Trump Peace Plan: Netanyahu Says Hostage Release to be Finalized ‘in Coming Days’; UPDATED

 Legal Insurrection  

“ 'After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin…” – President Donald J. Trump"

"With President Donald Trump putting pressure on Hamas to deliver on his Gaza Peace Plan, Prime Minister Netanyahu, on Saturday night, told Israelis that the remaining hostages could return home soon.

"In a televised address, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he hopes to announce the release of 48 remaining hostages, of which 20 are thought to be alive — “in the coming days.”

"Despite Hamas’s ongoing attempts to water down and sabotage the 20-point Gaza plan, the return of the hostages could be finalized during the weeklong Sukkot festivities that start on Monday. “It is not yet final; we are working on it diligently, and I hope, with G-d’s help, that in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, I will be able to inform you about the return of all our hostages, both living and deceased, in one phase, while the IDF remains deep within the Strip and in the controlling areas within it,” he assured.

Netanyahu: "We are on the brink of a very great achievement" as hostage deal nears completion⁠https://t.co/tmtEDwLDJG pic.twitter.com/M2GwuGnU59

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 4, 2025

"Israeli negotiators were heading to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to finalize the hostage deal, the prime minister disclosed. “I have instructed the negotiating team, headed by [Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron] Dermer, to go to Egypt to close the technical details of the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said. “Our intention and that of our American friends is to limit this negotiation to a few days." . . . More... 

Trump's credibility at stake over Hamas destruction threat   "President Donald J. Trump risks discrediting himself as a master of bluster whose threats can be safely ignored when the stakes are high. The implications extend far beyond the Middle East: Antifa, Democrats, China, North Korea, Iran, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, and even U.S. allies like Taiwan and Israel are watching closely as the president retreats in the face of Hamas calling his bluff.

"Writing in Israel National News, Dr. Avi Perry characterizes Hamas's “yes, but" response as a thinly disguised “No."

"Dr. Perry's analysis identifies Hamas response resting on “three pillars of refusal”:

1. Hamas refuses to disarm.
2. Hamas refuses to release all hostages within 72 hours.
3. Hamas refuses to leave Gaza.

"As Dr. Perry notes: “The message is unmistakable — Hamas intends to continue ruling Gaza, not as administrators of civilian life, but as the self-appointed vanguard of permanent war.” . . .

UPDATE: These graphic videos and images document the horrors of that day.

A Boycott of My Own: Film Stars and Their ‘Nazi Salutes’

"How many celebrity pro-Palestine signatories and self-appointed orators have majored in Middle Eastern studies or the history of religion?"

Phyllis Chesler  

"We, the people, should really think hard about who our celebrities are and what virtues we most admire. Knowledge or ignorance? Cowardice or courage? Independent thinking or tribal thinking?"

Do they even know what a Nazi is? A fascist?

"Although I oppose boycotts in principle, I’ve nevertheless been driven to consider launching one of my own.

"I will no longer rent a film that stars an actor or an actress who has signed a petition or delivered an unexpected shout-out at their award ceremony that condemned Israel for committing an alleged “genocide.” Quite frankly, I hereby denounce all Hollywood stars who have lip-synched a version of “Heil Hitler” by extemporaneously calling out: “Free Palestine.”

"This happened the other night at the Emmy Awards ceremony. Hannah Einbinder of the HBO comedy series “Hacks” ended her acceptance speech for outstanding supporting actress by slamming Israel, stating it was her “obligation” to do so. She wasn’t the only one, but she clearly used her bully pulpit to do so.

"I hope others consider joining this pitiful token action of mine. Imagine how much more time we might all have for reading, writing, cooking and gardening; time to engage in dinner conversations and, dare I write it, more time for helping others.

"Before I “name names,” let me ask: How many of these celebrity, pro-Palestine, anti-Israel signatories and self-appointed orators have majored in Middle Eastern studies, Israel studies, Arab studies, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, the history of religion or world history? How many film stars have gotten advanced degrees—a master’s or doctorate—in any of these areas?

"The answer: Not one that I can find so far.

"According to a 2025 Times Higher Education report, apparently most Oscar- and Emmy-winning celebrity actors and actresses have mainly studied theater arts, the history of art, fine arts, English literature, the English and French languages, music, photography, etc.

"Many Oscar winners dropped out midway through college (the amazing actresses Olivia Colman, Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts, Helen Hunt, for example).

"Some male actors and actresses whose work I’ve admired did not attend college at all: (Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Benigni or Emma Stone).

