Federal prosecutors have accused Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, 33, of Louisiana, of taking part in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel and of gaining entry to the United States through a fraudulent visa application.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, al-Muhtadi wasn’t just a bystander. He’s accused of organizing armed fighters in Gaza, helping coordinate the assault, and crossing into Israel himself just behind the first wave of Hamas terrorists. Communications from that morning show al-Muhtadi instructing others to “bring the rifles,” “get ready,” and asking for bulletproof vests and ammunition. One message was blunt: “If you have a full magazine, bring it to me.”
The FBI complaint, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/us/fbi-hamas-attack-louisiana.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uE8.zTMe.8-olRlhIWLLf&amp;smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">The New York Times</a>, reveals his phone connected to an Israeli cell tower on the morning of the attack — a damning indicator he may have crossed into Israeli territory. Nearby, 60 people — including American citizens — were slaughtered at a kibbutz. Though al-Muhtadi hasn’t yet been charged with directly murdering anyone, the evidence places him near the scene of the massacre and in contact with those actively involved.
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What makes this more disturbing? He got into the United States.
Al-Muhtadi allegedly applied for a U.S. immigrant visa under the name Mahmoud Almuhtadi, claiming to have no connection to paramilitary groups or terrorism. He entered America through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in September 2024 and later posted selfies on social media — holding a Glock — from Tulsa, Oklahoma. By May 2025, he was tracked to Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was working at a restaurant when the feds caught up to him.
And al-Muhtadi wasn’t acting alone. According to the complaint, he’s a known member of the National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) — a Gazan Marxist terror organization with a long, bloody track record of murdering Israelis. The DFLP has operated alongside Hamas in multiple attacks, including on October 7.
Despite being previously designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department, the DFLP was quietly removed years ago, supposedly due to its declining influence.
The DFLP is the same terror group responsible for some of the most <a href="https://www.camera.org/article/camera-backgrounder-democratic-front-for-the-liberation-of-palestine-dflp/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">brutal attacks</a> in Israel’s history:
<ul>
<li data-start="2729" data-end="2861">1974 Ma’alot Massacre: DFLP gunmen took an entire elementary school hostage, resulting in the murder of 27, including 22 children.</li>
<li data-start="2864" data-end="2951">1975 Jerusalem bombing: Seven civilians were killed by a DFLP bomb hidden in a wagon.</li>
<li data-start="2954" data-end="3073">2002 West Bank bus ambush: Nine killed, twenty injured when DFLP terrorists bombed and opened fire on a civilian bus.</li>
<li data-start="3076" data-end="3201">“Night of the Gliders” (1987): Six Israeli soldiers were murdered by DFLP operatives infiltrating from Lebanon using hang gliders. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
— Huge Breaking News: Louisiana Man Joined Hamas for October 7th Massacre —
Federal prosecutors in Louisiana accused a man of participating in the Hamas-led October 2023 attack on Israel and then traveling to the United States on a fraudulent visa, according to a criminal… <a href="https://t.co/aN1oumEHxe">pic.twitter.com/aN1oumEHxe</a>
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/EFischberger/status/1979142790282879102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Full criminal complaint here:<a href="https://t.co/07sLISeqgZ">https://t.co/07sLISeqgZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/zn06qzm3YW">pic.twitter.com/zn06qzm3YW</a>
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/EFischberger/status/1979143145632772553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

Terror Ties And Immigration Fraud: Louisiana Man Accused Of Joining Hamas Attacks On Israel

