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Trump Warns ‘All Hell to Pay’ in Middle East if Gaza Hostages Not Released Before He Takes Office
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Then-Republican presidential nominee and current US-President-elect Donald Trump looks on during a rally at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in Uniondale, New York, US, Sept. 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday vowed there will be “all hell to pay” in the Middle East if the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas does not release all of the remaining hostages in Gaza before his inauguration next month.
“Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action!” Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social. “Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity.”
“Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!” he added.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists kidnapped over 250 hostages during their invasion of and massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, dragging them into neighboring Gaza. There are currently 101 captives remaining in the Palestinian enclave, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Calls to strike a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas have grown over the past few days.
On Saturday, Hamas released a new propaganda video showing Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. In the video, Alexander calls on Trump to leverage “the full power of the US” to strike a deal with Hamas to release him and the other hostages.
Following the release of the footage, Alexander’s father, Adi Alexander, appeared at a rally and urged outgoing US President Joe Biden, Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to broker a deal to secure his son’s freedom.
“Today, I speak as not just a father, but as the voice of my son and the other hostages whose lives hang in the balance,” Adi Alexander said. “Every day in captivity is an eternity of suffering for him and every hostage, both physically and emotionally.”
“President Biden, President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, I call on all of you to act,” Alexander continued. “This is not a moment for politics or hesitation. This is a moment for courage, collaboration, and decisive actions.”
Alexander also called on Trump to make an “impact” on the ongoing hostage negotiations, arguing that the president-elect does not have to wait until he is sworn into office to make a difference.
Members of the incoming Trump team have reportedly communicated with Alexander’s family, following the release of the hostage video.
Then on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, and his body was taken by terrorists into Gaza. Neutra was initially presumed to be among the living captives.
“Omer’s life story and dedication represent the best and strongest we have built as a nation,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X/Twitter.
Katz added that Neutra was killed during a battle at the Nir Oz kibbutz on Oct. 7. Katz did not reveal how the IDF figured out the nature of Neutra’s death.
Hamas is still holding the bodies of three other Israeli-Americans and three Israeli-Americans believed to be alive.
Trump has reportedly pressed Israel to wrap up the ongoing war in Gaza and secure a release of the remaining hostages before his inauguration. US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close ally of the president-elect, told the news outlet Axios that Trump is “determined” to resolve the “hostages issue” as soon as possible.
“Trump is more determined than ever to release the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal. He wants to see it happening now,” Graham said. “I hope President Trump and the Biden administration will work together during the transition period to release the hostages and get a ceasefire.”
Biden said in a statement on Monday that American “hearts are heavy today” upon learning the news of Neutra’s death.
“Omer was just 21 years old when he was taken by Hamas. He was serving as a tank commander in an Israel Defense Forces unit that was among the first to respond to Hamas’s campaign of cruelty — risking his life to save the lives of others,” Biden said.
“During this dark hour — as our nation joins Omer’s parents, brother, and family in grieving this tragic loss — we pray to find strength and resilience,” Biden added. “To all the families of those still held hostage: We see you. We are with you, and I will not stop working to bring your loved ones back home where they belong.”
Last week, the United States announced a renewed effort to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Along with Israel and Hamas, the negotiations will include American partners such as Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar.
“Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power,” Biden stated on X/Twitter.
A delegation representing Hamas arrived in Cairo on Sunday. Representatives for the terrorist group claimed that they were fielding offers for a “a ceasefire or prisoner exchange deal.”
Netanyahu told Israel’s Channel 14 that the underlying conditions to strike an agreement with the terrorist group have “improved,” citing the recent ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, the Israeli premier insisted that the Jewish state will continue to prosecute the war in Gaza until Hamas has been eliminated.
“[I’m] ready for a ceasefire at any moment. But ending the war, I’m not ready for that, because we also need to achieve the elimination of Hamas,” Netanyahu said.
The post Trump Warns ‘All Hell to Pay’ in Middle East if Gaza Hostages Not Released Before He Takes Office first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Boston University Has Stood Up to Antisemitism, But It Must Do More
Boston University (BU)’s Board of Trustees showed moral courage on February 11, when it rejected two petitions calling for BU to divest from the State of Israel. In doing so, the Board refused to bow down to the demands of those who seek to end the existence of the world’s only Jewish state.
“The endowment is no longer the vehicle for political debate,” BU President Melissa L. Gilliam declared. BU must now remain firm against the demagogic pressure of the pro-Hamas groups that continue to push the genocidal goal of destroying Israel.
Earlier this month, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which openly praises Hamas and championed the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, ran a sham referendum at BU calling for the divestment of university funds from Israel.
BU’s SJP chapter created the referendum internally and had the Young Democratic Socialists of America administer the vote. The referendum made a mockery of the student government process by not requiring voters to use their BU emails, effectively permitting off-campus participation, and it also did not prevent voters from voting multiple times. Ultimately, the BU Student Government, known as “StuGov,” announced the “nullification” of the referendum’s results.
However, the campaign to demonize Israel at BU does not end with this vote. StuGov has already announced that it plans to hold an additional vote. Instead of explicitly mentioning Israel, the referendum says “companies actively complicit in human rights violations in the Middle East.” This edit is a smokescreen to hide their true intentions and the antisemitism that is raging at BU.
On February 19, StuGov posted a link to a referendum on divesting from Israel. Voting commenced immediately and will run through February 26. This time, instead of being hosted under the auspices of radical outside organizations, it has the apparent imprimatur of the students’ elected representatives themselves — even though the Board of Trustees has already rejected the politicization of the endowment.
Divestment campaigns against Israel on campus have the consistent effect of exacerbating antisemitism at universities, according to the Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. According to one report, antisemitism has surged on college campuses, increasing by 700% from 2022 to 2023.
