Two Israeli embassy staff were shot and killed outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. around 9:10 p.m. on Wednesday night by a man shouting &#8220;Free Palestine,&#8221; police said.
The attack came outside the Young Diplomats Reception 2025 hosted for young Jewish professionals by the American Jewish Committee, and two staffers were shot at close range, <a href="https://x.com/TalNaim_/status/1925394890952745329">according to a spokesperson</a> for the Israeli embassy.
D.C. police chief Pamela Smith said that both victims died on the scene after being shot by 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, who is now in custody.
&#8220;The suspect chanted free, free Palestine while in custody,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;The suspect is 30-year-year Elias Rodriguez of Chicago.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith provided an update on the Israeli couple who were murdered tonight in D.C.
She stated that the shooter is 30-year-old Elias Rodrigues of Chicago, who is now in custody. <a href="https://t.co/pKXA9R9HBm">pic.twitter.com/pKXA9R9HBm</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1925403673611350332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
The <a href="https://x.com/FBIWFO/status/1925389573665767743">FBI said</a> there is “no ongoing threat to public safety” in a statement.
&#8220;These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!&#8221; President Donald Trump posted on Thursday night. &#8220;Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!&#8221;
Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi">confirmed</a> she was on the scene of the &#8220;horrible shooting,&#8221; where she was joined by DC U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro after the incident.
Speaking at the news conference, Bondi said the suspect Rodriguez will be &#8220;prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ll be doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe—especially tonight, our Jewish community,&#8221; Bondi said. &#8220;Our prayers go out.&#8221;
According to Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, the two Israeli embassy staff killed tonight were a young couple who were about to get engaged.
&#8220;The couple that was gunned down in tonight in the name of free Palestine is a couple that was about to be engaged,&#8221;  he said. &#8220;The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem. They were a beautiful couple who came to enjoy an evening in Washington&#8217;s cultural center.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Israeli Amb. Yechiel Leiter says the Israelis murdered were a young couple.
&quot;The couple that was gunned down in tonight in the name of free Palestine is a couple that was about to be engaged. The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AolvLgWG1p">pic.twitter.com/AolvLgWG1p</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1925404780895080745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Donald Trump called Leiter after the incident and promised justice, Leiter said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed the shooting in a statement.
&#8220;We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1925390666441314737">she tweeted</a>. &#8220;Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.&#8221;
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, called the murder a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism,”
“Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line,” Danon said. “We are confident that the U.S. authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the world.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The fatal shooting that took place outside the event that took place at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. is a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism. Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line. We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against… <a href="https://t.co/mVyXHjGyxU">pic.twitter.com/mVyXHjGyxU</a>
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) <a href="https://twitter.com/dannydanon/status/1925388251864379433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
“American Jewish Committee (AJC) can confirm that we hosted an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. this evening,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement. “We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue. At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”
The attacker reportedly entered the event after the shooting and asked for water and a safe space before putting on a keffiyeh and shouting free Palestine, a witness said, <a href="https://x.com/JoshKraushaar/status/1925383157215277315">according</a> to Jewish Insider editor in chief Josh Kraushaar.

Crime scene

Two Israeli Embassy Staffers Murdered By Man Shouting ‘Free Palestine’ In DC

antisemitism

Israel

Washington D.C.

The Israeli military has likely killed the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Sinwar took over leadership of the terror group in Gaza after Israel killed his brother, Yahya Sinwar, in October. Mohammed is <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408532" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believed</a> to have been killed in one of hundreds of airstrikes that Israel’s air force carried out in Gaza over the weekend, according to the Israel National News. 
⁠”We eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists,” said Netanyahu, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/israels-netanyahu-hamas-leader-mohammed-sinwar-killed/story?id=122044336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>. “We eliminated the leaders of the murderers Deif, Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and it appears we also eliminated Mohammed Sinwar,” he said, referencing other top targets in the terror group.
“Our forces are seizing more and more territory in Gaza. At the end of the move, all areas of the Strip will be under Israeli security control,” he continued. “I am ready to end the war on clear terms that will ensure Israel&#8217;s security – all the hostages returned home, Hamas lays down its weapons, its leadership is overthrown, Gaza is completely demilitarized and the Trump plan is implemented.”
“Anyone who calls on us to stop the war before these goals are achieved is calling on us to leave Hamas in power,” he said.
Israel has launched a new military operation, “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” The Israeli military said it struck over 670 Hamas targets in Gaza over the weekend, eliminating weapon storages and underground Hamas infrastructure, as well as killing dozens of terrorists.
Defense Minister Israel Katz <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408532" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> lawmakers in the Knesset on Sunday that, at the time, evidence suggested that Sinwar was killed alongside ten aides and Mohammed Shabana, the commander of Hamas&#8217;s Rafah Brigade. 
Israeli officials said the latest military operation has seemingly forced Hamas back to the negotiating table, though talks so far have been short of a “breakthrough.”
&#8220;There are intense talks in Doha, but there is no breakthrough. We are much more optimistic than we were last week, but it is unclear if there will be a deal,” an Israeli official told <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Israel National News</a> on Sunday.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu Says Israel Has Likely Killed Hamas Leader Mohammed Sinwar

