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The Media Was Hamas’ ‘Gift’ in Latest Grotesque Parade of Israeli Hostages

US-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen and Russian-Israeli Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov, hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are escorted by Palestinian Hamas terrorists and Islamic Jihad terrorists as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

There was an air of inevitability to the coverage of this week’s Israeli-hostage-Palestinian prisoner exchanges, a key part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

From the moment the grotesque spectacle began — set against a freshly adorned stage draped in banners splashed with slogans in Arabic and broken Hebrew — it was clear that Hamas had choreographed this show for at least two audiences, each meant to take away very different messages.

The first was, of course, Israel. Hamas wanted to send a message to the Israeli public — the very people it had so brutally attacked on October 7 — that it remained unbowed and undefeated. That it was just as capable of unleashing another wave of terror on Israeli civilians.

That’s why Hamas operatives arrived dressed in stolen IDF uniforms, brandishing Israeli weapons looted from their October 7 massacre. That’s why the hostages were transported to the release point in a vehicle stolen on that same day. It was psychological warfare wrapped in a grotesque display of theater.

And then there was the “gift.”

Hamas handed hostage Iair Horn a package to take back to Israel — a twisted reminder that his younger brother, Eitan, remains in captivity. It was an hourglass. Placed in Horn’s hands as he stood sandwiched between masked men, he was forced to hold it aloft for the cameras and the crowd. Inscribed on it were the faces of hostage Matan Zangauker and his mother, Einav — a prominent advocate for the release of the captives — alongside a chilling message: “Time is running out.”

Another intended recipient of Hamas’ performance was the international media. With billions of people in their reach, these outlets inform the masses — and as we have seen, many have been all too willing to launder Hamas’ image, buying into its propaganda. That’s why Hamas has eagerly invited journalists to film these grotesque spectacles, confident that much of the press will fail to call them what they are.

For Israelis, these weekly parades of innocent people, who have now been held for nearly 500 days, have been nightmarish. It is gut-wrenching to watch them marched onstage like props in a performance before they can be welcomed home. And the sick “mementos” handed to them week after week? They are not gifts.

Which is why it was so disappointing to see these terror tactics described as such. When CNN called an hourglass — intended for the mother of a man still held captive, inscribed with a threat to murder him — ”memorabilia,” it wasn’t just inaccurate. It was obscene. It is difficult to believe that any journalist, in any context, could not find a more appropriate word.

And when Hamas “gifted” hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen a pair of earrings for the infant daughter he had never met — born while he was in captivity — it was not a touching gesture. It was a message. A warning. A reminder that Hamas can reach even the most innocent, just as it did on October 7, when dozens of children were murdered.

But for much of the press, this is ignored. Once again, Hamas finds a willing accomplice in the international media, which dutifully presents a sanitized version of a bloodthirsty terrorist group. This, even as Hamas operatives literally stand on a stage draped in images of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with propaganda images of the October 7 massacres in the background, alongside a message to the world (and a reference to former US President Donald Trump’s migration policy): “No migration except to Jerusalem.”

We said there was an air of inevitability to this week’s coverage — coverage that, we should note, saw Sky News once again repeat the insidious on-air claim that “Palestinian hostages” were being exchanged for Israelis held in Gaza.

We’ve seen this distortion countless times before: the press’s unwillingness to ever truly acknowledge Israelis as victims — even when they have been slaughtered in their homes, held hostage for months, paraded onstage like trophies, and handed explicit threats disguised as “gifts.”

Instead, what do we get? Earnest coverage about how terrified an International Red Cross worker must have felt speaking to Hamas terrorists at the exchange — but not a word about the stunned, hollow-eyed captives being marched before a crowd by the very men who kidnapped them over 15 months ago.