As a February 3 open letter from BU Hillel rightly pointed out, the school’s student government ignored the internationally accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism by considering the anti-Israel resolution. The IHRA definition includes nine examples of contemporary antisemitism, like “Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.” Demanding that Israel fail to defend itself after an armed invasion by a terrorist group that massacred 1,200 people, and raped and mutilated civilian women easily meets that standard.
In the run-up to the new referendum, BU SJP touted its anti-Israel posture with the infamous symbol of the inverted red triangle. Nazi Germany originated the symbol to designate political prisoners held in concentration camps. Using that symbol to call for the murder of Jews in 2025 is an offense that cannot go unpunished.
BU’s Board of Trustees has taken the correct stand in removing its endowment from the crossfire of Middle East politics. Now, BU can do even more by ensuring that no further flawed referenda jeopardize the safety and inclusion of the Jewish minority on campus.
BU must continue to champion open dialogue, protect every member of its community, and ensure that its investments reflect principle, not politicization.
Guy Starr is a sophomore studying Accounting and Finance at Boston University. He is the current co-President of Boston University Students for Israel.
The post Boston University Has Stood Up to Antisemitism, But It Must Do More first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Members Suspected of Plotting Attacks Go on Trial in Germany
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View of the courtroom as Judge Doris Husch presides over a trial for defendants accused of acting as foreign operatives for the Hamas terrorist group in Europe, in Berlin, Germany, Feb. 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
Four Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe went on trial in Berlin on Tuesday, in what prosecutors described as the first court case against terrorists of the Islamist group in Germany.
The Hamas members were detained in late 2023 on suspicion of planning attacks, German prosecutors said at the time.
“For the first time in Germany, suspects are facing charges of having participated as members of the foreign terrorist organization Hamas,” prosecutor Jochen Weingarten told Reuters.
He added the defendants were accused of seeking to locate a secret weapons depot in Poland for possible attacks, while receiving orders from the deputy commander of the Qassam Brigades in Lebanon.
According to previous statements by prosecutors, the defendants are also accused of operating other weapons caches in Europe.
The post Hamas Members Suspected of Plotting Attacks Go on Trial in Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Looks to Extend Phase One of Gaza Truce as Long-Term Deal Proves Elusive
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Israeli military jeeps maneuver in Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Israel is considering an extension of the 42-day truce in Gaza as it seeks to bring home the remaining 63 hostages, while putting off agreement on the future of the enclave for now, Israeli officials said.
The initial phase of the ceasefire deal, launched with the backing of the United States and the help of Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Jan. 19, is due to end on Saturday and it remains unclear what will follow.
“We are being very cautious,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told reporters in Jerusalem, when asked whether the truce might be extended without the start of talks on a second phase which would include difficult issues such as a final end to the war and the future governance of Gaza.
“There wasn’t a particular agreement on that, but it might be a possibility,” she said. “We didn’t close the option of continuing the current ceasefire, but in return for our hostages, and they have to be returned safely.”
If no agreement is reached by Friday, officials expect either a return to fighting or a freeze in the current situation in which the truce would continue but hostages would not return and Israel may block the entry of aid into Gaza.
Two officials who have been involved in the ceasefire process told Reuters that Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas have not engaged in negotiations to finalize an agreement over phase two of the ceasefire which will have to bridge wide gaps between the two sides to be concluded.
“I think it’s unrealistic to see something like that forming within a few days,” Haskel said. “This is something that needs to be discussed in depth. This is going to take time.”
The deal, which included the release of 33 Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli jails and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from some of their positions in Gaza, has survived numerous hiccups.
So far, 29 Israeli hostages – plus five Thais – have been released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, with the bodies of four more hostages, initially due to be handed over on Thursday, still to come.
There is now a standoff over the release of more than 600 Palestinians, which Israel has delayed, accusing Hamas of breaching the agreement by making a public show of the handover of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Hamas official Basem Naim said progress could not be made while the prisoners were still being held but that Hamas was committed to a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Haskel said she hoped a solution would be found to secure the handover of the final four in the next few days.
WITKOFF DUE IN ISRAEL
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy, is expected in Israel on Wednesday to continue discussions on the second stage, opening the way to a final end to the war in Gaza.
Negotiations over the second phase, intended to secure the release of the remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, had been meant to start this month, 16 days after the start of the truce.
Qatar’s prime minister flew to Florida on Feb. 6 and met Witkoff to discuss the “full implementation” of phase one and “to kick-start negotiations for the second phase,” according to an official briefed on the talks.
But officials in the ceasefire process say that so far none of the principal negotiators have met face to face since the first phase was agreed last month and there is little clarity on options for the “day after.”
“This is the day after Gaza, after the war in Gaza and what’s going to happen there, and so we are continuing that channel with the Americans,” Haskel said.
The fighting in Gaza was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which Israel said about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken as hostages back to Gaza.
Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
Israel has said Hamas cannot have any role in the future running of Gaza and has rejected a role for the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas has said it will not necessarily demand that it remain in charge of the enclave, which it has governed since 2007, but that it must be consulted.
Arab states, which are likely to have to shoulder much of the financial burden of rebuilding devastated Gaza, have been struggling to come up with a proposal of their own but are expected to demand a role for the Palestinian Authority.
Uncertainty increased after Trump proposed moving all the Palestinians out of Gaza to make way for a US waterfront development project, a plan that was endorsed by the Israeli cabinet but rejected by Arab states and Palestinians.
The post Israel Looks to Extend Phase One of Gaza Truce as Long-Term Deal Proves Elusive first appeared on Algemeiner.com.