Hamas relies on two strategies to wage its war of annihilation against Israel: heinous brutality and PR from sympathetic Westerners. It tries to make Israelis’ lives hell in hopes that the Jews will simply give up on living in their ancestral homeland, and then maximizes Palestinians’ suffering — real and imagined — so the West will force Israel to stop fighting the terrorists bent on its destruction. Re-arm and repeat.
On those criteria, the State-designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO) had a good week last week. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof preempted a painstakingly researched report on the unfathomably cruel barbarism Hamas inflicted on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, by publishing an essay on Israel’s “systematic sexual violence…widely practiced as part of an organized state policy” against Palestinians. If Israel does indeed train dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners, then perhaps it’s fair to conclude, as Kristof did, that “The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day.”
Such a conclusion does exceptional PR for Hamas. Drawing an explicit moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel, it is designed to cause Americans to abandon their support for the Jewish state, a crucial stratagem for the terrorist group in its long war of attrition.
Perhaps that’s not a coincidence. At least two of Kristof’s sources for the essay appear to be Hamas-affiliated. If so, Kristof has likely committed a serious federal crime.
American anti-terrorism laws are designed to be extremely broad. Congress passed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 to prohibit the provision of “material support” to designated FTOs. Material support includes many things, including money, personnel, and in-kind benefits known as “services.”
Our material-support laws can even criminalize some behavior you might expect to be protected by the First Amendment. In the famous 2010 case, Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, the Supreme Court ruled that even providing legal advice to a designated FTO could be prosecuted — even if the advice only helped the terrorist group engage in legitimate, non-criminal activity. A 6-3 Court reiterated Congress’s finding that terrorist groups “are so tainted by their criminal conduct that any contribution to such an organization facilitates that conduct.”
The Court took pains to emphasize that “independent advocacy” for a cause is protected freedom of speech, but not all speech necessarily counts as independent: “a person of ordinary intelligence would understand the term ‘service’ to cover advocacy performed in coordination with, or at the direction of, a foreign terrorist organization.” Such advocacy could be criminally prosecuted.
That appears to describe exactly what Kristof did. His advocacy clearly provides an important service to Hamas — a crucial part of its criminal enterprise, even if the service itself would not be a crime if done independently. That much is clear from Kristof’s reliance on a group called Euro-Med, which provided the quote about Israel’s “state policy” of authorizing “sexual violence” and other grotesque details Kristof retells as fact.
Kristof calls Euro-Med “critical of Israel.” That understates it a bit. Euro-Med has been the source of a host of conspiracy theories about Israel, including the accusation that Israel has been <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/investigation-must-be-opened-israels-potential-use-banned-thermal-weapons-which-cause-victims-bodies-melt-or-evaporate-enar">vaporizing</a> Palestinians and digging up graves to <a href="https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/5982/Int%25E2%2580%2599l-committee-must-investigate-Israel%25E2%2580%2599s-holding-of-dead-bodies-in-Gaza%25E2%2580%258B">harvest</a> Palestinian organs. If that seems like the kind of Big Lie straight out of Hamas’s playbook — and the kind that could start a rumor about Israel training dogs to rape prisoners — that’s no coincidence.
Euro-Med’s current and former chairmen have been <a href="https://nbctf.mod.gov.il/he/Announcements/Documents/%25D7%2599%25D7%259C%25D7%25A7%25D7%2595%25D7%2598%2520%25D7%2594%25D7%25A4%25D7%25A8%25D7%25A1%25D7%2595%25D7%259E%25D7%2599%25D7%259D%25206719%2520-%2520%25D7%25A2%25D7%259E%25D7%2595%25D7%2593%25202234.pdf">listed</a> as Hamas operatives for over a decade. Its founder, Ramy Abdu, has been a regular panelist at Hamas events, often appearing alongside senior Hamas leaders, including Osama Hamdan. Abdu’s brother-in-law was a known Hamas operative; his brother was recently arrested in Italy for funneling money to Hamas.
The repeated uncritical quotations of Euro-Med are suspicious enough. But the kicker is the first-named source in Kristof’s piece. Sami al-Sai claims he was sexually assaulted by Israeli prison guards after he was detained in 2024. What Kristof does not mention is that al-Sai was detained <a href="https://cpj.org/data/people/sami-al-sai/">for being a member of Hamas</a>. Al-Sai has <a href="https://x.com/HonestReporting/status/2054300908637557231?s=20">admitted</a> that he has done projects on Hamas’s behalf. Even other Palestinian groups have accused him of serving as a recruiter for the terrorist group. Not giving readers a sense of al-Sai’s background, which is quite relevant to his reliability, reflects poorly on Kristof’s journalism. But more so, meeting with a member of Hamas before advocating on his, and by extension, his organization’s behalf could be prosecuted as a criminal offense.
To be clear, Kristof does not admit to working together with Euro-Med in any way, so it would be difficult to prove material support for terrorism through Euro-Med on the basis of the existing public record. Further investigation could turn up evidence of closer collaboration. But Kristof’s meetings with al-Sai and subsequent advocacy that explicitly and repeatedly draw moral equivalencies between Hamas and Israel in a way that advances Hamas’s interests may be enough to warrant a material support prosecution. Whether Kristof’s essay constitutes a crime may come down to whether al-Sai is a member or representative of Hamas. The public record suggests there may be enough evidence to convince a jury.
To many Americans, this suggestion will seem like a massive First Amendment violation. How can an essay constitute a crime? The answer is that the First Amendment does not do what so many Americans think it does. It does not protect all expressive conduct, or even all journalism. Significant national security concerns, such as starving terrorist groups of all support, can outweigh protections for speech. Indeed, a hypothetical prosecution of Kristof is not far off from what Holder contemplates. And as the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/us/don-lemon-plea-minnesota-church-protest-case.html">made clear</a>, no one gets a free pass to commit illegal activities by claiming journalist immunity.
Aiding the world’s most heinous organizations is illegal, no matter what prestigious institution you work for, or whether your aid came in the form of words. You can engage in independent advocacy, but as soon as you start meeting with apparent members of terrorist groups, you have invited legal trouble. Whether that trouble comes in the form of a criminal indictment remains to be seen — but if it does, no one should be terribly surprised.   
***
Tal Fortgang is a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

The New York Times

Is The New York Times Employing A Terrorist Sympathizer?