"All have condemned Israel and called for the “freeing” of “Palestine.”

"Only some film stars have attended elite universities, such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, the University of Cambridge and Columbia University. Just as well. They would probably have been even more heavily brainwashed. Many such celebrities attended a branch of the University of California or a California community college.

"One conclusion: These audience-anointed Olympians are not at all educated in the very areas they publicly proclaim as their principled positions. We cheer them on essentially for displaying their profound ignorance, groupthink, herd behavior and all-around ignorance."...   More

Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D, is an Emerita Professor of Psychology at City University of New York. She is a best-selling author, a legendary feminist leader, and a retired psychotherapist. She has lectured and organized political, legal, religious, and human rights campaigns in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Central Asia, and the Far East.

The Poor Became Poorer Under Biden

 Issues & Insights 

"For the sake of argument, let’s say that Biden was able to get his billionaire tax passed into law – would his record on poverty have been better? No. Because even if every dollar owned by America’s billionaires was confiscated by Washington, it wouldn’t amount to much."

"Never trust a politician who promises to help the poor by taking from the rich. It never works. Joe Biden proved this point.

"While still in the White House, Biden promised that if reelected, he would levy a billionaire tax on the wealthiest Americans. It wasn’t the first time. During his 2023 State of the Union address, he railed that “the tax system is not fair, it’s not fair.” A year earlier, he proposed a “billionaire minimum income tax.”

"Even before he was president, Biden was fond of demanding that the rich pay their “fair share,” which makes a snappy sound bite but leaves open exactly what a “fair share” is and who gets to decide what rates are “fair.”

"Fortunately, Biden never got his billionaire tax.

"But he did succeed in making life more difficult for the poor. Both the overall and child poverty rates swelled while he was in office. The overall poverty rate grew by 40.2% from 2020 to 2024. The child poverty rate spiked by 38.1% over that same period.

" 'If you choose 2019 as your point of comparison, the increase in poverty under Biden is bad. If you choose 2020, it’s catastrophic,” says Jacobin magazine, which considers itself “a leading voice of the American left” that offers a “socialist perspective.”

"As it happens, 2019 was the year Biden told “rich donors at a ritzy New York fundraiser” that poverty was “the one thing that can bring this country down.” Salon said he “listed several new programs to help the poor that he would fund if elected.”

" 'We have all the money we need to do it,” he said.

"This is typical of Democrats. They have promised for the better part of a century that they will pull the poor out of poverty if they can just get their hands on more of other people’s money. Yet it never works that way. Biden and others can whine that poverty soared during his miserable presidency because they couldn’t raise taxes on the wealthy, but soaking the rich does nothing for the poor but hurt them.

"Our history clearly shows that when tax rates are cut, economic growth follows, and everyone, yes, even the poor, benefits. Economist Art Laffer, who drew that famous curve that “showed the relationship between tax rates and tax revenues” and helped shape Ronald Reagan’s growth-boosting economic policies, has made a career of explaining why this is." . . .

How Trump Brought Hamas to the Table

Peter Berkowitz  "The terror group’s sudden openness to Trump’s peace plan is the product of his decision to flip the diplomatic script: advancing peace by negotiating with Israel’s Arab neighbors." 

 . . . "Trump flipped the diplomatic script. If he brings Hamas on board, he will have transformed a seemingly intractable situation into a merely exceptionally difficult one. 

"On Friday, President Donald Trump gave Hamas a Sunday deadline to respond to his peace proposal to end the Gaza war. Hours later, the Iran-backed terrorist group replied, agreeing to release all the hostages and enter into negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. At the same time, Hamas stated that hostages will be released only “with the provision of the field conditions necessary for the exchange process.”

"On Friday evening, Trump announced: “Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly. . . this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”

"Trump’s ambitious plan provides for, among other things, the prompt release of Israeli hostages; disarming Hamas, demilitarizing the territory, and deradicalizing the population; increased humanitarian aid to, and rebuilding of, Gaza; the formation of a technocratic government; the introduction into Gaza of an “International Stabilization Force”; and reform of the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the crucial precondition for launching a “credible pathway” to a Palestinian state.

"It’s not clear to which of the deal’s provisions Hamas has agreed to, or whether this means the end of the war in Gaza. But Trump’s gambit indicates that the war, which would enter its third year on Tuesday, is closer than ever to a turning point. How did this happen?

