19th), a day after a Jordanian truck driver carrying Gaza-bound humanitarian aid opened fire and killed two Israeli military personnel there. Jordan condemned the attack and said it had launched an investigation that identified the assailant, whom it described as “a civilian who had been working for three months as a driver delivering aid to Gaza.”
The closure has meant that trucks are unable to transport aid between Jordan and Gaza, though supplies continue to reach the enclave from other places. Some 7% of all aid to the Strip, over 144,000 tons, crossed via Allenby since the beginning of the war nearly two years ago.
Allenby, the main passageway between Jordan and the West Bank, is primarily used by Palestinians in the West Bank to travel abroad without passing through Israel.
On Saturday (20th), Jordanian authorities had announced that the bridge would reopen to foot traffic but not to cargo. That appeared to be the case on Sunday morning (21st) , as Jordanian state broadcaster Al Mamlaka reported heavy traffic in both directions starting early in the day.
But hours later, Israel’s Airports Authority, which oversees the crossing’s opening, said it would remain closed. Israel said the closure was being enforced in coordination with Jordanian and Palestinian authorities.
The IAA said it did not know when the crossing would reopen, which it described as a day-to-day- decision.
It is likewise unclear whether the bridge will be open on the upcoming Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday (23rd) and Wednesday (24th). The regular schedule would have seen the crossing open for part of each day.
On Saturday (20th), IDF officials said the military would be bolstering its West Bank division with eight additional companies ahead of the holiday. After their deployment Monday (22nd), the Judea and Samaria Division will be staffed by the equivalence of 23 battalions.
The additional forces will remain in the West Bank after the Jewish holiday season ends in mid-October.
The other two crossings between Israel and Jordan were also partially or fully closed after the attack. On Friday (19th), IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir said the military would learn lessons from the attack, while praising Israeli security coordination with Jordan.
“This is a serious and difficult incident. We will thoroughly investigate it and draw lessons from it,” Zamit said during a visit to the border alongside senior officers, adding: “We must remember that the strategic-security cooperation with Jordan contributes greatly to the IDF and must be preserved.”
News 12 – Emily Damari Meets ‘Green Prince,’ Reveals Chilling Details Of Hamas Captivity
Former Gaza hostage Emily Damari hosted Mosab Hassan Yousef, known as the “Green Prince” at her home in Kfar Aza, where she revealed new details about her time in Hamas captivity, N12 reported on Sunday (21st).
Damari had stated that she had wanted to meet Yousef since she was taken by Hamas, adding that she had wanted to read his book, ‘Son of Hamas,’ since before the war and never had the time. “Maybe it would have made me sharper going into the situation,” she said.
Danari said she did not want to repress any memories of her time in captivity. “On the contrary, I want to learn more. Not to repress it. Reading what this crazy man did is a privilege for us.”
Upon her return from captivity, Damari told her brother she needed to read the book, to understand how her captors thought and operated.
“When you’ve been there, seen and experienced those people, those monsters, and then you read this book and learn from it, you say, wow, that’s how they think, that’s how they see things. It all connects. It feels true. What’s written there takes me right back,” she said.
“Their ideology, their faith – he really explains what they believe in and how they operate.”
During their meeting, Damari told Yousef about the murder of her dog and her kidnapping on October 7, 2023.
“They shot my dog, the bullet went into my leg, and then they just took us outside,” she explained.
“I say maybe 50 or 60 terrorists were in the neighborhood and I asked myself what was going on. They just put us in a car and drove us into Gaza, in my own car, with Gali and Ziv [Berman].”
While the two spoke, they heard artillery fire from Gaza in the background. “How do you feel when you hear that?” Yousef asked.
“It’s fine, I grew up with it, I’m used to it,” Damari said. “Inside Gaza, when the bombs were really close, that was scary. But now it’s fine. I’m here. We have a safe room.”
Damari shared how she was in a tunnel where senior Hamas leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad was based. “He was the boss,” she told Yousef. In response, he asked her if he surrounded himself with hostages, and she confirmed that he did.