Hamas

Journalism

MI x DW

Nick Kristof

Terrorism

A <a href="https://cc4e0711-9401-400e-ae14-65ae0400675b.filesusr.com/ugd/aab121_882e9391df384e169d29f16c0faefeac.pdf">landmark report</a> by the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes, released in May 2026, has concluded that Hamas and its collaborators used sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as a “calculated,” “systematic,” and “integral” strategy during the terror attacks on southern Israel and against hostages in Gaza.
Based on over 1,800 hours of analysis and more than 10,000 photographs and videos, the report identifies &#8220;clear and convincing evidence&#8221; of patterned sexual torture intended to maximize pain and humiliate the Israeli nation.
A central finding of the report is the strategic and &#8220;weaponized&#8221; use of filming. Hamas terrorists did not merely commit atrocities; they documented them in real-time to &#8220;glorify and amplify&#8221; the suffering. The report identifies the &#8220;filming and digital dissemination of SGBV&#8221; as one of thirteen recurring patterns of abuse.
Perpetrators used GoPros, body-worn cameras, and the victims&#8217; own personal devices to livestream or record rapes, mutilations, and abductions. This content was often sent directly to the families of the victims or posted on community social media channels to maximize psychological terror. The report notes that these visuals turned &#8220;visibility itself into a weapon,&#8221; ensuring that the trauma extended far beyond the immediate physical act.
Even months after the initial attack, the report concludes that Hamas continued &#8220;digital abuse&#8221; by releasing staged footage of hostages in captivity. These videos, showing captives being taunted or tormented, were used to exert ongoing harm on the survivors&#8217; families and the Israeli public. By presenting women’s bodies as “trophies of war,” the perpetrators used digital media to cement a collective trauma that the report says is intended to be remembered for generations.
The report, led by human rights expert Cochav Elkayam-Levy, draws from firsthand testimonies of more than 10 survivors and hundreds of interviews with first responders, forensic experts, and medical staff. It outlines a gruesome catalog of 13 specific patterns of SGBV, including:
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>
Sexual Torture: This includes the intentional burning of genital areas and the forced insertion of objects into genitalia.
</li>
<li>
Kinocidal Acts: The report coined this term to describe &#8220;kinocidal sexual acts&#8221; — crimes intended to destroy the family unit. This includes forcing family members to perform sexual acts on one another or raping victims in front of their loved ones.
</li>
<li>
Mutilation and Postmortem Abuse: Forensic evidence and photographs showed dozens of victims shot or burned specifically in their intimate areas, often after they were already dead, as a final act of desecration.
</li>
<li>
Targeted Commands: Evidence recovered from the bodies of militants included Arabic-to-Hebrew phrasebooks with commands such as &#8220;take off your pants&#8221; and &#8220;spread your legs,&#8221; indicating that sexual assault was a planned component of the mission.
</li>
</ul>
One of the most harrowing sections of the report details three separate incidents of gang rape at the Nova Music Festival. Witnesses described victims being &#8220;passed around&#8221; and screaming in ways described as &#8220;unheard of.&#8221; In many instances, the sexual violence was followed by immediate execution; witnesses recounted seeing women raped by multiple men before being shot in the head or mutilated.
The abuse continued in Gaza. The report includes previously unknown allegations involving two minors who were forced by their captors to perform sexual acts on each other while in captivity. Former hostages, such as Amit Soussana and Romi Gonen, have provided testimonies that corroborate the report’s findings of ongoing sexualized, cruel, and inhuman treatment in the tunnels of Gaza.
The report acknowledges the difficulties in gathering evidence, noting that the immediate aftermath was a chaotic active combat zone where standard forensic protocols were not always followed. This lack of initial forensic data was later &#8220;weaponized&#8221; by critics and deniers to discredit the survivors. Elkayam-Levy emphasized that the Civil Commission’s goal is to ensure this evidence — now carefully cross-referenced and geolocated — cannot be &#8220;denied, erased, or forgotten.&#8221;
The findings have been <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/12/middleeast/report-sexual-violence-hamas-oct-7-attacks-intl">endorsed</a> by various international figures and align with previous conclusions by UN Special Representative Pramila Patten, who found “reasonable grounds” to believe sexual violence occurred.
The Civil Commission concludes that these acts constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal acts. By documenting these atrocities in a digital archive, the researchers aim to provide a rigorous evidentiary record for future legal proceedings at the International Criminal Court and other bodies, ensuring that the victims are finally heard.