Hamas

October 7

Politics

Terrorism

United States

Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid said on Monday that Israel cannot — and should not — root out every member of the terrorist group Hamas as it begins to implement the provisions of the peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Hamid was speaking with CNN anchor Brianna Keilar about the still-unfolding situation in Gaza when he argued that Israel should offer amnesty to &#8220;low-level&#8221; members of Hamas who have agreed to lay down their weapons — and those &#8220;who were not implicated in October 7.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On CNN, Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid says Israel &#8220;shouldn&#8217;t kill low-level members of Hamas, people who where not implicated in October 7&#8221; because &#8220;Hamas is a popular movement&#8221; and must be integrated into the new Gaza government. <a href="https://t.co/27I823cqHN">pic.twitter.com/27I823cqHN</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1977808584512844004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;How do you disarm Hamas – that is not quite clear how that&#8217;s to be worked out,&#8221; he began. &#8220;But also it&#8217;s good that in the 20-point plan there is a path for Hamas who commit to peaceful coexistence and give up their arms to get amnesty or to get safe passage out of Gaza, because at the end of the day, there are still going to be – there still will be a significant Hamas presence, so you can&#8217;t just pretend they don&#8217;t exist. And you can&#8217;t eradicate every single member of Hamas, nor should you, that would just be — that didn&#8217;t even happen, not that I like this comparison too much —&#8221;
&#8220;You say &#8216;nor should you,'&#8221; Keilar appeared to be taken aback. &#8220;Your case for that is what?&#8221;
&#8220;I mean you can&#8217;t — you shouldn&#8217;t kill, like, low-level members of Hamas, people who were not implicated in October 7th,&#8221; Hamid asserted. &#8220;October 7th was done by a small group of senior military commanders — Israel should have the right to kill them, and has killed many of them if not most of them, right? So — but Hamas is a popular movement and there has to be some way to bring in the low-level members into the political process because you don&#8217;t want them to play spoiler.&#8221;
&#8220;If they feel like they have no path forward, if they feel — you don&#8217;t want them to go back to arms again or to find ways to kind of undermine the path toward a kind of peaceful settlement,&#8221; he continued, comparing Hamas to the Nazis in post-war Germany. &#8220;And even if you take the example of denazification, low- and mid-level members of the Nazi Party were reintegrated into German society. It&#8217;s not as if everyone was imprisoned or executed, because you can&#8217;t do that at such a large scale. If you&#8217;re talking about a movement that has tens of thousands of people and many more sympathizers, you have to find a way to bring people into the process and integrate them.&#8221;
The peace deal currently being implemented stops short of forcing Hamas out altogether despite Israel&#8217;s repeated insistence that Hamas cannot be allowed to govern in Gaza.

TRT World Forum 2019

‘Hamas Is A Popular Movement’: WaPo Reporter Tells CNN ‘Low-Level’ Terrorists Should Get To Stay

'Hamas Is A Popular Movement': WaPo Reporter Tells CNN 'Low-Level' Terrorists Should Get To Stay

Donald Trump

Israel

Media

Israel has uncovered a memo it says was written by deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in which the terrorist leader gave detailed instructions for Hamas&#8217;s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, specifically ordering Hamas terrorists to target civilians and broadcast the atrocities across the world in real time.
The six-page document, discovered in a bunker after the assassination of Hamas leader Muhammed Sinwar in May 2025 and obtained by the New York Times, was disseminated to Hamas commanders in August 2022. The Times consulted document expert Sima Ankona, who said that the handwriting in the memo matched other documents known to be authored by Sinwar.
&#8220;The memo,&#8221; the Times reports, &#8220;calls for fighters to target soldiers and civilian communities — as well as to broadcast the violent acts so as to evoke fear in Israelis and destabilize the country. Commanders then issued similar instructions on Oct. 7, according to hours of previously unreported communications between commanders and subordinates intercepted by Israel during the assault.&#8221;
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The memo undermines Hamas&#8217;s claims that the Oct. 7 attack was directed primarily at the Israeli military.
&#8220;Two or three operations, in which an entire neighborhood, kibbutz, or something similar will be burned, must be prepared,&#8221; the memo read — and while there were no specific instructions for militants to kill or kidnap civilians, they were ordered to set fire to homes &#8220;with gasoline or diesel from a tanker.&#8221;
The Israel Defense Forces intercepted communications in which Hamas commanders appear to have repeated several of the memo&#8217;s directives to burn homes and kibbutzim.
“Start setting homes on fire,&#8221; a communication from a Gaza City battalion commander named Abu Muhammed read. &#8220;Burn, burn. I want the whole kibbutz to be in flames.&#8221;

