Each day that goes by is a day that Hamas has to reconstitute itself and assert control.
Palestinian terrorists stand
guard on the day that hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7,
2023 attack, are handed over to the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC), as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal
between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Str(photo credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
As Hamas continues to re-assert itself in Gaza it is showing that it can organize itself again.
This is important because it was unclear when the war ended whether Hamas would return quickly to control Gaza or whether the area would become chaotic. What has been seen so far is evidence that Hamas is still well-organized.
This
means that the clock is ticking in Gaza. Each day that goes by is a day
that Hamas has to reconstitute itself and assert control.
Hamas uses various methods to do this. It uses executions as well as other forms of mafia-like coercion.
Every day brings more evidence of this through videos and accounts from Gaza. For instance, videos show Hamas murdering dissidents and also calling people in for interrogations.
Palestinian
terrorists stand guard on the day that hostages held in Gaza since the
deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are handed over to the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as part of a ceasefire and
hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis,
southern Gaza Str (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)There
appears to be little evidence that people are resisting Hamas rule. In
fact, they appear resigned to it. They appear to accept that this is
what will happen in the future. However, they do not appear to be
celebrating either.
This
is important because it illustrates that Hamas is neither able to
galvanize major street demonstrations in its favor nor push people into
defiance.
Uncertainty among Palestinians in Gaza
Gaza
is a society of around 2 million people. Around half are under age 18.
It is a young society, and most of the people have been displaced
several times during the war. Many are traumatized. They may wonder
whether peace will return. This uncertainty hangs over Gaza.
The international community is now exploring how to fulfill aspects of the Trump plan.
This
third week in October will be crucial. Hamas is expected to hand over
more bodies of hostages. If it continues to appear sincere it will get
more time on the clock.
The ‘Palestine Contingent’ is mobilizing inside a network of 265 groups organizing the protests
New York City organizers embedded in the global
intifada to destroy the state of Israel moved Friday to join the
controversial "No Kings" protests planned for today, despite the peace
deal reached between Israel and Hamas.
"UAW
Labor for Palestine" and "NYC Labor for Palestine" quietly posted a
call-to-action for the "Palestine Labor Solidarity Contingent" to meet
Saturday at 11 a.m. at Duarte Square at the corner of Grand Street and
Canal Street in midtown Manhattan and then flow into the #NoKings
protests planned to protest President Donald Trump.
They’re not
alone. Around the country, anti-Israel blocs are slotting themselves
into the "No Kings" protests as a "Palestine Contingent" and "Socialist
Contingent," positioning their messages "front and center," as Seattle
activists put it, "from Providence to Palestine."
Washington,
Aug. 16 — Protesters gathered in Dupont Circle and marched to the White
House to oppose President Donald Trump’s federalization of the
Washington police department and the deployment of federal agencies and
the National Guard. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)(Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)
The
alignment underscores a strategic pivot in the global intifada’s next
phase, experts say, carrying the anti-Israel message into any
high-energy civic protest, even after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire by
linking "Free Palestine" to domestic fights like ICE, police and
"fascism."
Billionaire donor George Soros is reportedly funding many
of the organizations leading the "No Kings" protests, like Indivisible,
whose co-founders, Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, received a $3 million
two-year grant last year from Soros’s Open Society Foundations for
"social welfare activities." Details about the "Palestine Contingent"
weaving into the "No Kings" protests raises new questions about the way
big Democratic donors like Soros are funneling nonprofit dollars into a
professional protest industry that is fractious, divisive and partisan,
potentially in violation of tax and nonprofit laws.
Anti-Israel protesters demonstrate in NYC on Oct. 5, 2024, ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.(Adam Gray for Fox News Digital)
Behind
the emotion and patriotic imagery of the protests, a Fox News Digital
investigation revealed that the movement’s polished "pro-democracy"
branding masks a coordinated network of Democratic tax-exempt nonprofits
and labor unions, political action committees, coalitions and
for-profit protest consultants that include some of the most virulent
activists against Israel, including self-declared socialist groups like
the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America
and Students for a Democratic Society.
According to a public database
of the protest’s organizers, compiled by the Pearl Project, a
journalism initiative, the protest’s "partners" include 265 mostly
nonprofit organizations, including some anti-Israel groups, like Jewish
Voice for Peace, exploiting their nonprofit benefits to wage a political
war against the sitting president. Their nonprofit status shields them
from paying taxes on most of their total annual revenues of $2.9
billion, even while they engage in partisan work they aren’t supposed to
be doing. Critics say they are allegedly skirting, if not violating,
tax and nonprofit laws. Event organizers didn’t return requests for
comment.
"They call it ‘No Kings,’ but what they’ve built is an
empire of tax-exempt organizations doing the Democratic Party’s work on
the taxpayer’s dime," said Jennica Pounds, a computer scientist who runs
a platform, DataRepublican.com,
following the money on these organizations. "They are using every
excuse in the book, from immigration to Israel, to rage-bait America.
There is nothing ‘charitable’ about their professional protest
enterprise, and they should be investigated for fomenting so much hate
in America behind the shield of ‘charity work.’"
People
march during a "No Kings" movement protest in Los Angeles, California,
on June 14, amid ongoing demonstrations against a series of federal
immigration raids.(David McNew/Getty Images)
Already,
Trump has said that he has directed the Justice Department to
investigate possible violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations Act (RICO).
