BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES
Gaza Ceasefire Collapses After Hamas Refuses to Release Hostages
In response to Hamas rejecting all proposals to release the remaining 59 hostages, including 24 assumed alive, Israeli Defense Forces have resumed attacks on terrorist leaders in Gaza. Hamas continued its hostile activities throughout the ceasefire – abusing hostages, waging psychological warfare against Israelis, stealing humanitarian aid, launching rockets and killing its own citizens. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes: “Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire, but instead chose refusal and war.”
Israel recently increased pressure against Hamas to force the terrorists to change course. The Israeli government stated that it will now “act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” until Hamas is defeated and the remaining hostages return home. The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman advised Palestinian civilians to avoid “dangerous combat zones,” mostly along Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt.
Hamas Terrorists Have Not Changed Their Tactics
Despite the devastating consequences of their actions, Hamas terrorists show no indication of altering their tactics. Recently released hostage, Tal Shoham, warned that “Hamas never stopped digging tunnels – not for a single day.” His captors were responsible for the digging. The Hamas tunnel network is estimated to be up to 450 miles – nearly twice as long as the NYC subway system – at a cost of $600,000 per mile.
Tal was severely malnourished in captivity: “My legs turned blue, yellow and purple with internal bleeding after developing a severe infection.” New Jersey’s Edan Alexander, 21, is the remaining living American hostage in captivity. Edan reportedly has been “severely interrogated and tortured.” Hamas killed 45 Americans on 10/7 and the bodies of four of them remain in the hands of Hamas.
New Details Emerge About 10/7 Attacks and Future Plans
A new report based on confidential Hamas documents revealed a plot designed by Hamas to destroy Israel. Gaza’s former Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, “reached a joint defense agreement with Iran and Hezbollah in preparation for the war against Israel and preparing a practical plan to be executed in an attack on the enemy from all fronts.”
Three different military attack scenarios were considered. Hamas believed that it was capable of destroying Israel with Iranian funding and the help of its terror network. Hamas wanted to carry out its attack on a Jewish holiday, preferably Passover. Instead, its assault was on the Simchat Torah holiday. The report concluded: “If Hamas recovers and receives support from Iran, it is possible that it could once again try to destroy Israel.”
Seven family members of Israeli citizen Shaked Haran were kidnapped on 10/7 – three were killed. Shaked recently described how Hamas terrorists intentionally targeted peace activists: “On Oct. 4, my mother, aunt and neighbors from Kibbutz Be’eri were at an Israeli and Palestinian peace event with thousands of other women. On Oct. 7, we know the terrorists knew the houses of the peace activists and had a list of their names. They went house to house and murdered them. Hamas terrorists, while holding her hostage, told my mother that everyone who was fighting for peace is actually fighting against Hamas. They told her to go back to Florida or Germany.”
Iran’s Tentacles of Terror: Renewed Violence Against Israel and America
The Iranian regime’s support for proxy groups – including Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen – proves its calculated commitment to violence and chaos. Iranian funding, weapons and training enables these terror groups to carry out devastating attacks, including attacks against U.S.-flagged merchant ships and the horrific massacre of Oct. 7.
Iran-Backed Houthi Attacks on America’s Economy and Military
Houthi rebels have escalated their campaign against American interests – directly targeting U.S. commercial shipping and military assets. The Houthis have attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. These attacks are concentrated in the crucial Red Sea region. It is a strategically vital and narrow maritime corridor connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. This area has become a focal point of Iranian-fueled aggression.
President Trump used social media to condemn the Houthis for their “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism” and highlighted the “BILLIONS of dollars” of economic damage and risk to civilians. He asserted that “no terrorist force will stop the freedom of American commercial and naval vessels.” Trump warned the Houthis and Iran that the attacks must immediately stop or America will hold them “fully accountable” for threatening Americans.
The president’s post came with an announcement of American airstrikes against Houthi terrorists and infrastructure. The expanded operation is seen as sending a message to Iran for its support. The Houthis recently claimed multiple attacks targeting U.S. Navy vessels. The U.S. and UK previously launched coordinated strikes against Houthi targets to protect maritime security.
The re-routing of commercial ships away from the Suez Canal increases freight rates and adds weeks to transit time – significantly delaying delivery of goods to American consumers. A U.S.-flagged commercial ship has not safely sailed through the Suez Canal in more than a year. Container vessel counts through the Suez dropped from about 500 to 100 per month. At least 65 countries have been affected and at least 29 major energy and shipping companies have altered their paths. Ships opted for longer, more expensive routes, including 60% of EU-affiliated vessels, around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
The Iranian regime provides the Houthis with funding, advanced weaponry and military training. This support is crucial to the Houthi ability to disrupt maritime traffic and threaten regional stability. Their rhetoric reflects Iranian influence, including repeated calls for the destruction of America and Israel. Now, Israel faces renewed threats from the Houthis, with the Israeli Air Force on high alert for the potential resumption of missile and drone attacks.
A. Use this content to help educate others: Use information from this edition to help provide your family, friends and coworkers with a deeper understanding of the complexities of the Iranian-backed war against America and Israel. Conversations are an opportunity to educate and inform.
B. Verify what you read, see and hear: Do not blindly trust sources of information that might be written or influenced by biased individuals and organizations engaged in their own war against America and Israel. This may even include journalists who should be adhering to factual reporting, ensuring balanced and accurate coverage. When you come across misinformation in the news, consider correcting it via a letter to the editor of a newspaper or by tagging organization on social media. Media reporting watchdogs HonestReporting and CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis).
C. Stay informed and educated:
Zionism Is a Beautiful Word, by Peter Himmelman
It has now become dangerous to define oneself as a Zionist. Despite those dangers, I will not cower from that self-definition. I have held it since I was very young and will proudly continue to do so. These words resonate deeply in a time when the very essence of Jewish identity is being challenged. For over 2,700 years, the Jewish people have yearned for a return to Zion, a longing that culminates in the Passover declaration, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” This enduring connection to our ancestral homeland is foundational to Judaism.
Since the horrific events of 10/7, the enemies of the Jewish people have sought to erode this connection, to rob us of our past, present and future. We witness a disturbing trend: Jews are being excluded from progressive spaces, their voices silenced for failing an ideological purity test. As Rabbi Ari Jun observed, “A community can only be told it is not wanted so many times before it stops saying that its exclusion is a fluke or an aberration and instead begins to believe that it is a systemic reality.” This exclusion is not merely political – it strikes at the core of our identity, at our right to exist as Jews.
In the face of this rising animosity, the instinct to retreat is strong. But as any soldier knows, running from enemy fire is a fatal mistake. We must stand our ground, aim into the source of the fire and defend our right to define ourselves. This is not just about the security of Jews in Israel, but about the safety of Jews everywhere. And because the Jewish people have often served as a “canary in the coal mine,” this struggle is relevant to all who value truth, life and righteousness. We will not be silenced. We are here and we are not going anywhere.
Please click here to read the entire essay by musician Peter Himmelman
Stories Impacting American Jews
Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel
Stories From Around the World
In light of the surge of current relevant news, please subscribe to our Daily News Brief, a digest of critical news headlines curated from thousands of media addressing issues that affect the Jewish world.
This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.