Yahya Sinwar

Hamas Leader Instructed Terrorists To Target Civilians On Oct. 7, Memo Reveals

Gaza

terrorist attack

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu

LIVE UPDATES: Trump Returns To U.S. After Historic Trip To Israel And Egypt

Hostages

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump marked the second anniversary of the Hamas&#8217;s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by spending the afternoon with Edan Alexander, who was held in Hamas captivity for 584 days.
The president hosted the 21-year-old Alexander and his family at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared. The president also met with the family of Omer Neutra, who was killed by Hamas on October 7. Neutra&#8217;s body is still in Gaza, but the White House emphasized on Tuesday that Trump is &#8220;committed to bringing every hostage home.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, on the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, President Trump welcomed Edan Alexander, who was held hostage by Hamas for 584 days, and the family of Omer Neutra to the Oval Office.
President Trump is committed to bringing every hostage home.💛🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/GrvgrUTNkX">pic.twitter.com/GrvgrUTNkX</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1975666391425466767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Trump administration negotiated Alexander&#8217;s release in May 2025. He is an American, who was born in Rockville, Maryland and later moved to New Jersey. In high school, Alexander joined the Israel Defense Forces, and while he was at an outpost near Kibbutz Nir Oz, he was taken captive by Hamas during the October 7 massacre.
The Daily Wire&#8217;s Kassy Akiva <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-last-living-american-hostage-edan-alexander-released-following-trump-admin-efforts">previously reported</a> that Alexander had been seen in Hamas propaganda videos and is the first male IDF soldier who was abducted during the massacre to be released. While he was held in captivity, his parents were fighting tirelessly for his release by meeting with world leaders, aggressively keeping his name in the news, and speaking at high profile events.
<div id="attachment_982479" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-years-after-october-7-massacre-trump-welcomes-hamas-hostage-edan-alexander-to-the-white-house/hamas-releases-israeli-american-hostage-edan-alexander-in-gaza" rel="attachment wp-att-982479"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-982479" class="wp-image-982479 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214167360.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214167360.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214167360-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214167360-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Edan Alexander is welcomed by Israeli forces after Hamas released him in Tel Aviv (Photo by Israeli Defense Forces / IDF/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
Hamas killed and kidnapped the body of the 21-year-old Neutra on October 7, 2023, but it was not until December 2024 that his family learned for certain that he had been killed that day. They had been told that he was being held hostage and had held out hope that he would survive.
&#8220;Omer Neutra (21) was born and raised in the United States and chose to immigrate to Israel as a lone soldier, enlisting in the Armored Corps after completing a preparatory year with the Tzabar Garin program,&#8221;the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement when Neutra&#8217;s death was known.
&#8220;Omer loved sports, playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as the captain of his school’s sports teams. Family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and caring individual who &#8216;lights up the room the moment he enters.'&#8221;
<div id="attachment_982477" style="width: 854px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-years-after-october-7-massacre-trump-welcomes-hamas-hostage-edan-alexander-to-the-white-house/released-israeli-american-soldier-edan-alexander-reunites-with-his-family" rel="attachment wp-att-982477"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-982477" class="wp-image-982477 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214163092-844x576.jpg" alt="" width="844" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214163092-844x576.jpg 844w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214163092-300x205.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214163092-768x524.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2214163092.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" /></a>Edan Alexander reuniting with his family (Photo by Israeli Defense Forces / IDF/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;President Trump recently said it’s time to bring all the hostages home — and time for the war to end,&#8221; Neutra&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-july-4th-freedom-demands-we-bring-the-hostages-home">parents wrote in a Fourth of July op-ed</a> for The Daily Wire. &#8220;We agree. Immense strength has been shown over the past 21 months. Incredible military achievements against Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Now, it is time for that strength to deliver peace.&#8221;
&#8220;But peace cannot begin until every hostage comes home,&#8221; they argued. &#8220;There is no real end to the fighting in Gaza while 50 hostages remain in underground tunnels, cut off from the world, and while families like ours live in daily anguish. Peace cannot be built on the backs of unresolved suffering.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not a partisan issue. This is not just an Israeli issue. It is an American issue — and a human issue. Omer is one of our own, but so are the other 49 souls still trapped in darkness. If we mean what we say when we salute the flag or sing the national anthem, we cannot remain silent while any innocent person is held by a U.S.-designated terror group.&#8221;

Edan Alexander

Two Years After October 7 Massacre, Trump Welcomes Hamas Hostage Edan Alexander To The White House