Hamas may wish to project an image of strength, to strike fear into Israeli society — among ordinary people who simply want to live in peace. It won’t succeed. But its vile attempt is aided by credulous journalists eager to repackage its propaganda and soften its image. Whether they do so wittingly or not, the effect remains the same.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post The Media Was Hamas’ ‘Gift’ in Latest Grotesque Parade of Israeli Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Says ‘No Place’ for Macron Visit if France Continues With Palestinian State Recognition

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Mang

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday urged his French counterpart to drop France’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, saying that French President Emmanuel Macron is not welcome to visit the Jewish state if Paris “persists in its initiative and in efforts that harm Israel’s interests.”

According to a statement from his office, Saar spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, calling on him to reconsider France’s initiative to recognize a Palestinian state.

He warned that such a move would “undermine stability in the Middle East and harm Israel’s national and security interests.”

As long as France proceeds with its planned unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state this month, Saar said that there would be “no place” for Macron to visit Israel.

“Israel seeks good relations with France, but France must respect Israel’s position when it comes to matters essential to its security and future,” the top Israeli diplomat said during their conversation.

Macron plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly this month as part of its “commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” even though nearly 80 percent of French citizens reject the move.

Israeli officials have condemned the initiative, calling it a “reward for terrorism” and warning that it would undermine future diplomatic talks.

Saar has criticized France’s recent actions, accusing it of consistently undermining Israel on the international stage.

More recently, tensions escalated after his French counterpart asserted the Palestinian Authority (PA) had ended its “pay-for-slay” program — a claim the Israeli diplomat firmly rejects as false.

The PA, which has long been riddled with accusations of corruption, has also maintained for years a so-called “pay-for-slay” program, which rewards terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks against Israelis.

Under the policy, the Palestinian Authority Martyr’s Fund makes official payments to Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, the families of “martyrs” killed in attacks on Israelis, and injured Palestinian terrorists. Reports estimate that approximately 8 percent of the PA’s budget is allocated to paying stipends to convicted terrorists and their families.

Abbas had announced plans to reform the system earlier this year, but the PA has continued to issue payments, with top officials saying they will not deduct any of the funds.

“You speak of the war, but your moves against the State of Israel not only undermine stability and will not bring peace — they prolong the war. And it is no coincidence that Hamas praised them,” Saar said in a post on X, responding to Barrot in a heated public exchange.

“The rest is empty words and illusions. Back in Paris and at conferences, you may believe and promote these illusions. Here, we will not buy them,” the Israeli diplomat continued.

During his conversation with Barrot, Saar also argued that PA President Mahmoud Abbas has avoided holding elections for nearly 20 years due to his limited support among Palestinians, making him an unreliable interlocutor.

Western powers have been negotiating with the PA on conditions for Gaza governance after Hamas is removed from power, while the PA continues to pledge reforms — a strategy experts say is unlikely to succeed given its lack of credibility and ongoing support for terrorism against Israel.

According to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), if an agreement is reached to end the war in Gaza, only 40 percent of Palestinians “support the return of the PA to managing the affairs of the Gaza Strip,” while 56 percent oppose it.

US officials have also condemned France’s initiative to recognize a Palestinian state, arguing that the move would do little to advance peace.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington has warned other countries that recognizing a Palestinian state would only create more problems.

“We told all these countries, we told them all, we said if you guys do this recognition stuff it’s all fake, it’s not even real, if you do it you’re going to create problems,” Rubio said during a press conference in Ecuador.

“There’s going to be a response, it’s going to make it harder to get a ceasefire and it may even trigger these sorts of actions that you’ve seen, or at least these attempts at these actions,” the US official continued, referring to Israel’s plans to consider annexation in the West Bank.

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Sen. Tom Cotton Urges FBI to Investigate Palestinian Youth Movement Leader Who Called for Targeting F-35 Program

US Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 11, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson

US Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) has called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate a pro-Hamas activist who urged supporters to sabotage the US supply chain for the F-35 fighter jet, one of America’s most advanced military assets and a critical component of Israel’s defense.