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has opened an investigation that follows
the money to anti-Israel groups, including some of the groups who will
be bringing their protest signs to the "No Kings" demonstrations.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, "The Trump administration and the Republican Congress are committed to countering this network of left-wing violence."
Last
week, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the protests a "hate America
rally." Indeed, on June 14, at the "No Kings" protest in Philadelphia,
activists from the "Palestinian Contingent," including activists from
the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Democratic Socialists of
America, hissed as a woman sang the national anthem.
"Booooo!
Boooooo!" they yelled, covering their faces in keffiyehs, carrying
Palestinian flags and heckling bystanders, "Zionist!"
Pro-Palestine
protestors wave flags throughout midtown Manhattan in New York City on
Friday, November 17, 2023. The demonstrators marched through the city to
demand a ceasefire from Israeli troops within Gaza.(Stephen Yang for Fox News Digital)
While organizers insist the movement transcends party lines, its structure tells a different story.
"They
call it ‘No Kings,’ but what they’ve built is an empire of tax-exempt
organizations doing the Democratic Party’s work on the taxpayer’s dime."
— Jennica Pounds, of DataRepublican.com
The
motto of Field Team 6, another political action committee, is "Register
Democrats. Save the World." However, those PACs are just one layer of a
much larger partisan infrastructure.
About
one-third, or 79 groups, behind the "No Kings" protests hold 501(c)(3)
status, meaning their donors receive tax deductions while the groups
face strict restrictions to do "charitable" work, not political work.
They are supposed to be nonpartisan. Yet most have clearly stated
political agendas.
On its donation page,
one of the protest partners, "Build the Resistance," states a partisan
mission to "fight against autocracy, fascism, and donald [sic]."
Donations go to Oil and Gas Action Network, a 501(c)(3) that reported
$1.9 million in revenues in its last tax filing.
Another 100 are
501(c)(4) political nonprofits that may do limited lobbying but still
cannot devote themselves primarily to political work. Meanwhile, 24 are
501(c)(5) labor union nonprofits, like the labor unions marching against
Israel in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, that also have
limits on the amount of political work they can do.
"No Kings" protests against the Trump administration are expected to be held in cities nationwide on Oct. 18, 2025. (Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)
It’s clear that the protests are all about politics. The protest’s own internal online "toolkit"
mentions Trump 12 times and describes the mobilization explicitly as a
direct stand against "the Trump administration," "Trump and his
enablers," "President Trump’s authoritarian takeover" in a
partisan-centered campaign.
In Rhode Island, the "Free Palestine
Contingent" activists will march "FROM PROVIDENCE TO PALESTINE" to
"FIGHT FASCISM! FIGHT GENOCIDE." It connects the battles against ICE law
enforcement officers and the battles of Palestinians, noting, "Military
occupations and ICE violence are wreaking havoc in Black and brown
communities in D.C., L.A., Chicago — and here in Providence. On the
streets of U.S. cities, the same weapons and surveillance technologies
the Israeli military has used to devastate Gaza are being used in
escalated ways against us. What we allow fascists to do in Palestine,
they will do to the entire world — and it is our duty to resist them and
fight for a free Palestine.
In northern California, activists at "Bay Area Labor 4 Palestine" and Service Employees International Union Local 1021 announcedyesterday,
"The fight for a liberated Palestine is not over and cannot be
ignored," over a graphic for the "No Kings" protest. They instructed
followers to "Bring flags, signs, keffiyehs and art" to the "No Kings"
march in Oakland, Calif., at Wilma Chan Park off Jackson Street.
In
New York City, the "Palestine Labor Solidarity Contingent" said its
message would be very specific: "STOP ARMING ISRAEL! FUND OUR
COMMUNITIES, NOT GENOCIDE & OCCUPATION! END ICE, MILITARY &
POLICE TERROR…HANDS OF VENEZUELA!"
People march in the "No Kings" protest along Fifth Avenue on June 14, 2025, in New York, New York. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Across
the country, in Washington state, activists from "Seattle Against War"
yesterday celebrated local organizers adding an anti-Israel activist,
Tariq Ra’ouf, to the official #NoKings speaker lineup, noting it will be a "great opportunity for us to support the demands of Palestinians from the belly of the beast!"
The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s local chapter in Syracuse, N.Y., posteda
similar poster with the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of
America, which has Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as its
political candidate in New York City.
In Charlotte, N.C., the local chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation put out a call
to members to assemble at 10 a.m. tomorrow for the local #NoKings
protest at First Ward Park: "JOIN THE PALESTINE CONTINGENT @ THE ‘NO
KINGS’ RALLY…MEET AT THE PLAYGROUND."
Pro-Palestine
protestors wave flags as they arrive in Manhattan after marching across
the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Saturday, December 19, 2023.
Demonstrators began at the Brooklyn Museum, walking to midtown Manhattan
to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.(Stephen Yang for Fox News Digital.)
With
local partners, including the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish Voice for
Peace, activists at the Party for Socialism and Liberation noted that,
post-ceasefire, they will "continue to fight for a free Palestine." Some
of the groups in the Palestine Contingent are part of the wider network
of publicly acknowledged partners of the protests, like 50501.
In Eugene, Ore., activists with the Party for Socialism and Liberation are rallying members to
meet the "Socialist Contingent" at the corner of Mill Road and Eighth
Avenue to "march for a free Palestine" and get ICE officers "OUT of our
communities."