Memorial composed of photos of young Israelis killed during the terrorist attack on the NOVA Festival which took place on October 7, 2023 a few kilometers from Gaza

Weaponized Atrocities: The Landmark Report On Hamas’s Systematic Sexual Violence And Digital Terror

Atrocity

Israel

Rape

The revelations of improper conduct involving the International Criminal Court (ICC) continue to grow, with the Wall Street Journal recently breaking a story suggesting that Qatar promised to assist chief prosecutor Karim Khan if he brought charges against Israeli officials. Khan made a sudden rush to issue the indictments just as sexual assault accusations against him were coming to light. Qatar’s role makes the affair about more than one man’s alleged crimes – it is about the dangerousness and lack of accountability of the ICC as an institution.
Qatar is not an ICC member state. But it does host and sponsor Hamas, making its involvement with a prosecutor investigating the Gaza war deeply problematic. This may explain a strange aspect of the ICC’s arrest warrants. In addition to Israeli leaders, the ICC indicted Yahya Sinwar and two other top Hamas leaders in Gaza. It was gross moral equivalence equating Israeli leaders defending their people after the October 7 massacre with the masterminds of that crime.
The Court presented these parallel indictments as proof of its evenhandedness. Yet from the beginning, there was an obvious asymmetry: the Court indicted Israel’s top civilian leader, but ignored Khaled Mashaal and the rest of Hamas’s political leadership. When Israel mooted the warrants on Sinwar and Mohammed Deif by killing them during the Gaza war, Khan did not seek to restore balance by bringing new indictments against Hamas’s top leaders, who happen to be based in Qatar.
As the accusations against Khan began to mount, he argued it was a plot to weaken the Court, hinting at <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/icc-netanyahu-prosecutor-sexual-assault-israel-gaza-d9bedee3">Mossad involvement</a>. That appears to be, like so many charges against Israel, an exercise in projection. Qatar hired investigators in a failed attempt to discredit the employee who made the sexual assault allegations. Khan appears to have been right that there was a foreign intelligence operation surrounding these allegations, just not against him.
Khan specifically tied his warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the charges against him, urging his alleged victim to remain silent because it would undermine pending “Palestinian arrest warrants.” This, along with the emerging role of Qatar, makes it impossible to separate the scandal around Khan from the Court’s Gaza war indictments. Yet the Court has been silent about the Qatar revelations, a marked contrast to its public condemnation of a Trump administration executive order imposing sanctions on ICC officials as interference with its “independent and impartial work.”
The only action that the ICC has taken so far is disciplinary proceedings against Khan himself. The most that can happen is that he loses his job. His accuser never turned to the Dutch police because she said his official immunity would protect him. However, under the ICC’s rules, the judges could waive that immunity if they wished. The Court’s refusal to allow a criminal investigation of Khan, even as the scope of the scandal expands, demonstrates the institution&#8217;s political nature.
At the same time, the Court seems fully intent on proceeding with the Netanyahu prosecution. Such serious prosecutorial misconduct could, at least in the United States, lead to the dismissal of even factually substantiated criminal charges. Here, the evidence does not even show that the alleged crime (purposeful starvation of civilians) even occurred, let alone was committed by the accused. As the dust settles in Gaza, the lack of mass starvation becomes ever more evident.
An American prosecutor would be loath to try a case with such manifest prosecutorial misconduct (notably, senior court officials knew about the allegations against Khan at the time the indictments were made but kept it quiet for six months, when it leaked to the press). But Netanyahu is not facing a jury of his peers, but rather a panel of international judges who likely share the Court’s institutional culture.
Qatar’s involvement shows the ICC to be even more dangerous than its critics thought. The rap against the tribunal has long been that it acts like a global independent counsel – an unaccountable prosecutor with no democratic restraints. But even worse, it now appears that hostile states can coopt it as a political weapon in an ongoing conflict.
This illustrates the need for the Trump administration to take decisive action against the organization. The sanctions the Treasury Department has imposed on individual court officers have inconvenienced them but appear to have done little to fundamentally weaken the organization or change its trajectory. A body politically motivated enough to maintain the Israel warrants in the wake of the growing Khan fiasco will certainly retaliate against Trump and his top officials once they are out of office.
The administration should impose institution-wide sanctions on the tribunal and vigorously enforce them. The ICC recently got some good news as Peter Magyar, Hungary’s prime minister-elect, vowed to rejoin after it had become the first EU country to quit. Magyar prioritized the issue because he is seeking EU funding, and Brussels ties its financial support to adhering to its foreign policy. America must adopt the same tough approach, insisting that countries receiving benefits quit the Court. For Europe, pushing countries to join the ICC is a matter of ideology. For America, pushing back should be seen as a question of national security.
Eugene Kontorovich is a professor at George Mason University Scalia Law School and a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom.

NETHERLANDS-JUSTICE-ICC

The International Criminal Court Is In Bed With Our Enemies And It’s Time We Clean House

DW Opinion

International Criminal Court

Qatar

Chilling testimonies emerging from the Gaza Strip have uncovered a systemic campaign of sexual violence and coercion orchestrated by Hamas-affiliated clerics and officials. According to investigative reports and filmed testimonies, the terror group is allegedly using the rape of young boys and the sexual exploitation of vulnerable women as a tool of political control and recruitment.
The investigation by <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15758543/Gaza-families-say-children-raped-Hamas-affiliated-clerics-parents-intimidated-silence.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline">The Daily Mail</a>, bolstered by footage obtained from Jusoor News, reveals a horrifying pattern of abuse within Hamas-run mosques. Young boys, some as young as nine and ten, describe being lured by religious figures under the guise of Koranic study, only to be sexually assaulted in mosque restrooms and upper floors.
One nine-year-old victim recounted being led away by a Sheikh who promised him &#8220;something nice&#8221; before undressing and raping him. A ten-year-old victim described similar &#8220;filthy things&#8221; being done to him by a cleric, an ordeal that only ended when a mosque attendant interrupted them.
Beyond the physical trauma, the abuse is reportedly used as a mechanism for blackmail. Hamza Abu Howidy, a writer who fled the enclave, explained that the phenomenon is so well-known locally that such predators are derisively called &#8220;Mosque Tennis players.&#8221; The victims are often coerced into joining the Hamas movement to prevent their abuse from being made public in a society where such topics are strictly taboo.
Parents who attempt to seek justice face immediate and violent retribution. One father from Khan Younis, whose son was left bleeding and bruised by a head Imam, was met with death threats when he confronted the perpetrator. &#8220;I’ll send Al-Qassam Brigades to you&#8230; We’ll just say you were an Israeli collaborator,&#8221; the Imam allegedly warned. The following night, armed militants arrived at the father&#8217;s home, threatening to &#8220;wipe his family off the face of the earth&#8221; if he spoke another word.
As these accounts of child abuse surface, a <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15732903/Women-living-Hamas-rule-Gaza-Mail-sexually-abused-terror-groups-fighters-forced-sex-return-food-aid.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline">parallel story</a> of the systematic exploitation of women has also come to light. Human rights organizations estimate that up to 60,000 women in Gaza are currently vulnerable to sexual blackmail, particularly widows and those displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Testimonies describe &#8220;aid-for-sex&#8221; schemes where Hamas members and officials from affiliated charities demand sexual favors in exchange for food parcels, medicine, or small sums of money. One displaced mother, Noor, described seeking help from an Islamic charity only to be harassed by an elderly cleric. When she threatened to expose him, he reportedly replied: &#8220;You cannot expose me; I am the government here.&#8221;
Other witnesses described a &#8220;disgraceful&#8221; scene in Deir al-Balah where a group of Al-Qassam members were found taking advantage of a displaced widow inside a tent. Even members within the military wing expressed disgust, yet were ordered by leadership to remain silent to protect the group’s image.
&#8220;Hamas has lied about everything,&#8221; said Abdullah, a journalist currently in hiding. &#8220;They stole the aid, created the famine narrative, and take advantage of the most vulnerable while the West remains gullible.&#8221;
Despite the &#8220;shame culture&#8221; and the &#8220;iron fist&#8221; of Hamas rule, Gazans are increasingly breaking their silence. Investigators warn that as formal registration systems collapse, the exploitation of women and children is only worsening, leaving a generation of victims with no recourse for justice under a regime that uses sexual violence as a pillar of its authority.

