DONALD JOHN TAKES OVER THE TRUMP OF JUSTICE IN THE WHITEHOUSE STARTING TODAY AT HIGH NOON JAN 20,2025

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

 DONALD JOHN TAKES OVER THE TRUMP OF JUSTICE IN THE WHITEHOUSE STARTING TODAY AT HIGH NOON JAN 20,2025

Jeremiah 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Isaiah 57:21
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Ephesians 2:2
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

I'M SO GLAD 33 HOSTAGES WILL BE RELEASED BY THE COCKROCH TERRORIST SATANIC DEATH CULT ISLAMIST HAMAS.(MEANING VIOLENCE IN THE BIBLE).BUT 1,800 TERRORISTS TO BE SET FREE. NO WONDER THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES ARE HANDING OUT CANDY TO EACH OTHERS IN CELEBRATING THESE FREED TERRORISTS.IT SHOULD BE ONE FOR ONE.NO EXCEPTION.BUT GOD LET IT HAPPEN.SO I CAN COMPLAIN ALL I WANT.BUT KING JESUS IS IN CONTROL.AND HE WILL HELP AND LEAD ISRAEL.

(THE PHYCHOLOGICAL CRUELTY HAMAS LEAVES WITH THE HOSTAGES) Hamas forces parting ‘gift bags’ on freed hostages as mementos of hellish captivity-Paper bags with Hamas’s armed wing logo said to contain pictures of the women from their time held in Gaza, official-looking ‘release papers’By ToI Staff Today, 11:44 am-JAN 20,25

The three Israeli women freed Sunday after 471 days held hostage in Gaza were sent home by Hamas with “gift bags” and “Palestine” lanyards in a choreographed handover seemingly designed by the terror group for propaganda purposes.Inside the bags given to Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were pictures of them in captivity and “certificates,” according to reports in Hebrew-language media.Damari, Gonen and Steinbrecher were reunited with their families on Sunday following a highly fraught release out of Hamas hands in Gaza City, the first among 33 hostages who are meant to be set free in the coming six weeks under a deal that includes a pause in fighting, the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and increased fuel and aid deliveries for Gaza.In videos released by the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas itself, the three are seen being given paper bags decorated with the logo of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing.In videos released by the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas itself, the three are seen being given paper bags decorated with the logo of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing.Other photos and videos show Damari posing as a masked man holds a folder with papers in Hebrew and Arabic containing personal information about her, including her hometown, her Israeli ID number, and where she was “arrested,” presumably referring to Damari’s abduction from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. The paper is signed by “al-Qassam Brigades Command.”Damari, Gonen and Steinbrecher are also seen in a propaganda video released by Hamas following the handoff holding up the gilded folder, which has the al-Qassam logo on the outside and text reading “Al-Aqsa Flood Deal, al-Qassam Brigades” along with the year.In the footage, a Red Cross official can be seen signing a similar-looking document in Arabic acknowledging receiving the hostages, and a masked Hamas man can be seen signing a “hand over certificate” in English with the names of Damari, Gonen and  Steinbrecher.In video released by the IDF, the three can be seen still holding the bags after the Red Cross transferred them to Israeli hands for initial checks before being whisked to hospitals in Israel.Hebrew media reports indicated that the bags also contained pictures of the hostages in captivity, but those could not be seen in any of the images.The bags, lanyards and documents all appeared to be part of a media campaign by Hamas aimed at lending the terror group’s abduction of civilians a veneer of legitimacy, in line with propaganda efforts during previous hostage releases.The IDF releases footage showing the moment the Red Cross handed over hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher to special forces in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/8Ht21aXRfM— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 19, 2025-In past cases, however, there have not been official-looking documents or signings, and it was unclear if they had any purpose other than attempting to validate their holding of the hostages.Thousands of Gazans crowded the area where the handover was set to take place. Hamas gunmen appeared to briefly clear enough space for a table and chairs to be set up, indicating there had been plans for a more official-looking signing ceremony, but the forces appeared to be overwhelmed by the crowds, forcing a hectic and rushed handover.There was no comment from Israeli authorities on the “gift” bags or other accessories foisted upon the freed hostages. In the past, Israel has decried propaganda efforts by Hamas and other Gazan terror groups as forms of psychological terror.During an initial truce and hostage release in late November 2023, when 105 civilians were released, Hamas used the opportunity to show off its continued control of Gaza City, putting on carefully choreographed handovers that appeared designed to portray the hostages’ captors as kind, caring jailers maintaining friendly relationships with their hostages.In fact, freed hostages have described being subjected to sexual violence, torture, starvation, inhumane living conditions, psychological terror and other forms of torment while in captivity. Several hostages have been executed by their captors, according to the IDF.In 2011, when soldier Gilad Shalit was exchanged for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, he was made to sit through an interview with a journalist before being handed over to Israel. Though the interview was conducted by Egyptian state television, it was also filmed on site by a masked member of Hamas’s armed wing.Hamas is next slated to free hostages on Saturday, when four more women are set to be handed over.All 33 hostages to be freed in the first phase of the deal are so-called humanitarian cases — women, children, men over 50, and ill or injured men. Most but not all of the 33 are believed to be alive.Of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre in southern Israel, 91 are now believed to remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014. The body of another IDF soldier, also killed in 2014, was recovered on Sunday from Gaza in a clandestine Israeli military operation.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Analysis-As ceasefire begins, Netanyahu faces critical 6 weeks for both country and coalition-At start of hostage-ceasefire process, prime minister offers assertions that seem to contradict some terms of the agreement, and could pose a major roadblock to the next round of talks-By Amy Spiro-Today, 9:41 pm-JAN 20,25