In Portland, a local Palestinian American activist
announced, "The Nakba Is Still Not Over!" in a reference to the
"humiliation" over the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. She
summoned activists to the "No Kings" protests: "‼️SHOW UP FOR
PALESTINE‼️"
On Friday, a group of activists gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for a rally to kick off the "No Kings" protests
"No Kings" protests against President Trump and his administration are underway in major cities across the country on Saturday.
The first "No Kings" demonstrations occurred in June.
On Friday, a group of activists gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to kick off the "No Kings" protests.
Some activists from "Free Speech For People" were dressed as Vice
President JD Vance, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem,
President Donald Trump, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen
Miller, according to Getty Images photos.
Others held signs with messages like, "No Kings in America" and "Democracy, not Dynasty."
Sadly, Europe appears to be pursuing the worst lessons of appeasement: the dangerous illusion is that you can temper a ravenous aggressor by conciliation, weakness and generosity.
Once again, Europe seems to
have slipped into a dangerous fantasy: that engaging in polite
diplomatic parleys with promises of sugar plums will tame Iran's
rapacious ambitions.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (E3), acting as the
European Troika, declared their intention to revive the long-stalled
nuclear negotiations with Iran.
At the core of the E3's plan lies the deeply flawed assumption
that Iran can be wooed into restraint through incremental "incentives."
These generally consist of easing financial pressure, lifting trade
restrictions, or delaying multilateral sanctions in exchange for
ephemeral commitments.
Sadly, Europe appears to be pursuing the worst lessons of
appeasement: the dangerous illusion is that you can temper a ravenous
aggressor by conciliation, weakness and generosity. The aggressor
immediately sees that the best route for him is to demand more. The
cycle becomes self-reinforcing.
By treating the Iranian regime as a legitimate negotiating
partner — and by discounting the moral and strategic gulf that separates
it from liberal democracies — Europe is bankrolling the terrorism
industry.
President Donald J. Trump's current posture — doubling down on
sanctions, refusing immediate diplomacy until leverage is secured —
should jolt Europe out of its passivity.
The European Troika's charade must stop. Anything less just prolongs the threat.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have declared their
intention to revive the long-stalled nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Once again, Europe seems to have slipped into a dangerous fantasy: that
engaging in polite diplomatic parleys with promises of sugar plums will
tame Iran's rapacious ambitions. Pictured: A Fattah hypersonic ballistic
missile is displayed during the annual military parade in Tehran, on
September 22, 2023. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
Once again, Europe seems to have slipped
into a dangerous fantasy: that engaging in polite diplomatic parleys
with promises of sugar plums will tame Iran's rapacious ambitions.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (E3), acting as the European Troika, declared their intention to revive the long-stalled nuclear negotiations with Iran. In a joint statement, they pledged to "reopen a path toward a comprehensive, lasting, and verifiable agreement."
This is the same play we have seen before: bold headlines, carefully
phrased commitments, and the faint hope that seduction can substitute
for strength. Unfortunately, these gestures always carry a hidden cost.
Once the diplomatic machinery is set in motion, we soon hear about
sanctions relief, softening of UN mandates, and felicitous loopholes to
reintegrate the Iranian regime into global markets. What begins as
promise too often ends as reward for terrible behavior and a prelude to
even more.
At the core of the E3's plan lies the deeply flawed assumption that
Iran can be wooed into restraint through incremental "incentives." These
generally consist of easing financial pressure, lifting trade
restrictions, or delaying multilateral sanctions in exchange for
ephemeral commitments. That path amounts to legitimizing the regime by
granting it breathing room, access to resources, and a veneer of
normalcy it does not merit.
When European officials talk about reopening
"verifiable" safeguards or restoring frozen assets, they always seem to
forget who is sitting across the table. The Iranian regime executes
dissidents, imprisons journalists, traffics in terrorism, and crushes
not only women's rights but also any protests against this abuse. The
Iranian regime is not a pitiable, misunderstood actor in need of trust,
but a malignant force that uses every opening to expand its power.
Europe's diplomatic overtures risk becoming a balm for that evil — not a
deterrent.
If the EU persists in re-embarking on this flawed strategy, it is
important to ask: Will these feckless Western negotiators ever
internalize the lessons of history? The 2015 JCPOA "nuclear deal" was
hardly an abstraction — it is the blueprint for what happens when a
regime gets the keys to its own treasury.
Under that deal, Iran received billions in sanctions relief, which it promptly diverted
to its regional militias and proxy networks. Iran bolstered Hezbollah,
sharpened its militias in Iraq and Syria, and channeled arms to Hamas.
Those are the forces that play a central role in destabilizing the
region.
President Barack Obama's and President Joe Biden's windfalls only
empowered the networks that produced the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre.
Are European leaders so eager to believe that Iran will behave
differently this time? Or are they so eager for money, photo-ops and
short-term press releases from Iran that they do not care?
The ghosts of the 1930s should haunt any serious diplomat — when
appeasement toward Nazi Germany only propelled Hitler further. Sadly,
Europe appears to be pursuing the worst lessons of appeasement: the
dangerous illusion is that you can temper a ravenous aggressor by
conciliation, weakness and generosity. The aggressor immediately sees
that the best route for him is to demand more. The cycle becomes
self-reinforcing.
The strategy is familiar: in every case, the aggressor uses any
breathing space to strengthen his hand. By treating the Iranian regime
as a legitimate negotiating partner — and by discounting the moral and
strategic gulf that separates it from liberal democracies — Europe is
bankrolling the terrorism industry.
