Tag Archives: Hamas

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sued over $1B in alleged Hamas-linked transactions

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Binance Holdings Ltd, along with its founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao and senior executive Guangying Chen, has been named in a federal lawsuit for knowingly allowing transactions that enabled Hamas to support and carry out the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Over 300 victims and family members of those killed or injured in the attack, led by attorney Lee Wolosky, have filed a civil suit against Zhao and his colleagues under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. Changpeng Zhao knew what was happening The plaintiffs claim Binance “knowingly facilitated” the movement of more than $1 billion in transactions linked to sanctioned terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “When a company chooses profit over even the most basic counter-terrorism obligations, it must be held accountable and it will be,” Lee Wolosky, an attorney for the victims, told Bloomberg. Hamas’s attack on southern Israel during the early morning hours of Oct. 7, 2023, resulted in the devastating loss of life, with at least 1, 200 people killed and hundreds more injured or taken hostage. Now the plaintiffs allege that Binance “intentionally structured itself as a refuge for illicit activity, and knew full well that specific accounts controlled by terroristic organizations were among its customers.” They claim these funds could be used to “commit terrorist attacks.” Binance and Zhao have previously been investigated and prosecuted in the United States for failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls, which enabled transactions tied to terrorist groups like Hamas and al-Qaeda. As a result, the company had to pay a $4. 3 billion criminal penalty, while Zhao had to step down as chief executive as part of the settlement and serve a four-month prison sentence. However, the latest 284-page complaint in North Dakota, which adds to three other lawsuits that both Zhao and Binance are currently battling across the country over the exchange’s alleged role in terror financing, claims to reveal far more alleged transactions with sanctioned groups, some of which were executed even after the settlement with the Department of Justice. Binance “sent the equivalent of more than $300 million to designated wallets on the blockchain before the attacks and more than $115 million after,” an excerpt from the complaint reads. Plaintiffs have further alleged that Binance failed to maintain adequate controls between 2017 and 2023, which allowed sanctioned entities to move large sums without detection. Furthermore, they claim Binance operated through a web of offshore entities with little oversight and minimal recordkeeping. For instance, the complaint highlights a Venezuelan woman having received hundreds of millions of dollars even when there were no obvious financial means to explain the transfers. She reportedly operated a livestock-related company in Brazil. She opened a Binance account in 2022 and went on to receive over $177 million in deposits and withdraw more than $130 million. “Binance ensured that terrorists and other criminals could deposit and shuffle enormous sums on the exchange with impunity. To this day, there is no indication that Binance has meaningfully altered its core business model,” the suit alleges, adding that some of the identified wallets are still active. Legal pressures mount on Zhao and Binance While the other lawsuits Binance is facing in New York, Alabama, and Washington DC have focused on similar claims, the latest one has emerged as the most detailed case to date, with specific wallet addresses and transaction records cited throughout. Lawyers representing Binance have not denied or admitted any of the allegations so far and have reiterated that the exchange complies fully with “internationally recognised sanctions laws, consistent with other financial institutions.”.
https://crypto.news/binance-founder-changpeng-zhao-sued-over-1b-in-alleged-hamas-linked-transactions/

‘It’s a Miracle They Survived’: As Hostages Finish at Special Medical Unit, Lifelong Recovery Begins