In 41 days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely be faced with a choice – move ahead with the next stage of the ceasefire-hostage release deal, or face the collapse of his coalition and an election that could potentially end his time in office.And the prime minister has a history of waiting until the last minute to make major decisions.The deal inked in Qatar last week is ostensibly designed to end the grueling 15-month war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. Negotiations on the next stage are slated to start on day 16 of the truce.Former US president Joe Biden said the second phase would bring “a permanent end to the war,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said he hoped the deal would spell “the last page of the war,” and US President Donald Trump, whose inauguration for his second term was Monday, called it “a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East.”In his public comments and behind the scenes promises, Netanyahu has expressed a fairly different sentiment.Netanyahu has vowed since the start of the war that fighting will not end until Hamas no longer rules the Strip. If there was any doubt that the terror group still exercises power, video from the streets of Gaza on Sunday – where armed and masked Hamas gunmen put on a show of force for war-weary Gazans – put that to rest.He has also promised to bring every last hostage – the living and the dead – home to Israel, something most defense officials see as an impossible task without some sort of agreement.In his first public comments on the deal, the prime minister termed it on Saturday night a “temporary ceasefire,” proclaiming that both Biden and Trump “have given full backing to Israel’s right to return to the fighting” if the negotiations do not advance.“If we need to go back to the fighting,” said Netanyahu, “we will do so in new ways and with great force.”Netanyahu has denied that the IDF will decrease the number of troops in the Philadelphi Corridor throughout the six-week ceasefire, though the text of the deal says Israel will “gradually reduce the forces in the corridor area during stage 1.”The deal also states that the IDF must complete its withdrawal from the corridor by day 50, regardless of any future stages, but a “senior diplomatic official” – generally code for a representative of the Prime Minister’s Office – proclaimed that “if Hamas does not agree to Israeli demands to end the war, Israel will remain in the Philadelphi Corridor also on the 42nd day and also the 50th day,” effectively leaving the IDF there “until further notice.”Day 42 – on which the remaining 14 hostages of the 33 to be released are slated to be freed – could prove a particularly critical day for the deal. If the IDF shows no sign of leaving Philadelphi, Hamas could easily argue a violation of the agreement and halt the release of the hostages.Netanyahu also proclaimed in his Saturday night statement that “terrorists who committed murder” will not be released to the West Bank or Jerusalem, but sent to Gaza or abroad. That is true of convicted Palestinian murderers, although a number of prisoners serving serious time for terror convictions who were not found guilty of murder will be released to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.Between a rock and hard place-With the exit of Itamar Ben Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party, the coalition is down to a razor-thin 62-seat majority in the 120-member Knesset. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has sworn that he will quit the government if Israel does not return to fighting Hamas in Gaza, which would end the ceasefire and make the release of the remaining 64 hostages increasingly unlikely.Both Ben Gvir and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid have vowed to provide outside support to the Netanyahu government, with very different motivations. Lapid – in the short term – to allow a hostage deal to go through, and Ben Gvir to prevent toppling a right-wing government and causing an election.Netanyahu is faced with a limited set of options. He can, of course, hope that during the next stages of talks, Hamas agrees to end its military and political rule of the Strip. That does appear to be a pipe dream, however. And Netanyahu has adamantly refused to entertain the idea of the Palestinian Authority assuming control, which some had seen as the most likely and stable alternative.The prime minister could also torpedo the second stage of talks, and return to full-scale fighting in the Gaza Strip after the end of the ceasefire’s six-week first stage, endangering the remaining hostages and returning Israel to a state of war, with an unknown outcome.But Netanyahu is likely to be facing extraordinary pressure from Trump. The new US president is a man who likes to be known as a dealmaker, has boasted of managing to cinch the deal “in less than three months, without being president,” and reportedly has his eyes on a Nobel Prize.In an interview on Saturday, Trump said the deal “better hold…. This has to end.” And in Sunday’s inauguration speech, he proclaimed: “We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end and perhaps most importantly the wars we never get into. My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker.”Though he clashed repeatedly with the Biden administration, Netanyahu is less likely to want to piss off Trump – a man known for holding petty grudges and making politics as personal as possible, who also, as US president, could likely otherwise provide Netanyahu with many things on his wish list.Netanyahu has a lot of decisions to make in the next six weeks – and he might want to consider picking up a copy of Trump’s “The Art of the Deal.”

'The whole nation is being held hostage right now'In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Hamas looms large as tension turns to celebration-Emotional crowds gather to watch as first three hostages are released in deal, but the joy is clouded by worry over fate of those still held in Gaza-By Deborah Danan Today, 8:22 am-JAN 20,25

JTA — “They are in our hands,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on the huge screen that was broadcasting the tense release of the three hostages returned to Israel, Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher.The statement, echoing the famous 1967 declaration after the Israeli army’s capture of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, was met with raucous cheers from the thousands gathered in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv.Over the course of three hours, crowds had gathered to watch the livestream in almost total silence, broken only occasionally with ripples of political chants and religious songs — “All of them, now!” and “Am Yisrael Chai. [Long Live the People of Israel]”Finally, images of the three women, released together in a single vehicle, were broadcast to whoops and tears of joy. In one image, a small smile from Damari captured the screen and the crowd.But footage showing rows of armed Hamas fighters flanking the vehicle and appearing to stave off crowds of Palestinian bystanders rattled some well-wishers.“I’m feeling a huge sense of relief obviously, but it’s also scary seeing Hamas like that,” said Gila Levitan, a psychotherapist and tour guide who is originally from Australia. “How scared they must be during the transfer, and also seeing all those crowds behind them. Does Hamas have control of them? Will they be able to control them in future transfers?”The footage of the Hamas fighters also offered a stark reminder that the terror group remains in charge of Gaza, despite 15 months of war that has eliminated many top leaders, decimated the ranks, and battered the territory. War erupted on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian terror group Hamas led thousands of terrorists in a devastating attack on Israel in which they killed some 1,200 people. During the assault terrorists also abducted 251 people who were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip.Israeli officials say just two of the group’s 24 battalions remain operational, and US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he was not worried about the group’s resurgence. But the organization has been regrouping under the leadership of Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of the leader Israel assassinated in October, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week that the US assessment was that Hamas had gained as many fighters as it has lost.Later, drone footage would show that the dense crowd of Hamas fighters was not deep. But as it was broadcast, the handover of the three women on Sunday was virtually identical to those that unfolded in the last week of November 2023, when 105 hostages, mainly women and children, were released during a temporary truce.This time, masked Hamas fighters in uniform, with green headbands, rode with the women before sending them off into the arms of the Red Cross — with “gift bags” containing maps of Gaza and certificates of their captivity.“It’s scary to think they still call the shots,” said Hodaya, who declined to give her last name.Hodaya went on to say that she was concerned about the price of the hostage deal, in which nearly 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including those convicted of deadly terror attacks, are expected to walk free.“It’s nerve-wracking because it’s such a high price to pay, but at the same time every price is right,” she said. “This is how much we value life. We just have to trust that the state will know how to deal with it.”For some in the crowd, even seeing the women alive did not offer relief.“I can’t breathe. I’m very nervous, I don’t believe or trust Hamas. I’m not going to relax until I see their faces crossing the border,” said Adi, a reservist who declined to give her last name. “The Gazans look like they’re ready to hurt them.”Shay Dickmann, cousin of Carmel Gat, who was murdered in a Hamas tunnel in Rafah along with five other hostages at the end of August as Israeli forces closed in on them, also said she had mixed feelings.“I’m very excited but also scared this will fall apart,” she said, adding that her fears were exacerbated because she had learned her cousin would have been released if the November 2023 truce had held just one more day.“She could have been here with us today, waiting for these women to be released,” Dickmann said. “But she’s not. We have to make sure everyone comes back.”Like Hodaya, Dickmann said that concerns over future violence — including hostage-taking at the hands of released terrorists — was secondary.“The most important thing is to save them now,” Dickmann said. “We’ll worry about later, later. Hopefully, then we’ll know what to do.”Some in the crowd have been regulars at the weekly rallies in Hostages Square. Shmuelik Warshaw is one of them. When footage of the Red Cross car appeared on screen, he helped his wheelchair-bound daughter, Einav, to her feet before embracing her tightly, tears streaming down both their faces.“This is one of the best days for the people of Israel. Feeling the togetherness of being here is amazing,” he said. “And it’s also a great day for democracy. Not just ours, but also others who helped us — like the USA, Germany and UK.”Warshaw echoed the sentiments of so many others about the fate of the remaining hostages. “We don’t just want the three of them, we want all of them. We won’t rest until they’re all home. These families can’t suffer anymore.”Holding a sign bearing her former pupil’s name, Chani Nachmani — who taught Emily Damari in elementary school for four years — has also been attending Hostages Square every week. On Sunday, she had a new purpose.“Today, I came here to return the poster,” she said. “For the first time, I’m not going home with it.”Others were participating in the recent Israeli ritual for the first time. Lev Kandinov, who was visiting Israel with his family from Hollywood, Florida, said it was his first time in Hostages Square.“I can’t describe my feelings being here. It’s very, very overwhelming. I’m very happy we are finally at this point,” he said. “Unfortunately, the price is really high — not only the amount of terrible monsters that are being released but also all the soldiers who have been killed. Still, every life is precious.”Influencer Daniel Braun shot footage in the square to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages, which, he said, was still unknown in so many parts of the world.Britons Sam Reubens and Heski Strassman, both from Manchester, made aliyah after October 7, 2023, in response to growing antisemitism in the United Kingdom. The two waved giant Israeli and British flags in honor, they said, of British-Israeli Emily Damari.“Her mother, Mandy, speaks with unbelievable courage and has touched all of our hearts,” Strassman said. The Damaris have refused to grant interviews throughout most of the duration of Emily’s captivity, and only recently did Mandy finally agree to speak out about her daughter.“We want to show Jews in Britain that we stand with Emily’s family. But also to say we want them all back,” Reubens said.Menashe Bohbot, uncle to hostage Elkana Bohbot, held a sign declaring, “Don’t leave him behind!” After the gathering at hostage square, Bohbot said he planned to continue on to a protest on Begin Road, not a five-minute walk away, to call for the return of the rest of the 94 hostages, including his nephew.Abducted from the Nova music festival, like Gonen, Elkana Bohbot, 35, was filmed being beaten by his captors on October 7. He is not on the list of 33 hostages set for release during the ceasefire’s six-week first phase.Levitan was relieved when she saw the three women released on Sunday walking on their own. But she said she knew that the roller coaster of emotions unleashed by the first day of the ceasefire — optimism, fear, anger at Hamas — would continue.“We’re all holding our breath — it’s nail-biting,” she said. “The whole nation is being held hostage right now. And scary to think that we’re going to go through this so many times.”It is believed that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Aid trucks flow into Gaza, displaced residents start returning home as truce holds-UN aid chief lauds entry of 630 trucks, including 300 to north, as Gazans take stock of what’s left; Hamas, in statement, vows to ‘rise again,’ says 10,000 buried under rubble-By Agencies, ToI Staff and Emanuel Fabian-Today, 8:37 pm-JAN 20,25