"Trump’s Middle East diplomacy can appear haphazard and erratic. One day, seemingly off the cuff, he can declare that Gaza’s approximately 2.2 million Palestinians must be moved from the war-ravaged territory in order to clear away tens of thousands of tons of rubble and transform Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The next month, he can affirm that nobody will expel Palestinians from Gaza. Yet his ambitious plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and redevelop Gaza consolidated a fundamental transformation of America’s approach to the region, one which he set in motion in his first administration." . . .More...

Peter Berkowitz is the Tad and Dianne Taube senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and is a columnist for RealClearPolitics. From 2019 to 2021, he served as director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. State Department. His new book is “Explaining Israel: The Jewish State, the Middle East, and America.”

Stephen Miller Says it’s Time to Unleash State Power Against Rampant Left-Wing Terrorism Ravaging America

1. Cassandra MacDonald  

   "Thankfully, no DHS officers suffered serious injuries. Still, the attack is part of a staggering 1,000% increase in assaults on immigration agents, which DHS attributes to sanctuary policies that embolden criminals and hinder cooperation."

"In a post to X on Saturday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said it is time to use the full force of legitimate state power to dismantle the growing scourge of left-wing terrorism.

"Miller’s urgent warning seemingly came in response to a shocking ambush on federal agents in Illinois early Saturday morning.

"The attack took place in Broadview, Illinois, near Chicago, where Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents were rammed and boxed in by 10 vehicles during routine patrols.

"One assailant, a woman armed with a semi-automatic gun, had posted chilling online threats to “f-ck up” ICE agents, complete with doxxing and calls for violence." . . 

. . . "According to McLaughlin’s statement, the incident unfolded during routine patrolling in Broadview, the same suburb where agents faced assaults the previous day. Agents were suddenly surrounded and boxed in by ten cars, preventing any escape.

"One driver deliberately rammed the federal vehicle, prompting agents to exit and confront the threat. The ramming suspect, described as an armed woman, was wielding a semi-automatic weapon, leaving officers no choice but to open fire in self-defense.

"The woman, who sustained non-life-threatening wounds, drove herself to a nearby hospital for treatment. Shockingly, she had been flagged in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin just last week for doxing federal agents and inciting violence online.

"This brazen assault comes amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation push under Operation Midway Blitz, a targeted enforcement surge against criminal illegal immigrants in the Chicago area." . .   More...

Israel-Hamas war: '80% of bodies' found, including children, were tortured

Oct 15, 2023; Sky News

About what you would expect from people who murder Toddlers with their bare hands.

Raw, Uncensored Footage On The Ground At D-Day

War Stories

"This documentary delves into the historic D-Day landings in Normandy, focusing on the handful of cameramen and photographers who risked their lives to document the invasion. It reveals the challenges they faced, from dangerous conditions to the limitations of their equipment, and shows rare, uncensored footage from Omaha Beach. "War Stories is your one-stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. "Do you love uncovering the past, exploring historic sites, and venturing to distant lands? Join History Hit today and stream hundreds of exclusive documentaries, with new releases every week. Plus, enjoy ad-free access to our podcast network for even more history every week: https://historyhit.com/subscribe You can find more from us on: warstoriesdocs  

"I always find myself looking at their faces in these videos and wonder to myself if that individual survived the war, did he ever find peace after the horrors of WW2. So sad how many lives were lost, but it was unfortunately a necessary means to an end to the evil that was the Axis Powers. These young men truly changed the world for the better. I honestly wish I was alive during this time simply to experience that MASSIVE amount of national pride and love of country that was so prevalent and strong during the war."

Dinah Project presses Israel to charge Hamas terrorists for sexual violence

"Two years after the massacre, Israel has still not prosecuted any of the hundreds of terrorists arrested on Oct. 7, 2023." Sad that "Palestinians" and the Western left hate Israel more than they care for any decent people of Gaza. TD

Linda Gradstein

"On the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the Dinah Project is working hard to encourage Israeli prosecutorial authorities to charge Hamas terrorists with using sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as to increase international awareness of the issue.

"The issue of sexual violence as a weapon of war presents unique challenges, according to Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a founding member of the Dinah Project as well as a founding academic director of The Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women’s Status at Bar-Ilan University, where she is a professor of law.

Ruth Halperin-Kaddari. Photo by Anat Geva Sharon.

“It is often impossible to connect a specific perpetrator to a specific victim, which is the usual way that prosecution works,” Halperin-Kaddari told JNS in a recent interview. “In the case of Oct. 7, there are very few survivors because most of the women were killed afterwards.”

