VFI News Hostages Meet with President Trump; Israel and US Unite Against Iran

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The White House on Wednesday night, March 5, published a video from President Donald Trump’s meeting at the White House with eight Israelis who were freed from Hamas captivity - Eli Sharabi, Keith and Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, and Noa Argamani.  

In the video, the freed hostages tell Trump of some of the horrors they experienced during captivity. Aviva Siegel told Trump, “It was the worst thing that anybody can go through. One of the days, they handcuffed one of the boys that was with us, and then he came, and he pulled a cutter, and he cut his hand and smiled. They used to eat in front of us while they starved us.”  

Doron Steinbrecher told the president that “it’s a miracle” that she is still alive. Eli Sharabi said, “I was kidnapped on the 7th of October. My wife and my two daughters were murdered on the same day. I was held in captivity for 491 days. I suffered from starvation, violence, and humiliations daily. One time, they broke my ribs, and it hurt so much that I couldn't breathe for one month. Thanks to President Trump, I’m a free man. I can hug my mother again. I can hug my brothers and sisters.”  

“I was moved 33 times, spent time in tunnels with no air to breathe, barely food, hardly any water, saw horrific torturing of hostages that I spent time with, and I am so grateful and thankful to be here because of President Trump and the administration's great efforts,” said Keith Siegel. 

Shortly after he met with the freed hostages, Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas, “‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye - You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you.” (INN/VFI News)

“Dear Lord, we thank You for all the hostages You have freed and for helping them persevere amidst unimaginable physical and mental torments. We pray for the hostages who have not been released yet and we ask that You help them reunite with their families and community as soon as possible. We also pray in Yeshua’s name for all the families who have been tormented by this war, that You be merciful to them and show them Your unfailing love and mercies which are new every morning. Please, help them leave this nightmare behind and rebuild their lives based on Your love and truth.”

Michael, uncle of Ethan Mor, who was kidnapped by Hamas, spoke with Israeli media about the meeting of families of the hostages with Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar.  

“We asked Minister Zohar to abandon the Witkoff plan, which is tearing apart the families of the hostages as well as the nation and continues the division. We want to bring everyone home together in one bus, to redeem the blank cheque given to us by President Trump,” says Mor, highlighting the main points of the proposed plan.  

“The plan suggests returning half now and half later if Hamas agrees, and maybe half of that, or half of half, as the minister himself stated, and we are not willing to accept that. We cannot let this happen. We demand to adopt the Trump plan that gave us a blank cheque to conclude this ordeal once and for all.”  

Meanwhile, an event was scheduled in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of senior UN officials and representatives of the hostage families, where a report by the UN special envoy on torture was to be presented for the first time.  

Hebrew media conveyed that the report recognizes the psychological terrorism inflicted by Hamas against the hostage families as a violation of the international laws of war. This is a historic achievement that was reached thanks to the efforts of the legal department of the Hostages Families Headquarters, headed by Dr. Shelly Aviv-Yeini. (INN/VFI News) 

“Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.” - Psalm 146:8-9

Iran’s 60%-level enriched uranium stockpile has increased to 275 kilograms or about one full nuclear weapon’s worth per month since December, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi said on Monday, March 3.  

“We need real answers, [and we need] to stop [just] talking about process,” which might only delay Iran’s efforts to develop its nuclear ambitions, he told the IAEA’s Board of Governors.  

The IAEA has found that Tehran has enough 60%-enriched uranium – which could be quickly converted to the 90% weaponized level – to make six nuclear weapons if it decided to do so.  

This is without even taking into account Iran’s enriched uranium, which has been developed to 20% and lower levels. According to Israeli and some US estimates, Iran could potentially develop an even larger number of nuclear weapons than the IAEA estimates, especially if it made smaller nuclear bombs.  

Iran’s latest spike in uranium enrichment was probably its response to the IAEA condemning it in November 2024 for nuclear violations. (JPost/VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we pray in Yeshua’s name for the destabilization of the Iranian regime especially in regards to its nuclear program, but also its treatment towards its own citizens. We pray that war will be prevented and that Iran’s attempt to unleash nuclear weapons against the Middle East will be stopped. Please protect us. Only You can establish anyone’s plans and we pray that Iran’s nuclear plans will fail. We thank You for who You are and for Your protection Lord. May Your Will always be done.”

The Israeli Air Force held a joint exercise with the US Air Force on Tuesday, March 4, in what was likely a message to Iran amid speculation about a potential joint strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.  

During the exercise, pilots “practiced operational coordination between the two militaries to enhance their ability to address various regional threats,” the IDF said in a statement Thursday.  

The drill included Israeli F-15I and F-35I fighter jets flying alongside a US B-52 bomber. “The exercise aimed to strengthen and maintain the longstanding cooperation between the forces while expanding connectivity and building integrated capabilities for a range of scenarios,” the IDF said.  