Hamas

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would be taking complete military control of the Gaza Strip.
Pointing out that the only current alternative to Israeli military control is Hamas control of the strip, and that Hamas retains dozens of Israeli hostages, Netanyahu explained, &#8220;We are going to take control of all the areas of the Gaza Strip. That is what we are going to do.&#8221;
As part of the operation to defeat Hamas, Netanyahu also explained his government&#8217;s decision to provide what he called &#8220;minimal, basic&#8221; aid to civilians in Gaza during the operation: &#8220;We must not reach a state of starvation, both from a practical and a political perspective. The world will not support us; we will not be able to complete the mission of victory.&#8221;
The method to be implemented, Netanyahu stated, was formulated alongside the United States: &#8220;The method is the establishment of distribution points that are secured by the IDF, preventing Hamas&#8217; access, and allowing American companies to distribute the food and medicine aid to the population.&#8221;
Acknowledging that many members of his government disagreed with his decision surrounding humanitarian aid, Netanyahu continued, &#8220;You need leadership to do the right thing that allows us to achieve victory. Because it is not popular. Because people do not understand all the considerations. But my responsibility is to lead this war in a way that we achieve victory and even if it sometimes requires making decisions that the public does not understand, and that ministers deny — by the way, privately many agree but they are under pressure, I understand that.&#8221;
Asked about the freeing of the hostages, Netanyahu said that the defeat of Hamas was a necessary precondition to the freeing of the hostages.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-ANNIVERSARY

Netanyahu: We Will Take Control Of Gaza, Provide Aid

Gaza

Former President Joe Biden is suffering from an “aggressive” form of cancer. Hamas says it is ready to resume talks after massive strikes by Israel, and, as the UK struggles with the effects of mass migration, Britain’s liberal prime minister makes a major reversal.
It’s Monday, May 19, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
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<h2>Biden Reveals Cancer Diagnosis Amid Bombshell Reports Of Cognitive Decline</h2>
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Topline: On Sunday, former President Joe Biden’s staff announced that the 82-year-old had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer on the heels of renewed public interest in his physical and mental decline.
A Biden spokesman revealed that an exam last month found a small nodule on his prostate, and further examination revealed it to be an “aggressive” form of cancer and that it has spread to his bones. Prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bones has a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-spread-to-bones#outlook">~33%</a> 5-year survival rate, and the <a href="https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/where-prostate-cancer-spreads-body-affects-survival-time">median life expectancy</a> after diagnosis is 21 months. The one silver lining is that it appears to be “hormone-sensitive,” making it more treatable.
After former President Biden dropped out of the race last summer, Democrat leaders made a concerted effort to shift their focus away from the president and toward Kamala Harris and other prominent, younger lawmakers. But a new book from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson offers explosive details of “President Biden’s decline, its cover-up and his disastrous choice to run again.” The revelations have set Washington ablaze and brought the former president’s decline back into the national conversation.
Remember: The White House spent four years condemning anyone who questioned his cognitive fitness, labeling videos of his mental missteps “cheap fakes” and essentially gaslighting those who said he seemed off. 
According to numerous administration and campaign officials, both on and off the record, Biden’s physical deterioration was so severe that some of his closest advisers believed he would need to use a wheelchair if re-elected. While Biden’s staff routinely assured the American people that behind closed doors, he was running laps around his staff, numerous officials now say that due to his old age, he was limited to a six-hour work window, typically from 10 am to 4 pm, with time often scheduled for naps.
As this new evidence has come to light, Democratic leaders have come out on the record saying Biden never should have run for re-election and that his mental state was clearly compromised. But it’s important to note how different that message is from what we heard from them when he was actually in power:
<blockquote>Former Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas: The most difficult part about a meeting with Joe Biden is preparing for it. Because he is sharp, intensely probing and detail oriented and focused.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland: “I have watched him expertly guide meetings of staff and cabinet members. I could not have more confidence in the president.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “It&#8217;s as good as it&#8217;s been over the years I&#8217;ve been, he&#8217;s fine. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D): “He is on the ball. The man knows more than most of us have forgotten.”</blockquote>
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<h2>Israel Launches New Offensive; Hamas Returns To Diplomatic Talks</h2>
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Topline:  Israel forces Hamas back to the bargaining table after a new ground offensive.
In a new operation, <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408548">called</a> Operation Gideon’s Chariots, Israeli troops moved into portions of northern and southern Gaza while the air force launched hundreds of strikes against terrorists. Israel’s objectives have been the same since the war began: to free the hostages and destroy Hamas. Over the weekend, Israel made measurable progress toward both of those goals. According to a Hamas spokesman, the terror group decided to return to the negotiating table without preconditions. 
An Israeli official <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408546">told</a> Israel’s I24 News that talks in Qatar are “intense” but still short of a “breakthrough.” While officials are more optimistic than last week, it’s still unclear if a deal can be reached.” One possible agreement, proposed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, would secure the release of 10 hostages.  Israeli officials believe 23 of the October 7 hostages that remain in Hamas’ custody are still alive, although there are concerns that three of them are in critical condition. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said he is willing to end the war altogether, but only if Hamas surrenders and Gaza is disarmed. The Israeli official said the delegation in Qatar “won&#8217;t be there forever. If there won&#8217;t be progress shortly, we will progress in the fighting.”
Over the weekend, Israeli planes carried out at least 670 strikes against Hamas terror targets. Dozens of terrorists are <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408532">reportedly</a> dead, and one of those might have been Hamas’ head of military operations, Mohammed Sinwar – the brother of Yahya Sinwar, who led Hamas until Israeli forces killed him in October.
New documents have also shed light on what inspired the October 7 terror attack on Israel that began this war. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-wanted-to-torpedo-israel-saudi-deal-with-oct-7-attacks-documents-reveal-a70ec560">The Wall Street Journal</a> got a peek at the minutes of an October 2, 2023, meeting of Hamas’s political leadership, which show that this attack that had been years in the making, was launched less than a week later to disrupt Israeli-Saudi relations. Israel and Saudi Arabia were close to normalizing relations under the Abraham Accords from President Donald Trump’s first term. According to the minutes, Yahya Sinwar was concerned that normalizing relations between the Saudis and Israelis would “open the door for the majority of Arab and Islamic countries to follow the same path.” So – with Iran’s approval – Hamas launched the attack to “bring about … a strategic shift in the paths and balances of the region with regard to the Palestinian cause.”
In his second term, President Trump has continued to try to bring Israel and Saudi Arabia together. In his recent visit to the Middle East, the president said, “It&#8217;s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia, a place I have such respect for… will soon be joining the Abraham Accords.”
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<h2>UK&#8217;s Left-Wing Prime Minister Makes An About-Face On Immigration</h2>
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Topline: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made a landmark speech in which he attacked mass migration and said his government would significantly reduce it.
At a press conference unveiling his government’s new policy, Prime Minister Starmer said that he wanted to “take back control of our borders,” calling the previous era of mass immigration “squalid.” He blamed the previous Conservative government for the significant increase in immigration since 2021, which saw net migration quadruple. In 2023, migration was more than 1 million, which is nearly the same size as Birmingham, the second-largest city in the country. Starner called this a “one-nation experiment in open borders,” warning that Britain risked becoming an “island of strangers.” 
“When you have an immigration system that seems designed to permit abuse, bring in lower paid workers, sold by politicians on a false premise, then you are not championing growth or justice!” Starmer said. “You&#8217;re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart.”
Although he praised diversity and described migration as part of “Britain’s story,” Starmer said that immigrants should commit to integrating, including learning English. He also extended the period required to apply for permanent settlement from five years to 10.
“That will reassure a lot of people who were worried that the millions of low-skilled immigrants who have come here in the last few years would soon be eligible for settlement, at which point they could fully access the welfare state,” Guy Dampier of the Prosperity Institute told The Daily Wire. “Immigration policy in Britain has been dominated for the last few decades by the idea that immigration was good for the economy and that it was only illegal immigration which was the problem. So this is a major rhetorical shift.”
The ideological pivot provoked outrage within the Labour Party’s left-wing base – many party activists resigned, and some sitting members of parliament condemned their party leader’s speech. However, <a href="https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/uk-public-opinion-toward-immigration-overall-attitudes-and-level-of-concern/">polling</a> indicates that public support for reducing immigration is quite high.
“In a lot of ways the Prime Minister is reflecting the mood of the country, rather than driving it,” Dampier told The Daily Wire. “And which the anti-immigration Reform party (led by Nigel Farage) did very well in. So some people think this is an attempt to win back voters and stem the collapse in popularity. For people on the right, this was something of a vindication. The Prime Minister said things they have argued for years.”