International Red Cross

Hamas Accused Of Unspeakable Crime Against Young Boys As Method Of Coercion

Crime

Gaza

Sexual Abuse

World

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) took aim this week at Twitch streamer and leftist darling Hasan Piker, labeling him a &#8220;raging antisemite&#8221; and demanding that the Democratic Party distance itself from the controversial influencer.
Fetterman’s comments come as Piker doubled down on a series of inflammatory statements regarding 9/11 and the terrorist organization Hamas. Speaking on the divide within his own party, Fetterman expressed disbelief that mainstream Democrats continue to platform a man who once <a href="https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/streamer-hasan-says-america-deserved-9-11?utm_source=chatgpt.com">claimed</a> &#8220;America deserved 9/11, dude. F*** it, I’m saying it. &#8230; Like we totally brought it upon ourselves dude, holy s***. We did, we f***ing did.”
“I mean it&#8217;s &#8230; it&#8217;s crazy! I mean, my God,” Fetterman said, pointing to the glowing media profiles Piker has received from outlets like The New York Times. “He’s become such a raging antisemite that even the guy that has a Nazi tattoo bailed on doing an event with him. Democrats have to decide: whose side are you on? Are you proud to stand with that kind of individual or stand with Israel?”
The Senator’s remarks follow a viral appearance by Piker on the Pod Save America podcast, where host Jon Favreau confronted the streamer over his previous assertion that &#8220;Hamas is a thousand percent better than Israel.&#8221; Rather than walking back the comment, Piker doubled down, confirming he meant it &#8220;a thousand percent.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Obama&#39;s former speechwriter, Jon Favreau, asks Democrat spokesperson Hasan Piker if he actually supports Hamas terrorists.
FAVREAU: &quot;When you say Hamas is a thousand times better, do you actually mean that?&quot;
PIKER: &quot;I do mean it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xtodMQaXDu">pic.twitter.com/xtodMQaXDu</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2043735622234345519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I’m a lesser-evil voter, and therefore I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time,&#8221; Piker told Favreau. He went on to <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2026/04/hasan-piker-hamas-support-orphan-children/#:~:text=“This%20%5Bquote%5D%20is%20from,state%2C'”%20Favreau%20quoted">dismiss</a> Hamas’ history of massacres, rapes, and kidnappings as &#8220;secondary&#8221; to the conversation, instead framing the terrorist group as a collection of &#8220;orphan children&#8221; fighting an &#8220;apartheid state.&#8221; Piker further escalated his rhetoric by comparing Zionism — the movement for Jewish self-determination — to Nazism, calling it an &#8220;exterminationist&#8221; ideology.
Fetterman, who has emerged as one of the most vocal pro-Israel voices in the Democratic Party since the October 7 massacre, slammed Piker for his callousness toward the victims of terrorism. “He doesn&#8217;t care about the rapes and calls Jews inbred,” Fetterman stated, highlighting the streamer&#8217;s history of &#8220;outlandish&#8221; and bigoted remarks.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Senator Fetterman just SHAMED members of his own party for supporting radical left-wing Islamist apologist Hasan Piker.
“This is the individual that just said recently that America deserved 9/11.”
He exposed how far some Democrats have gone in embracing anti-American voices.… <a href="https://t.co/jNMW28aasH">pic.twitter.com/jNMW28aasH</a>
&mdash; Overton (@overton_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/overton_news/status/2040596601043923428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Pennsylvania senator’s ultimatum serves as a direct challenge to the DNC and the &#8220;Squad&#8221; wing of the party, which has frequently aligned itself with the online activist class that Piker represents. As the radical left continues to excuse terrorist violence under the guise of &#8220;decolonization,&#8221; Fetterman’s message is clear: the Democratic Party cannot have it both ways. It must choose between the civilized world and the &#8220;raging&#8221; antisemitism of the far-left.