Instead, Europe needs to deepen financial sanctions on Iran, choke
off its energy revenue flows, crack down on its banking access, and
tighten restrictions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and
its global networks.
Iran's economy is currently under severe pressure, and internal
dissatisfaction simmers. The regime is reeling. This is when the West
should increase pressure, not suggest soft diplomacy
and friendly talks. It would be a gift to the people of Iran to
pressure the regime until the threats of nuclear weapons and ballistic
missiles disappear entirely or until the regime decides to surrender
power.
Cut Iran's oil exports. Cut its diplomatic cover. Reduce its ability
to spread terrorism. Do not grant it breathing room. The goal should be
total dismantlement of all of Iran's nuclear capabilities — not a
face-saving compromise that allows it to persist in its malign path,
just under new rules that it will not adhere to anyway.
President Donald J. Trump's current posture — doubling down on
sanctions, refusing immediate diplomacy until leverage is secured —
should jolt Europe out of its passivity. His leadership has shown that
pressure can be maintained.
Europe nevertheless seems intent on returning
to its old script: talk first, pressure later – if ever. The pattern is
always the same: Crisis, offers to negotiate, pressure is lifted, the
regime reconstitutes, next crisis. If Europe cannot break this cycle, it
will forever play the fool. The only way to end this game is to finish
it once and for all. If the EU cannot summon the will to be strong when
the regime is weak, then it is causing the next act of aggression.
European leaders, stop treating Iran's regime as if it were a
partner. Stop giving it diplomatic cover. No further bailouts. No
symbolic talks. No concessions. More pressure.
The European Troika's charade must stop. Anything less just prolongs the threat.
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a political scientist,
Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International
Review. He has authored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
Turkey, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan are expected, alongside Egypt, to be the main contributors of troops inside the Gaza Strip, the Guardian reported.
Military personnel prepares
humanitarian aid packages for Gaza before they are loaded into an
aircraft, at a military airport in Cairo, Egypt, July 30, 2025.(photo credit: Egyptian Ministry of Defense/Handout via REUTERS)
Egypt is expected to lead the international stabilization force within Gaza, the Guardian reported on Saturday, citing diplomats familiar with the matter.
This
comes as a European and US-backed UN Security Council motion works to
prep the international force to be robust enough to control Gaza’s security.
Turkey, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan are expected, alongside Egypt, to be the main contributors of troops inside the Gaza Strip. Cairo is being consulted on whether or not the operation should be fully UN-led.
Palestinians
gather near a site where searches are underway for the bodies of
hostages killed after being seized by Hamas during the October 7, 2023
attack, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis,
southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2025. (credit: Stringer/Reuters)
Egypt could lead Gaza stabilization force
European
and US troops are not expected to be involved on the ground. However,
the UK has sent advisers to the US advisory cell in southern Israel.
The Guardian
reported that the US’s plan for the Palestinian enclave would mirror
that of peacekeeping forces in Haiti. The US reportedly wishes for UN
backing without a full UN armed force.
The UK is pushing for the final outcome to be a Palestinian state, which must eventually include East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and act as a single entity.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it is still committed to the path of diplomacy amid expiration of 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement.
Remnants
of an Iranian ballistic missile fired at Israel on Oct. 1. 2024 being
removed by the IDF and Israeli authorities. Credit: IDF.
The 10-year nuclear deal between Iran and
world powers expired on Saturday, with Tehran announcing it is no longer
bound by the 2015 agreement.
From now on, “all of the [2015 deal]
provisions, including the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program
and the related mechanisms, are considered terminated,” Iran’s foreign
ministry said in a statement, adding, however, that the Islamic Republic
remains committed to diplomacy, AFP reported.
Under the deal, officially known as the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), financial sanctions on Iran
were lifted in return for limitations on its nuclear program.
The termination of the deal comes on the
backdrop of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, which targeted the
country’s nuclear sites as well as a host of nuclear scientists. The
U.S. joined Israel’s campaign against Tehran, bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on June 21.
Since the war’s conclusion, Iran has
refused to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog.
This prompted the United Nations, led by Britain, France and Germany, to on Sept. 27 reimpose international sanctions on Iran
under the “snapback” mechanism built into the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal.
The mechanism restored restrictions on arms transfers, missile
technology and sensitive financial dealings.
Before the war in June, the IAEA announced
for the first time in nearly two decades that Iran was in violation of
its nonproliferation commitments.
This move paved the way to reimpose the international sanctions on Iran.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi said that Tehran did “not see any reason to negotiate” with
European powers, given that they had triggered the snapback mechanism.
Iran was expected to issue a statement on the expiration of the JCPOA later on Saturday, at the U.N. in New York.
“He was known for his great love of animals, nature and the kibbutz,” Nir Oz said of the 75-year-old, murdered on Oct. 7, 2023.
Eliyahu
“Churchill” Margalit was murdered on Oct. 7, 2023. His body was
retrieved from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 18, 2025, as part of the ceasefire
between Israel and Hamas. Credit: Courtesy.
Hamas in Gaza handed over the remains of
Eliyahu Margalit, known by his nickname “Churchill,” to Israel
overnight, as part of the ceasefire deal.
Margalit, 75, was murdered in Kibbutz Nir
Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led invasion of the northwestern
Negev. He had gone out at 7 a.m. to feed his horses at the kibbutz’
stable, after which blood stains were found, broadcaster Channel 12 reported.
His body, as well as the horses, was taken to the Gaza Strip.