MorningWire-0428_V1-2

Morning Brief: Biden Health Revelations & Israel Lays Into Hamas

Joe Biden

Keir Starmer

Media

Morning Wire

Politics

United Kingdom

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed President Donald Trump in front of a crowd chanting “death to America” in recent comments as the United States tries to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran.
Khamenei accused Trump of lying about attempts to bring peace to the Middle East and said that the United States should leave the region. The supreme leader also referred to Israel as a “cancerous tumor” that needs to be “uprooted,&#8221; according to a translation of his comments by the Washington D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute.
“Some of the things the U.S. president said in his recent visit to the region are not even worthy of a response,” the supreme leader said Saturday in a video published and translated by the institute. “Trump said that he wanted to use power for peace. He is lying.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Trump Is Lying and His Statements Are Not Worth a Response; Israel Will Be Dismantled; Crowd Chants “Death to America” Multiple Times <a href="https://t.co/STqgNBsSP5">pic.twitter.com/STqgNBsSP5</a>
&mdash; MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEMRIReports/status/1924053709585043708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In reaction to Khamenei’s comments throughout the roughly four-minute clip, the crowd of supporters alternately chant “death to America,” “death to England,” and “death to Israel.” The crowd also calls for “death to those who oppose the rule of the Jurisprudent,” a <a href="https://institute.global/insights/geopolitics-and-security/what-velayat-e-faqih" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reference</a> to the Islamic law that the Iranian regime is based on.
“[Trump] and other senior officials in the American administration have used power to perpetrate a massacre in Gaza, to stir up war wherever they could, and in order to support their mercenaries,” the supreme leader said. “When have they ever used power for peace?”
Khamenei then said that Iran intends to “increase our power.”
“Indeed, one can use power for peace and security. This is why we will increase our power and the power of our country every day whether the enemies like it or not, inshallah,” he said, according to the institute translation.
The Iranian supreme leader’s comments come after Trump completed a tour of Middle East countries, announcing agreements and commitments that will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/while-trump-pulls-in-investments-in-middle-east-trip-white-house-touts-investments-on-home-front" target="_blank" rel="noopener">generate</a> roughly $2 trillion in trade and investment. At the same time, the United States is attempting to strike a new deal with Iran to keep the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that the Trump administration has drawn a “red line” at nuclear enrichment capabilities in its negotiations with Iran.
“We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability,” said Witkoff on ABC’s This Week. “We cannot have [enrichment] because enrichment enables weaponization, and we will not allow a bomb to get here.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
On negotiations with Iran for a new nuclear deal, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that uranium enrichment is the Trump administration’s “one very, very clear red line.”
“We cannot have that. Because enrichment enables weaponization.” <a href="https://t.co/eXpYGKlkRR">https://t.co/eXpYGKlkRR</a> <a href="https://t.co/WmauqQuAEV">pic.twitter.com/WmauqQuAEV</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924100073819943307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Iran’s Supreme Leader Accuses Trump Of ‘Lying’ While Crowd Chants ‘Death To America’