John Fetterman

Fetterman Issues Ultimatum To Dems: Israel, Or ‘Raging Anti-Semites’ Like Hasan Piker

Hasan Piker

A top aide to Zohran Mamdani — and the creative force behind his viral campaign videos — is facing scrutiny after resurfaced social media posts showed praise for a senior Hamas figure tied to the October 7 terrorist attacks.
According to reporting from <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2026/04/zohran-mamdanis-video-chief-lauded-hamas-chief-yahya-sinwar/">Jewish Insider</a>, Donald Borenstein, who was paid more than $90,000 by Mamdani’s campaign and now serves in City Hall as a creative director, posted messages in 2024 appearing to glorify Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas.
In one post, Borenstein described Sinwar as someone who “gave his entire life until the end fighting for his people’s liberation,” while mocking Israeli forces and praising imagery of Sinwar’s final moments. In another, he suggested footage released by Israel Defense Forces had inadvertently created a “heroic” image of the Hamas leader. He also reportedly used the phrase “from the river to the sea,” widely interpreted as a call for the elimination of the state of Israel.
The posts have since been deleted, but archived versions remain accessible.
Borenstein’s role in Mamdani’s rise has been significant. As director of video, he served as the primary cinematographer behind the polished social media content that helped propel the democratic socialist candidate into Gracie Mansion. His presence in the mayor’s inner circle raises familiar questions about the ideological influences shaping the administration.
The controversy adds to a growing pattern of scrutiny surrounding figures in Mamdani’s orbit. Previous reporting has highlighted social media activity from campaign allies and associates who appeared sympathetic to Hamas or dismissive of the October 7 attacks. Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, was also <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/nyc-first-lady-liked-post-oct-7-rape-hoax">reported to have liked posts</a> downplaying the attack, while independent <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/09/we-support-hamas-chants-put-mamdanis-israel-stance-at-center-stage-00720393">activist groups</a> aligned with his campaign have faced similar criticism.
Mamdani himself has publicly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-city-in-heightened-state-of-alert-after-saturdays-attack">condemned terrorism</a>, but repeated incidents involving those close to him suggest, at minimum, a tolerance for rhetoric that crosses into extremism.
The issue has taken on added weight in recent months as New York City has seen heightened tensions tied to the Iran conflict. In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-opens-terror-probe-after-homemade-bombs-in-nyc-linked-to-isis">a March incident</a>, a protest in the city featured two men found to be ISIS-inspired Islamists throwing an explosive, raising alarms about the presence of more radical elements within certain activist spaces.
Against that backdrop, Borenstein’s posts only intensify concerns about how deeply such sentiments may run within political and activist networks connected to City Hall. More broadly, the episode underscores the increasingly blurred lines between digital activism and governance and reminds Americans that online voices and content strategies that help propel candidates to power need to be viewed with a critical eye, especially as fringe ideologies take center stage in American politics.
For Mamdani, the challenge is no longer just about campaign optics, but about the people entrusted with shaping the image and direction of the nation’s largest city.

Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference outside the Federal Plaza in NYC

Top Mamdani Propagandist Hailed Hamas Mastermind As ‘Heroic’

Pro-Hamas

Yahya Sinwar

Zohran Mamdani

The Trump administration arrested the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday, describing the man as a Jordanian terrorist.
Salah Sarsour, who has lived in the United States for over 30 years, was convicted in Israel as a teenager after throwing molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli soldiers. He has also been <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2017/01/21/womens-march-organizer-recently-met-ex-hamas-operative-has-family-ties-to-terror-group/">accused</a> of helping raise money for Hamas in the 1990s. Sarsour was issued a green card under former President Bill Clinton after lying on his immigration application, Homeland Security said.
Sarsour has been the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee for the past five years. The society is the largest Islamic group in Wisconsin, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/us/ice-milwaukee-muslim-leader-arrest.html">reported</a>. He is also a board member of the American Muslims for Palestine, a group that has faced <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-files-legal-brief-against-american-muslims-palestine-and-other-radical">scrutiny</a> over alleged links to Hamas and its support for intifada in the wake of Hamas&#8217; October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
&#8220;This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,&#8221; DHS said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICEgov</a> arrested a Jordanian national with a prior conviction for THROWING A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL at the homes of Israeli Forces.
He lied on his immigration application and became a green card holder under President Clinton.
This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending… <a href="https://t.co/L38liuCxVy">https://t.co/L38liuCxVy</a> <a href="https://t.co/9IXWuo0t0f">pic.twitter.com/9IXWuo0t0f</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2039845268091265330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Trump administration posted the description and photo of Sarsour on social media in response to Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers criticizing the administration over Sarsour&#8217;s arrest.
&#8220;Targeting people because of their beliefs or background is wrong,&#8221; Evers said. &#8220;This is clearly about sowing division and fear and doesn&#8217;t help make Wisconsin safer. I’m thinking of Mr. Sarsour&#8217;s family in this difficult time, and I join [Rep. Gwen Moore] 
in calling for his immediate release.&#8221;
Sarsour&#8217;s attorney said the Milwaukee Muslim leader received deportation papers from the Trump administration, which said that the State Department determined Sarsour &#8220;poses an adverse consequence to foreign policy considerations.&#8221; The man&#8217;s attorneys argued that the Trump administration is only targeting Sarsour because of his anti-Israel views, adding that Sarsour has no criminal record in the United States.
Hundreds of Muslims gathered for a rally at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee&#8217;s Salam School gym following the arrest of Sarsour, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2026/04/02/islamic-society-of-milwaukee-president-salah-sarsour-detained-by-ice/89433525007/">reported</a>. Othman Atta, the executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee mosque told the crowd, &#8220;They want to criminalize advocacy for Palestine. That is the only reason that he is being targeted. There is nothing else.&#8221;
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to strip the legal status of immigrants found to be &#8220;Hamas supporters.&#8221; Last year, the Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-court-rules-against-mahmoud-khalils-release-from-ice-detention">arrested</a> pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who led anti-Israel and anti-America demonstrations at Columbia University after the October 7 attack. The Trump administration won a legal victory in January over its arrest of Khalil when a federal court ruled that he could be taken back into custody after a lower court ordered his release.