His daughter Nili Margalit,
40, was abducted alive by Gazan “civilians,” and was released on Nov.
30, 2023, during the first hostage-terrorist swap agreement of the
Swords of Iron war.
Eighteen bodies of hostages remain in the Gaza Strip, including the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, held in the Strip since 2014.
Margalit “was 75 at the time of his death
and is survived by his wife, three children and grandchildren,” the
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
The Margalit family said: “We announce
with deep sorrow the return of our beloved, Eli (Churchill) Margalit,
home—742 days after he was murdered and abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz. We
thank the people of Israel for their support throughout the long
struggle to bring him back, and we promise that we will not stop and
will not rest until the last of the hostages is brought back for burial
in Israel.”
Nir Oz issued a statement as well, saying
that Margalit was married to Daphna, father to Noa, Dani, and Nili, and
grandfather to three.
“He was known for his great love of
animals, nature and the kibbutz, and for many years he managed the
cattle branch with diligence and devotion. He especially loved his
horses and taught generations of kibbutz children to ride. Over the
years, he often went riding with his friends—with whom he had ridden for
over 50 years in the Southern Riders group—on horseback trips across
the landscapes of Israel and around the world,” the kibbutz said.
“On the morning of Oct. 7, he left the
shelter in his home to check on his mares, where he was murdered by
evildoers and abducted to Gaza. We will always remember him as a
kind-hearted man whose life was filled with family, the kibbutz, nature
and animals,” the statement added.
The Prime Minister’s Office said that the
government shared the deep sorrow of the Margalit family and “of all the
families of the murdered hostages.”
On Friday, Channel 12 reported
that Hamas claimed it had retrieved the all the bodies it could reach.
An Israeli government source, however, was cited as saying that the
terrorist organization could recover an additional “double-digit” number
of hostages’ remains.
An international force composed of
American, Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari personnel was slated to enter the
Strip to begin locating the whereabouts of the remaining bodies on the
basis of Israeli intelligence, broadcaster Channel 13 reported on Thursday.
The ceasefire came into effect on Oct. 10, potentially ending the war two years and four days after it began.
The first reactors could be constructed within five years. Once completed, the project could supply power to Texas’ grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
(The Center Square) -
Entrepreneurs working with Texas
universities are playing a key role in bringing nuclear energy to the
Texas grid. Multiple projects are underway on several campuses,
including at Abilene Christian University, Texas A&M’s RELLIS campus
and the University of Texas-Austin and San Antonio.
A first Gen IV nuclear reactor will soon be operational on the ACU
campus, making ACU the first in the country where nuclear energy will be
produced.
Natura Resources is on track to deploy the first Gen IV nuclear
reactor next year on the ACU campus. Its MSR-1 is the only liquid-fuel
reactor design licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It’s
also only one of two Gen IV advanced nuclear reactor technologies
cleared for construction by the NRC.
“We are leading the race to deploy the country’s first Gen IV nuclear
reactor. With an NRC construction license, a completed reactor
facility, a fuel commitment from the Department of Energy, support from
the State of Texas, and our technology partners in place, we are on
track for deployment of our MSR-1 reactor in 2026,” Natura Resources
Founder and CEO Doug Robison said.
The DOE’s Idaho National Lab timeline for advanced reactor
deployments projects Natura’s MSR-1 will be the first Gen IV reactor
deployment in the U.S.
The MSR-1/MSR-100 is a cutting-edge small modular reactor (SMR),
which uses liquid fuel dissolved in a molten salt mixture, operates at
high temperature and low pressure to enhance safety and efficiency, uses
several fuel types, and produces far less waste than conventional
nuclear reactor designs, the company says.
The state legislature allocated $120 million to support the MSR-1 ACU
project; Natura has secured $120 million in equity capital, it says.
The System has been collaborating with Natura Resources for five years
to develop the Natura MSR-1 demonstration system.
The Texas A&M University System is also advancing SMR production.
It has offered land to four nuclear reactor companies to build SMRs.
Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics are
collaborating with the System through its Energy Proving Ground project.
They plan to develop commercial-ready technologies and test prototypes
on the 2,400-acre technology and innovation RELLIS campus
in Bryan, Texas. The RELLIS site is projected to accommodate multiple
SMRs with a combined electrical output of more than one gigawatt.
The first reactors could be constructed within five years. Once
completed, the project could supply power to Texas’ grid managed by the
Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Kairos Power could bring one or more commercial deployments to the site, the A&M System said.
Terrestrial Energy plans to develop Integral Molten Salt Reactor
technology through the project. Aalo Atomics could build up to six Aalo
Pods at the site, it says.
System officials have streamlined the regulatory process to allow the
companies to quickly get their reactors operational and have already
begun the NRC application process to develop commercial electrical and
thermal power generation facilities.
“The agreements that the Texas A&M System has with Kairos,
Natura, Terrestrial and Aalo are going to change the energy landscape
for the whole country,” Joe Elabd, vice chancellor for research at the
Texas A&M System, said. “The Energy Proving Ground will allow these
companies to safely test their SMRs and set the stage for deploying
small nuclear reactors across the country.”
Texas has a three- to five-year window to fill more than 10,000
advanced nuclear jobs for new nuclear power projects being developed
statewide, UT’s Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program explains.
“This demand for talent – concentrated in construction trades, nuclear
technicians, operational staff, and four-year technical graduates – far
exceeds the capacity of current in-state education and training
pipelines and requires years to develop,” it says in its new report,
“Cultivating Homegrown Nuclear Talent in Texas.”