Donald Trump

Iran

United States

After having targeted Hamas strongholds with airstrikes over the last week, on Sunday, Israel Defense Forces launched a massive ground assault to eradicate the terrorist group Hamas from Gaza.
“IDF troops have begun extensive ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza as part of Operation ‘Gideon&#8217;s Chariots,’” the IDF announced on Sunday. “Over the past week, the IAF conducted a preliminary wave of strikes, striking over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout Gaza to disrupt enemy preparations and support ground operations. The IAF continues to provide consistent support to operating troops in Gaza.”
“Thus far, the troops eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites above and below ground, and are currently being deployed in key positions within Gaza,” the IDF continued. “The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in Gaza as required, in order to defend Israeli civilians.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
𝐈𝐃𝐅 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐳𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 “𝐆𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐬”
Over the past week, the IAF conducted a… <a href="https://t.co/3qZq1ngMfH">pic.twitter.com/3qZq1ngMfH</a>
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1924096822760370614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people and the determination of the political echelon increase the chance of the return of the hostages – as it was then and as it is now,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
A Saudi news report has claimed that the bombing campaign by the IDF killed the current leader of Hamas, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-788195">Mohammed Sinwar</a>, who took over after his brother Yahya, who orchestrated the October 7 massacre, was killed by the IDF, on May 13. “Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that, &#8220;according to all indications, Mohammed Sinwar was killed.&#8221; The Saudi channel Al-Hadath also reported that the body of the acting Hamas leader was found in a tunnel near the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, the southern Gaza Strip,” I24 <a href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-report-mohammed-sinwar-s-body-found-in-tunnel-near-rafah-crossing">reported</a>.
The new offensive will not stop until Israel has accomplished its aims of rescuing the hostages or having them returned, and until Hamas has been dismantled, military officials said.
While Israel tries to destroy Hamas, the terrorist group’s supporters march through streets protesting against a young Israel female singer, Yuval Raphael, performing at the Eurovision song contest. Raphael had to hide and play dead under bodies slaughtered by Hamas on October 7 to hide from being brutally murdered.
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Right now, thousands are protesting in Basel—not against terror—but against Yuval Raphael, an Israeli survivor of Hamas’ massacre, for daring to sing about hope on the Eurovision stage.
Yes. That’s the enemy now: 24 y/o girl who lived through hell and chose music over hate. <a href="https://t.co/w6fjiX31bW">pic.twitter.com/w6fjiX31bW</a>
&mdash; Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) <a href="https://twitter.com/HenMazzig/status/1923816317645185195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/O0A6HfzFgF">pic.twitter.com/O0A6HfzFgF</a> Thousands of Muslims and their political allies flooded the streets of Switzerland — not to demand peace, not to condemn Hamas — but to protest Israel’s Eurovision contestant, Yuval Raphael, for the “crime” of surviving.
Yuval lived through the Nova Music…
&mdash; Liza Rosen (@LizaRosen0000) <a href="https://twitter.com/LizaRosen0000/status/1923880502215291381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Meet <a href="https://twitter.com/YuvalRaphael_IL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YuvalRaphael_IL</a> a Eurovision artist, survivor, and voice of resilience. After barely escaping a massacre, she’s turning her pain into power, sharing her trauma through the universal language of music. But for daring to be vulnerable, she’s being bullied. Silenced. Because… <a href="https://t.co/jZI6a7U6v4">pic.twitter.com/jZI6a7U6v4</a>
&mdash; Sarai (Sarah Idan) Miss Iraq (@RealSarahIdan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSarahIdan/status/1923778640409657869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Yet in the end, Raphael still was triumphantly voted second place:
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SECOND PLACE! 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
Thank you to each and every one of you for showing love and support.
Thank you to our incredible Yuval Raphael for making us proud and spreading her light.
We love you! Am Yisrael Chai ❤️🇮🇱
📸 EBU <a href="https://t.co/jdxE6AJI6N">pic.twitter.com/jdxE6AJI6N</a>
&mdash; Israel ישראל (@Israel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1923878249756606548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-agrees-to-new-hostage-talks-after-israel-pummels-terror-group-in-new-offensive?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Hamas+Agrees+To+New+Hostage+Talks+After+Israel+Pummels+Terror+Group+In+New+Offensive">Hamas Agrees To New Hostage Talks After Israel Pummels Terror Group In New Offensive</a>