More than 630 trucks of humanitarian aid have flowed into the Gaza Strip since the onset of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Sunday morning, the UN said, as the terror group claimed it would “rise again,” and displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes, taking stock of what was left.“There is no time to lose,” wrote Tom Fletcher, the United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, on X. “After 15 months of relentless war, the humanitarian needs are staggering.”Fletcher said at least 300 of the trucks were bringing humanitarian assistance into the north, where the reported need is particularly acute, and where Israel has at times been accused of not doing enough to facilitate aid, or intentionally preventing the flow of aid, both of which it denies.The hostage-ceasefire agreement that went into effect Sunday requires 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the initial six-week truce, including 50 carrying fuel. Half of the aid trucks are to be delivered to the north.On Sunday evening, Hamas released the first three hostages to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire, and Israel released the first 90 Palestinian security prisoners.Israel has been at war with Hamas since the terror group’s October 7, 2023 attack, when thousands of terrorists burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.In his statement, Fletcher noted, “Today also brings a measure of relief in Israel as the first hostages have been released to be reunited with their families.” He added, “Detained Palestinian women and children were also released today, in line with the ceasefire agreement.”The 90 Palestinian prisoners released on Monday included between 21 and 28 men, according to contradictory media reports, all of which said they included some nine minors. The Israel Prison Services did not provide an exact breakdown.More than 630 trucks with humanitarian aid entered Gaza today, with at least 300 of them going to the north.There is no time to lose. pic.twitter.com/X3zdKnI790— Tom Fletcher (@UNReliefChief) January 19, 2025-Warning shots-Residents and medics in Gaza on Monday said that, for the most part, the ceasefire appeared to be holding, although there were isolated incidents.They claimed eight people had been hit by Israeli fire since Monday morning in the southern city of Rafah, without giving details of their condition.The military said it opened fire on Palestinian suspects who “posed a threat” to troops stationed in southern Gaza’s Rafah. According to the military, the suspects who approached troops in Rafah were shot and hit. “Further details are under review,” it said.Graphic footage circulating on social media purported to show a Palestinian man coming under fire while trying to drag the body of a teenager who was also shot. It was unclear if the footage, reportedly from Rafah, was from the same incident reported by the IDF.Meanwhile, Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Hamas-run Palestinian Civil Emergency Services, said they were “searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble.” At least 2,840 bodies were melted and there were no traces of them, he said.Hamas agencies’ numbers, including casualty counts, cannot be verified, and they do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.Hamas vows to ‘rise again’Hamas said in a statement Monday that Gaza and its people “will rise again” and rebuild the territory, and vowed to “continue on the path of steadfastness until the occupation is defeated.”“Over the course of 471 days, the systematic crimes of the occupation have failed to dissuade our people and their valiant resistance from clinging to the land and confronting the aggression,” the terror group said.Meanwhile, in central Gaza, pedestrians and drivers moved around freely on Monday along the main coastal road that hugs the Mediterranean Sea, a semblance of normal life belied by the rows of hundreds of tents housing displaced families.With a growing flow of aid into the Palestinian enclave, residents flocked into markets, with some expressing happiness at the lower prices and the presence of new food items like imported chocolates.“The prices have gone down, the war is over, and the crossing is open to more goods,” said Aya Mohammad-Zaki, a displaced woman from Gaza City who has been sheltering in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.First night without strikes-In the southern city of Khan Younis, war-displaced Gazan Ammar Barbakh awoke on Monday feeling refreshed after a night spent in a tent, but free of Israeli attacks.“This is the first time I sleep comfortably and I’m not afraid,” Barbakh, 35, told AFP. “We didn’t hear any shelling, and we weren’t afraid.”Barbakh pitched a tent on the rubble of his former home. Despite the destruction, he was thrilled to have had a peaceful sleep. “It’s a beautiful feeling, and I hope the ceasefire continues,” he said.Thousands of displaced Palestinians like him have headed back to their home areas across the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect on Sunday.For Samer Daloul, “it was the first night we slept in peace” since the war’s first truce, a one-week pause in November 2023, about two months after fighting erupted.“The sound of fighter jets and drones was present all night, but the airstrikes stopped,” said Daloul.Returning to rubble-Many Gazans returning to their homes in Rafah found homes and neighborhoods flattened.Though residents were able to return to their home neighborhoods or cities after being displaced within the area, movement from southern Gaza into northern Gaza will only be permitted on day seven of the truce. The IDF established a humanitarian zone for nearly two million displaced Gazans in the south of the enclave.“We found destruction, destruction,” said Mohamed Abu al-Kheir, a Palestinian man who sheltered in a tent in the city of Khan Younis, upon his return to southern Gaza’s Rafah. “There is nothing to live in. There is no furniture or anything.”The Associated Press footage showed large swaths of Rafah turned into rubble. People were seen searching the remains of their homes. Others searched two military vehicles that Israeli forces left behind when they withdrew from the area.“Who wants to live in such destruction? No one will come to live here,” said Mahmoud Khamis, another Rafah resident whose house was destroyed.Noha Abed, 28, has returned with her husband and three children to the family’s Rafah home, which now has only one livable room.But after cleaning it and putting their belongings in what is left of the house, Abed said the family “wants to live in it until the rebuilding happens.”For now, her focus is on securing “food, water, electricity, bedding, and blankets” for the family, who had been sleeping in a tent further north for about 10 months, said Abed.Despite the difficult conditions, she said that this was “the first night I sleep without being afraid for my children.”Looking ahead, Abed said, “The most important thing is that the war does not resume.”The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 46,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November, and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 407. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor.It is believed that 91 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas has so far released three hostages during the ceasefire that began in January. The terror group released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that.Eight hostages were rescued alive by troops, and the bodies of 40 hostages were also recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military, as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014.