“Without targeted interventions, workforce constraints will become a
bottleneck for deployment timelines and economic opportunity. To meet
the speed and scale of the near-term demand for talent for these
projects,” it recommends that employers directly invest in nuclear
talent development; state agencies prioritize nuclear workforce
initiatives and educational institutions expand their resources and
programs.
Nuclear engineering and education programs have existed at Texas
higher education institutions for more than 50 years. Programs are also
expanding through high school STEM programs, homeschool and other
programs to educate students about nuclear science. As nuclear energy
expands in Texas so also will the need for skilled workers, which is why
companies are partnering with educational institutions, they explain.
According to CBS, stealth F-22 and F-35 tactical fighters escorted the B-2s into Iranian airspace. “We knew they were not alone, the performance was perfect."
A B-2 Spirit proceeds to an undisclosed location after flying a mission over Iraq, March 27, 2003.(photo credit: REUTERS/Cherie A. Thurlby/US Air Force)
Col. Josh Wiitala, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, is based out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home to roughly 20 B-2 stealth bombers. "I'll tell you, the biggest moment of my career, not just as a commander, is when I knew our guys were safe," he said.
"There's
a lot of long-range aircraft out there. There are numerous aircraft
that have a high payload. There are also other stealth aircraft out
there. But the only one that combines all three is the B-2," Wintala
added about the importance of his aircraft.
Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost of Global Strike Command, who received the order from US President Donald Trump
to carry out the strikes on Iran, said his “confidence was very high,”
even though the strikes were made against the most advanced military
adversary the B-2s have faced so far.
"Stealth
matters, and stealth matters even more today than it did when at its
inception," Armagost explained and added: "Stealth is many things. Its
shape, its materials, its tactics. And so, we protect our stealth
capabilities in a way, such that the advantages don't accumulate to
anyone else."
A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after
the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June
22, 2025. (credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION
EDITORS )
What else was used in the Fordow raid?
According to CBS, stealth F-22 and F-35 tactical fighters escorted the B-2s into Iranian airspace. “We knew they were not alone, the performance was perfect," Armagost said.
The
other main asset for this operation was a 30,000-pound bomb called the
Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), specifically designed to hit deep
underground targets.
Chief
Master Sgt. Frank Espinoza, in charge of the team that loaded 14 of
them into the bombers for the mission to Iran, said: "They all made it
happen. Yeah. Flawlessly. Any time we get the call, we're going to
deliver and we're not going to miss a step."
These -- regimes have always been on the side of the Muslim Brotherhood organization and several Islamist terror groups, including Islamic State (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah.
Inviting Qatar and Turkey to
play a role in the Gaza Strip means again bringing Iran in through the
back door. Both countries have strong relations and shared interests
with Iran.
In the time-honored tradition of Arab politeness, these countries
may well be telling Trump what he would like to hear -- secure in the
knowledge that in three years, he will be off their backs, unable to
pressure them anymore. Meanwhile, they will have positioned themselves
comfortably in Gaza, learned more about Israeli technology, and be free
to do as they like.
"Qatar and certainly Turkey must not have a foothold in Gaza
again. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Jordan hate Hamas and
are more concerned about the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Qatar is
the one that funded Hamas in the years leading up to October 7..." —
Unnamed senior Israel Defense Forces officer, YNET, October 12, 2025.
It is laughable -- and dangerous -- to assume that under their
current rulers, Qatar and Turkey, as well as Iran, would ever play a
positive and constructive role in ensuring peace and stability in the
Middle East. These three regimes have always been on the side of the
Muslim Brotherhood organization and several Islamist terror groups,
including Islamic State (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic
Jihad, and Hezbollah.
Qatar and Turkey are not interested in the reconstruction of the
Gaza Strip. Instead, they are interested, with the backing of Iran, in
rebuilding Hamas's military and civilian capabilities and ensuring that
the terror group, perhaps in some rebranded form, remains in power.
Qatar and Turkey are not interested in the reconstruction of
the Gaza Strip. Instead, they are interested, with the backing of Iran,
in rebuilding Hamas's military and civilian capabilities and ensuring
that the terror group, perhaps in some rebranded form, remains in power.
Pictured: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (right) honors then
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey on
January 3, 2012. (Photo credit by Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)
If Qatar and Turkey are permitted to play a major role in the
governance and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas
war, it would mean a return to the pre-October 7, 2023 era, which saw
the Iran-backed terror group fully controlling the coastal territory. In
addition to Iran, Qatar and Turkey have long been sponsoring and
funding Hamas and providing the terror group's leaders with shelter.
Inviting Qatar and Turkey to play a role in the Gaza Strip means
again bringing Iran in through the back door. Both countries have strong
relations and shared interests with Iran, which, according to reports, worked with Hamas to plan its October 7 invasion of Israel. Iran also reportedly gave the green light for the terror group to launch the assault during a meeting in Lebanon on October 2.
Despite the severe blow it was dealt as a result of the Israeli and
American airstrikes, there are no signs whatsoever that the Iranian
regime is ready to recognize Israel's right to exist, join the Abraham
Accords, and abandon its terror proxies in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Iraq
and Yemen.
"Amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, Qatar has aligned itself closer to Tehran," the Iran International media outlet reported in December 2024.