Silhouette of soldiers with Israel flag against the sunset

IDF Starts Ground Offensive Into Gaza To Finish Off Hamas

October 7

Yahya Sinwar

Negotiations over hostages held by Hamas began again on Saturday between the terror group and Israel.
Talks renewed after a new offensive by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip. Hamas official Taher al-Nono said that the latest negotiations have begun without “preconditions,” according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-confirms-new-gaza-ceasefire-talks-with-israel-qatar-saturday-2025-05-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed negotiators to stay in Qatar. An Israeli official said the prime minister has kept contact with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff “in an effort to dissuade Hamas from its refusal and to advance a deal for the release of our hostages,” according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-hamas-say-gaza-talks-renewed-after-idf-initiates-major-new-offensive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times Of Israel</a>.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested that the new round of talks is because of Israel’s latest offensive, which was announced on Saturday. Katz said that the terror group’s current stance on negotiations “is in contrast to the uncooperative position they had taken up until this moment,” according to <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-854313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post</a>.
Hamas last released a hostage on May 12. The terror group released the last living American citizen, Edan Alexander, from captivity after Alexander spent more than 18 months held hostage.
Israeli officials believe that the hostage group has as many as 23 hostages still alive. All but one of the hostages have been held by the terror group since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and Palestinians rushed across the border to Israel and attacked settlements and took hundreds captive.
Israel renewed its military campaign against Hamas on Saturday with airstrikes. It is unknown how many have been killed in the strikes. Hamas officials have claimed that more than 150 have died in the airstrikes, though the numbers are unreliable and Gaza Health Ministry data is <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/why-we-shouldnt-trust-the-facts-coming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspected</a> of being inflated and doctored for propaganda purposes.
Katz said that the new offensive, dubbed Operation Gideon Chariots, is being led with “great force,” according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-gaza-military-offensive-food-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
“The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people and the determination of the political echelon increase the chance of the return of the hostages – as it was then and as it is now,” said Katz.
IDF spokesman Col. Avichai Adraee said the Israeli military is “expanding and increasing the bombing and pressure on Hamas throughout the Strip – from north to south, above and below ground, and even outside the Strip.”
The new offensive will not stop until Israel has accomplished its aims of rescuing the hostages or having them returned, and until Hamas has been dismantled, military officials said.

Gaza City

Hamas Agrees To New Hostage Talks After Israel Pummels Terror Group In New Offensive

Global Politics

Hostages

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

World

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A Pulitzer Prize administrator mocked a conservative journalist and member of its nominating jury for questioning why the group gave an award to an anti-Israel journalist who downplayed Hamas&#8217;s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon, was invited this year to serve on the five-member jury for the Pulitzer Prize&#8217;s National Reporting award. But after the Pulitzer&#8217;s Commentary award went to Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha — who objected to the media describing an Israeli victim of  the October 7 massacre as a hostage — Johnson <a href="https://freebeacon.com/media/occasionally-we-misjudge/">had questions.</a>
As she wrote in the Free Beacon this week, Johnson asked Pulitzer Prize administrator Marjorie Miller several questions about the prize, most notably, whether or not &#8220;members of the Pulitzer board themselves aware of Abu Toha’s public statements?&#8221;
The statements in question had to do with Emily Damari, who was taken hostage at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7 and held by Hamas for 471 days.
“How on earth is this girl called a hostage? (And this is the case of most ‘hostages’),” Abu Toha wrote just before the Pulitzer deliberations began. “This is Emily Damari, a 28 [year-old] UK-Israeli soldier that Hamas detailed [sic] on 10/7… So this girl is called a ‘hostage?’ This soldier who was close to the border with a city that she and her country have been occupying is called a ‘hostage.’”
“Imagine for a moment a Pulitzer going to an extremist Israeli settler poet who had minimized and mocked the suffering of civilians in Gaza; who put ‘Palestinian’ or ‘innocent civilian’ in quotation marks the way Abu Toha does ‘hostages,’&#8221; Johnson wrote. &#8220;You can’t, because it would never happen.”
In response to Johnson&#8217;s query, Miller — whose social media accounts are littered with pro-Kamala Harris and anti-Trump posts — delivered what Johnson called a &#8220;non-response response about the board’s commitment to recognizing &#8216;excellence in reporting.'&#8221;
Johnson then began querying other members of the Pulitzer committee, prompting Miller to allege that Johnson’s emails violated the confidentiality agreement she had signed upon joining the jury.
Miller ended her email by noting that, while jurors are selected “for their character, expertise and integrity…Unfortunately, we occasionally misjudge.”
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“She and her colleagues have misjudged, starting with the minor issue of what the confidentiality agreement actually says,” Johnson noted.
“As part of providing my services to the Pulitzers, I agreed not to discuss deliberations over the National Reporting category, nor to reveal the finalists before the winner was announced,&#8221; Johnson wrote. &#8220;I did not agree to refrain from reporting on a separate category in which I had no role.
&#8220;The Pulitzer board’s position that any reporter who participates on one of its many juries is prohibited from doing any reporting about the organization itself—even when one of its awards has become an international news story—is preposterous.”
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Other jurors on the board with Johnson included Zeba Khan, the founder of Muslims for Obama; Jon Allsop, who has accused the Israel Defense Forces of deliberately targeting journalists; and Julia Preston, who has stated that President Donald Trump is “an existential threat to our democracy.”
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<div>
Damari slammed the Pulitzer board, saying they had rewarded a voice that denies truth, erases victims, and desecrates the memory of the murdered.
</div>
<div>
&#8220;How to use language is precisely a journalist’s job—and a poet’s, too,&#8221; Johnson noted. &#8220;It’s not outlandish, then, to believe that Abu Toha meant exactly what he said and said exactly what he meant: No mercy for the men, women, and babies Hamas kidnapped on Oct. 7.&#8221;
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MixCollage-16-May-2025-11-56-AM-55

Pulitzer Prize Official Mocked Juror For Questioning An Anti-Israel Writer’s Award

Journalism

Palestinian

Pulitzer Prize

Washington Free Beacon

A young Israeli mother of three children was on her way to the hospital on Wednesday to deliver her fourth child with her husband when she was shot and killed by a Palestinian terrorist, leaving her baby boy, delivered by emergency Caesarean section, fighting for his life.
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TZE&#39;ELA GEZ, a nurse and a nine-month-pregnant mother of three, was murdered in a Jihadist terrorist shooting attack on Wednesday night AS SHE WAS IN LABOR TO DELIVER HER BABY.
Pray for her baby, a little boy fighting for his life after being delivered in an emergency C-section.… <a href="https://t.co/N3Ovh9yQ1j">pic.twitter.com/N3Ovh9yQ1j</a>
&mdash; Yishai Fleisher يشاي ישי פליישר 🕎 (@YishaiFleisher) <a href="https://twitter.com/YishaiFleisher/status/1922975574382747917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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This is *Tze’ela Gez*, a 30-year-old mother, wife, daughter, friend and therapist. *A Jew*. 
Last night, Tze’ela went into labor, and on the way to the hospital with her husband, they were shot by Palestinian terrorists. Now, four children are left motherless, one of whom never… <a href="https://t.co/oqkYsWNnQj">pic.twitter.com/oqkYsWNnQj</a>
&mdash; Matthew Feinberg (@thewebbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/thewebbie/status/1922975671363469610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hamas praised the execution of Tzeela Gez &#8211; a pregnant Israeli mother gunned down on her way to give birth.
Her newborn is clinging to life.
This is what “heroism” looks like to Palestinians: murdering mothers and orphaning babies.
There are no words. <a href="https://t.co/MSaJHrqd75">pic.twitter.com/MSaJHrqd75</a>
&mdash; raz sauber &#8211; רז זאובר (@raz_sauber_) <a href="https://twitter.com/raz_sauber_/status/1922927244755787827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Last night, Tze&#39;ela Gez and her husband were on their way to the delivery room when they were shot in a terrorist attack.
Their baby was delivered in emergency surgery and is now fighting for his life.⁰Her husband was wounded.
The terrorist opened fire on their car, shooting… <a href="https://t.co/7VQG2ZpGsV">pic.twitter.com/7VQG2ZpGsV</a>
&mdash; LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) <a href="https://twitter.com/LTC_Shoshani/status/1922899854763708561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Heartbreaking morning 💔
Tzeela Gez was on her way to give birth to her fourth child last night when a terrorist opened fire near the community of Pduel, critically injuring her. This morning, she tragically succumbed to her injuries.
We pray for her baby, delivered via… <a href="https://t.co/8zchYSlZvF">pic.twitter.com/8zchYSlZvF</a>
&mdash; Israel ישראל (@Israel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1922891108545122807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tzeela Gez z&quot;l, a pregnant mother of three, was murdered in cold blood on the road to the hospital. Her unborn baby was delivered in an emergency surgery — Our prayers are with her baby, still fighting to live. It’s a brutal reminder of the hatred we face — hatred that targets… <a href="https://t.co/myq5JR8v66">pic.twitter.com/myq5JR8v66</a>
&mdash; J.Majburd (@JonathanMajburd) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonathanMajburd/status/1922915441657204919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tze’ela, Gez, 30, a mental health counsellor who treated people suffering from trauma and anxiety, wrote on Facebook two months after the horrific October 7 massacre of more than 1200 Israelis, “Another moment I am grateful that I am breathing, that I am present and that I am here. From here, all I want to do is be active and spread light; even a small smile is spreading light.”
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There is a video of Tzeela Gez ז״ל circulating on social media. 
I’ve added captions to it. 
Tzeela was a mental health counsellor who treated people suffering from trauma and anxiety. 
Praying for her baby, family and friends 
 May Tzeela’s memory be a blessing 😢💔 <a href="https://t.co/2ocgtnwGN1">https://t.co/2ocgtnwGN1</a> <a href="https://t.co/NR1rOwU71w">pic.twitter.com/NR1rOwU71w</a>
&mdash; Karen Ievers (@karenievers) <a href="https://twitter.com/karenievers/status/1922950321061482775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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After she was shot by the terrorist, Gez was rushed to Petah Tikva’s Rabin Medical Center, where she later died.
Gez’s sister, Shaked Force, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/woman-en-route-to-hospital-for-delivery-critically-wounded-in-west-bank-terror-shooting/">said</a> her sister’s pregnancy had been difficult, saying, “She really put in an effort. She was always smiling and gave all her strength, always there for others. I don’t have the words to describe such an amazing character.”
Tal Shahar Carmon, Gez’s close friend, told Kan of the “unbearably difficult” moment when Gez’s husband Hananel told his three other children of her murder: “He told them that with Mom they traveled to bring the new baby, and on the way a terrorist shot at Mom, and Dad tried to save her, and they did everything, and they managed to save the baby but not Mom.”
“This is a difficult and painful attack in which an Israeli civilian was killed on her way to a delivery room. I share in the deep sorrow of the family. We are engaged in broad fighting against terror in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), and we will continue,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said.
“We will activate all our tools, and we will reach the murderers to bring them to justice,” he added.
Limor Son Har-Melech, a member of the Israeli Knesset, was seven months pregnant with her second child in 2003 when she and her husband were shot by five Palestinian terrorists, killing her husband instantly and leaving her in critical condition, while her daughter was delivered in an emergency Caesarean section. Al-Aqsa Martyrs&#8217; Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah party until 2007, headed now by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Har-Melech reacted to the latest murderous assault by Palestinian terrorists, writing on X:
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Catching up on the terrible attack last night in Samaria and can&#8217;t breathe.
Reading about Tsala Gaz, Y.D. — a young, pregnant woman, on her way to the delivery room, for the happiest event of her life, bringing life into the world. Her husband was injured in the attack while they were fighting for the baby&#8217;s life — and I can&#8217;t help but go back 21 years.
I was there too. I was also a pregnant woman traveling with her husband on the roads of Samaria, we also encountered a squad of murderers who fired at our car. Shuli, my beloved husband, was murdered. And I, wounded, was taken to emergency surgery. My daughter Sarah was born then, in the sixth month — three hours after her father was murdered, and even then they fought for her life.
Yesterday, just as we were celebrating Sarah&#8217;s engagement, the terrible news came. The media called, asking me to be interviewed. I couldn&#8217;t. The pain was too great.
I imagined Tzala Gaz there, and her husband — that I was praying for his recovery. I imagined how excited they were about the birth, how much they had been waiting for this moment. How they decided that this was the time — now — to get in the car and drive to the hospital. And at that exact moment, a squad of terrorists gathered, who decided that this was the time to murder — to murder them just because they were Jews.
We are dealing with a cruel enemy. An enemy who seeks to kill Jews. In the middle of the night. On dark roads. In order to defeat him and to eradicate him — we must first know his cruel and murderous nature and his goals.
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מתעדכנת על הפיגוע הנורא הלילה בשומרון ולא מצליחה לנשום. קוראת על צאלה גז הי״ד — אישה צעירה, בהריון, בדרכה לחדר לידה, לאירוע המשמח ביותר בחייה, הבאת חיים לעולם. בעלה נפצע בפיגוע שעה שנלחמים על חיי התינוק — ואני לא יכולה שלא לחזור 21 שנה לאחור.
גם אני הייתי שם. גם אני הייתי אישה… <a href="https://t.co/3Ukm2NPVYP">pic.twitter.com/3Ukm2NPVYP</a>
&mdash; לימור סון הר מלך (@limor_sonhrmelh) <a href="https://twitter.com/limor_sonhrmelh/status/1922871408956154155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Israeli flag