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JERUSALEM, Israel After the October release of the remaining twenty live hostages from Gaza, they immediately received medical treatment and psychological care before being released to their families. However, that is only the beginning of their recovery. In a symbolic gesture, doctors at the Rabin Medical Center near Tel Aviv recently turned off the lights in their hostage care unit, as the last living hostage left for home. Professor Noa Eliakim-Raz told CBN News, “We have to be very careful, you know, to interpret pictures. It’s a bit more complicated than the pictures, of course. The minute they come back, the first thing we do is we actually see that there is nothing, you know, that there’s no emergency medical emergency or mental emergency.” During the last two years, doctors at the Rabin Center treated 40 returning hostages, including 5 of the last 20 that Hamas released in October. Eliakim-Raz admitted, “We hear terrible stories. We hear, really, stories that you can’t sleep at night after hearing, and some of them were kept in such small spaces they couldn’t even stretch out their hands. The food they were eating, or not eating, the variety everything affects their physical and mental state.” Professor Eliakim-Raz, who oversaw the unit at Rabin, said the medical staff had to learn and develop protocols as they went along. She noted, “And we built that. It’s new medicine. Of course, there is not a ‘hostages’ medicine. It’s not a field you learn in medical school.” The professor told CBN News that while doctors thoroughly checked their newly freed patients, just dealing with injuries from October 7th can revive the trauma, and just leaving the hospital is not the end of the journey. “Some of the returnees that returned more than six months ago are still going through medical procedures, surgeries. It can teach us about the situation; the fact that people are standing and smiling when they come back home is only a small part of the puzzle.” Alon Ohel spent two years in captivity after being wounded on October 7th, 2023. He did not receive treatment from Hamas and suffered harsh conditions in tunnels, including starvation. He recently returned to the hospital for orthopedic and “exceptional” eye surgeries. Professor Irit Bahar, chief of the Ophthalmology Department at the center, recalled, “The moment we realized that it might be possible to restore Alon’s sight, this was an emotional moment and a very remarkable one.” The surgery was a success. New York Physician Dr. Mark Siegel, an internal medicine specialist, told CBN News it’s a wonder the hostages survived. “They survive tremendous abuse, starvation, deprivation, dehumanization, injuries, broken bones, gunshot wounds, shrapnel, vitamin deficiencies, infections, respiratory infections, and diarrhea diseases, and being chained together and being mocked and tortured and abused, all of which, it’s a miracle they survived,” Dr. Siegel declared. And he stressed that the mental recovery takes longer than the physical. “Dehumanization, depersonalization, nightmares, severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder they’re being handled right now with kindness, with compassion. Their families are playing a huge role in nursing them back to health. The sensitivity that it takes to deal with someone in this condition is extremely important,” Siegel asserted. ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news from a Christian perspective.*** Professor Eliakim-Raz helped treat the mothers and a grandmother who came out as part of the first hostages’ release in November 2023. “The resilience and strength that these mothers showed is impossible to do or to capture,” she emphasized. She praised the creativity shown by the hostages to train their brains to learn things while in captivity. “You hear incredible stories about how they train themselves to keep track of time. They know to tell you exact dates and hours of things they did in captivity. And it’s unbelievable. Everyone held on to something that gave them hope,” Eliakim-Raz observed. She adds that the suffering the hostages endured can affect their health and lives for decades. “And you can see that, not only psychological influence, but also physical influences, like they have more heart disease, more dental problems, and even premature aging, even for decades forward,” she stated. “So the body remembers.” They will need to receive further care for years, with the goal of building resilience. “The main thing is to bring them back to their life,” Eliakim Raz insisted. “And the goals are very different. And then change from one to the other for one person, going back to life is running a family, and for the other, it’s playing the piano, and for the third one, it’s going back to the army.” Families play an essential role in the rehabilitation process. Eliakim-Raz likens it almost to giving birth. “They get this person back,” she explained. “They don’t really know what to expect. It’s learning each other again. They are different, and the returnees are different. The families change, too.” She shared that the medical staff felt privileged to work with the hostages. Her hope is that Israelis as a whole will learn from this crisis the importance of being a community and working together.
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2025/november/its-a-miracle-they-survived-as-hostages-finish-at-special-medical-unit-lifelong-recovery-begins

Israel confirms receiving the remains of a soldier killed in Gaza in 2014

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**Israel Receives Remains of Soldier Killed in 2014 Gaza Conflict, Closing a Painful Chapter**

*Tel Aviv, Israel (AP)* — Israel on Sunday confirmed it had received the remains of Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in the Gaza Strip in 2014, closing a painful chapter for the country.

Goldin, 23, was killed two hours after a ceasefire took effect during that year’s war between Israel and Hamas. His family waged a public campaign for 11 years to bring home his remains, and earlier this year, they marked 4,000 days since his body was taken.

Israel’s military had long determined that Goldin had been killed based on evidence found in the tunnel where his remains were taken, including a blood-soaked shirt and prayer fringes. Until now, his remains had been the only ones left in Gaza predating the current war between Israel and Hamas.

The remains of four hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023—which sparked the latest conflict—are still in Gaza.

**Significant Development Amid Faltering Truce**

The return of Goldin’s remains represents a significant development in the U.S.-brokered truce, which has faltered amidst the slow return of hostage bodies and skirmishes between Israeli troops and militants in Gaza.

Dozens gathered along intersections to pay their respects as a police convoy transported the remains to the national forensic institute. Later, many more gathered outside the home of Goldin’s parents. They noted the “many disappointments” faced over the years and emphasized that Israel’s military—and “not anyone else”—had brought their son home, an apparent criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At the weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu acknowledged the prolonged agony endured by Goldin’s family, stating the return would allow them to give him a Jewish burial.

Earlier this year, Israel also recovered the remains of Oron Shaul, another soldier killed in 2014.

**Jared Kushner Returns to Israel to Aid Ceasefire Efforts**

Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key adviser, has returned to Israel to help advance ceasefire negotiations, according to a source familiar with the matter who requested anonymity due to the visit not being publicly announced.

Kushner was a principal architect of Washington’s 20-point ceasefire plan. The deal, which took effect on October 10, centers on halting the fighting in its first phase, releasing all hostages, and boosting humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Details of the second phase—including deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and governing postwar Gaza—have yet to be finalized.

A source close to the negotiations shared that Kushner was working to secure safe passage for 150–200 trapped Hamas militants in exchange for their surrender of weapons after the release of Goldin’s remains.

Israeli media have previously reported that Hamas delayed releasing Goldin’s body, hoping to negotiate safe passage for militants surrounded by Israeli forces in Rafah.

