Hamas War > Hamas has completely lost track of most of the Israeli hostages in Gaza; But they are still negotiating their release - Quelle Folie

 

And yet, they are negotiating the release of those hostages. What madness!

Please pray for those hostages every day until they are returned to their families!

‘Due to the Zionist aggression,’ most Israeli hostages in north Gaza missing, Hamas says

by Sam Halpern, Jerusalem Post, January 10, 2025:

Hamas has lost track of the majority of the hostages held in captivity in northern Gaza due to Israel’s military activities in the area, a source in the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, told Qatari state-run media giant Al Jazeera on Friday.

“Most of the enemy’s prisoners in the northern Gaza Brigade are now missing due to the Zionist aggression,” the source told Al Jazeera.

Hamas has previously repeatedly stated that in order to compile a list of hostages it has been holding, it would need several days to at least a week, in order to locate them….

Of course, they have had 15 months and haven't bothered. So much for their intention of negotiating their release. Are the 33 hostages to be released virtually all who are known to Hamas, or all who are known to be alive? 

Hamas to release 33 hostages in breakthrough deal with Israel, report claims

By JAMES GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 

Published: 00:58 EST, 13 January 2025 | Updated: 10:36 EST, 13 January 2025

• e-mail

80shares

351

View comments

 
 
• e-mail

Top

+99

Home

351

View comments

Negotiations between Israeli officials and Hamas have reportedly reached a breakthrough, paving the way for a massive prisoner exchange and a fragile ceasefire that will lead to the release of 33 hostages. 

According to emerging reports, Hamas has agreed to release them with Israel set to withdraw troops from parts of Gaza, facilitate humanitarian aid, and free thousands of Palestinian prisoners in return.

The monumental deal has some very specific numbers associated with it and will see  Israel release 50 prisoners for every Israeli female soldier held by Hamas. Israel will also release 30 children and women held in custody for every hostage Hamas releases.

The first phase also involves the release of around of 200 individuals sentenced to life imprisonment, alongside 1,000 additional detainees — including all women, children, and sick prisoners currently held in Israeli custody.

The deal, reportedly brokered with the assistance of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, represents a significant concession by both parties. 

While Israel has insisted on the inclusion of more hostages, including wounded soldiers, Hamas has leveraged the situation to secure the release of prisoners considered high-value by Israeli authorities.

For detainees sentenced to life imprisonment, the stakes are even higher, with reports suggesting many could face deportation to Qatar, Egypt, or Turkey to mitigate potential security risks.

Negotiations between Israeli officials and Hamas have reportedly reached a breakthrough, paving the way for a massive prisoner exchange and a fragile ceasefire that will lead to to the release of 33 hostages

A girl watches as Mohammad Eid mourns his cousin Dima, along with her uncle and grandfather, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, during their funeral in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday

Israeli soldiers and relatives carry the flag-draped casket of Sergeant Yahav Maayan, who was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, during his funeral at a military cemetery in Modiin, Israel on Sunday

Astonishing Policy Decisions by North Korea

Path to denuclearization?

North Korea announces 6 pivotal decisions

North Korea's ruling party holds a banquet / Reuters file photo

Pyongyang has declared a new strategic course for the country, announcing an indefinite suspension of all nuclear and ballistic missile tests, in the run-up to the planned meeting between Kim Jon-un and US President Donald Trump.

At a plenary meeting of the central committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, the ruling party has outlined six crucial decisions:

#1. North Korea ‘solemnly’ declared that its previous ballistic and missile tests have allowed the country to successfully miniaturize warheads and develop their means of delivery.

#2. Effective immediately, any further nuclear and ballistic missile tests will be frozen, starting April 21, 2018

#3. North Korea’s nuclear test center will be discarded in order to ensure the transparency of the nuclear research suspension.

#4. Pyongyang will never use nuclear weapons, unless there is a “nuclear threat or nuclear provocation” against North Korea, and “in no case will proliferate nuclear weapons and nuclear technology.”