Israel frees 90 Palestinian security prisoners, who are welcomed with Hamas flags-After 3 civilian hostages released from Gaza, Israel releases inmates, mostly female, to West Bank or East Jerusalem – first of up to 1,904 Palestinians to go free in phase one of deal-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 6:24 am-JAN 20,25

Israel released 90 Palestinian security prisoners early Monday morning, hours after Hamas released three civilian hostages Sunday on the first day of a ceasefire with the terror group in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) said in a statement.Most of the inmates, who included terror convicts but reportedly none convicted of murder, were taken to the West Bank town of Beitunia, where a crowd of hundreds cheered and chanted and some climbed atop the lead bus and unfurled Hamas flags.They were joined by others waving the flags of Fatah, Islamic Jihad and several other Palestinian factions, including terror groups, as well as the Palestinian flag and the flag of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group.The 90 Palestinian prisoners released on Monday included between 62 and 69 women, according to contradictory media reports. The IPS statement did not provide a breakdown.Ahead of the return of the Israeli hostages, the IPS bused the first round of Palestinian prisoners to Ofer Prison in the West Bank, where Israeli security forces and Red Cross representatives verified each prisoner’s identity and performed medical checks on them before releasing them in coordination with security forces and the government.The prisoners include 78 West Bank residents, released at the Beitunia Checkpoint near Ofer Prison.The remaining 12 East Jerusalem residents were transported to the city and released back to their homes from the Russian Compound detention center.As the release was delayed by several hours, Ynet reported that Israeli security officials were blaming the Red Cross, accusing the organization’s staff of deliberately stalling the process with the purported motive of making Israel seem like it was not complying with the deal’s terms. But after a short while, the release went ahead.The deal, signed Friday, is broken into three phases. During the first, 42-day phase, Hamas will release a total of 33 Israeli hostages — women, children, and elderly, wounded, or sick men — not all of whom are alive. Israel, in return, will release up to 1,904 Palestinian security prisoners and detainees, including more than 150 terrorists convicted of murder and several serving multiple life sentences for deadly terror attacks.The next release of hostages and prisoners is due Saturday. In just over two weeks, talks are to begin on the far more challenging second phase of the ceasefire agreement.The youngest prisoner freed Monday was Mahmoud Aliowat, 15, who was convicted of carrying out a shooting attack in the City of David area of Jerusalem, wounding two people, when he was 13.The list also included, according to AP, Khalida Jarrar, 62, a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terror group that carried out attacks on Israelis decades ago, including plane hijackings.Jarrar was accused of masterminding the 2019 bombing that killed 17-year-old Rina Shnerb at a spring in the West Bank. As part of a plea deal, Jarrar was charged with “illegal association” and sentenced to two years in prison in 2021.Jarrar, 62, was again arrested in late 2023 and since held under indefinitely renewable administrative detention — a controversial tool enabling detention without charge that Israel uses against terror suspects in cases where disclosing the evidence against them in court could harm national security. The practice, primarily used against Palestinians, has been criticized by rights groups.Dalal Khaseeb, 53, the sister of former Hamas second-in-command Saleh Arouri, was also on the list, which was provided by Hamas. Arouri was killed in an Israeli strike in a southern Beirut suburb in January 2024.Also listed for release, according to AP, was Abla Abdelrasoul, 68, the wife of detained PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat who ordered the assassination of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001 and has been serving a 30-year sentence.Haaretz also noted the inclusion on the list of East Jerusalem residents Nawal Abed Fatiha, an Israeli citizen who in 2020 stabbed a 70-year-old Israeli man with a knife in Jerusalem, and Ibrahim Zamar, who in April 2023, when he was 15, shot two people at the entrance to the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.A 2015 shooting attack in Jerusalem’s Sheik Jarrah neighborhood; Ibrahim Zamar, who carried out the attack, is to be released on January 19, 2025 in exchange for three Israeli women taken hostage by the Hamas terror group.None of the inmates set free in the first batch have been convicted of murder, Haaretz reported. The adult men were being held for relatively minor offenses like incitement, identifying with terrorism and disorderly conduct, according to Ynet.Almost all the hostages set for release by Hamas were abducted from Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught led by the Palestinian terror group, in which 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, and 251 taken hostage into the Strip.For each of the living women, children and elderly, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released; for all nine sick hostages, 110 prisoners will be released; for each of the female IDF soldiers, 50 prisoners will be released; for hostages Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held in Gaza for a decade, 30 prisoners will be released for each, in addition to 47 Palestinians released in the 2011 Shalit deal and since rearrested; and for the bodies of hostages in the first stage, Israel will release the more than 1,000 Gazan detainees. Following the first phase of the deal, Israel and Hamas are to engage in continued negotiations over a permanent ceasefire, as the terror group releases the remaining hostages and Israel releases more Palestinian security prisoners.It is believed that 91 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014. The body of another IDF soldier killed in 2014, Oron Shaul, was recovered from Gaza in an Israeli military operation announced on Sunday.Charlie Summers contributed to this report.

AND TODAY IS THE LAST OF THE BRAIN-DEAD BIDEN CRIMINAL CARTEL GANG IN POWER.DONALD JOHN TRUMP AT NOON WILL BE GETTING RID OF ILLEGALS, TERRORIST AND MORE.AT LEAST 200 EXECUTIVE ORDERS BY TRUMP TO BE SIGNIND TODAY. AMERICA WILL BE LESS JUDGED NOW WITH TRUMP IN POWER.AS HE WILL BE AN ISRAEL SUPPORTER.WE KNEW GOD WAS GONNA USE TRUMP IN THESE LAST DAYS.BECAUSE NOBODY COULD GO THREW THE SETUPS BY THE DEMOCRAPS FOR THE LAST 9 YEARS.WITHOUT BEING KILLED OR ENDING UP IN JAIL.LIKE THE DEMOLIB NUTS TRYED TO DO TO GET RID OF TRUMP.THESE GODLESS DEMOCRAPS WILL BE JUDGED EITHER ON EARTH BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.AND FOR SURE THE SECOND THEY CLOSE THEIR EYES IN DEATH.ONCE YOU DIE,THEN THE JUDGEMENT.AND ALL THE SECRET SINS WILL BE REVEALED.WE WILL KNOW EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THE SCHEMES AGAINST TRUMP.AND ALL THE MONEY THE BIDEN (PAY TO PLAY CRIMINALS) CARTEL MADE OFF THE COMMUNIST CONTRIES.AND THE PAYOFFS THEY GOT IN AMERICA.SUCH AS LAND AND BUSINESS OWNERSHIP ETC.THINGS WILL BE CHANGING WITH TRUMP IN POWER.  