Critics across the political spectrum ripped New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday for a statement commemorating the second anniversary of the October 7 terror attack on Israel.
Mamdani posted a statement to his X account on Tuesday that reflects on the attack that marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. After commemorating the “horrific war crime,” the self-described “democratic socialist” dedicated most of his statement to condemning Israel for perpetrating “genocide” in Gaza, citing fatality numbers from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
“In the aftermath of that day, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government launched a genocidal war: a death toll that now far exceeds 67,000; with the Israeli military bombing homes, hospitals, and schools into rubble,” said Mamdani, without noting that Hamas often uses civilian buildings for military functions, in which case those buildings <a href="https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule10">become</a> legitimate military targets under international law.
“Every day in Gaza has become a place where grief itself has run out of language. I mourn these lives and pray for the families that have been shattered. Our government has been complicit through it all,” he continued. “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.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My statement on the two year anniversary of October 7, 2023. <a href="https://t.co/JlsXUeAeYd">pic.twitter.com/JlsXUeAeYd</a>
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1975550702056538512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
The statement drew backlash from the Right and the Left. Dan McLaughlin, a senior writer for National Review, was one of many who accused Mamdani of victim-blaming.
“If Israel’s war *in response to being invaded* is &#8216;genocidal,&#8217; most of the wars fought in the past century would meet that standard on the part of most of the combatants, even those resisting the conquest of their country &amp; the enslavement or extinction of their people,” <a href="https://x.com/baseballcrank/status/1975601985505432051">said</a> McLaughlin.
MSNBC columnist Michael Cohen <a href="https://x.com/speechboy71/status/1975572563033309558">hit</a> Mamdani as well: “On the second anniversary of October 7, one anodyne sentence on how murdering Jews is bad. And the rest is yet another seedy, pejorative attack on Israel.”
David Frum, a writer at The Atlantic, <a href="https://x.com/davidfrum/status/1975560012404826408">posted</a>: “This is a genuinely useful statement. The chilly formulaic language about the 10/7 atrocity &#8230; the intense angry passion of the denunciation of Israel&#8217;s self-defense &#8230; together they arrestingly reveal what the author cares about and what/who he does not care about.”
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GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said that not only should Mamdani’s statement disqualify him to run for mayor, but that anyone who endorses the Democratic candidate should be out of American politics.
Mamdani has <a href="https://www.zohranfornyc.com/endorsements">gained</a> support from notable Democrats such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
“This statement is beyond disqualifying — anyone who endorses him for Mayor is completely unqualified too,” Lawler posted. “Any New York Democrat who supports this insanity needs to be defeated at the ballot box.”
Mamdani’s statement <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1975598416097857604">earned</a> reproach from Israel’s Foreign Ministry as well.
“​​Two years after Hamas launched its barbaric massacre against Israel and the Jewish people, Mamdani has chosen to act as a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda — spreading Hamas’s fake genocide campaign,” the ministry responded. “By repeating Hamas’s lies, he excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism. He stands with Jews only when they are dead. Shameful.”

Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani Blasted For October 7 Post: ‘He Stands With Jews Only When They Are Dead’