#5. From now on, all Pyongyang’s efforts will be concentrated on building up a strong socialist economy, while the human and material resources of the country will be mobilized to dramatically raise people’s quality of life.

#6. Pyongyang will establish a favorable international environment and will intensify close dialogue with neighboring countries and the international community, in order to protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the world.

These are simply astonishing and could hardly be any better. The questions are: Is it true? And, if it's true, will they actually do it? North Korea has a history of promising one thing and doing something completely different. Will this time be any different? Not likely, but we can always hope. 

These policies are almost certainly negotiated positions. Pyongyang would not begin negotiations from such a basis. Their announcement makes it look like it's their idea and saves them face, a big deal in Asian cultures. 

If Pyongyang actually follows these policies, the world could be a dramatically different place. 

Let's hope and pray that Kim Jong Un is the real deal and not just trying to put something over on his enemies. Overcoming communist paranoia would be a remarkable accomplishment.

Czech Parliament Recognizes Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel

On Jerusalem Day, the Czech Republic Parliament approved the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; Members of parliament call on the government to adopt the same position and stop payments to UNESCO.

Itamar Eichner World News

The Czech Parliament approved on Wednesday the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Jerusalem Day celebrating the 50th anniversary of the city's unification under Israeli sovereignty. In addition, the Czech Republic decided to condemn the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) following its recent anti-Israel resolutions.

Czech flag

112 of the 156 MPs in Prague supported the resolution. Members of Parliament called on their government to adopt the resolution and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, alongside opening direct and unconditional negotiations with the Palestinians.

Jerusalem

The parliament also condemned the recent UNESCO decisions that do not recognize the rights of Jews to Jerusalem, and call on the government to stop payments to UNESCO, in light of the incitement against Israel and the politicization of the organization.

Following the Czech Parliament's vote, a special event was held in Prague on the occasion of Jerusalem Day at St. Vitus Cathedral. The event, attended by Czech Culture Minister Daniel Herman, was attended by hundreds of Jews and Christians.

The decision was made following a move promoted by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, the largest Christian-Zionist organization in the world, through its Czech Republic Branch Manager, Vladimir Kalos. In the past few months, he has led the attempts to persuade members of parliament to approve the law.

The Islamization of Europe Will Cost Israel Bigtime

France to recognize Palestinian statehood if peace efforts fail – FM Fabius

Palestinian flags © Mohamad Torokman / Reuters

Paris will recognize the Palestinian state if France fails to break a deadlock between the Israelis and Palestinians in the coming weeks, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has announced.

“If this attempt to achieve a negotiated solution reaches a dead end, we will take responsibility and recognize the Palestinian state,” Fabius said Friday.

Excusez-moi Monsieur, but what is the likelihood that a solution will be reached if you are offering the jack-pot to Hamas if they fail? Es-tu stupide?

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, France has a duty to maintain efforts to find a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, he explained during a media-conference in Paris.

“France will engage in the coming weeks in the preparation of an international conference bringing together the parties and their main partners, American, European, Arab, notably to preserve and make happen the solution of two states,” the French FM is cited as saying by Reuters.

Ummm, any Israelis?

Fabius expressed hope that the international peace summit will be attended by Israelis and Palestinians, who haven’t been talking since 2014, as well as other key international players, including the US, EU states and Arab nations.

“Unfortunately, [Israeli] settlement construction continues. We must not let the two-state solution unravel,” he said.

An unnamed Israeli official has already told a journalist for the Haaretz newspaper that the French peace initiative will be rejected, as recognizing it would only encourage Palestinians to avoid direct negotiations with Tel-Aviv.

Less than a month ago, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki visited Paris to discuss the possibility of proposing a UN Security Council resolution declaring that the illegal Israeli settlements in the West bank are an obstacle to a peaceful solution of the conflict.

In October of 2014, Sweden became the first EU nation to recognize Palestinian statehood, followed shortly by the UK. The first Palestinian embassy opened in Stockholm in January 2015.

Last September, the Palestinian flag was hoisted at UN headquarters for the first time as a symbolic gesture in the territory’s quest for statehood.