In a letter sent to FBI Director Kash Patel on Wednesday, Cotton warned that Aisha Nizar, a leader and organizer of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), “directly endangered US national security” when she addressed a Palestinian conference in Detroit last week. Durin the event, Nizar told attendees that targeting “nodes” in the F-35 production process could have “a huge impact” on the program.

“We need to be surgical. We need to be strategic … Because there are many different points of these supply chains of death that we can intervene in and we must intervene in,” Nizar said at the People’s Conference for Palestine.

The F-35 program is widely regarded as a cornerstone of US and allied air power, and Israel is the only country in the Middle East authorized to operate the jets. Cotton argued that calls to undermine the program represent not just anti-Israel activism, but also a direct assault on American workers and defense readiness.

“Nizar’s statements constitute direct incitement of violence against US national security interests by advocating for actions against the men and women who build the F-35,” Cotton wrote. He urged the FBI to “immediately examine Nizar’s actions and take any necessary actions to mitigate the threat.”

PYM has emerged as one of the most radical anti-Israel, pro-Hamas groups in the US since the war in Gaza started, organizing raucous protests targeting Jewish and pro-Israel events across the country.

Nizar has previously faced legal trouble over her role in disruptive protests amid the Israel-Hamas war, including a demonstration that shut down the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Cotton, an outspoken supporter of the US-Israel strategic alliance, said her ties to PYM, which he has accused of harboring antisemitic views and benefiting from questionable tax-exempt donations, warrant closer scrutiny.

“The defense supply chain is a key to our military’s ability to fight and win wars. We must protect that supply chain from all enemies, foreign and domestic,” he concluded in his letter.

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Israeli Military Says It Controls 40% of Gaza City, Plans to Expand Operation in Coming Days

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a tent, outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Sept. 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khamis Al-Rifi

Israel controls 40 percent of Gaza City, a military spokesperson said on Thursday, as thousands of residents defied Israeli orders to leave in order for soldiers to target Hamas terrorists without civilians in harm’s way.

In Gaza City, Israeli forces have advanced through the outer suburbs and are now a few kilometers (miles) from the city center.

“We continue to damage Hamas’s infrastructure. Today we hold 40 percent of the territory of Gaza City,” Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin told a news conference, naming the Zeitoun and Sheikh Radwan neighborhoods. “The operation will continue to expand and intensify in the coming days.”

“We will continue to pursue Hamas everywhere,” he said, adding that the mission will only end when Israel‘s remaining hostages are returned and Hamas’s rule ends.

Defrin confirmed that army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told cabinet ministers that without a day-after plan, they would have to impose military rule in Gaza. Far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have been pushing for Israel to impose military rule in Gaza and establish settlements there, which Netanyahu has so far ruled out.

Israel launched the offensive in Gaza City on Aug. 10, in what Netanyahu says is a plan to defeat Hamas terrorists in the part of Gaza where Israeli troops fought most heavily in the war’s initial phase.

The campaign has prompted international criticism because of the humanitarian crisis in the area and has provoked unusual levels of concern within Israel, including accounts of tension over strategy between some military commanders and political leaders.

The Israeli military has said it is operating on the outskirts of Gaza City to dismantle terrorists’ tunnels and locate weapons.

Much of Gaza City was laid to waste in the war’s initial weeks in October-November 2023. About a million people lived there before the war, and hundreds of thousands are believed to have returned to live among the ruins, especially since Israel ordered people out of other areas and launched offensives elsewhere.

Israel, which has now told civilians to leave Gaza City again for their safety, says 70,000 have done so, heading south. Palestinian officials say less than half that number have left and many thousands still lie in the path of Israel‘s advance.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian terrorists led by Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 hostages into Gaza.

Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and political rule in neighboring Gaza.

Prospects for a ceasefire and a deal to release the remaining 48 hostages, 20 of whom are thought to still be alive, appear dim.

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