"This was evident during Iranian President Masoud
Pezeshkian's visit to Doha in October 2024. The two countries discussed
enhancing cooperation in economy, energy, culture, and education, with a
particular focus on resolving the $6 billion in Iranian assets frozen
in Qatar...
"Though Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Iran present their
partnership as a means to promote regional stability, their alliance is
rooted in political and strategic interests.
"The cooperation between Tehran and Doha is often framed in
idealistic terms but conceals a deeper agenda focused on power,
influence, and suppression."
Last year, Turkey signed 10 agreements with Iran for collaboration in
energy, free trade, and transportation during a visit to Ankara by
former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, according to Iran International.
"While the Islamic Republic [of Iran] emphasizes the
economic aspects of the relationship to improve morale at home, the
significance of Raisi's visit to Ankara lies in discussions on regional
security and stability..."
US President Donald J. Trump, despite excellent intentions, might
come to understand that the No. 1 priority for the Iranian and most Arab
regimes is to stay in power and protect the interests of their leaders.
In the time-honored tradition of Arab politeness, these countries may
well be telling Trump what he would like to hear -- secure in the
knowledge that in three years, he will be off their backs, unable to
pressure them anymore. Meanwhile, they will have positioned themselves
comfortably in Gaza, learned more about Israeli technology, and be free
to do as they like.
It is premature to assume that the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites is
a game-changer for the region. We have not yet seen the Iranian regime
talk about abandoning its plan to acquire nuclear weapons. Moreover, we
still have not seen any indication from other Arab countries, including
Saudi Arabia, that they are prepared, unconditionally, to join the
Abraham Accords.
Earlier this year, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Turkey of cooperating with Iranian attempts to smuggle weapons to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, saying:
"There is an intensified Iranian effort to smuggle money
into Lebanon for Hezbollah to restore its power and status. This effort
to being carried out, among other channels, via Turkey and with its
cooperation."
Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, "is one of Hamas's most important strategic allies," according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
"Turkey hosts senior Hamas figures, some of whom have
received Turkish citizenship, and provides political, diplomatic and
propaganda support, as well as economic and humanitarian assistance.
"Hamas has established one of its most important overseas centers in
Turkey, primarily operated by prisoners released in the Gilad Shalit
exchange deal of 2011. It uses Turkey to plan terrorist attacks and
transfer funds to finance terrorist activities inside Israel, in Judea,
Samaria and the Gaza Strip, and to raise and launder money in support of
its terrorist operations, including the October 7, 2023, attack and
massacre."
Alarmed by the talk about the growing role of Qatar and Turkey in the Gaza crisis, a senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer cautioned:
"Qatar and certainly Turkey must not have a foothold in
Gaza again. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Jordan hate Hamas
and are more concerned about the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Qatar
is the one that funded Hamas in the years leading up to October 7....
There is no guarantee that this money will be returned to the recovery
of the [Hamas] military wing, and not just to reconstruction projects in
Gaza.... The [Israeli] political echelon will have to convince Trump
that there is a difference between the Arab countries: Qatar and Turkey
are both Muslim Brotherhood members who support Hamas. The UAE and Egypt
hate Hamas."
Qatar has been a key financial supporter of Hamas, transferring
more than $1.8 billion to the group over the past two decades. Former
Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani was the first state leader
to visit the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip in 2012. In 2021, Qatar pledged $360 million of annual support to the Gaza Strip, in part to subsidize salaries of Hamas employees.
Documents seized by the IDF during the war reveal Qatar's intensive collaboration
with Hamas spanning years, including attempts to thwart regional peace
efforts by the US, marginalize Egyptian influence in Gaza, and bolster
the roles of Turkey and Iran. Qatar's payments were significant enough
that in December 2009, then Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told Qatar's foreign minister that the Gulf state's cash was "Hamas's main artery."
In May 2021, Haniyeh (then head of the terror organizations "political bureau") told
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 atrocities,
that the emir of Qatar had privately "agreed on discreet financial
support" for Hamas. The emir, according
to Haniyeh, "agreed in principle to supply [Hamas] discreetly, but he
does not want anyone in the world to know. Until now, $11 million has
been raised from the emir for the leadership of Hamas."
The documents
revealed that Qatari intelligence officials met with a Hamas
representative to discuss supervising special training units for Hamas
fighters on military bases in Qatar and Turkey, and for the integration
of Palestinians who fled Syria (during the civil war there) to Lebanon,
into Hamas's terrorist battalions in Lebanon.
According to the documents, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal told
the emir of Qatar in 2019: "We must work together to oppose [Trump's]
Deal of the Century [peace plan] and eliminate it." The documents showed
that Hamas and Qatar planned to marginalize Egypt's role as a mediator
between Israel and the terror group, while promoting Turkey's influence
in the Middle East.
In 2022, Sinwar wrote to Haniyeh that Turkey should also take a leading role in efforts against Israel:
"It is on you to begin to prepare the campaign. We must
begin immediately with our allies – Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. Qatari and
Turkish diplomacy must be in a leading role. Our role is to make it hard
for the [Israeli] occupation to breathe and ensure the severing of
international actors' diplomatic ties with them."
It is laughable -- and dangerous -- to assume that under their
current rulers, Qatar and Turkey, as well as Iran, would ever play a
positive and constructive role in ensuring peace and stability in the
Middle East. These three regimes have always been on the side of the
Muslim Brotherhood organization and several Islamist terror groups,
including Islamic State (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic
Jihad, and Hezbollah.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Qatar, Turkey and Iran have
chosen to side with Hamas and denounce Israel for daring to defend
itself against the terror group. Qatar and Turkey are not interested in
the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Instead, they are interested, with
the backing of Iran, in rebuilding Hamas's military and civilian
capabilities and ensuring that the terror group, perhaps in some
rebranded form, remains in power.