During her time in captivity, Haddad told Damari about Hamas’ objectives during the October 7 massacre, claiming that their goal was to bring back as many hostages as possible, but that they did not believe they would infiltrate so far into Israeli territory.
Yousef asserted that Haddad is the only person who has the power and influence to reach a ceasefire agreement, commenting that US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatar and Hamas leaders in Doha do not have this ability.
Damari also claimed that Haddad said he is “fine with the idea” that Hamas leaders would be exiled and some other organization would rule the Gaza Strip. Yousef stated that this was the first time he had heard that Haddad would be willing to exchange power for safe passage.
IDF Commandos Fighting Street To Street In Gaza – Paul Nuki
The Haruv reconnaissance unit of the Kfir Infantry Brigade of the IDFspecializes in counter-terrorism and undercover work. They are now supporting the first “probing phase” of ground operations in Gaza City, flushing out Hamas cells, booby traps and tunnels. The unit’s commander, Major D., 29, told the Telegraph: “We understand the mission and believe in it. We will do whatever it takes.”
The small quadcopter drones they carry are a “game-changer,” says Major D., enabling them to “see everything” and avoid having to “put your head up.” It’s dangerous work. The unit has lost three men since the war started – “the best we have.” Two died after triggering Hamas booby traps and the third in “face-to-face fighting with Hamas gunmen.
Major D. says that he and his men “do everything we can” to reduce civilian casualties. “We use tech and intelligence to make sure citizens leave. Even where they stay, we have [non-lethal] methods of getting them to leave.”
Sgt. Y., 20. Said, “We know we are capable of doing what we are asked and morale is high.” He says the men believe they are fighting a “just war” but are conscious that much of the rest of the world no longer thinks so. “We are fighting not just with weapons but with morals and ethics.” (Telegraph-UK)
Complicity In Terror: Why Recognizing A Palestinian State Will Not Lead To Peace – Dr. Ran Diker (The Insider – Latvia)
• Another Palestinian terror state in the hills of Judea and Samaria overlooking Israel’s coastal plain would constitute a strategic threat to the State of Israel. Despite the devastating consequences of the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 50% of Palestinians still view Hamas’ decision to launch that attack as “correct” – rising to 59% in the West Bank. 85% in the West Bank and 64% in Gaza oppose the disarmament of Hamas, rendering meaningless the Western precondition of demilitarization of a future Palestinian state.
• Western leaders’ recognition rests upon the assumption that the “moderate” Palestinian Authority will govern any future state. Yet for three decades, the PA has spread blood libels against Jews and Israelis, promoted the financial incentivization of terror, and is guilty of massive corruption. Today, PA Chairman Manmoud Abbas is in the 20th year of his 4-year term. Palestinian polls show that 81% of Palestinians want Abbas to resign, yet Western leaders plan to empower his illegitimate government with statehood.
• Other than Ramallah, Abbas and his security forces do not even exert political control over the cities under the PA’s formal jurisdiction. Instead Iran’s Hamas and Islamic Jihad proxy militias dominate PA cities and towns. If the PA cannot maintain order in cities under its supposed control, it would be hard-pressed to secure a sovereign state.
• Demilitarization agreements offer no solution. Oct.7 was carried out with simple weapons – AK-47s, RPGs, and improvised explosives – that cannot be effectively monitored.
• The historical record demonstrates that international recognition of Palestinian statehood has consistently rewarded and encouraged terrorism rather than promoting peace. Following Arafat’s 1988 PLO unilateral declaration of independence in Algiers, which was recognized by 78 countries, Palestinian terrorist attacks escalated dramatically. After the Oclo Accords, between 1994 and 2005, suicide bombings killed 735 Israelis and wounded 4,554, with attacks, specifically targeting civilians on buses, in shopping centers and in restaurants.
• A Palestinian state supported by scores of Western countries sends a clear message to extremists worldwide: terror pays, and the more heinous the act, the greater the diplomatic reward. The moral obligation currently rests on the Western powers to demand a complete remaking of Palestinian society and its leadership. Otherwise, it will likely not differentiate itself from the majority of Arab dictatorships in terms of human rights abuses, corruption, and a lack of democracy.
The writer is President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