New York City

World

WASHINGTON—Republicans are urging the IRS to prioritize revoking the tax-exempt status of eight organizations with alleged &#8220;links to designated foreign terrorist groups,&#8221; and others &#8220;linked to violence and unrest&#8221; across the nation.
The <a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/10.6.25-Letter-to-IRS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a>, from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS CEO Frank Bisignano, comes on the second anniversary of Hamas&#8217;s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
“From the international funding sources and activities of tax-exempt entities in the U.S., and the role of certain organizations in fostering antisemitism on college campuses, the Committee has remained steadfast in ensuring that all tax-exempt organizations are abiding by their exempt status,” the letter reads.
Smith referred some of the groups named in Tuesday&#8217;s letter to the IRS for revocation during the 118th Congress. In his letter, the chairman noted that shortly after the committee sent revocation letters, the Treasury Department designated Samidoun as a terrorist organization &#8220;that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Foreign Terrorist Organization.&#8221;
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However, Smith said that due to recent “political violence and the continued concerning actions by the previously referred organizations with ties to official foreign terrorist organizations,” he said it is important that the IRS takes action.
“These organizations have failed to operate for their tax exempt purpose. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and in exchange, organizations must operate for stated exempt purposes,” Smith said.
Smith notes that the Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation, American Muslims for Palestine, and Islamic Relief USA, are “suspected of having terrorist ties to groups like Hamas,” and claims they use ties to “actively support and funnel resources in support of terrorism.”
The letter names the following organizations: Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation, American Muslims for Palestine, Islamic Relief USA, Alliance for Global Justice, WESPAC Foundation, Tides Foundation, Peoples Media Project (The Palestine Chronicle), and The People’s Forum.
It includes other groups: Alliance for Global Justice, WESPAC Foundation, and the Tides Foundation, which they say “disrupt college campuses, incite violence and intimidation, and illegal riot across the United States.”
Students for Justice in Palestine and Samidoun were cited as one of the notable projects, according to the letter.
Late last month, President Donald Trump issued a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/#:~:text=(j)%20The%20Commissioner%20of%20the,for%20investigation%20and%20possible%20prosecution." target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Security Presidential Memorandum</a> directing the IRS to make sure no tax-exempt entities are &#8220;directly or indirectly financing political violence or domestic terrorism.&#8221;
The letter applauded the move and said Committee Republicans are &#8220;glad that the Trump Administration is taking the threat of tax-exempt entities with ties to political violence and terrorism seriously.&#8221;
Smith encouraged the IRS to prioritize examinations and vowed to continue their oversight work on tax-exempt organizations.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Republicans Mark Oct. 7 With Calls For IRS To Revoke Tax-Exempt Status Of Terrorist-Linked Groups

Scott Bessent

Taxes

WASHINGTON—The second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel coincided with the first day of Sukkot, a seven-day holiday Jews commemorate by constructing huts outdoors.
To mark this dual observance, the Hostages &amp; Missing Families Forum on Tuesday hosted a “Sukkah of Hope” event at The Kennedy Center. The Sukkah will be up on Tuesday and Wednesday for events commemorating the tragedy, and the “EDUT: The Visual Testimony of October 7” exhibit will be open at the venue until the end of the month, according to a news release.
“We remember the innocent concert goers who were violently murdered by Hamas,” Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said in a statement. “And we remember the families who are still waiting for their loved ones to be returned.”
Tuesday’s event comes amid cautious optimism about a deal to stop the fighting between Israel and Hamas, which could include the remaining release of 48 hostages. Twenty of the hostages are presumed to be still alive, according to the United Nations, as advocates are still demanding the opportunity for a proper burial for deceased hostages.
“We need to have the hostages released so we can move forward,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said at the event, which he and his wife’s foundation helped lead.
Survivors of the October 7 attack, including freed hostage Keith Siegel, noted how the captors had “absolute power” over their lives and recounted how he was “starved, denied water, beaten” and faced horrific living conditions.
President Donald Trump has been pushing for a possible deal to end the war, saying in a Truth Social Post on Sunday that steps are being taken to “release the hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”
Specifically, Trump noted that there have been conversations “with Hamas” and with different countries, including those from the Arab and Muslim world.
“The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST. I will continue to monitor this Centuries old “conflict.” TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW — SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!” the president wrote.
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The potential peace agreement is bringing renewed attention from Americans to the issue, which Yotam Cohen, brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, says people are hoping for.
“First of all, I think the most important thing right now is that the Israelis want this war to end,” Cohen told The Daily Wire at a press conference following the event.
Cohen added that the majority of Israelis “want this bloodshed to end.”
“For the hostages, for the Israeli soldiers, for the people of Israel, and also people who are thinking on the other side, on peace in the Middle East, and the Palestinians who are suffering. And we&#8217;ve come here not as politicians, not to promote some grand idea, but to fight for life, to save lives, to fight for humanity,” Cohen added.
“Our loved ones suffered that day and are victims of the seventh of October. And we came here to stop this cycle of violence and to whoever is trying to see what the people of Israel truly want.”