Obama and Biden appeased America’s enemies and alienated its allies—while Trump deterred Iran, united Israel’s neighbors, and brought the Middle East closer to peace.
The short answer to why both the Biden and Obama administrations
failed to achieve peace in the Middle East is that they took actions
opposite to Trump’s current efforts, which have led to a ceasefire.
First, consider Iran.
Iran was flush with cash, on a trajectory toward a nuclear weapon,
and arming Israel’s “ring of fire” enemies: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the
Houthis.
The radical Islamic world of the Middle East was convinced that Israel would be doomed eventually.
Yet both Democratic administrations let Iran profit from oil sales.
They talked of delaying, but not ending, Iran’s nuclear program. And
they feared that Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis were indomitable
terrorist threats.
Thus, the disruptors of peace were appeased rather than deterred.
Two, both Obama and Biden pressured Israel in general and Netanyahu in particular to make constant concessions.
But neither offered any plan for how Israel was to survive when Iran
sought its destruction, and Tehran’s terrorist triad aimed to bombard it
with missiles, rockets, and drones.
Worse, once the larger Middle East saw Democratic presidents
appeasing Iran and its terrorist appendages, they concluded it was
unsafe to take risks by allying with a delusional United States.
Three, both Obama and Biden despised and personally insulted Benjamin
Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the Saudi royal
family.
Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah state”—at least until he needed
it to pump more oil to lower gas prices before the 2022 midterms.
Both presidents sought to isolate Sisi and remove him from power.
Obama had his team leak insults to Netanyahu, most infamously the “chicken sh—t” smear.
Middle Easterners have long memories.
Obama never would have thought up the Abraham Accords. Biden foolishly derailed and then pathetically tried to resurrect them.
Neither the Gulf monarchies, Egypt, nor any conservative government
in Israel had any incentive to deal with Obama and Biden, whom they
despised.
Yet the more Trump respected and engaged with the Gulf sheikhs, Sisi,
and Netanyahu, the more their collective fortunes—and his influence
over their nations—increased.
Four, the Obama and Biden administrations were reluctant to use force to curb terrorism in the Middle East.
Neither would ever have taken out Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and the ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, destroyed ISIS, obliterated much of Russia’s Wagner group, or hit the Houthis hard.
The result was that neither the Israelis nor the Arabs trusted Obama
and Biden. So they were careful not to take risks, fearing the U.S.
would leave them hanging.
Five, on the global stage, both Democratic administrations had
radiated a general sense of appeasement and indecision that empowered
enemies and scared off friends.
The Middle East remembered the 2011 Libyan bombing misadventure and
John Kerry’s pathetic 2013 courting of Russian help in the Middle East.
It recalled the 2014 Russian takeover of Crimea and Donbass, the 2016
appeasement of Iran to cut a nuclear deal, and the 2021 Chinese
dressing down of Biden diplomats in Anchorage.
It was shocked by the 2021 humiliating skedaddle from Afghanistan,
the 2022 Russian assault on Kyiv, and the 2023 Chinese balloon fiasco.
The Middle East concluded that America was in managed decline. It
could not or would not defend its own interests, much less those of its
expendable friends.
Six, Obama—and especially Biden—were constrained by their domestic bases in a way Trump was not.
The pro-Hamas, anti-Israel left deterred Democratic presidents from
taking risks. In contrast, Trump withstood MAGA fury about bombing Iran
or allowing Netanyahu to destroy most of Hamas.
Seven, the Democrats talked diplomatese. They looked down on
mercantilism—and so never connected with either the Arabs or Israelis.
Trump equated a peace deal with prosperity. He promised that almost all interests would profit mutually.
For negotiations, he preferred businessmen—himself, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff—to diplomats.
It turned out that the Arabs and Israelis did as well.
Eight, Obama and Biden were infamous for their empty threats. Few ever believed Obama’s 2012 “redlines” issued to Syria on WMD.
No one took seriously Biden’s 2022 threat of “don’t” when Russia was on the verge of invading Ukraine.
In contrast, Trump’s threats were all too real.
Nine, past American administrations were frustrated with a
duplicitous Qatar. And so they appeased it. Trump offered both carrots
and sticks. After Israel bombed Qatar, the regime sought Trump’s
support, shaken and ready to help.
Ten, the Obama and Biden teams—Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Susan
Rice, Leon Panetta, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, and Lloyd Austin—were
force multipliers of their presidents’ naïveté and incompetence.
By contrast, Sen. Marco Rubio, Gens. Erik Kurilla and Dan Caine,
Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner shaped, shared, and empowered Trump’s
agenda.
Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness and the
Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover
Institution. He is an American military historian, columnist, a former
classics professor, and scholar of ancient warfare. He has been a
visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004, and is the 2023
Giles O'Malley Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Public
Policy, Pepperdine University. Hanson was awarded the National
Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush, and the Bradley
Prize in 2008. Hanson is also a farmer (growing almonds on a family farm
in Selma, California) and a critic of social trends related to farming
and agrarianism.
He is the author of the just released New York Times best seller, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation, published by Basic Books on May 7, 2024, as well as the recent The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won, The Case for Trump, and The Dying Citizen.