Standard Headline

ICE Arrests Islamic Leader Accused Of Aiding Hamas. He’s Lived In The U.S. For Decades.

Department of Homeland Security

Executive

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Islam

Milwaukee

Trump Administration

U.S.

Wisconsin

Last week, my home state of Michigan witnessed something truly terrifying: a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-respond-to-reports-of-active-shooter-as-michigan-synagogue-goes-up-in-smoke">terrorist attack</a> at a house of worship. The attacker drove a vehicle filled with explosives into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, just a few hours outside of my district.
Thankfully, on-site security personnel quickly intervened — stopping the terrorist and preventing any injury to the innocent children or staff inside. I am grateful to these guardians for responding quickly to safeguard those innocent lives, and I pray for the recovery of those injured in stopping this despicable attack.
This attack, however, isn’t an isolated incident. It is part of a broader and deeply troubling rise in antisemitism that has spread across our country since the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel.
Nowhere is that rise more evident than on our college campuses.
Students have been whipped into an activist frenzy targeting Israel and the Jewish people.
Rather than stamping out the antisemitic fervor, faculty are fanning the flames. Many campus leaders seem completely unwilling to do anything about it.
<div id="attachment_1062451" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1062451" class="size-large wp-image-1062451" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2154554442-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Pro-Palestinian protesters, some wearing cap and gown, hold signs and chant at a rally in front of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 28, 2024. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2154554442-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2154554442-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2154554442-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2154554442.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images</div>
On campuses across the nation — regardless of size or location — student groups are organizing to harass and intimidate Jewish students. Groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) are the ringleaders, often with the backing of similar faculty organizations.
At Columbia University, antisemitic demonstrators stormed a library, disrupted students, and chanted slogans like “from the river to the sea.” Eden Yadegar, my guest to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress last year, described it as “disrupting one of the most basic functions of the university.”
All too often, this chaos leads to violence. The House Committee on Education and Workforce — of which I am the <a href="https://edworkforce.house.gov/">chairman</a> — heard from Michael Kaminsky, a student at DePaul University and a first-generation American who was assaulted by masked attackers for his efforts to promote dialogue about Israel and the Jewish faith. He was left with a fractured wrist, and his friend was knocked unconscious.
This is not what college should be. Students should be focused on learning and growing — not fearing harassment or assault because of their identities.
These actions are not happening in a vacuum. They are being encouraged — sometimes openly — by faculty.
At Haverford College, Tarik Aougab — a member of Haverford Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) — labeled pro-Israel students as “racist genocidaires” while praising the October 7 attacks as “a historic moment.”
At the University of California, Berkeley, a professor posted that he “could have been one of those who broke the siege.”
At MIT, former linguistics professor Michel DeGraff accused a student of having a Zionist “mind infection.”
<div id="attachment_1062465" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1062465" class="size-large wp-image-1062465" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2205276310-864x576.jpg" alt="Michel DeGraff a former professor of linguistics and now faculty at large of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) attends a protest at city hall in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 9, 2024. The protest calls for the city to intervene and take action against MIT for its role in the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and for MIT to loose its non profit status. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2205276310-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2205276310-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2205276310-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2205276310.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images</div>
This kind of rhetoric has consequences.
Let’s be clear: for many Jewish Americans, Israel is central to their identity. When students are targeted under the guise of “anti-Zionism,” the line between activism and antisemitism is not just crossed — it’s erased.
And yet, too many university leaders have failed to meet this moment.
Time and again, university presidents have come before this Committee and refused to take responsibility. They hedge, they equivocate, and they fail to enforce even their own rules.
The result is what we see today: antisemitism that is spreading, intensifying, and, in some cases, turning violent.
My Committee has released a report documenting just how serious this problem has become.
The findings are clear: weak leadership, radical faculty, and emboldened student groups have created an environment where antisemitism festers — and Jewish students are paying the price.
This cannot continue.
* * *
Tim Walberg represents Michigan’s 5th Congressional District and is serving his ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Protesters Gather Outside Pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil’s Court Conference In New York

The Profs Aren’t Alright: How Radical Faculty Fuel The Rise Of Campus Antisemitism

The Profs Aren't Alright: How Radical Faculty Fuel The Rise Of Campus Antisemitism

American Universities

antisemitism

College

Columbia University

Education

Jews

October 7

Protestors

Radical Islam

U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on Thursday against four international nonprofit organizations identified as &#8220;sham charities&#8221; used to bankroll Hamas’s military wing.
The <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0415">action</a> targets three organizations based in Turkey — Ghazi Destek Dernegi (GDD), Hayat Yolu, and Palestinian White Hands — as well as the Indonesia-based Komite Nasional Untuk Rakyat Palestina (KNRP). Treasury officials allege these groups pose as humanitarian entities while covertly siphoning donations to the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas&#8217;s military apparatus.
According to Treasury investigators, these organizations leverage global networks to generate revenue for terrorist operations. Internal Hamas documents seized by authorities reportedly show that GDD collaborated with previously sanctioned entities to fund construction projects benefiting the group. Similarly, Palestinian White Hands was found to be integrated into the Hamas military security apparatus.
In Indonesia, KNRP is accused of coordinating directly with Hamas to distribute materials intended exclusively for fighters. Treasury also identified Hayat Yolu as an operational and financial hub for the Muslim Brotherhood.
“Hamas continues to finance its military wing by exploiting sham charities to support terrorist operations,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Treasury Department will not allow Hamas to misuse the charitable sector for its violent aims.”
Today’s designations build on a series of recent actions aimed at dismantling Hamas’s financial infrastructure. Previous rounds of sanctions occurred on <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0368">January 21, 2026</a>, and <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0162">June 10, 2025</a>. Officials noted that Hamas frequently preys on the sympathies of international donors, redirecting funds intended for Palestinian civilians to prolong the regional conflict.
Hamas has been designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 2001. Today’s enforcement was conducted under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing them with material support.
As a result of these sanctions, all property and interests belonging to these entities within the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked. Americans are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the designated groups. Foreign financial institutions that facilitate significant transactions for these groups risk losing access to the U.S. financial system.