Netanyahu, congratulating Trump, predicts ‘best days’ of Israel-US relations ahead-As US president is inaugurated, Israeli leaders thank him for help with hostage deal, PM ‘looks forward’ to toppling Hamas with his help; European leaders stress mutual security By Amy Spiro and ToI Staff Today, 10:06 pm-JAN 20,25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his congratulations to US President Donald Trump on his inauguration Sunday, and said he believes the “best days” of the US-Israel alliance are ahead.“Your first term as president was filled with groundbreaking moments in the history of the great alliance between our two countries,” Netanyahu said in an English-language video message, citing Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights.“You brokered the historic Abraham Accords, in which Israel made peace with four Arab countries,” he added. “I believe that working together again, we will raise the US-Israel alliance to even greater heights” and will “complete the defeat of Iran’s terror axis and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for our region.”Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his role in pushing for a ceasefire-hostage release deal in Gaza, which went into effect Sunday and has so far seen three hostages freed.Trump has been widely credited for contributing to Israel and Hamas’s acceptance of the deal, which went into effect Sunday, following vague threats he made of “hell to pay” in the Middle East if the captives did not go free before his inauguration, and a reportedly “tense” meeting between Netanyahu and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.“I look forward to working with you to return the remaining hostages, to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities and end its political rule in Gaza, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” the prime minister added. “I am sure, Mr. President, that under your leadership, the best days of our alliance are yet to come.”Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said in an interview Sunday that “Hamas will never govern Gaza. That is completely unacceptable,” though he did not call for any resumption of fighting unless the terror group were to break the terms of the agreement.The three-stage deal, which also commits Israel to release thousands of Palestinian security prisoners and detainees, calls for negotiations in its second phase to reach a permanent end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.Talks are already underway for a potential visit by Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington to meet Trump as early as next month, according to Hebrew media reports Monday.The pair spoke last week when Netanyahu thanked Trump for his help in brokering the six-week ceasefire-hostage release deal, and “the two decided to meet in Washington soon,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.In an interview on Saturday, Trump said he and the Israeli leader would be meeting “fairly shortly,” without elaborating on a timeline. A visit during the month of February would mean the pair would meet during the first six-week stage of the ceasefire deal that Trump helped push toward completion.Netanyahu has taken few trips abroad since the start of the war against Hamas on October 7, 2023, most recently addressing the UN in September 2024. He underwent prostate surgery last month and sources say his health will also be a factor in scheduling the trip.Herzog and Sa’ar-President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also sent congratulatory messages to Trump upon him entering his second term in office.Herzog lauded Trump’s “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and to building a better future for our region” and added a “special thank you for your commitment to bringing all our hostages home.”On behalf of the people of Israel, I send my heartfelt congratulations to you, President @realDonaldTrump on your inauguration as the 47th @POTUS. You are a true friend of Israel. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and to building a better future for…— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 20, 2025-Sa’ar issued a statement, saying that “during your first term you were Israel’s greatest friend,” and thanking the US president for his “efforts that helped secure the initial release of our hostages.”“I’m sure that the special Israel-US alliance will reach new heights during your second term,” he added.Other ministers and Israeli elected officials sent Trump messages of congratulations, including MKs Benny Gantz and Avigdor Lieberman, and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also issued a statement of congratulations. World leaders welcome Trump-Tributes also poured in on Monday from other world leaders, who posted congratulations on the X social network.Europe-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote, “President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is the top priority.”Trump made no explicit mention of in his speech of the ongoing war in Ukraine, which Russia invaded in 2022, saying only that he wanted to be remembered for stopping wars.NATO chief Mark Rutte said on X that Trump’s return “will turbo-charge defence spending and production” at the alliance.In his first term and during his last two campaigns, Trump has railed against members of the alliance for not spending more money as a portion of their GDP on defense, and even questioned whether US forces should protect countries that pay less than they’ve pledged as a goal. He has taken credit for many NATO countries’ increased defense spending since he first took office.European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, “The EU looks forward to working closely with you to tackle global challenges. Together, our societies can achieve greater prosperity and strengthen their common security. This is the enduring strength of the transatlantic partnership.”German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X, “The US is our closest ally and the aim of our policy is always a good transatlantic relationship.”UK-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted a video sending his “warmest congratulations” to Trump on his inauguration and hailing the British-American alliance.On behalf of the United Kingdom, I send my warmest congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on his inauguration as the forty-seventh President of the United States.The special relationship between the UK and the US will continue to flourish for years to come. pic.twitter.com/WwD39axdOS— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) January 20, 2025“For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation, and enduring partnership. It is a uniquely close bond.“Together, we have defended the world from tyranny and worked towards our mutual security and prosperity,” Starmer said, noting Trump’s “historical ties” to the UK. Trump’s mother was Scottish.India-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his “dear friend” Trump, writing, “I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries, and to shape a better future for the world.”Canada-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated the new president, writing, “Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful economic partnership. We have the chance to work together again — to create more jobs and prosperity for both our nations.”Since Trump’s election, he has threatened to impose 25-percent tariffs on Canadian imports and joked about making it the 51st state, referring to the country’s prime minister as “Governor Trudeau.”Trump was inaugurated president on January 20, 2025, marking the start of his second, nonconsecutive term in the White House, after holding the office from 2017-2021.

Trump set for US presidential swearing-in, capping unprecedented comeback-Washington freezes over as former leader who tried to overturn 2020 election returns to office with sheaf of executive orders in hand and Democrats’ ‘resistance’ largely neutered By Zeke Miller, CHRIS MEGERIAN and MICHELLE PRICE Today, 2:50 pm-JAN 20,25

