The Trump administration is preparing to enact a new wave of sanctions targeting Hamas for its use of Gazan civilians as human shields, invoking a powerful law passed in 2018 but left unenforced by the Biden administration. The law mandates sanctions against terror groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that exploit civilian populations to shield military operations, a tactic widely condemned as a war crime under international law. Although President Joe Biden signed a 2024 legislative update strengthening the law requiring a Pentagon report and expanding its reach his administration never issued related sanctions, drawing bipartisan criticism. Now, under renewed leadership, the Treasury and State Departments have pledged to use “every tool available” to hold Hamas and its affiliates accountable. A Treasury spokesperson said, “We are pleased to be reversing course in order to keep Americans and our allies safe... Hamas and other terrorists will face the full force of U.S. law.” The sanctions will allow the Trump administration to target any Hamas figure involved in the use of human shields, potentially seizing property and freezing assets, while expanding financial penalties already in place. This move is part of a broader “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran and its terror proxies. Senator Ted Cruz, who authored the original legislation, criticized the Biden administration for its failure to enforce the law. “Imposing such sanctions would make clear that the U.S. government does not tolerate the use of human shields,” Cruz said. “The reason they didn’t is because they were committed to undermining our Israeli allies.” Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, Canada, and Israel, has long used civilians, including children, as shields for military infrastructure launching rockets from hospitals, schools, and densely populated residential areas. In a significant shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics, China and Egypt launched their first joint military exercise near the Israeli border, a move closely watched by Israeli defense officials. The drill, titled “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” began Sunday at Wadi Abu Rish Air Base, about 100 kilometers west of the Gulf of Suez, and is scheduled to run through mid-May. Chinese and Egyptian defense ministries described the drill as a move to “deepen military cooperation and trust”, while Israeli observers and Western analysts see a more complex strategic picture. The exercise follows recent joint naval drills involving China, Russia, and Iran in the Persian Gulf signaling Beijing’s growing ambitions to assert itself in a region traditionally under American influence. Egypt, still a major recipient of $1.5 billion in annual U.S. military aid, has rejected American proposals to absorb displaced Gazans, instead advancing its own regional initiatives. Its deepening ties with China may reflect Cairo’s desire to diversify partnerships while asserting more independence in defense policy. [57 minutes] Amir's Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/newsletter22025-11466707?e=71da67882a This is very hard to hear, but from the little I heard is that Amir is asking people to pray because of the wind conditions and a lot of people taking advantage and setting fires Wildfires that began on Wednesday morning and that have burned more than 5,000 acres in Israel have “miraculously” left homes untouched, according to Israeli firefighting authorities. As Breitbart News reported on Wednesday, several brush fires broke out in central Israel, near Jerusalem, on Wednesday morning. High winds and dry conditions caused the blazes to spread, prompting evacuations. Israel mobilized its military to assist its firefighting services, and asked for help from a number of nearby European countries that Israeli first responders have also assisted with natural disasters in the recent past. As of Thursday afternoon, the fire had burned more than 5,000 acres, making it one of the largest wildfires in Israeli history (though still only about one-fourth of the size of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in January, for example). Israeli authorities noted that despite the extent of the blaze, and the large number of separate fires, there had been no damage to structures. Several people have been arrested for arson subsequent to the start of the blazes, though the cause of the initial fires is unclear. Amir's Weekly Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/newsletter22025-11466748?e=71da67882a I just saw this in an email from Bill Koenig. I don't have Telegram to check if Amir is saying anything. In the latest you tube video I found Amir is talking about the fires. Intercede Now for Israel’s Warriors Issued May 2, 2025 Thousands of IDF reservists have been mobilized. Reinforcements are deploying across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Judea & Samaria. A major ground offensive is imminent. Hostages remain unreleased. Hezbollah is escalating. The hour is critical. As you read this, Israeli soldiers are preparing to defend the land — on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Now is the time to pray. You who fear the Lord, lift your voice: “May He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces… May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters… May He grant them salvation and crown them with victory… For it is the Lord your God Who goes with you, to battle your enemies, to save you.” Sing it. Declare it. Shout it. Let the heavens hear your intercession. This is not just a moment of strategy — it is a moment of covenant. Pray now. Pray loud. Pray until the victory is sealed. A ballistic missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen struck the ground inside the perimeter of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, leading Israeli officials to prepare a response to Yemen — or Iran. The missile struck “a grove adjacent to an access road, inside the airport’s perimeter,” the Times of Israel noted, after triggering sirens across central Israel and evading Israel Defense Forces (IDF) missile defenses. Several people were lightly injured, including one who was hurt while running to reach a bomb shelter. The Times of Israel added that both Israel’s Arrow and the U.S.-made THAAD failed to intercept the missile. The airport, Israel’s main point of access to the outside world, was closed for an hour and several foreign carriers halted flights for several days. Israelis leaders were reported to be meeting to prepare a response. U.S. President Donald Trump has, in the recent past, warned that Iran will pay the price directly for Houthi missile attacks. The U.S. has been attacking Houthi targets in Yemen for weeks, as missiles have continued.
Trump Administration Set to Enforce Sanctions on Hamas for Using Human Shields:
China and Egypt Conduct First-Ever Joint Military Drill Near Israeli Border:
Unprecedented U.S. Military Support, Nazis in 2025, and the Iran Clock Ticks Down | MidEast & Beyond:
Wildfires Burn 5,000 Acres in Israel, but ‘Miraculously’ Leave Homes Untouched:
Houthis Hit Ben Gurion Airport with Missile; Israel Weighs Response; Iran Possible Target:
