VFI News Talks to Release 10 Hostages Complicated by Katz's Statement that Israel Will Stay in Gaza Indefinitely

Join Barry Segal in this week’s VFI News Report as he provides an in-depth look at Israel’s complex situation during the week of Passover and Unleavened Bread. While Israelis celebrate this important biblical holiday, they also face the ongoing realities of war and conflict. This edition covers key events from the past week, starting with the significance of Passover and its biblical connection to the Exodus story. Siegel emphasizes the importance of the Lamb in Jewish tradition, encouraging prayer for Jewish people to recognize the Lamb who was slain for salvation.

The report also covers Israel’s defense as missile threats continue. On Sunday evening, a ballistic missile fired from Yemen led to missile intercepts by both the IDF’s Arrow 3 system and the U.S.-operated THAAD system. This comes amidst continued missile attacks from Gaza, where terrorist groups still possess rockets despite 18 months of war. Barry explains the IDF’s strategic control of the Morag Corridor, a critical buffer zone between Rafah and Gaza, and the IDF’s struggles due to manpower shortages, exacerbated by ongoing political and social challenges within Israel.

The growing movement among IDF reservists, advocating for negotiations with Hamas to secure the release of hostages, also takes center stage. The prolonged conflict has strained Israeli society, with higher divorce rates, job losses, and economic challenges. As pressure mounts, some reservists are questioning the cost of continued fighting, highlighting the deep toll on the military and their families.

Barry also touches on the geopolitical challenges Israel faces. Tensions rise as U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Oman to discuss nuclear negotiations, with the looming threat of Iranian strikes on Israel. Despite these threats, Israel’s defense systems remain strong, with continued protection against ballistic and cruise missiles.

In Lebanon, there is encouraging news as Hezbollah's influence weakens, and the Lebanese National Army gains control over a significant portion of territory once held by the militant group. This is a hopeful development for both Israel and Lebanon, signaling a potential shift toward peace. However, Iran’s ongoing smuggling operations to Hezbollah pose a continuing risk, despite efforts by law enforcement in Europe to shut down these smuggling rings.

Meanwhile, tensions grow on Israel’s northern and southern borders. The Turkish military continues its occupation of parts of Syria, creating potential friction with Israeli forces. To the south, the Egyptian military’s increasing presence in the Sinai raises concerns, as it violates the 1979 Camp David Accords. Diplomatic efforts between Israel, Turkey, and Egypt continue, but there is uncertainty about how these situations may unfold.

On the domestic front, Israel faces political unrest, with protests erupting against government policies, including judicial reforms and the refusal of Ultra-Orthodox communities to serve in the IDF. Despite this, Israel ranks as the 8th happiest country in the world, reflecting the strength of family and community life. Barry concludes with the remarkable achievement of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s basketball team, which won the Eurocup after 52 years, offering a moment of national pride amid the challenges.

Stay informed with this comprehensive update on Israel’s security, diplomacy, and internal dynamics, as the nation faces complex trials both at home and abroad.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the parents of hostage Eitan Mor that the government is working on a deal that would see 10 of the remaining captives released by Gaza terror groups, the Tikva Forum said Monday, April 14.

Mor, 23, was working as a security guard at the Nova rave music festival when he was captured. His father Tzvika co-founded the Tikva Forum, a right-wing alternative to the mainline hostage advocacy group. Netanyahu called Mor’s parents on Sunday evening to update them on efforts to secure a deal to release the hostages. 

“Tzvika and Efrat Mor emphasized to the prime minister the position of the Tikva Forum that all the hostages need to be released in one phase on the same bus, without selektzia between them,” the forum said, using a Holocaust-era term used to describe Nazi Germany’s distinction between Jews deemed fit for hard labor and those sent straight to be murdered.

Talks have reportedly been deadlocked over Israel’s demand that the terror group free 11 of the hostages in exchange for an extended ceasefire, while Hamas has offered to release five. The Tikva Forum statement indicated that Israel was now demanding 10 hostages. A Hamas official quoted by Lebanese media also said the group was looking at an Israeli proposal for a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for 10 hostages. 