The drill is potentially aimed at readying the Israeli military for a potential joint strike with the US on Iran. The IAF has already carried out two strikes on Iran without US support, in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel. The Israeli strikes reportedly left key Iranian air defenses crippled. 

Meanwhile, the IDF has reportedly developed many relatively new Iran units in the IDF Intelligence and Air Force commands, and these newer units have possibly made the old unified Iran-focused command less central. 

Furthermore, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that the State Department re-designated Iranian-backed Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). (TOI/VFI News)

“Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness” - Ezekiel 7:11

Join Batya to discuss Parashat Tetzaveh. In this video, Batya talks about hunger and the need to learn more about the written scriptures. Parashat Tetzaveh talks about God’s requests of Moses and the Jewish people of Israel. Though it may not always be clear from the beginning, God always has a purpose and a plan for us. Just as he made purposeful, meaningful requests of Moses, he makes purposeful, meaningful requests of us through his written word. Every word in the scripture is essential and brings us closer to the Lord.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said he’s “certain” President Trump can broker peace in the Middle East on Tuesday, March 4, as the country presented a $20 billion reconstruction plan for war-torn Gaza.

At a summit of Arab leaders in Cairo on Tuesday, the Egyptian government offered an alternative to Trump’s controversial plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza and redevelop it under US control.

The proposal involves raising billions from the oil-rich Arab states and the international community to invest in the Palestinian enclave over the next two years.

The plan garnered support from the Arab League nations. It calls for the money to be used to build 200,000 housing units in Gaza, where nearly 70% of all buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the war.

The proposal comes after Trump pushed a plan to evacuate the more than 2 million residents living in Gaza, calling the enclave uninhabitable and tapping the US to take it over and rebuild it into a “Riviera.”

Trump’s proposal earned widespread backlash and allegations of ethnic cleansing, with the US administration repeatedly suggesting that the Palestinians would be moved to Egypt and Jordan with no word on whether they would ever be allowed to return to Gaza. (NYP/VFI News)

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” - Matthew 5:9

During the first phase of the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, 274 terrorists serving life sentences were released; about 300 terrorists serving life sentences remain in prison, Arab sources told Israeli media. 

9,406 terrorists and security detainees are being held in Israel – 1,486 of them are already serving prison sentences, 2,960 are already undergoing criminal proceedings, but have not yet been convicted, and 3,405 are administrative detainees.  

The Israel Prison Service released figures showing that 1,555 Gazan terrorists were arrested during the war in Gaza.  

In addition, the IDF facilities hold about 1,800 Gazans, who were arrested during the war in Gaza. (INN/VFI News)

“Dear God, we pray that You protect us and all innocent citizens from the terrorists who have been released due to the hostage deal. We urgently pray that You soften their hearts, cause them to repent, and com into salvation, or be eliminated from this world. May You deliver justice and help all Your people walk in freedom and safety. In Yeshua’s name we pray, amen.”

The Trump administration threatened Monday, March 3, to pull more than $50 million in government contracts it has with Columbia University — pointing to the Ivy League school’s alleged inaction to get a handle on anti-Israel protests that have targeted Jewish students.  

Federal officials announced they were considering placing “Stop Work Orders” on $51.4 million worth of contracts and reviewing more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments tied to the Big Apple university to ensure the rights of Jewish students are being met.  

“Anti-Semitism – like racism – is a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history’s most deadly plagues,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. 

The looming warning to the school is part of an ongoing investigation into possible civil rights violations and comes after President Trump formed the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism when he got into office in January to fight against vile hate being carried out on college campuses.  

Columbia said it was reviewing the federal government’s message and hoped to work with the White House to fight antisemitism. (NYP/VFI News)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to present a multi-billion-shekel development plan to advance the Druze and Circassian communities. The government is expected to approve the five-year plan for 2025 to 2029 on Sunday, March 9, which will involve an investment of approximately NIS 3.9 billion. 

The proposed plan includes a wide range of investments aimed at strengthening localities in Galilee, Carmel, and Golan Heights. 

Among its key provisions is that NIS 650 million will be allocated for urban planning and housing solutions. This includes establishing a dedicated planning committee for Druze and Circassian localities to accelerate detailed planning. 

A new framework for electricity connections will also be implemented, and subsidies will be provided for new housing projects, benefiting discharged soldiers and young couples. Additionally, over NIS 1B will be spent on improving municipal services, increasing local government budgets, improving public service efficiency, and developing independent revenue streams through economic initiatives. 

The plan also includes a NIS 450M investment in education, aligning curricula with future employment market demands to ensure better job prospects for the younger generation. (JPost/VFI News) 

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” - Romans 13:1

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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