Israeli Mother Of 3 On Her Way To Give Birth Murdered By Palestinian Terrorist. Hamas Celebrates.

baby

Judea and Samaria

Mother

Murder

Terrorism

A heroic young Israeli police officer, a father of three who <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408359" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rushed to save his countrymen</a> from Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, killing more than a dozen terrorists intent on slaughtering Israelis, took his own life after apparently suffering from survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
First Sgt. Igor Pibenev, 32, the father of three daughters, was at the police station in Hebron on the morning of October 7 when he heard Hamas had launched its murderous assault. Driving to his home in Yated, a village near the Gaza border, he first encountered two terrorists near Urim Junction and killed them, prompting two other terrorists to start shooting at him, both of whom he killed.
“The scenario in my head was that I would get home and see a lifeless house, but I put fear aside,” Pibenev recalled. “From Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, I headed home, but I saw terrorists walking toward the kibbutz cowshed. Then a shootout began, lasting a few minutes. On the way from the police station to my community, I saw a suspicious white vehicle and stopped on the side of the road. I identified terrorists; I shot at them and eliminated them. We had drills for situations like these, but I never believed that we would confront so many terrorists. When I heard about what happened in Kibbutz Be&#8217;eri, I imagined how I&#8217;d be left without a wife and children, but I remained optimistic the entire time.”
“After I eliminated the terrorists, I received a message from my wife that she is currently at the neighbors&#8217; with the children and she is fine and healthy. I said I am on my way,” Pibenev <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408359" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said.</a>
“I entered the house, and the look my wife gave me and the girls was that I had arrived as they had hoped. &#8230; I gave a hug to the children &#8230; My feeling was that I was marrying my wife again and that I was back three more times in the delivery room with the excitement of seeing my children come into the world.”
Three months ago, Pivenev’s wife Chani posted on social media: “If there are people around you are have been sinking since that Saturday, (October 7) turn the world on its head so that they can get the proper professional help and treatment. Don&#8217;t try to save them alone, you can&#8217;t, and things will just get worse. Fight the feelings of guilt — it&#8217;s not your fault.&#8221;
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Israel’s Response To Hamas Attack Complicated By Hostages And Concerns Over Gaza Campaign

