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A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

War In Israel

Israelis rally in Tel Aviv for the release of the remaining 76 hostages being held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Feb. 8, 2025.

‘Hell’ to break out if Hamas won’t release all hostages on Feb. 15, warns Trump

Jonathan D. Salant, JNSPublished February 10, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas did not release the remaining hostages by Saturday. “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock—I...

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks to the media in Berlin, Aug. 16, 2022.

Mahmoud Abbas ends Palestinian Authority’s payments to families of terrorists

Published February 10, 2025

The Palestinian Authority will no longer pay stipends to the families of convicted terrorists and other prisoners, in a gesture to President Donald Trump. | RELATED: Hamas says that it will delay next hostage release The longstanding program determined...

Hamas delays release of hostages, alleging Israeli violations

Hamas delays release of hostages, alleging Israeli violations

JNS StaffPublished February 10, 2025

Hamas said it will delay an Israeli hostage release scheduled for Feb. 15 until further notice due to Israel’s alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement, a spokesman for the terror group stated. Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, posted...

Palestinians walk along destroyed houses at the Shaboura area in the center of Rafah, days into the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Jan 24, 2025.

Hamas says that it will delay next hostage release

By Ben Sales, JTAPublished February 10, 2025

Hamas announced that it will delay its next release of Israeli hostages, claiming that Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement. The announcement came two days after the last hostage release sparked outrage in Israel and beyond, as the three released...

May 16, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questions Samuel Altman, CEO, OpenAI, testifying before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing on Artificial Intelligence in Washington. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

Josh Hawley and pro-Israel Dem group comment on Trump’s proposed Gaza plan

JNS StaffPublished February 5, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on Tuesday evening that the United States “will take over the Gaza Strip” are “cruel, immoral and impractical,” Mark Mellman, the president and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, stated on Wednesday. “One...

US President Donald Trump listens to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak during a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, Feb. 4, 2025.

US Jewish groups respond to Trump’s Gaza comments

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished February 5, 2025

(JTA) — Reactions from partisan American Jewish groups to President Donald Trump’s proposals for Gaza — that “all” Palestinians leave and the United States “take over” the territory — began flowing in just as soon as their leaders picked...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump speak during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Trump: ‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip’

Ben Sales, JTAPublished February 4, 2025

President Donald Trump said that the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip after the war there ends, a dramatic pledge and sharp change from previous American policy in the region. Trump made the pledge in a press conference on Tuesday...

U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House,

‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip,’ Trump says

Andrew Bernard, JNSPublished February 4, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States will “take over” and rebuild the Gaza Strip during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job...

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before prominent Jewish donors at an event titled "Fighting Anti-Semitism in America" at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., Sept. 19, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump administration asks Congress to OK $1 billion arms sale to Israel

JNS Staff, JNSPublished February 4, 2025

The Trump White House has asked congressional leaders to approve about $1 billion in weapons sales to Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing U.S. officials. The sales would include more than $700 million in 1,000-pound bombs (4,700...

On the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, USC students walk out of class and march around their campus in support of Palestinians and the divest movement on Monday, October 7, 2024 in Los Angeles. President Trump's executive order on Jan. 29, 2025, suggests that foreign-born protesters who express support for terrorism be deported. (Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jewish groups offer mixed reactions to Trump’s executive order on antisemitism

Andrew Lapin, JTAPublished January 30, 2025

Jewish groups are offering mixed reactions to President Donald Trump’s latest executive order on antisemitism that suggests that foreign-born anti-Israel student protesters could be deported. Some say the order is taking advantage of Jewish fear...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on April 10, 2023. (Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)

Israel orders terrorists’ release frozen after ‘horrific’ mobbing of released hostages

JNS StaffPublished January 30, 2025

Jerusalem has frozen the release of terrorists whose sentences were to be commuted under the ceasefire deal with Hamas, after “horrifying scenes” were witnessed during the release of Israeli hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Mozes on Thursday, according...

Arbel Yehud, an Israeli hostage held in Gaza, is made to traverse a dense crowd of terrorists before being handed over to the Red Cross outside Yahya Sinwar's house in Khan Yunis, Gaza, Jan. 30, 2025. (Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images)

8 hostages, including 5 Thai nationals, return to Israel following chaotic scenes in Gaza

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished January 30, 2025

Eight hostages returned to Israel in two separate releases on Thursday, following scenes of chaos and intimidation as the terror groups that abducted them handed them over to the Red Cross. Agam Berger, the last woman soldier remaining in Gaza, was...

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