Scott Bessent

Trump Admin Shuts Down Sham Charities Caught Bankrolling Hamas

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Four Sham Charities Linked to Hamas Financing

Department of the Treasury

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji, used her personal Instagram account to &#8220;like&#8221; multiple posts that actively cheered on the barbaric Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023.
The revelation from <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2026/03/zohran-mamdani-wife-rama-duwaji-social-media-oct-7/">Jewish Insider</a> pulls back the curtain on the &#8220;moderate&#8221; facade Mamdani has carefully constructed. While the Mayor now claims to unequivocally condemn Hamas, his wife was busy clicking &#8220;heart&#8221; buttons on images of the very bulldozers used to breach the Israeli border and terrorists parading in captured IDF vehicles. One post liked by Duwaji, shared by an organization called &#8220;The Slow Factory,&#8221; framed the slaughter of 1,200 people as merely &#8220;breaking the walls of apartheid.&#8221;
The timing is particularly damning. While Mamdani — then a state assemblyman — was publicly criticizing a pro-Hamas rally in Times Square for &#8220;making light&#8221; of the massacre, his then-girlfriend was apparently at home digital-cheering for the organizers. Duwaji reportedly liked posts from the &#8220;People’s Forum&#8221;—part of a network linked to Maoist mogul Neville &#8220;Roy&#8221; Singham — which featured the genocidal chant &#8220;from the river to the sea&#8221; and declared that the Oct. 7 atrocities were a &#8220;human right.&#8221;
When pressed for comment, Duwaji went silent. The Mayor’s office, meanwhile, retreated into a practiced defensive shell, issuing a canned statement reiterating Mamdani’s &#8220;consistent&#8221; condemnation of Hamas. They notably refused to address whether the Mayor shares a dinner table with someone who views the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust as a moment of &#8220;collective liberation.&#8221;
Immediately following the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1200 Israelis, Mamdani (then a state assemblyman) issued a <a href="https://x.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1711093032907321525">statement</a> that essentially targeted Israel: “I mourn the hundreds of people killed across Israel and Palestine in the last 36 hours. Netanyahu&#8217;s declaration of war, the Israeli government&#8217;s decision to cut electricity to Gaza, and Knesset members calling for another Nakba will undoubtedly lead to more violence and suffering in the days and weeks to come. The path toward a just and lasting peace can only begin by ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid.”
On the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre, Mamdani posted a <a href="https://x.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1975550702056538512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1975550702056538512%7Ctwgr%5Edbbd33728c1d8ba6d046fbf0f9d856ec85c0efff%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fmamdani-blasted-for-october-7-post-he-stands-with-jews-only-when-they-are-dead">statement</a> to his X account. He condemned Israel for perpetrating “genocide” in Gaza, citing fatality numbers from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, writing, “In the aftermath of that day, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government launched a genocidal war.” He called Israel’s action “war crimes” and attacked the Trump administration, continuing, “Our government has been complicit through it all. This must end. The occupation and apartheid must end. Peace must be pursued through diplomacy, not war crimes, and our government must act to end these atrocities and hold those responsible to account.”