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.Trump is expected to act swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to jumpstart deportations, increase fossil fuel development, and reduce civil service protections for government workers, promising that his term will bring about “a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride.”Frigid weather is rewriting the pageantry of the day. Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda — the first time that has happened in 40 years — and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at a downtown arena.Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall will be left to find somewhere else to view the festivities.“God has a plan,” said Terry Barber, 46, who drove nonstop from near Augusta, Georgia, to reach Washington. “I’m good with it.”When Trump takes the oath of office at noon, he will realize a political comeback without precedent in American history. Four years ago, he was voted out of the White House during an economic collapse caused by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.Trump denied his defeat and tried to cling to power. He directed his supporters to march on the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying the election results, sparking a riot that interrupted the country’s tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.But Trump never lost his grip on the Republican Party, and was undeterred by criminal cases and two assassination attempts as he steamrolled rivals and harnessed voters’ exasperation with inflation and illegal immigration.Now Trump will be the first person convicted of a felony — for falsifying business records related to hush money payments — to serve as US president. He will pledge to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution from the same spot that was overrun by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. He’s said that one of his first acts in office will be to pardon many of those who participated in the riot.Eight years after he first entered the White House as a political newcomer, Trump is far more familiar with the operations of federal government and emboldened to bend it to his vision. He has promised retribution against his political opponents and critics, and placed personal loyalty as a prime qualification for appointments to his administration.He has pledged to go further and move faster in enacting his agenda than during his first term, and already the country’s political, business and technology leaders have realigned themselves to accommodate Trump.Democrats who once formed a “resistance” are now divided over whether to work with Trump or defy him. Billionaires have lined up to meet with Trump as they acknowledge his unrivaled power in Washington and ability to wield the levers of government to help or hurt their interests.Trump has pledged to bring quick change to the country by curtailing immigration, enacting tariffs on imports and rolling back Democrats’ climate and social initiatives.Long skeptical of American alliances, his “America First” foreign policy is being watched warily at home and abroad as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will soon enter its third year and a fragile ceasefire appears to be holding in Gaza after more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.Trump, who spent Saturday and Sunday night at Blair House across from the White House, will begin Monday with a prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Then he and his wife Melania will be greeted at the executive mansion by US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for the customary tea. It’s a stark departure from four years ago, when Trump refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory or attend his inauguration.The two men and their spouses will head to the Capitol in a joint motorcade ahead of the swearing-in.US Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in first, taking the oath read by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on a Bible given to him by his great-grandmother. Trump will follow, using both a family Bible and the one used by president Abraham Lincoln at his 1861 inauguration, as Chief Justice John Roberts administers his oath.The inaugural festivities began Saturday, when Trump arrived in Washington on a government jet and viewed fireworks at his private golf club in suburban Virginia. On Sunday, he laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and rallied his supporters at Washington’s downtown Capital One Arena.A cadre of billionaires and tech titans who have sought to curry favor with Trump and have donated handsomely to his inaugural festivities, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, will be in attendance.Also present will be the head of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social media app deemed a national security risk by the US. Trump has promised to lift an effective ban on TikTok through one of many executive orders expected to be issued on Monday as the new president attempts to show quick progress.At his Sunday rally, Trump teased dozens of coming executive actions, promising that “by the time the sun sets” on Monday he will have signed executive orders involving border security and immigration policy, including a revival of his first-term effort to shut down access to many new entries under what’s called Title 42 emergency provisions.Others orders are expected to allow more oil and gas drilling by rolling back Biden-era policies on domestic energy production and rescind Biden’s recent directive on artificial intelligence.More changes are planned for the federal workforce. Trump wants to unwind diversity, equity and inclusion programs known as DEI, require employees to come back to the office, and lay the groundwork to reduce staff.“Expect shock and awe,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.“What I’ve been urging the president, and my colleagues, to do is stay laser-focused on delivering on our promises,” Cruz said. “And that’s what I expect that we’re going to do.”With control of Congress, Republicans are also working alongside the incoming Trump administration on legislation that will further roll back Biden administration policies and institute their own priorities.“The president is going to come in with a flurry of executive orders,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “And we are going to be working alongside the administration and in tandem.”

Trump looks to ride on success of hostage deal as he readies to take oath of office-After his intervention helped finalize an agreement that had been elusive for months, US president-elect faces arguably bigger challenge of maintaining ceasefire past first phas By Jacob Magid-Today, 9:57 am-JAN 20,25

Donald Trump appears set to ride on the success of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that he helped finalize before even entering office, as he is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday.Trump threatened “all hell to pay” in the Middle East if the hostages weren’t returned by his January 20 inauguration. While he publicly directed the threat at Hamas, his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly made clear during his January 11 meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it was addressed to him as well, leaning on the premier to make the compromises necessary to secure an agreement.Arab officials familiar with the negotiations believe that the pressure was critical in securing a breakthrough that led to the agreement, according to a Times of Israel report that was subsequently shared by Trump himself.But as difficult as it was to bring the agreement over the finish line — more than seven months after it was first unveiled by US President Joe Biden — sustaining the deal past the first phase may prove an even more challenging task, given the pressure Netanyahu is facing to resume the war to ensure that Hamas cannot reassert control of Gaza.A poll aired Friday on the Kan public broadcaster showed that 65 percent of the public, and even a plurality of coalition voters, back the deal’s first phase, which began on Sunday and will see the release of 33 hostages over a span of six weeks. Fifty-five percent of voters back sticking with the deal through all three of its phases, which would require Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire at the end of the second phase. However, a plurality of coalition voters — 46% — told Kan that Israel should resume fighting after the first phase.Netanyahu has insisted on continuing the war until Israel achieves its aim of dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. If Jerusalem somehow manages to coax Hamas into completely ceding control of Gaza in the negotiations regarding the deal’s second phase, which are slated to commence on February 3, Netanyahu has indicated he’d be prepared to end the war. But in the likely scenario where Hamas refuses to surrender, the premier claims he has received assurances from the US president-elect that Israel will be able to resume fighting-Mixed signals-Trump and his team seem to be sending mixed signals regarding whether they’d support this move.Trump recalled telling Netanyahu during a call last week to “keep doing what you have to do.”But he subsequently added, “This has to end. We want it to end.”Trump’s incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz said last week that the US will back Israel if it needs to reenter Gaza.But two days later, he reportedly told a group of hostage families that the incoming administration will make sure that all three phases of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement are implemented.Families present at the meeting on Saturday expressed their concern over recent comments made by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said he received assurances from Netanyahu that Israel would resume fighting after the first phase, Axios reported.Smotrich has threatened to bring down the government if Netanyahu doesn’t follow through on the pledge.The far-right minister has held off on doing so during the first phase, giving Netanyahu temporary breathing room, but the premier may be forced to decide between seeing through the second phase of the deal — with the release of the remaining living hostages — and maintaining his government.‘Many moments of frustration’The outgoing Biden administration has hinted that the premier could well choose the latter.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested on Friday that Netanyahu would say one thing in private conversations with the Biden administration and then often subsequently contradict himself in front of other audiences in order to ensure his government’s survival.Blinken was asked during an interview with the New Yorker whether Netanyahu had been truthful in his correspondence with the US.“In the moment of those conversations, yes,” Blinken responded, laughing.“He proceeds in many ways on the basis of what gets [him] to tomorrow and keeps [his] coalition together,” Blinken explained. “He might say one thing to me, and then depending on the audience he’s before next, maybe that takes a little bit of a different turn.”“There are many moments of frustration… but you have to keep your eye on the prize,” he added.The Trump effect-The Biden administration backed the intensification of Israel’s fight against Iran and its proxies, which helped isolate Hamas and create the conditions for the hostage deal, but it’s hard to argue that Trump wasn’t the one who helped bring home that prize — inking the same deal that Biden had failed to finalize for months.“This agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November,” Trump declared at a Washington rally on Sunday.The Arab officials who spoke with The Times of Israel said Witkoff had moved Netanyahu more in their one meeting than Biden had in countless conversations over the past year.But that pressure was coming from a two-pronged team of Trump and Witkoff — two individuals who, while overwhelmingly sympathetic toward Israel, are not ideologically so.Trump campaigned on ending the war, privately told Netanyahu as much when they met in July, and won the support of a decisive number of Arab Americans for doing so. Witkoff, too, seems intent on striking a more balanced approach, as he is tasked with expanding the Abraham Accords — a goal that will require ending the Gaza war permanently and creating an irreversible political horizon for the Palestinians.“The Abraham Accords are not just agreements. They are a blueprint for a future where peace is not the exception, but is the expectation,” Witkoff told the DC rally on Sunday.NBC News reported on Saturday that Witkoff is considering a visit to Gaza, as he works to maintain the nascent ceasefire deal that commenced on Sunday.“Remember, there [are] a lot of people, radicals, fanatics, not just from the Hamas side, from the right wing of the Israeli side, who are absolutely incentivized to blow this whole deal up,” a transition official told NBC, offering rare criticism of Israel from a Trump official, albeit an anonymous one. “If we don’t help the Gazans, if we don’t make their life better, if we don’t give them a sense of hope, there’s going to be a rebellion.”But starting January 20, Trump will be surrounded by a large group of aides far more ideologically supportive of Israel, including Waltz, nominee for secretary of state Marco Rubio, nominee for ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and nominee for defense secretary Pete Hegseth.That group has been effusive in its support of Netanyahu and would likely be willing to back whatever decision the Israeli premier makes. Trump, on the other hand, has since winning the Republican nomination broadcast warm relations with the prime minister, but after his last term, he excoriated the premier for congratulating Biden on winning the 2020 election, accused him of backing out of an operation to kill Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Qassem Soleimani, and suggested he was a bigger obstacle to peace than Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Trump’s apparent suspicion of Netanyahu and his proven ability to successfully pressure him when necessary would suggest that the 47th US president will be less accepting than his predecessor if the premier continues rejecting a role for the PA in Gaza while refusing to advance any other viable alternative to Hamas rule.And despite the large group of ardently pro-Israel advisers now entering the decision-making circle that for the past several weeks has just been Trump and Witkoff, the latter has positioned himself at the top of the pile after securing the hostage deal.Trump thanked Witkoff publicly during the rally on Sunday night, hailing his negotiation skills — something that will only further boost the real estate investor’s diplomatic clout in the region.Witkoff, in turn, asserted that the credit was all Trump’s.“As we look ahead, the challenges remain significant, but so do the opportunities. Under your leadership, Mr. President, we will continue to expand the circle of peace, strengthen partnerships and promote prosperity across the world,” Witkoff said.CBS News reported that Trump has had “a hyper fixation” on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The interest in the award has reemerged as he sought to close the hostage deal, an unnamed Trump aide told the network.Maintaining the ceasefire past its first phase will ostensibly boost Trump’s chances further.Waltz and other Trump aides have also said the US wants to use a Gaza ceasefire to lay the groundwork for expanding the Abraham Accords – specifically by brokering a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.Riyadh has demanded the establishment of a timebound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state – something Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.Susceptible to pressure from the US even when Trump was only president-elect, the prime minister may be more so once Trump is back in the White House.“Our incoming administration has achieved all of this in the Middle East, in less than three months, without being president — we’ve achieved more… than they’ve achieved in four years with being president,” Trump boasted on Saturday, setting a high bar for the next four years.

