This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief

70 released Hamas prisoners stranded in Cairo hotel as 'no country wants them'

Seventy members of Hamas released from Israeli prisons as part of the hostage agreement are currently stranded in a hotel in Cairo, with the countries that had committed to hosting them not yet formally agreeing to do so.

"To date, no Arab country has agreed to receive even a single released and expelled Palestinian prisoner," a source from the Palestinian Prisoner Authority said.

According to the Algemeiner, the ex-prisoners, who are not allowed to leave their hotel, describe their situation as moving "from an Israeli prison to an Egyptian prison." The source reports they had to stay for a long time with their prison clothes and sandals, adding "the Egyptians do not treat them warmly."
In addition to those stuck in Egypt, 23 other prisoners who were supposed to be deported abroad are trapped in the Gaza Strip. Among the countries mentioned as potential destinations are Algeria, Turkey, Tunisia, and Qatar.

In a joint statement, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed al-Thani and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced they would agree to host a portion of the released prisoners, without specifying their number. Al-Thani emphasized hosting the Palestinian prisoners "must be based on their own decision," while Fidan simply stated: "We have agreed to accommodate a certain number of Palestinian prisoners expelled abroad."

Hamas terrorists forced U.S.-Israeli hostage to write thank you letter to captors

In a letter distributed online by Hamas, Keith Siegel – who was released Saturday from captivity in Gaza – allegedly thanked the terrorists who held him for 484 days. "I was treated well by them," he allegedly wrote.

But a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum clarified "the Hamas terrorists who held Keith forced him to write them a detailed letter of thanks. This is one example of many of the cruel and cynical conduct of the Hamas terrorist organization and the urgency of returning all the hostages to Israel," Ynet reported.

According to the letter Siegel was ordered to write: "My guards during this period took care of all my needs, food and drink, medicine, vitamins, eye drops, a blood pressure measuring device and more. They also made sure I got a doctor's checkup when I felt unwell for a long time. The guards considered my needs and responded to my requests regarding nutrition, eating habits and more. They made sure I had food that suited my health needs."

Freed hostage Danielle Gilboa: 'Only thing that saved me was faith'

Daniella Gilboa, who was released last week from Hamas captivity, published her first post on social media after her release in which she thanked the people of Israel and shared details about her time in captivity.

"What a crazy year I had and I don't know where to start. I think that first of all, I'll say thank you to everyone," Gilboa opened.

She thanked "the people who for a year and three months supported my family, who didn't leave or give up or lose hope for a moment. Thank you for waiting for me, thank you for not believing the terrible rumors, thank you for continuing to pray for me for this entire time. It was my last request before I was abducted. I didn't want to give up or say goodbye, so instead I prayed and believed with my whole heart that my end was not there, in that shelter."

She recounted the moments of the abduction: "I prayed for all the girls who were with me for a half hour since I felt I couldn't do anything better other than that at the time. I couldn't hold onto the protection that the army may provide and maybe come to protect me. I couldn't hold onto the protection that the shelter may have provided, since it wasn't rockets. At that moment, couldn't hold onto the few girls who were armed either.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

In the days just before the 2020 presidential election, 51 so-called "experts" from America's intelligence community unleashed a letter that claimed, falsely, that the Biden family scandals documented in Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop were Russian disinformation.

They weren't, the claim was a lie, and the scandals were true.

But that letter, part of a scheme that included the FBI's interference in the election when it told media outlets to suppress the information from the laptop, was found in a later polling likely to be the reason Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021, and not President Donald Trump.

In short, that scheme likely cost Trump the 2020 election.

Now President Trump, inaugurated this week for his second term in office, has lifted the security clearances for all 51 of those who signed the letter.

And in a second blow, he's calling for an investigation.

"Within 90 days of this order, the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall submit a report to the President through the National Security Advisor that details: (i) any additional inappropriate activity that occurred within the Intelligence Community, by anyone contracted by the Intelligence Community or by anyone who held a security clearance, related to the letter signed by the 51 former intelligence officials…"

The order calls for recommendations for "any disciplinary action … that should be taken against anyone who engaged in inappropriate conduct related to the letter signed by the 51 former intelligence officials."

A report at RedState explained, "That's where things have the potential to get very interesting."

The report explained, "Subsequent congressional investigations into the letter and its signatories have shown that intel officials did not act alone in attempting to delegitimize the Hunter Biden laptop story. In a transcribed interview with the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, former acting CIA Director Mike Morrell testified that he received a call from former Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussing the laptop story."

Blinken at that time was a Biden campaign adviser and Morrell said that conversation "spurred" him to gather the various signatures that supported the false claims.

Morrell stated that before the contact from the Biden campaign, he "did not" have any intent to write that statement. He confirmed to Congress that the call "triggered that intent."

The RedState report explained, "In other words, the Biden campaign was the impetus for the letter, intel officials swore to it, the media dutifully refused to cover it, and social media shut down those who did. It was a coordinated election interference campaign. Making the 2020 presidential election rigged."

Of course, Democrats have claimed for the last four years that President Trump's contention that election result was "rigged" is wrong.

Neither Blinken nor the 51 were pardoned by Biden, who pardoned thousands others, on his way out the door.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The bad guys tried everything to try to stop Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.

Russia hoax. Steele dossier financed by Clinton. Illegal FISA warrants to spy on Trump. Two impeachments. Irregular election practices in 2020 (fraud?). Heavy-handed raid on Mar-a-Lago. January 6 committee. Liz Cheney. Mitt Romney. Nikki Haley. 30 unconstitutional attempts to keep Trump off ballots. Two indictments by Smith/Garland. Indictments by Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Fani Willis … all by Democrats.