Israeli October 7 Hero Who Killed Over A Dozen Terrorists Dies Tragically

Heroism

President Donald Trump called on Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords during a speech in Riyadh on Tuesday.
“It’s been an amazing thing, the Abraham Accords, and it’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia — a place I have such respect for, especially over the last fairly short period of time, what you’ve been able to do — but will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump said.
During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a groundbreaking agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain that ended decades of formal hostilities. The accords opened the door to unprecedented economic and diplomatic ties, reshaping regional dynamics. Shortly afterward, Sudan and Morocco also joined the agreement.
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President Trump says it is his &quot;fervent hope, wish, and even my dream&quot; that Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords. <a href="https://t.co/FWk5H1aw2n">pic.twitter.com/FWk5H1aw2n</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1922404411034185858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump noted that the Biden administration failed to expand the Abraham Accords.
&#8220;The Biden administration did nothing for four years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We would have had it filled out.&#8221;
Trump has sought to expand the agreement to include Saudi Arabia, but the ongoing war in Israel has complicated those efforts. Saudi Arabia has <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-820241?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeatedly stated</a> that it will not normalize relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is established. Support for a Palestinian state dwindled among former supporters of a two-state solution following Hamas’s brutal massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, 2025.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-middle-east-trip?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here%E2%80%99s+What+You+Need+To+Know+About+Trump%E2%80%99s+Middle+East+Trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST TRIP</a>
“It will be a special day in the Middle East with the whole world watching when Saudi Arabia joins us,” he said. “And you&#8217;ll be greatly honoring me, and you&#8217;ll be greatly honoring all of those people that have fought so hard for the Middle East, and I really think it&#8217;s going to be something special.”
Trump added that Saudi Arabia will join in their own time.
“That&#8217;s what I want, and that&#8217;s what you want, and that&#8217;s the way it&#8217;s going to be,” he said.
When forging the Abraham Accords, the Trump administration departed from conventional thinking, which held that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needed to be resolved before the Jewish state could expand relations with its Arab neighbors. Instead, economic benefits were highlighted as the major incentive.
“I took a risk in doing them, and they&#8217;ve been an absolute bonanza for the countries that have joined,” Trump said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
The Abraham Accords have proven economically beneficial for participating countries. Trade between Israel and the UAE reached $3.24 billion in 2024, a 10% increase from 2023, <a href="https://x.com/Peace_Accords/status/1896595363936526509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Abraham Accords Peace Institute</a>.
Trade between Israel and Bahrain reached $108.5 million in 2024, an 843% increase from 2023. Meanwhile, trade between Israel and Morocco reached $109.9 million in 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year.
Speaking about the Israeli-Gaza war, Trump said he has been working “tirelessly” to free the hostages in Gaza, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-last-living-american-hostage-edan-alexander-released-following-trump-admin-efforts?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BREAKING%3A+Last+Living+American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Released+Following+Trump+Admin+Efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">securing the release</a> of the last living American citizen held hostage, Edan Alexander, on Monday.
“This weekend, we successfully negotiated the release of the last American hostage,” he said. “Edan Alexander just came out a few hours ago, and we continue to work to get that war ended as quickly as possible.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-hostage-edan-alexander-reunites-family?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Reunites+With+Parents+After+584+Days+In+Hamas+Captivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER REUNITES WITH PARENTS AFTER 584 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY</a>
Trump added that “all civilized people must condemn the October 7th atrocity against Israel” and that he believes the people of Gaza deserve better than Hamas as their rulers.
“The people of Gaza deserve a much better future, but that can not occur as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture and target innocent men, women and children for political ends,” he said.
The remarks followed the announcement of the United States and Saudi Arabia signing a $142 billion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hours-into-middle-east-trip-trump-announces-largest-defense-sales-deal-in-u-s-history?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hours+Into+Middle+East+Trip%2C+Trump+Announces+Largest+Defense+Sales+Deal+In+U.S.+History" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defense sales deal</a> which the White House says is the largest in history.
“Underscoring our commitment to strengthening our defense and security partnership, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defense sales agreement in history—nearly $142 billion,” the White House said.
<div id="attachment_919597" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-919597" class="size-large wp-image-919597" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
The deal is part of Saudi Arabia’s larger <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-historic-investment-deal-from-saudi-arabia-on-first-day-of-middle-east-trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$600 billion investment</a> commitment for the United States, which was also announced on Tuesday.
According to the White House, the defense sales will fall into five categories: air force advancement and space capabilities; air and missile defense; maritime and coastal security; border security and land forces modernization; and information and communication systems upgrades.
The package will also include “extensive training and support to build the capacity of the Saudi armed forces, including enhancement of Saudi service academies and military medical services.”
“This deal represents a significant investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense and regional security, built on American systems and training,” The White House added.

SAUDI-US-DIPLOMACY-ECONOMY-FORUM

Trump Calls On Saudi Arabia To Join Abraham Accords: ‘My Fervent Hope’

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, marking the first time that top leaders from the two countries have met in more than two decades.
During the meeting, Trump pressed al-Sharaa to help the United States combat ISIS, remove all foreign terrorists from Syria, and normalize relations with Israel, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-syrian-rebel-leader-mohammad-al-jolani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">al-Sharaa</a>, who overthrew former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December, reportedly spoke for about 33 minutes.
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said of al-Sharaa. “I spoke with [Turkish] President Erdogan, who is very friendly with him. He feels he’s got a shot of doing a good job. It’s a torn-up country.”
Trump also called al-Sharaa a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
The meeting came after Trump announced on Tuesday that he was dropping sanctions on Syria &#8220;in order to give them a chance at greatness.&#8221;
“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. That’s what we want to see,” Trump said during a speech in Saudi Arabia.
Leavitt said that Trump was invited to meet with al-Sharaa by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting by phone. It was the first meeting between an American and Syrian president in 25 years.
&#8220;President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi Arabia to encourage peace and prosperity in Syria,&#8221; Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1922567846317392240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. &#8220;The Crown Prince also commended President Trump for his decision to lift the sanctions, calling it courageous. President Trump thanked President Erdogan and the Crown Prince for their friendship, and told President Al-Sharaa that he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country. President Trump encouraged President Al-Sharaa to do a great job for the Syrian people.&#8221;
Leavitt said Trump &#8220;urged&#8221; al-Sharaa to &#8220;sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel&#8221; and &#8220;assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria.&#8221;
The two also discussed their &#8220;shared interests&#8221; of countering terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons, according to Leavitt. Al-Sharaa, who has portrayed himself as a moderate, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/syrias-jihadist-president-calls-for-peace-as-his-forces-slaughter-political-and-ethnic-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously been tied to</a> various terrorist groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Al-Qaeda.
&#8220;President Al-Sharaa affirmed his commitment to the 1974 disengagement with Israel. President Al-Sharaa concluded with his hope that Syria would serve as a critical link in facilitating trade between east and west, and invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas,&#8221; Leavitt said.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said during the meeting that Trump “affirmed that the administration in Washington is committed to playing a positive and constructive role during this sensitive period.”
Shortly after the meeting with al-Sharaa, Trump left for Qatar for the second stop of his Middle East trip.

Donald Trump – Ahmed al-Shara meeting in Riyadh

Trump Lauds Syrian President As ‘Attractive’ And ‘Tough’ After Vowing To Remove Sanctions

Executive

ISIS

Syria

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