New US president vows to 'build the strongest military' ever-‘Peacemaker and unifier’: Trump hails Gaza deal in his second inaugural address-Incoming US president promises new ‘golden age’ as he takes oath for historic second term; NYC rabbi offers prayer for remaining 94 hostages held by terror groups in Gaza By AFP, Luke Tress and ToI Staff Today, 10:03 pm-JAN 20,25

US President Donald Trump on Monday cast himself as a peacemaker in his second inaugural address, pointing to the hostage release-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that went into effect on Sunday.“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be — a peacemaker and a unifier,” he said after being sworn in inside the US Capitol.“I’m pleased to say that, as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families,” Trump added, prompting a standing ovation from the audience.The Gaza agreement, which includes an exchange of hostages kidnapped by the terror group on October 7, 2023, and Palestinian security prisoners, follows the outlines of a proposal outlined in May by then-US president Joe Biden, but it was pushed through after intensive last-minute diplomacy by envoys of both Biden and Trump.In his inaugural address, Trump vowed, “Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and, perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.”During the inauguration, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, the president of New York City’s Yeshiva University, offered a prayer for the remaining 94 Israeli hostages held by terror groups in Gaza, for peace in the Middle East, and for calm on college campuses.Hailing a “moment of historic opportunity,” Berman prayed for Trump and US Vice President JD Vance “to choose the right and the good, unite us around our foundational biblical values of life and liberty, service and sacrifice, and especially of faith and morality.”“Guide our schools and campuses which have been experiencing such unrest to inspire the next generation,” added Berman during the inauguration’s benediction.“Hear the cry of the hostages, both American and Israeli, whose pain our president so acutely feels. We are so thankful for the three young women who yesterday returned home,” he said, wearing a yellow ribbon symbolizing the plight of the captives.“Pray that the next four years bring peace to Israel and throughout the Middle East,” he added.Berman, the university president since 2017, on Monday became the first American-Israeli to speak at a presidential inauguration, and the only university president to deliver remarks at Trump’s inauguration. He was the 10th rabbi to participate in a presidential inauguration, and the third to deliver a benediction.Trump takes a shot at Mexico, despite ‘peacemaker’ pledge-Trump has also promised to end the war in Ukraine by pushing for compromises — a contrast to Biden’s approach of supporting Kyiv to a potential military victory.But despite his vow to be a unifier, Trump immediately fired a symbolic but provocative shot across the bow to Mexico, and also vowed that the United States would be “taking back” the Panama Canal.He said that the US would start referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” — making the water body the latest in the world whose name is disputed between neighbors.“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world,” Trump said.Trump issued the threat, without explaining details, after weeks of refusing to rule out military action against Panama over the waterway, which the US handed over at the end of 1999.“Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back,” Trump said.While Panama maintains control of the canal, Chinese companies have steadily been increasing their presence around the vital shipping link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.Panama denies that China has any role in running the canal, and has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over the waterway since Trump first threatened to take it over after he was elected in November.At his inauguration, Trump said that the United States has been “treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made.”“The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy,” he said.The Panama Canal was built by the United States mostly with Afro-Caribbean labor and opened in 1914.Former US president Jimmy Carter, who died last month, negotiated its return in 1977, saying he saw a moral responsibility to respect a less powerful but fully sovereign nation.Trump has also not ruled out force to seize Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, where Russia has been increasingly active, as ice melts due to climate change.‘Golden age’ to reverse ‘American decline’Trump vowed a new US “golden age,” as he took the oath for a historic second presidential term Monday, but focused most of his dark inaugural speech on touting hardline policies to reverse what he called “American decline.”In an often divisive address, the 47th president took aim at illegal immigration and the culture wars, as he capped the most remarkable comeback in US political history.“The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” Trump said in the US Capitol, where his inauguration was held indoors for the first time in decades, due to freezing weather.The Republican also referenced the assassin’s bullet that grazed him at a rally during his victorious election campaign, saying: “I was saved by God to make America great again.”While promising renewal, Trump harshly denounced what he said had been a “betrayal” of Americans by a “radical and corrupt establishment” under Biden.“America’s decline is over,” said Trump.Biden — who had earlier hosted Trump and his wife Melania at the White House for tea — looked on as his political nemesis read the last rites over his single term in office.He also vowed to “plant the Stars and Stripes” on the planet Mars.Executive orders-The billionaire — at 78 now the oldest person ever to take the presidential oath — was set to kickstart his new term with a host of executive orders.“I will declare a national emergency at our southern border” with Mexico, Trump said to loud cheers inside the ornate Rotunda hall, vowing to deport “millions and millions” of illegal immigrants.Trump said his government would recognize “only two genders, male and female,” ending the current practice of providing a third gender option in some settings.He will also pull Washington out of the Paris climate accord aimed at halting global warming, he said.While Trump was a political outsider at his first inauguration in 2017 as the 45th president, this time around, he was surrounded by America’s wealthy and powerful.The world’s richest man Elon Musk, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai all had prime seats in the Capitol, alongside Trump’s family and cabinet members.Musk will lead a cost-cutting drive in the new administration.Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all attended the ceremony with their spouses — except for ex-first lady Michelle Obama who pointedly stayed away.Clusters of supporters watched the ceremony — normally viewed by thousands of people on the National Mall — on their phones outside the Capitol.‘Welcome home’While Trump refused to attend Biden’s 2021 inauguration after falsely claiming electoral fraud and inspiring a violent assault by supporters on the Capitol, this time, Biden was keen to restore the sense of tradition.“Welcome home,” Biden said to Trump when the incoming president arrived at the White House for tea.But it was a bitter departure for Biden, who was forced to drop out of the 2024 election against Trump at the last minute, due to concerns about his age.In the waning minutes of his presidency on Monday, Biden issued extraordinary pre-emptive pardons for his siblings and their spouses to shield them from “politically motivated investigations.”He also pardoned former COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley, and members of a US House committee probing the violent January 6, 2021 US Capitol attack by Trump’s supporters.Trump is just the second president in US history to return to power after being voted out, after Grover Cleveland in 1893.Another notable factor is Trump’s criminal record, related to paying a porn star hush money during his first presidential run — and a string of far more serious criminal probes that were dropped once he won the election in November.