According to reports over the weekend, in its latest proposal, Israel expressed readiness to lower the number of hostages released. Israeli media said Sunday that Israel was waiting for a response from the terror group to a proposal to release nine or 10 living hostages — including US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander. (TOI/VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we pray fervently for all the remaining hostages who are living in unimaginably difficult circumstances. We pray that You free them as soon as possible, take care of all their needs, heal their hearts and engulf them in Your loving embrace. We ask that You show Yourself and Your Son to them, reveal how much You love them, strengthen them and give them hope. In Yeshua's Name we pray.”

Israeli forces will remain in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely to maintain security zones along the borders, Defense Minister Israel Katz has said. To defend Israel from Hamas, Hezbollah and the newly established Syrian government, Katz claimed the IDF needed to keep a foothold in each territory for the foreseeable future.

“Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” Katz said on Wednesday, April 16. “[The IDF] will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza — as in Lebanon and Syria.”

The move is expected to complicate the already heated cease-fire talks with Hamas, regarding the proposal to free 10 hostages in exchange for another temporary truce. Hamas has reiterated that it will not release the 59 hostages remaining in Gaza without assurance that Israel will completely withdraw from the Strip and agree to a permanent peace deal.

Katz’s announcement could also derail the truce with Hezbollah, as well as further antagonize Israel with Syria’s new leaders, who overthrew President Bashar Assad last year. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel’s insistence on keeping its troops in southern Lebanon has hindered his army’s ability to deploy along the border as per the cease-fire agreement reached last year. (NYP/VFI News)

“Dear Lord, we pray for peace with all neighboring countries. We pray that You soften the hearts of the wicked, that they repent, and that You prevent them from harming anyone. In Yeshua's Name, we pray that You give wisdom to our leaders and that they always make the best decisions in alignment with Your Will. We thank You for Your love, and protection and for gifting us the army to protect our country from enemies. We praise You and we glorify Your name with our lives.”

Hamas is struggling to pay its members in Gaza, including senior terror operatives, due to a worsening cash crunch, a renowned American news outlet reports. Citing Arab, Israeli and Western officials, the newspaper notes Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip, some of which Hamas took and sold. 

It also quotes Arab intelligence officials who say the renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza has taken out Hamas members who play key roles in doling out cash to operatives, while others have been forced to hide. 

The intelligence officials add that employees in Gaza’s Hamas-led government have stopped receiving payments, while senior operatives and political figures received half of their wages over Ramadan and rank-and-file fighters get $200-$300 monthly.

The Israeli and Western officials say Hamas was facing a cash squeeze before the ceasefire and hostage release deal that took effect in January, providing the terror group with an opportunity to generate revenue by taxing merchants, demanding trucks make payments at checkpoints and seizing goods to fence. 

Hamas also reportedly uses funds it has overseas to buy humanitarian aid to sell in Gaza, turning it back into cash. (TOI/VFI News) 

“Dear God, we pray that the funding to Hamas and all other terror groups in Gaza will be stopped and that they won’t be able to exploit the aid intended for Palestinian civilians. We pray for the dismantlement of Hamas and all of its proxies. You are always good and gracious, regardless of the outward circumstances and we trust in You, Your promises and Your unfailing love. May Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. In Yeshua's Name we pray, amen.”

Jordanian authorities announced on Tuesday, March 15, the arrest of sixteen individuals in connection with a foiled plot that posed a significant threat to national security. The operation uncovered rockets, explosives, and a facility used for manufacturing drones.

According to a security source, quoted by renowned British media, the suspects are linked to Hamas, the terrorist organization engaged in ongoing hostilities with Israel. The group has also been accused of inciting anti-government protests within Jordan, which hosts a substantial Palestinian population.

Authorities revealed that at least one rocket, which had been under surveillance since 2021, was discovered, ready for launch. A drone production site was also located, as detailed in a statement issued by the General Intelligence Department and released on state media.

“The plot aimed to undermine national security, spread chaos, and inflict material damage within the Kingdom,” the statement declared. Over the past year, Jordan has repeatedly reported the interception of attempts to smuggle weapons across its borders by infiltrators affiliated with pro-Iranian militias operating from Syria. (INN/VFI News) 

“For what is the allotment of God from above, and the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked, and disaster for the workers of iniquity?” - Job 31:2-3 

Ve’Ahavta (Thou Shalt Love) is a powerful lyric video based on Deuteronomy 6:5-6, one of the most foundational verses in the Hebrew Scriptures. This worship song brings the ancient words to life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

Rooted in the heart of the Shema Yisrael prayer, this lyric video offers a meaningful blend of Scripture, music, and visuals—ideal for personal devotion, group worship, or Scripture memorization. Whether you're exploring Messianic music, Hebrew worship, or Bible-based songs, "Ve’Ahavta" delivers a deeply spiritual and uplifting experience.