"In addition, she said, much of the forensic evidence that would have proven the use of sexual violence was destroyed in the fighting. “It was a war zone,” she said. “The first priority was to recover the bodies, identify them and bring them to burial, so no forensic tests were performed.”

"Halperin-Kaddari previously served three terms on the United Nations Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

"The Dinah Project, named after the Biblical Dinah, the daughter of Jacob who was raped, was launched after the Oct. 7 massacre to pursue justice for victims of sexual violence. It was founded by Halperin-Kaddari, a legal scholar and former chief military prosecutor, Att. Col (Res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, and former judge and deputy attorney general Nava Ben-Or." . . .

Home - Dinah Project    Recognition and justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict 

                       Remembering the atrocities of October 7th, 2023.

"Patten and her team, tasked to gather, analyze, and verify information on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) from October 7 onwards, documented clear evidence of severe sexual acts such as rape, torture, and humiliation. Incidents of rape and gang rape occurred at several locations, notably the Nova music festival, Highway 232, and Kibbutz Re’im.

"The team found a patten of victims, mostly women, who were partially or fully naked, their bodies shot and mutilated, across multiple locations.

"While acknowledging the circumstantial nature of this evidence,
the team concluded it indicates deliberate sexual violence, including sexually motivated torture and cruel treatment. The team was also convinced that this violence persists against the remaining hostages." . . .

Contains the film "Screams Before Silence":

Screams Before Silence

A documentary film about the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on Ocober 7, 2023,

led by Sheryl Sandberg (Kastina Communications)

War to intensify if hostages not freed ‘in the near future’

 

IDF finds two terror tunnels near hospitals in Gaza City   

. . . "Hamas “operates systematically within hospital complexes, exploiting humanitarian facilities for military purposes. For years, the terrorist organization has built an underground system beneath hospitals across the Gaza Strip, used to manufacture weapons and to conduct combat operations,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said." . . . 

War to intensify if hostages not freed ‘in the near future’  “The prime minister is in regular contact with President Trump, who stressed Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off,” the spokeswoman said.

"A possible sticking point is that Hamas claims it does not have all the hostages’ bodies and would need time to locate them, some of which have been buried, or are in areas controlled by Israel’s military."While the details are ironed out, the Israeli Defense Forces have taken a defensive position in the Gaza Strip, with orders to fire when fired upon. The IDF has also suspended certain bombings, but no official ceasefire is in place, Badrosian told JNS." . . .

In the End, Everyone Hated the Iranian Theocracy

 VDH’s Blade of Perseus- Victor Davis Hanson

"The new reality is that either Israel or the U.S.—if they keep their earned confidence within proper limits—can now ensure a non-nuclear Iran by easily blowing up its costly nuclear program as often as it is rebuilt."

"It is hard even to digest the incredible train of events of the last few days in the Middle East.

"Iran had been reduced to an anemic, performance-art missile attack on our base in Qatar—the last Parthian shot from a terrified regime, desperate for an out—and a ceasefire.

"Iran would have been better off not launching such a ceremonial but ultimately humiliating proof of impotence.

"Even worse for the theocracy, Iran’s temporary reprieve came from the now magnanimous but still hated Donald Trump.

"So ends the creepy mystique of the supposedly indomitable terror state of Iran, the bane of the last seven American presidents over half a century.

"For Supreme Leader Khamenei, it was hard to swallow that U.S. bombers got their permission to fly into Iranian airspace from the Israeli air force.

"A good simile is that Trump put a pot of water on the stove, told Iran to jump in, put the lid over them, then smiled, turned up the heat—and will now let them stew.

"As postbellum realities now simmer in Iran, the theocracy is left explaining the inexplicable to its humiliated military and shocked but soon-to-be-furious populace. All the regime’s blood-curdling rhetoric, apocalyptic threats against Israel, goose-stepping thugs, and shiny new missiles ended in less than nothing.

"A trillion dollars and five decades’ worth of missiles and centrifuges are now up in smoke. That money might have otherwise saved Iranians from the impoverishment of the last fifty years.

"How about the little Satan Israel, to which Iran for nearly 50 years promised extinction?

"Israel had destroyed Iran’s expeditionary terrorists, Iran’s defenses, its nuclear viability, and the absurd mythology of Iranian military competence. And worse, Israel showed it could repeat all that destruction when and if it is necessary.

"So, the most hated regime in the world crawled into the boiling pot because it looked around in vain for someone to void Trump’s ultimatum for a cease and desist.

