In response to Hamas rejecting all proposals to release the remaining 59 hostages, including 24 assumed alive, the Israeli Defense Forces have resumed attacks on terrorist leaders in the Gaza Strip. Hamas continues its hostile activities throughout the ceasefire—abusing hostages, waging psychological warfare against Israelis, stealing humanitarian aid, launching rockets and killing its own citizens.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said that “Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire, but instead chose refusal and war.”
Israel recently increased pressure against Hamas to force the terrorists to change course. The Israeli government stated that it will now “act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” until Hamas is defeated and the remaining hostages return home. The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman advised Palestinian civilians to avoid “dangerous combat zones,” mostly along Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt.
Hamas terrorists have not changed their tactics
Despite the devastating consequences of their actions, Hamas terrorists show no indication of altering their tactics. Recently released hostage, Tal Shoham, warned that “Hamas never stopped digging tunnels—not for a single day.”
His captors were responsible for the digging. The Hamas tunnel network is estimated to be up to 450 miles—nearly twice as long as the New York City subway system—at $600,000 per mile.
Tal was severely malnourished in captivity: “My legs turned blue, yellow and purple with internal bleeding after developing a severe infection.” New Jersey’s Edan Alexander, 21, is the remaining living American hostage in captivity. Edan reportedly has been “severely interrogated and tortured.”
Hamas killed 45 Americans on Oct. 7 and the bodies of four of them remain in the hands of Hamas.
New details emerge about the Oct. 7 attacks and future plans
A new report based on confidential Hamas documents revealed a plot designed by Hamas to destroy Israel. Gaza’s former Hamas senior leader, Yahya Sinwar, “reached a joint defense agreement with Iran and Hezbollah in preparation for the war against Israel and preparing a practical plan to be executed in an attack on the enemy from all fronts.”
Three different military attack scenarios were considered. Hamas believed that it was capable of destroying Israel with Iranian funding and the help of its terror network. Hamas wanted to carry out its attack on a Jewish holiday, preferably Passover. Instead, its assault was on the Simchat Torah holiday.
The report concluded: “If Hamas recovers and receives support from Iran, it is possible that it could once again try to destroy Israel.”
Seven family members of Israeli citizen Shaked Haran were kidnapped on Oct. 7, and three were killed.
She recently described how Hamas terrorists intentionally targeted peace activists: “On Oct. 4, my mother, aunt and neighbors from Kibbutz Be’eri were at an Israeli and Palestinian peace event with thousands of other women. On Oct. 7, we know the terrorists knew the houses of the peace activists and had a list of their names. They went house to house and murdered them. Hamas terrorists, while holding her hostage, told my mother that everyone who was fighting for peace is actually fighting against Hamas. They told her to go back to Florida or Germany.”
Iran’s tentacles of terror: Renewed violence against US, Israel
The Iranian regime’s support for proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen, proves its calculated commitment to violence and chaos. Funding, weapons and training by the Islamic Republic enable these groups to carry out devastating attacks, including attacks against U.S.-flagged merchant ships and the horrific massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on US economy and military
Houthi rebels have escalated their campaign against American interests, directly targeting U.S. commercial shipping and military assets. They have attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. These attacks are concentrated in the crucial Red Sea region.
It is a strategically vital and narrow maritime corridor connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. This area has become a focal point of Iranian-fueled aggression.
U.S. President Donald Trump used social media to condemn the Houthis for their “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism” and highlighted the “BILLIONS of dollars” of economic damage and risk to civilians. He asserted that “no terrorist force will stop the freedom of American commercial and naval vessels.”
Trump warned the Houthis and Iran that the attacks must immediately stop or America will hold them “fully accountable” for threatening Americans.
The president’s post came with an announcement of U.S. airstrikes against Houthi terrorists and infrastructure. The expanded operation is seen as sending a message to Iran for its support. The Houthis recently claimed multiple attacks targeting U.S. Navy vessels. The United States and the United Kingdom previously launched coordinated strikes against Houthi targets to protect maritime security.
The rerouting of commercial ships away from the Suez Canal increases freight rates and adds weeks to transit time, significantly delaying the delivery of goods to American consumers. A U.S.-flagged commercial ship has not safely sailed through the Suez Canal in more than a year.
Container-vessel counts through the Suez dropped from about 500 to 100 per month. Some 65 countries have been affected, and at least 29 major energy and shipping companies have altered their paths. Ships opted for longer, more expensive routes, including 60% of E.U.-affiliated vessels, around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
The Iranian regime provides the Houthis with funding, advanced weaponry and military training. This support is crucial to disrupting maritime traffic and threatening regional stability. Their rhetoric reflects Iranian influence, including repeated calls for the destruction of America and Israel. Now, Israel faces renewed threats from the Houthis with the Israeli Air Force on high alert for the potential resumption of missile and drone attacks.
Points to consider:
- Hamas can end its war at any time by returning the hostages and surrendering.
The war can end immediately if Hamas releases all hostages and lays down its arms. The Hamas charter explicitly calls for the genocide of all Jews, revealing the group’s true, Iranian-backed agenda: the annihilation of Israel. Hamas leaders continue to cynically use their own civilians to protect their fighters, weapons depots and underground infrastructure. This barbaric tactic highlights the terror group’s disregard for human life, including Palestinians, the very people Hamas claims to represent. Every day that the war continues, Hamas chooses violence over peace for Palestinians and Israelis. International leaders must demand the immediate release of all hostages and the unconditional surrender of Hamas.
- The world should remember the Oct. 7 atrocities and the current hostages.
The devastating massacre of 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and the ongoing suffering of hostages are etched into the memories of Israelis, Jews and all decent people; it was the worst attack against Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas still holds 24 living hostages in deplorable conditions and 35 bodies—a daily reminder of the terror group’s cruelty and the urgency for their release. We must remember the brutal and deliberate targeting of innocent Israelis, which is crucial to understanding the true nature of Hamas. To forget is to risk repeating the same mistakes. We must honor the victims by ensuring that the perpetrators are held accountable and stand united against those who glorify violence and spread terror around the world.
- Iran fuels a global terror network that needs to be destroyed.
Iran-backed terrorist groups, including Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen, demonstrate their influence in destabilizing the world. The Iranian regime is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. It funds, arms and trains its proxy groups to attack Americans and Israelis. This support empowers terrorists to inflict devastating attacks, spreading fear, chaos and death, and leaving a trail of innocent victims in their wake. This relentless campaign of terror demands a unified response to hold Iran accountable and dismantle its network of destruction.
- Iran directs attacks against American security interests.
The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea pose a direct threat to American security interests, endangering U.S. military personnel and disrupting the flow of vital goods. This act of unnecessary aggression highlights the group’s willingness to sow chaos and instability. This situation demands a strong response to ensure the safety of international maritime commerce. The Houthis—funded, armed and trained by Iran—are a proxy for Iranian aggression. Their attacks on U.S. Navy vessels and commercial shipping demonstrate a clear intent to undermine American security and disrupt worldwide trade.