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-HOSTAGES

Kennedy Center Marks Oct. 7 With ‘Sukkah Of Hope,’ Calls For Remaining Hostages To Be Freed

Howard Lutnick

The Kennedy Center

The Trump administration reflected on October 7, 2023, on Tuesday, acknowledging Hamas’ “brutal terrorist attack” on Israel and reaffirming that the United States is committed to “its unwavering support for Israel’s right to exist, to defend itself, and to ensure the safety of its people.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/10/two-year-anniversary-of-october-7th-attack/">statement</a> on the anniversary of the attack, saying, “Today marks two years since the attacks of October 7, when Hamas murdered more than 1,200 innocent men, women, and children — including 46 Americans — in the most brutal terrorist attack in Israel’s history.”
“As the United States marks this tragic anniversary and honors the victims, we renew our resolve to prevent such evil from ever taking place again,” Rubio pledged.
Vice President JD Vance also remembered the massive terrorist attack on Israel, <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/1975544380435169422">posting</a> on X on Tuesday, “On this second anniversary of the terrible terrorist attacks of October 7, we remember all of the innocent people brutally murdered by Hamas. And we continue to work towards President Trump’s plan to bring the remaining hostages home and build a lasting peace for all.”
President Donald Trump is scheduled to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/07/us-news/trump-to-host-edan-alexander-american-who-spent-584-days-in-hamas-captivity-at-white-house/">host</a> Eden Alexander, an American who was held hostage by Hamas for nearly 600 days, at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. Alexander was freed by Hamas in May and is believed to have been the last surviving American taken hostage by the terror group during its October 7, 2023, attack.
The second anniversary comes as President Donald Trump seeks to close out a peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Last Friday, Hamas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-says-it-will-release-all-hostages-but-does-not-agree-to-other-details-of-trumps-peace-plan">said</a> it would release the rest of the remaining hostages, but added that it wanted to continue negotiating Trump’s 20-point peace plan. In a statement on Friday, the terror group did not agree to disarm, a major point in the plan laid out by Trump. The group also did not address Trump’s offer to give terrorists amnesty to live in Gaza or the option to be given safe passage elsewhere if they lay down their weapons.
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Trump remains optimistic that a peace deal will be secured between Israel and Hamas to bring an end to the two-year war. If the terrorists don’t agree to Trump’s plan, the president warned on Sunday that they would face “complete obliteration.” Trump initially gave Hamas a 6:00 p.m. ET deadline on Sunday to agree to the peace deal.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, America is leading the effort to secure the release of all hostages, end Hamas’s rule in Gaza, and advance a durable peace that ensures not only Israel’s security, but generational peace and prosperity for the region. This vision of stability, security, and a future free from terror is at the heart of the President’s 20-Point Plan,” Rubio added in his statement.
The Secretary of State also addressed the “troubling surge in antisemitism” that has plagued the United States and other nations since the attack on Israel.
“As I have said, there can be no compromise with antisemitism,” Rubio added. “We continue to condemn all acts of terrorism and antisemitism against Israel, and we call on the international community to stand with Israel during this painful anniversary.”

Donald Trump/October 7 Memorial

Trump Admin Remembers October 7: ‘Most Brutal Terrorist Attack In Israel’s History’