"But there were no last-minute saviors to rescue them." . . .  More...

Victor Davis Hanson Reveals Terrifying Strategy Mamdani Will Use to Achieve 'His Ultimate Aim'

PJ Media   Can America's population be this unschooled?

"The threat of Mamdani winning the election has frightened city business owners so much that reports say many may bolt if he takes office."

"Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson revealed on Thursday that he believes socialist Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is going to see how "far he can go" if he wins the election, a prediction derived from a statement he made in 2021. 

"Hanson made the comments during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. 

"Republicans and a handful of Democrats have heavily scrutinized Mamdani for his past anti-police remarks and his refusal to denounce the phrase "globalize the intifada."

"Hanson discussed the deepening divide between Americans on the left and right during the interview, which led Hannity to ask him if, despite these ideological differences, reconciliation between the two sides was possible. 

“Well, they’re incompatible with the history of the United States, the 249 years, and you have to refute them at the polls. Everybody has to get out in November and do something historic and win for the end party, the Republicans. A huge midterm victory, and that will refute it,” Hanson explained. “That’s how McGovernism was refuted. That’s how Carterism was, but this is much more extreme.”

"Hanson highlighted one of Mamdani's most recent controversies: his use of the phrase "seizing the means of production," a foundational pillar of socialist and communist ideology.

"Philosopher Friedrich Engels, co-founder of Marxism, wrote in his book, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, that when a society takes over the means of production, "production of commodities is done away with, and, simultaneously, the mastery of product over the producer."

"The government taking over the means of production ultimately leads to the end of private ownership of property. A person no longer owns anything, including the fruits of their labor. 

In a free market economy, the price for goods and services rises and falls based on the principles of supply and demand. For example, if apples grow scarce, their price goes up. This tells farmers they need to grow more apples. 

"When the government seizes the means of production, central planners set prices instead of allowing markets to adjust. If the price of apples is set too low, the demand skyrockets, but farmers have no incentive to produce more. And that leads to food shortages and empty store shelves.

"When central planners try to plan for the needs of millions of people, they ultimately create mismatches because the needs of human beings are in a constant state of change. For example, they might have workers produce a ton of shoelaces when, in reality, what people need is more milk." . . .

Michael Cantrell is a political commentator and writer with over 17 years in the industry. He's a devout Catholic who loves Jesus and a patriot who fully believes the application of conservative principles improves every area of society.

Two Years Later, ‘Much of the World No Longer Remembers Oct. 7’

For the victims of the Holocaust, the 1972 Israeli Olympic team, the innumerable Israelis murdered in stores, cafes and homes. Add to those the countless (perhaps innocent) Arabs killed as a result of those actions by Arab terrorists. TD

The American Spectator 

 "If Hamas rejects the deal, Trump told Netanyahu, “Bibi, you’d have our full backing to do what you would have to do.” So if the war drags on and on, blame Hamas terrorists, not Netanyahu and Israel." 

"The brutal Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, left some 1,200 dead. I never would have predicted that, two years later, Hamas would continue to imprison hostages, refuse to release the bodies of dead detainees, and still be rewarded with increasing recognition of a Palestinian state.

"Terrorists proudly documented their brutality for the world to see.

" 'The astonishing fact was that at more than thirty locations, more than 3,000 Hamas fighters, along with numerous Palestinian civilians, had broken through the fence between Israel and Gaza,” Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst wrote of that day in his book, Black Saturday: An Unfiltered Account of the October 7th Attack on Israel and the War in Gaza.

" 'Hamas gunmen were going door-to-door, systematically executing civilians. In some homes, grenades were thrown into living rooms and bedrooms. In others, children were shot in front of their parents, their bodies disfigured. Terrified residents clung to their bomb shelter doors as militants fired on the handles,” Yingst wrote of Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. “When they were unsuccessful at breaching the rooms, Hamas burned houses down, reducing the people inside to ash after they suffocated from the smoke. Those not immediately killed were kidnapped and taken hostage into Gaza.”

"At Harvard, pro-Palestinian students jumped into action with a statement that held “the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all the unfolding violence.” Which, in America, used to be known as blaming the victims.

"Meanwhile, progressive activists turned big-name university quads into their own private camping grounds, classrooms were occupied, and scholarship took a holiday. To their shock, many Jewish students faced virulent antisemitism at institutions they thought would shield them.

"College administrators got sucked into the controversy. Within the year, three university presidents — Harvard’s Claudine Gay, Columbia University’s Minouche Shafik, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Liz Magill — resigned." . . .