NYC Mayor Mamdani Holds News Conference

Mamdani Claims To Condemn Hamas — His Wife’s Instagram ‘Likes’ Say Otherwise

Mamdani’s Wife ‘Liked’ Posts Cheering Oct. 7 Hamas Massacre

Massacre

WASHINGTON — First Lady Melania Trump will meet with freed American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel and his wife, Aviva Siegel, on Wednesday at the White House.
The first lady will have a private, sit-down conversation with the Siegels in the White House&#8217;s Blue Room, where they will discuss how Hamas forcibly took the Siegels from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, and held them hostage — Aviva Siegel for 51 days, and Keith Siegel for 484 days.
Aviva Siegel was released during the first hostage deal in November 2023. Hamas released her husband on February 1, 2025, during a ceasefire that was brokered by President Donald Trump before he even took office, following his wife&#8217;s meetings with both the president and first lady.
One of these meetings was included in the first lady&#8217;s new film, &#8220;Melania,&#8221; showing Melania Trump and Aviva Siegel sharing an emotional moment in Manhattan as they discuss the plight of Siegel&#8217;s husband. Melania Trump hugs Siegel as she weeps into her shoulder, and the first lady promises to pray for Keith Siegel, who was still in Hamas captivity at the time.
One of the final title cards in &#8220;Melania&#8221; states that the first lady &#8220;played a key role in securing the release of Keith Siegel after 484 days as a hostage in Gaza, just 12 days after the inauguration.&#8221;
&#8220;I will always use my influence and power to fight for those in need,&#8221; the first lady says in the documentary film.
Keith Siegel, 66, is a dual Israel-U.S. citizen who moved from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to Israel in 1980. He is a father of four and a grandfather of five. He is an occupational therapist by trade and reportedly learned Arabic to communicate with the Gazans who worked in his kibbutz prior to Gazan civilians and Hamas massacring his neighbors.
<div id="attachment_1038181" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-trump-to-meet-with-hamas-hostage-she-helped-bring-home/palestinian-israel-conflict-hostage" rel="attachment wp-att-1038181"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1038181" class="wp-image-1038181 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196440906-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196440906-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196440906-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196440906-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196440906.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Hamas fighters escort American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Gaza City on February 1, 2025, as part of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange.  (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
He is a vegetarian with a particular love for classic American breakfast pancakes, a rarity in Israel. After his release, a Keith Siegel’s Pancake House <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-847923">pop-up opened</a> in Tel Aviv, selling the same pancakes his family had made him known for while they campaigned for his freedom. During that time, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum compiled a cookbook featuring his pancake recipe, which he made for his family every Saturday morning.
His daughter later said she received hundreds of photos each weekend from people around Israel cooking her father’s pancakes. The proceeds from the pancake house went to helping the family get back on their feet.
Siegel opened up about the horrific conditions of his captivity last year in an interview with Lesley Stahl, claiming he witnessed Hamas terrorists sexually assaulting female hostages in front of him.
“I witnessed a young woman who was being tortured by the terrorists. I mean literal, you know, torture, not just in the figurative sense,” he said. “I saw sexual assault with female hostages.”
He was initially held with his wife, but following her release, Siegel said conditions became worse, and he was often beaten and starved.
In the interview, Siegel quickly put interviewer Lesley Stahl in her place after she asked if Hamas actually starved Siegel, or if the terrorists simply didn’t have food themselves.
“No, I think they starved me and they — they would often eat in front of me and not offer me food,” Siegel said.
Siegel also said that Hamas shaved all the men’s heads and genitals as a way to humiliate them.
“I think they thought it was maybe, it amused them or, you know, humiliating. I felt humiliated,” Siegel said.
<div id="attachment_1038183" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-trump-to-meet-with-hamas-hostage-she-helped-bring-home/palestinian-israel-conflict-gaza-hostage" rel="attachment wp-att-1038183"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1038183" class="wp-image-1038183 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196449012-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196449012-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196449012-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196449012-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2196449012.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Hamas secures an area before handing over an Israeli-American hostage to a Red Cross team in Gaza City on February 1, 2025. (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Siegel was kept in a suffocating tunnel 33 feet underground and says he was given very little food and water.
Siegel’s ribs were reportedly broken when he was taken captive, and his condition deteriorated so badly that former hostage Emily Damari said she offered to switch places with him so he could be released sooner, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-839135">The Jerusalem Post reported</a>.
Hamas also used him for propaganda. He appeared in an April 2024 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obQ7vpgWHiU">video</a> speaking Hebrew and looking frail before beginning to cry.
Due to being a hostage, he was unable to say goodbye to his mother, Gladys, who passed away in December 2024 in North Carolina. The family chose to shield her from the news of her son’s captivity before she died, according to the American Jewish Committee.
Two weeks after he was released, Siegel recorded a video message praising Trump for helping secure his freedom.
&#8220;President Trump, you are the reason I am home alive,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You are the reason I was reunited with my beloved wife, four children, and five grandchildren. Thank you for your continued fight against terror and for your bold leadership that has brought me and many others back home to our families, to safety and to security.&#8221;
Siegel, his wife, and other hostages met with Trump in the Oval Office in March 2025, where they <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-844850">thanked him</a> for their freedom.

Amazon MGM’s “Melania” World Premiere

Melania Trump To Meet With Hamas Hostage She Helped Bring Home

General

Melania Trump

The body of the final hostage held in Gaza was returned to Israel on Monday.
The body of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old special-forces police officer who was killed in action on October 7, 2023, was returned to Israel, ending a long effort to force Hamas terrorists to hand over hostages. Gvili was killed while fighting off Hamas terrorists and Gazan civilians who crossed into Israel, massacring, raping, and kidnapping more than a thousand people near the Gaza border. His body was held captive for 842 days.
“We have returned Ran Gvili, of blessed memory, a hero of Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the Knesset. “There are no more hostages in Gaza.&#8221;
Netanyahu added that the yellow ribbon pin worn by people around the world to draw attention to the hostages held can now be removed.
“For &#8216;the sons have returned to their borders and the daughters have returned to their borders,’” Netanyahu said, quoting the Bible.
Israeli Defense Forces’s Southern Command completed Operation &#8220;Courageous Heart” to return Gvili after searching since October for his body. His body was found in a cemetery near Gaza City.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Footage of the IDF recovering the body of the final hostage.
The return of Ran Gvili means all of the hostages are home after 842 days. <a href="https://t.co/AvinMQxzPQ">pic.twitter.com/AvinMQxzPQ</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2015849942795841629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gvili’s parents fought tirelessly to keep their son&#8217;s name in the news after the remaining living hostages returned in October. They met with Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and other members of his administration.
Trump celebrated the news of the final hostage body returning to Israel, congratulating his “great team of Champions.”
“Just recovered the last Hostage body in GAZA. Thus, got back ALL 20 of the living Hostages, and ALL of the Dead!” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115962223670668620">posted</a>. “AMAZING JOB! Most thought of it as an impossible thing to do.”
Gvili was recovering from a serious shoulder injury on October 7, 2023, but left the hospital, put on his uniform, and headed south to join the fight against Hamas. He reportedly helped survivors of the Nova music festival before going to join the fight at Kibbutz Alumim.
At 10:50 a.m., he sent text messages saying he had been wounded in the leg. That was the final time his loved ones heard from him.
In total, 255 hostages from the Gaza Strip were rescued and brought back home – 168 of them alive and 87 deceased. Twelve Americans were kidnapped, with only eight being freed alive.
Gvili’s return marks the first time since 2014 that no Israelis are being held in Gaza. Before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, four Israelis were already in the Strip, including Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin Israeli who crossed into Gaza in April 2015, and Avera Mengistu, who entered in 2014. Both were later released alive in February 2025. Hamas had also held the bodies of the Israeli soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who were killed in the 2014 war and whose remains were returned in 2025.
Many of the hostages who have returned testified that they were held for long periods in dark tunnels and subjected to torture, severe starvation, and physical and sexual abuse.

The Israeli army found the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza

‘Most Thought Of It As Impossible’: Final Hostage Body Returns From Gaza After 842 Days

Benjamin Netanyahu

Donald Trump

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