Global Politics

Marco Rubio

On October 7, 2023, Hamas was parading in the streets.
The terrorist group in the Gaza Strip had perpetrated one of the most shocking atrocities in history, delivering what it believed would be a lasting body blow to Israel. It was so proud of the spectacle that it put its rape and torture of Israeli civilians live on camera for the world to see.
If you listen to speeches at the United Nations or read mainstream media headlines two years on, you&#8217;d think Israel is on the brink of collapse — trapped in an unprecedented crisis that began with the Hamas terrorist attack. Hamas is celebrating today&#8217;s anniversary, with leadership <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/25/middleeast/hamas-official-oct-7-golden-moment-intl">telling</a> CNN that the attack created a “golden moment for the world to change the history.”
But here in the real world, things haven’t turned out quite like the terrorists had hoped.
Gaza, which Israel mistakenly ceded to the Palestinians two decades ago, is now a parking lot. Nearly every prominent Hamas leader is dead. The terror groups&#8217; Arab allies, including the Qataris who once bankrolled them, are now engaging with the United States and Israel on a negotiated surrender. 
And on top of all that: Israel has never been more secure. 
With a strengthened resolve, justified desire for retribution, and a pledge to its people that it would never let an attack like October 7 happen again, the Jewish state has managed to wipe out more than just Hamas.
Two years ago, Israel was encircled by some of the most dangerous and ruthless enemies in the region. A lot has changed since then.
Hezbollah had over 100,000 rockets trained at Israel&#8217;s northern border two years ago. Israel has since decimated its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hezbollah-terrorist-leader-hassan-nasrallah-dead-following-israeli-air-strike">leadership</a> and ranks with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0kn7BQ4IhM">exploding beepers.</a>
Former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is hiding out in Russia, and the new regime in Damascus has signaled a willingness to open relations with Israel. And most importantly, Israel, with the help of President Donald Trump and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-to-win-a-war-in-37-hours-daily-wire-goes-inside-whiteman-air-force-base">fleet of B-2 bombers</a>, carried out attack plans years in the making to decimate Iran’s leadership and nuclear capabilities. 
Even the economic boycotts so popular among American leftists have been parried, with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-05/israel-s-stock-market-has-been-soaring-despite-years-of-war?embedded-checkout=true">Israel&#8217;s economy soaring</a>.
Only one threat remains: the group that lit the match two years ago.
Hamas&#8217; infrastructure is crumbling, its leadership is hiding or being hunted down, and its grip on Gaza is weakening by the day. Its demise appears to be a question of when, not if. And that &#8220;when&#8221; feels fast approaching. 
If Hamas doesn&#8217;t agree to Trump&#8217;s peace terms, the president has promised &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-faces-complete-obliteration-if-it-wont-give-up-gaza-trump-says">complete obliteration</a>&#8221; of the terrorist group. We suggest calling the Ayatollah and asking how calling Trump&#8217;s bluff worked out for Iran.
There are certainly criticisms of how Israel accomplished this. Some say Israel took too long to exact revenge for the atrocities of October 7, arguing that anti-Israel sentiment grew as the world saw Israel carry out its devastating response. Some say Israel went too far, creating a public relations crisis with footage of the aftermath of its offensive. 
But Israel’s critics, like Greta Thunberg, were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-to-show-greta-thunberg-graphic-footage-of-hamas-october-7-massacre">less moved when they were shown footage</a> of what Hamas did on October 7. Almost as if Israel’s haters need no reason to hate the Jewish State other than the fact that it’s a Jewish state? 
As <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/nyregion/mamdani-arrest-netanyahu-nyc-mayor.html">leftists chirp</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-viral-story-of-gaza-child-gunned-down-by-israel-officially-debunked-the-boy-is-alive">spread lies</a>, Israel is winning, decisively putting an end to those who seek its destruction. And that’s the toughest pill for Israel’s haters to swallow.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-WAR-HOSTAGES-FUNERAL

Two Years After October 7: Israel Isn’t Dead. Hamas Will Be Soon.

HBO Max will commemorate the second anniversary of the Hamas October 7 terrorist attack on Israel by airing the scripted series, “One Day in October.”
The limited series is based on real accounts from the horrific attack in 2023, which resulted in the massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and hundreds of others being taken hostage. It first premiered on Israeli network Yes Drama on the first anniversary of the coordinated raid.
The project is said to include “seven emotionally gripping and artistically interwoven narratives of love, courage, sacrifice, and survival. From families torn apart to moments of hope emerging in the face of unspeakable tragedy to incredible bravery against the odds, each episode reveals the human cost and resilience born out of chaos. The series portrays the victims’ and survivors’ experiences of that day and is brought to life by a distinguished cast and acclaimed creative team,” per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-hamas-israel-one-day-in-october-7-series-1236372113/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.
FOX Entertainment Studios President Fernando Szew said of the series, “The tragic events on October 7th had a profound impact on all of us. From the very beginning, we approached this series with the utmost care, sensitivity, and urgency to ensure that the stories were told with authenticity and respect, and paying homage to the victims and the heroic survivors.” 
Szew added that the creators “have truly created compelling storytelling that we are proud to showcase.”
“For me, film and television have always been more than entertainment, they are a way to bear witness. These are stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary moments,” Daniel Finkelman, founder of the production company Sparks Go, said. “In a time when truth is fragile, the most powerful thing we can do is to appeal to humanity itself. My hope is that these stories will open hearts and spark meaningful conversation.”
Last year, Finkelman discussed what compelled him to make the series. 
“After Oct. 7, I realized that when you know what you are willing to die for, you know what you are ready to live for,” he <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-822942">said</a>, per The Jerusalem Post. “I realized what we are fighting for.”
“We’re being shown real footage on the news of people being abducted and no one gives a f***,” the producer added. “So we thought, let’s tell the narrative the way people like to be entertained.”
The cast includes actors Swell Ariel Or, Noa Kedar, Naomi Levov, Hisham Sulliman, Wael Hamdun, and Yuval Semo.