I have been harping on this for some time, that as the Muslim population of EU countries increases and their political clout increases, Europe will turn more and more against Israel. It has already happened in the UN, UK, and Sweden. It is happening in France and it's just a matter of time before Germany, Denmark, Holland, Finland, Poland, Norway, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland follow suit.

Israel will be relentlessly condemned and if liberal governments persist in Canada and the US, we will join the condemnation and abandon our ally, the only real democracy in the middle east. Israel is the only country in the middle east where there is any reasonable level of human rights. It is also the only country in that area that I, as a Christian, would ever consider living in.

There is no solution to this problem; it's going to happen! Western countries are playing into the hands of Islam and all Islam wants is the complete annihilation of every Jew on the planet. The spirit of Hitler lives! Only this time it will take an extraordinary act of God to prevent evil from destroying His chosen people.

.......What Goes Around Comes Around.......

Gulf leaders back out of Camp David summit in 'snub' to Obama

Last week Russian President Putin held a great parade - and nobody came, well, no-one important.

This week US President Obama is holding a middle east summit of Islamic leaders and the most important leaders are staying away. Israel wasn't invited, of course, because....well you know why. President Obama is getting a taste of how President Putin felt.

President Obama met Saudi King Salman in Riyadh in January

From BBC US & Canada
Many Gulf heads of state have said they will not attend the summit of US and allied Arab leaders at Camp David later this week.

Their substitution with more junior leaders is being seen as a rebuff to President Obama's negotiations with Iran over its nuclear ambitions.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that he would not attend.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Saudi Arabia has not raised concerns about anything on the summit agenda.

The talks in Camp David near Washington were designed to reassure the Arab allies of US support on a number of issues including talks with Iran and instability in several Arab states.

They will now be largely attended by leaders at the ministerial level.

The official reason for the Saudi leader's absence is that the summit coincides with a humanitarian ceasefire in Yemen, where a Saudi-led alliance is battling Shia Houthi rebels.

An armed Yemeni tribesman sits on a tank

"I know there had been some speculation that this change in travel plans was an attempt to send a message to the United States," Mr Earnest said.

"If so, that message was not received, because all the feedback that we've received from the Saudis has been positive."

The White House later said that President Obama had spoken by phone to King Salman on Monday and they had discussed preparations for the Camp David summit.

At Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters the move was not related to any disagreement.

But diplomatic experts say it is a clear signal of Saudi displeasure with the US president and his negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.

"I don't think they have a deep respect, a deep trust for Obama and his promises. There is a fundamental difference between his vision of post-nuclear-deal Iran and their vision," Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science at Emirates University told the Associated Press news agency.

"They think Iran is a destabilising force and will remain so, probably even more, if the sanctions are lifted."

This genuine fear of Iran and its regional ambitions leads to some very interesting dynamics with respect to Israel. Most of the Gulf States leaders are probably very grateful for Israel right now. Israel is the only country, other than the US, with the capability of seriously damaging Iran's nuclear facilities. Since the US has no desire to do so, and has allowed themselves to actually believe that Iran will live up to a negotiated agreement, Israel becomes the last resort. There may even be some clandestine co-operation between Israel and the Gulf states. Strange bedfellows make for interesting dynamics.

President Obama had planned to meet with the Saudi King Salman Wednesday

The BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner, said King Salman has never quite forgiven President Obama for cancelling the missile strikes on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the 11th hour in September of 2013, when King Salman was defence minister.

Separately, the tiny island kingdom of Bahrain, whose leadership has close ties to the Saudis, said that it would be sending its crown prince, Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, to the meeting.

A source familiar with the talks told the BBC that the Sultan of Oman and the President of the United Arab Emirates are both known to be very ill, and do not travel for non-medical purposes - and were not expected to attend.

USS New Orleans arrives at Mina Salman pier March 2009
The US Navy's 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, and serves as the US's main
maritime counterbalance to Iran

The Kuwaiti emir, Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, will attend the summit and has already arrived in the Washington area.

Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is expected to attend as well.