Iran says it hopes Trump will take ‘realistic’ approach, show ‘respect’ to Mideast-Tehran lambasts outgoing Biden administration for supporting Israel and not showing ‘seriousness’ in reviving nuclear deal-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 4:31 pm-JAN 20,25

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran said Monday it hoped the incoming US administration under Donald Trump would adopt a “realistic” approach and show “respect” for the interests of countries in the region.Trump will be sworn in for a second term as US president on Monday.“We hope that the approaches and policies of the [new] US government will be realistic and based on international law and respect for the interests and desires of the nations of the region, including the Iranian nation,” said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei during a weekly press briefing.Baqaei lambasted the outgoing administration of Joe Biden over its support for Israel in its war with Hamas.He also said Biden’s administration had failed to “show any seriousness” in reviving the nuclear deal with Iran.During his first term, Trump pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, withdrawing the United States from a 2015 nuclear deal that imposed curbs on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump said the deal, signed by his predecessor Barack Obama, did not go far enough in holding Iran back from eventually producing a nuclear weapon.Tehran began rolling back its commitments after Washington’s withdrawal in 2018. Efforts to revive the pact have since faltered. Though Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful it has enriched uranium to levels that are a short technical step from weapons-grade material. The UN’s atomic watchdog says there is no civilian use for such high-level enrichment.The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), provided for a snapback mechanism that allowed signatories to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran in cases of the “significant non-performance” of commitments.The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October this year.Baqaei warned of a “proportionate and reciprocal” response if the mechanism was triggered.“Abusing this mechanism will mean that there will no longer be a justification or reason for Iran to remain in some relevant agreements,” he said.Iranian diplomats have previously warned that Tehran would “withdraw” from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the mechanism was triggered.Last week, Iran held discreet nuclear talks with Britain, Germany, and France, known as the E3, which both sides described as “frank and constructive.”Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said European powers appeared serious about finding ways to revive nuclear negotiations, adding that it was not clear whether the Trump administration “intends to return to the negotiations.”Iran is avowed to destroy Israel, which sees the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program as an existential threat.Earlier this month a committee appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to examine defense spending and IDF military force design for the future said that Trump’s return as US president offers an unprecedented opportunity to remove the threat Israel faces from Iran.The release of the committee’s findings came the same day as an Axios report that said Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer had come out of a November meeting with Trump thinking that the US president-elect would back an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities or even order a US attack.Asked about the possibility of war with Iran, in a November interview with Time magazine, Trump responded, “Anything can happen… It’s a very volatile situation.”

In final hours of presidency, Biden issues pardons to ward off potential Trump ‘revenge’Outgoing US president preemptively pardons Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, House committee members who investigated 2021 Capitol riot — none of whom have yet been probed-By Colleen Long and Zeke Miller Today, 6:40 pm-JAN 20,25

WASHINGTON (AP) — US President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the 2021 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of the powers of the presidency in his final hours to guard against potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration.The decision by Biden came after Donald Trump warned of an enemies list filled with those who have crossed him politically or sought to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and his role in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump has selected Cabinet nominees who backed his election lies and who have pledged to punish those involved in efforts to investigate him.“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”The pardons, announced with just hours left in Biden’s presidency, have been the subject of heated debate for months at the highest levels of the White House. It’s customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of his term, but those acts of mercy are usually offered to Americans who have been convicted of crimes.Trump told NBC the pardons were disgraceful.Biden, a Democrat, has used the power in the broadest and most untested way possible: to pardon those who have not even been investigated. His decision lays the groundwork for an even more expansive use of pardons by Trump, a Republican, and future presidents.While the Supreme Court last year ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, the president’s aides and allies enjoy no such shield. There is concern that future presidents could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law.It’s unclear whether those pardoned by Biden would need to apply for the clemency or accept the president’s offer. Acceptance could be seen as a tacit admission of guilt or wrongdoing, validating years of attacks by Trump and his supporters, even though those who have been pardoned have not been formally accused of any crimes.“These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden said, adding, “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”Fauci was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 40 years, including during Trump’s term in office, and later served as Biden’s chief medical adviser until his retirement in 2022. He helped coordinate the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and raised Trump’s ire when he resisted Trump’s untested public health notions. Fauci has since become a target of intense hatred and vitriol from people on the right, who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed on their rights, even as hundreds of thousands of people were dying.“Despite the accomplishments that my colleagues and I achieved over my long career of public service, I have been the subject of politically motivated threats of investigation and prosecution,” Fauci said in a statement. “There is absolutely no basis for these threats. Let me be perfectly clear: I have committed no crime.”Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has called Trump a fascist and has detailed Trump’s conduct around the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. He said he was grateful to Biden for a pardon.“I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights,” he said in a statement. “I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety.”Biden also extended pardons to members and staff of the January 6 committee that investigated the attack, as well as the US Capitol and DC Metropolitan police officers who testified before the House committee about their experiences that day, overrun by an angry, violent mob of Trump supporters.The committee spent 18 months investigating Trump and the insurrection. It was led by Rep. Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi, and Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican who later pledged to vote for Democrat Kamala Harris and campaigned with her against Trump. The committee’s final report found that Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.“Rather than accept accountability,” Biden said, “those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions.”Biden’s statement did not list the dozens of members and staff by name. Some did not know they were to receive pardons until it happened, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.The extent of the legal protection offered by the pardons may not fully shield the lawmakers or their staff from other types of inquiries, particularly from Congress. Republicans on Capitol Hill would still likely have wide leverage to probe the committee’s actions, as the House GOP did in the last session of Congress, seeking testimony and other materials from those involved.Biden, an institutionalist, has promised a smooth transition to the next administration, inviting Trump to the White House and saying that the nation will be OK, even as he warned during his farewell address of a growing oligarchy. He has spent years warning that Trump’s ascension to the presidency again would be a threat to democracy. His decision to break with political norms was brought on by those concerns.Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. He also pardoned his son Hunter.He is not the first to consider such preemptive pardons. Trump aides considered them for Trump and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in the violent riot at the Capitol. But Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office four years ago.US President Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal.Trump, who takes office at noon on Monday, has promised to grant swift clemency to many of those involved in the violent and bloody January 6, 2021, attack, which injured roughly 140 law enforcement officers.“Everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision,” he said at a Sunday rally.