Lyrics: Deut. 6:5-6, Music: Batya Segal

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The European Union will increase its financial support for the Palestinian Authority with a three-year package worth around 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion), the European Commissioner responsible for the Middle East told British media in an interview published Monday, April 14.

Dubravka Suica, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, said the financial support would go hand in hand with reforms of the Palestinian Authority, which has been accused by critics of corruption, bad governance, and incentivizing terrorism. “We want them to reform themselves because without reforming, they won’t be strong enough and credible to be an interlocutor, not only for us but an interlocutor also for Israel,” Suica said. 

The commissioner’s remarks came ahead of a first “high-level political dialogue” between European Union foreign ministers and senior Palestinian officials, including PA Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, in Luxembourg on Monday. 

The PA’s finances have been in disarray for years as donor states have cut back funding that once covered nearly one-third of its $6 billion annual budget, demanding reforms to tackle corruption and waste, and have only gotten worse since thousands of Hamas-led terrorists attacked Israel on October 7.

The EU is the biggest donor to the Palestinian Authority, pledging 400 million euros in 2024, and EU officials hope the PA may also one day take responsibility for Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas comes to an end. (TOI/VFI News)  

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” - Proverbs 12:26

The Trump administration has halted approximately $2.3 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard University following the school’s refusal to comply with directives from the White House targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, British media reported.

According to an announcement on Monday, April 14, from the US Department of Education, the decision encompasses a freeze on $2.2 billion in grant money, as well as $60 million in federal contracts previously designated for the Ivy League institution. 

While Harvard has not issued a detailed public response to the funding suspension, the dispute marks a significant escalation in tensions between the federal government and elite universities over the direction and governance of campus policies related to diversity and civil rights compliance.

The funding cut was announced hours after Harvard University President Alan Garber announced the university would refuse to comply with the Trump administration's demands for on-campus protests, diversity programs, and campus antisemitism. 

Meanwhile, a member of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Dean's Council has recently resigned from his position after he was sued last week by nearly 200 family members of Americans killed in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack on Israeli concert-goers. 

According to the lawsuit, Bashar Masri, a Palestinian American billionaire, is being accused of "aiding and abetting" Hamas by helping the terror group build tunnels and rocket launch sites, as well as allowing top Hamas leaders to use his facilities at his properties in Gaza. Masri's office insists that "neither he nor any businesses associated with him have ever engaged in unlawful activity or provided support for violence and militancy." (INN/VFI News) 

A naturalized U.S. citizen living in Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, April 16, to working with the Iranian government and intelligence officials on their behalf in the U.S. as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) between 2017 and 2024.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to act and acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the U.S. without prior notification to the Attorney General. Rahmati previously was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 1st Lt., a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, from June 2009 to May 2010. 

Court documents show that from at least December 2017 through June 2024, Rahmati worked with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials on their behalf in the U.S. 

During that period, Rahmati met with Iranian intelligence in Iran, communicated with Iranian authorities using a cover story to hide his conduct, obtained employment with an FAA contractor with access to sensitive, non-public information about the U.S. aviation sector, and obtained and provided open-source and non-public materials about the solar energy industry in the U.S. to intelligence officers. 

The DOJ said Rahmati offered his services to Iran in August 2017 through a former colleague who was a senior Iranian government official who previously worked at the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. (FN/VFI News) 

“For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.” - Luke 8:17

A bill to ban Israelis from entering the Maldives has been approved by the country's Parliament. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the bill a short time after it was passed in parliament.

"The ratification reflects the Government's firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people," Muizzu claimed in a statement. 

The final version of the bill states that "until the inhumane actions carried out by Israel against Palestinian civilians since October 7, 2023, come to an end, the Maldives will ban the entry of those carrying Israeli passports." 

In addition to the bill, Muizzu announced last year that his country would appoint a special envoy to help the Palestinians. (INN/VFI News)

“For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together” - Psalm 71:10

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

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