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Should Israel attempt to save hostages by force, despite Hamas threats?

WATCH: “Jerusalem Minute” with Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten, Ep. 71

The Israel Defense Forces have located and returned the bodies of three hostages—Judy Weinstein-Chagai, Gadi Chagai and Thai worker Natapang Pinta—who were murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. In parallel, Hamas escalated its psychological warfare, threatening to execute 25-year-old Matan Zangalkar, a living hostage believed to be held in Gaza, if Israel launched a rescue operation.

JNS CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief Alex Traiman, and Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten dissect the IDF’s intelligence breakthroughs, the calculated cruelty of Hamas’s threats, and the impossible decisions facing Israeli commanders as they balance rescue efforts with operational risks.

Also on this episode, Traiman and Hasten report on the tragic deaths of four IDF soldiers killed in a Hamas-triggered building collapse in southern Gaza. The story underscores the danger Israeli troops face navigating a battlefield laced with booby-trapped homes, tunnels, mosques and hospitals—each building its own war zone in a prolonged, methodical campaign.

The show also takes aim at Piers Morgan, after British barrister Natasha Hausdorff was repeatedly shouted down on his show while defending Israel’s right to self-defense and exposing Hamas war crimes. Traiman calls out the media’s complicity in amplifying Hamas propaganda and examines Morgan’s long history of anti-Israel editorial bias.

Other major stories covered include President Donald Trump’s sanctions on four ICC judges targeting Israel and U.S. officials, escalating coalition tensions over the Haredi draft exemption bill, reports that Israel may be arming anti-Hamas militias in Gaza, and new moves toward applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

The hosts also sound the alarm on rising antisemitic violence in the United States, with recent attacks in Washington, D.C., and Boulder prompting federal terror warnings.

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Alex Traiman is the CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) and host of “Jerusalem Minute.” A seasoned Israeli journalist, documentary filmmaker and startup consultant, he is an expert on Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations. He has interviewed top political figures, including Israeli leaders, U.S. senators and national security officials with insights featured on major networks like BBC, Bloomberg, CBS, NBC, Fox and Newsmax. A former NCAA champion fencer and Yeshiva University Sports Hall of Fame member, he made aliyah in 2004, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children.
Josh Hasten is a Middle East correspondent for JNS. He is co-host of the JNS podcast “Jerusalem Minute,” as well as the host of the JNS podcast “Judeacation.” He also hosts the weekly radio program “Israel Uncensored” on “The Land of Israel Radio Network.” An award-winning freelance journalist, he writes regularly for JNS and other publications. He is also a sought-after guest for television and radio interviews on current events in Israel, having appeared on CNN, BBC, Sky News, Fox, APTV, WABC, ILTV, i24News, and many others.
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