Media reporting 94% negatively about Trump. Replacing Biden with Harris. ABC supposedly gave questions to Harris before the debate and fact-checked Trump falsely during the debate. "60 Minutes" changing Harris' interview answers. SNL/NBC giving time for Harris on Saturday Night Live. False stats on jobs and the economy. Questionable polls like Selzer on Iowa. False claims that Harris was surging. False claims that Republicans were abandoning Trump. False reporting of infighting in the Trump campaign.

Two attempts to assassinate Trump. False reporting that abortion was the top issue for voters. More than a billion dollars to the Harris/Walz campaign from rich oligarchs.

So what was the result? Americans spoke. Trump won. Harris lost. He won the popular vote – the first Republican since 2004 to do so. He won the highest percentage of black and Hispanic votes in decades as a Republican, while Republicans won the U.S. Senate and are projected to maintain the House.

So, what did Juan Williams of Fox News say about it? That Trump won because his voters are racists and voted against a black woman for president. LOL. So typical: the race card, the gender card.

Trump won because he displayed the fortitude of a true executive warrior through all the adversities the bad guys threw at him, and because his record before COVID was so much better for Americans than the record of Biden/Harris.

Kamala Harris was a horrible candidate … flip-flops, no private-sector experience, lies, no real platform except to bash Trump, dumb as a doornail about the economy, about foreign affairs, word salads, not able to speak without a teleprompter, and with her poor pick of Walz as her running mate. She hid from any real questions by the press and was anointed to be the Democratic candidate without ever winning any state primary in 2020 or 2024.

Harris claimed that inflation was caused by price gouging even though CPI and PPI were tracking together and that she could tax unrealized capital gains, which is clearly unconstitutional. She disavowed being in charge of the huge increases in illegal immigration. Kamala divided Americans by race, gender, and wealth. Instead of answering questions about her policies, she glibly told us to read her 90 pages on the internet.

Trump won. MAGA won. America won.

Harris lost. Mainstream media, deep state, and all those liberal pundits lost. The anti-Trump RINOs lost. The race baiters like Barack, Michelle, and Oprah lost. They all, especially the media, need to take a hard look at their actions during this election. Americans saw them all for who they were.

Winning is fun. Losing sucks. Just ask Trump and Harris.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Israel's parliament, the Knesset, advanced the first reading of a trilogy of bills Monday aimed at shuttering the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East amid evidence the organization is increasingly indivisible from the Gaza Strip's rulers, Hamas.

The first bill, which would cease the organization's ability to operate on Israeli territory, passed 58-9. The bill proposed to prohibit UNRWA from operating any mission, providing any service or conducting any activity within Israel's sovereign territory.

Meanwhile the second, aimed at stripping UNRWA personnel of the legal immunities and privileges afforded to United Nations staff in Israel, was approved 63-9.

MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beiteinu) and other MKs sponsored the final bill, which proposed cutting off the state of Israel's relations with UNRWA and declaring it a terrorist organization. The bill passed with a 50-10 majority and all the bills will now be returned to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for further deliberation.

Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, a former editor of the Israel Hayom newspaper who was one of those sponsoring the first bill, was categorical in his condemnation of UNRWA and its activities.

"UNRWA employees worked hand in hand with Hamas in the cruel massacre that took place on that 'Black Sabbath.' UNRWA terrorists murdered, raped and kidnapped Israelis, and assisted in the conveyance of the murder weapons. UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide a solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees, but all it has done since [its inception] is perpetuate the refugee [status of Palestinians], rather than rehabilitate the refugee. It has used the vast resources placed at its disposal for terrorist activity against Israel," according to a Knesset statement.

Bismuth also posted on X, "This [proposed] law sends a very clear message to our enemies: 'We will not permit international organizations to continue in their industry of terrorism and incitement'"

Sharren Haskel MK of New Hope-The United Right party explained the need to find a "parallel" organization and not rely on UNRWA.

"When I realized UNRWA was actually a cornerstone of the Arab conflict here in the Land of Israel, I already understood a change was needed. UNRWA perpetuates the refugee status and passes it on as inheritance. Why? Because it is a very lucrative business."

Mansour Abbas, leader of one of Israel's Arab parties, Ra'am, and who was part of the Lapid-Bennett government between June 2021 and December 2022, opposed the motions. He said designating UNRWA a terrorist organization was "absurd." He argued that although some of its members may have participated in terrorism – it is widely understood at least 12 took part in the Hamas' initial Oct. 7 onslaught – the vast majority work to provide aid for the people who need it. He further pointed out in its absence, Israel would likely be required to assume its operations – which the government has consistently stated it would not do.

The explanatory notes to the bill state: "In the months after the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, investigative reports were revealed regarding the involvement of the workers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip in the murderous terrorist offensive that began on October 7, 2023, such as participation in acts of murder and massacre, kidnapping Israeli citizens to the Gaza Strip and providing vehicles and equipment for the purpose of the offensive. Reports were also published regarding the membership of these workers in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations."

Indeed, the instances of IDF troops operating in Gaza finding weapons caches hidden inside UNRWA facilities – including schools and hospitals – are legion. To say nothing of the Hamas data center found under UNRWA's Gaza HQ in February, including electricity cables connecting it to the UNRWA network.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant estimated some 12% of UNRWA's 13,000 employees in Gaza are affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), including nearly 1,500 who are thought to be active in one or other of those two terrorist groups. More than 230 of those are assessed to be active members of the military wings of either Hamas or PIJ.

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