HBO Max Announces Series Dramatizing Hamas’s Oct. 7 Terror Attack On Israel

Entertainment

Television

The Israeli military says it took out senior leadership of Hamas that was living safely in Qatar, away from the military offensive being waged against Hamas in Gaza since its October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
In a &#8220;precise strike,&#8221; the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) struck deep into the heart of Hamas’s leadership — not in Gaza, but in the plush Katara neighborhood of Doha, Qatar, a longtime haven for the terror group’s senior command.
Among those reportedly targeted: Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy to former Gaza Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and head of Hamas’s negotiation team; Zaher Jabarin, a key figure in Hamas’s military wing; and others including Hussam Badran, Taher al-Nono, and Ali Darwish — all known operatives tied to the planning and execution of the October 7 massacre that left over 1,200 Israelis dead.
The IDF released this statement:
<blockquote>
The IDF and ISA conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization. For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization&#8217;s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel. Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence. The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7 massacre.
</blockquote>
🚨JUST IN: First footage from Doha, the capital of Qatar <a href="https://t.co/N4LXArfZ5J">https://t.co/N4LXArfZ5J</a> <a href="https://t.co/BI3jc36WXf">pic.twitter.com/BI3jc36WXf</a>
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) <a href="https://twitter.com/JewishWarrior13/status/1965399422654972277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Qatar responded on Tuesday by <a href="https://x.com/majedalansari/status/1965407402607677474">condemning</a> the attack, calling it a &#8220;blatant violation of all international laws and norms.&#8221;
Amid speculation about United States involvement in the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a &#8220;wholly independent Israeli operation.&#8221;
&#8220;Today&#8217;s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,&#8221; Netanyahu said. &#8220;Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.&#8221;
The attack comes just days after the United States indicated it was running out of patience with the terrorist group. On Sunday, President Donald Trump gave his final warning to Hamas, writing on Truth Social: &#8220;I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting.&#8221;
The Hamas terror masterminds had been living comfortably in Qatar, a country that openly harbors Hamas leaders, funds their operations, and maintains warm ties with Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashal — chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from 1996 until May 2017, when he was succeeded by Haniyeh — and Moussa Abu Marzouk — all with blood on their hands — had maintained a political base in Doha, where they celebrated the October 7 atrocities from afar.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hamas leaders on October 7 were praying in Doha, Qatar while watching the massacre unfolding on television. I suspect some of these leaders were targeted today by Israel. <a href="https://t.co/z2zBxoiHBa">pic.twitter.com/z2zBxoiHBa</a>
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeTruzman/status/1965406047176372661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Back in 2017, U.S. lawmakers <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-115hhrg26427/html/CHRG-115hhrg26427.htm">raised the alarm</a> about Qatar’s terror ties. Former congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) blasted the Gulf state for acting as a revolving door for Hamas, the Taliban, and al-Qaeda-linked financiers. “Qatar has openly housed Hamas leaders… and has failed to prosecute them,” she warned, citing evidence of financial support even to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11.
Former Treasury official David Cohen echoed those concerns, describing Qatar as a “permissive terrorist financing environment,&#8221; where fundraisers for groups like Hamas and ISIS operated freely — often as local agents of broader networks stretching into Kuwait.
Despite claiming to serve as a “moderating force,” Qatar has <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/12/19/10-things-to-know-about-hamas-and-qatar/">pumped billions</a> of dollars to Hamas. Some of that money has been used to buy fuel from Egypt — fuel Hamas then resells to fund its terror machine. Other funds have gone directly into paying Hamas’s so-called “civil workers” in Gaza.
The death of Haniyeh — Hamas’s political bureau chief — in a July 2024 bombing in Tehran underscored the tangled web of alliances between Hamas, Iran, and Qatar.
Qatar’s role as a safe harbor for terrorists has long been an open secret. Now, with strikes reaching Doha, it may finally be on notice: harboring terrorists comes at a cost.

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