However, Gila Gamliel, Israel’s minister of innovation, science, and technology and a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, told Army Radio that Israel was not negotiating any deal within a deal.

“There are agreements whose implementation is guaranteed by the mediators, and we shouldn’t allow anyone to come now and play games or reopen the agreement,” she said.

Hamas has made no public comment on a possible exchange for fighters stuck in the so-called “yellow zone,” controlled by Israeli forces, while acknowledging ongoing clashes there.

**A Mother’s Pain and Resilience**

Goldin’s family previously held what his mother, Leah Goldin, described as a “pseudo-funeral,” urged by Israel’s military rabbis. But the lingering uncertainty was like “a knife constantly making new cuts.”

Earlier this year, Leah Goldin told The Associated Press that returning her son’s body held deep ethical and religious importance, representing part of the sacrosanct pact Israel makes with its citizens who are required by law to serve in the military.

“Hadar is a soldier who went to combat and they abandoned him, and they destroyed his humanitarian rights and ours as well,” she said.

Leah also shared that her family often felt alone in their struggle to bring Hadar—a talented artist who had just become engaged—home for burial.

Following the October 7 attack, the Goldin family sought to help hundreds of families whose loved ones were taken into Gaza. Initially, they found themselves shunned as advocacy for the hostages surged.

“We were a symbol of failure,” Leah Goldin recalled. “They told us, ‘We aren’t like you, our kids will come back soon.’”

**Palestinian Remains Returned Amid Hostage Releases**

For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has reportedly released the remains of 15 Palestinians.

Ahmed Dheir, director of forensic medicine at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, said that the remains of 300 Palestinians have now been returned, with 89 identified.

The October 7 attack killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel—mostly civilians—and resulted in 251 people being kidnapped.

On Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza has risen to 69,176.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by independent experts.

—

*Copyright © Associated Press*
https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/israel-confirms-receiving-the-remains-of-a-soldier-killed-in-gaza-in-2014/

US warns of ‘imminent’ attack by Hamas on Palestinians that would violate peace deal

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The United States has informed the guarantor nations of the Gaza peace agreement about credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza. This planned attack on Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts.

“The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms,” the statement said.

The State Department also warned that if Hamas proceeds with the attack, unspecified “measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire.”

“The United States and the other guarantors remain resolute in our commitment to ensuring the safety of civilians, maintaining calm on the ground, and advancing peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the region as a whole,” the statement added.

Earlier this month, former President Trump secured a historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas, ending nearly two years of fighting.

In the first phase of the deal, the 20 living hostages held by Hamas since October 7, 2023, were freed, along with some of the remains of the 28 deceased hostages. In return, Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.

However, as Palestinian civilians have returned home over the past week, they have been met with increased violence from Hamas, which has maintained control over the Gaza Strip for years.

Graphic footage surfaced earlier this week allegedly showing Hamas terrorists executing Palestinians in a street in Gaza, as the group attempts to eliminate its political rivals.

### Hamas Executes Rivals, Cracks Down on Civilians in Post-Deal Gaza Power Vacuum

The disturbing footage prompted an immediate rebuke from Trump, who suggested that non-U.S. forces might be deployed if Hamas continues these executions.

“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” the former president said on Thursday.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/3856167/us-warns-imminent-attack-hamas-on-palestinians/

Two years since the October 7 massacre and the trauma is far from over – opinion

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Two Years Since the October 7 Massacre: The Trauma Is Far From Over

The calculated sadism inflicted on women and men, soldiers and civilians, young and old—entire communities—was unprecedented. Sexual violence was an intentional component of the enemy strategy.

Demonstrators hold signs against what they describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, at a protest in Jerusalem, November 27, 2023.
(Photo credit: REUTERS/DEDI HAYUN)

By ORIT SULITZEANU
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-869608

Two years since the October 7 massacre and the trauma is far from over – opinion

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Two Years Since the October 7 Massacre: The Trauma Is Far from Over

The calculated sadism inflicted on women and men, soldiers and civilians, young and old—entire communities—was unprecedented. Sexual violence was not incidental; it was an intentional component of the enemy’s strategy.

Demonstrators recently held signs protesting what they describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. The protest took place in Jerusalem on November 27, 2023.

(Photo credit: REUTERS/DEDI HAYUN)

By ORIT SULITZEANU
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-869608

Two years since the October 7 massacre and the trauma is far from over – opinion

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Two Years Since the October 7 Massacre: The Trauma Is Far from Over

The calculated sadism inflicted on women and men, soldiers and civilians, young and old—entire communities—was unprecedented. Sexual violence was not incidental; it was an intentional component of the enemy’s strategy.

Demonstrators hold signs protesting what they describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. The protest took place in Jerusalem on November 27, 2023.
(Photo credit: REUTERS/DEDI HAYUN)

By ORIT SULITZEANU
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-869608

‘Let her be a kid’: A girl’s life two years on from Hamas captivity

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‘Let her be a kid’: A girl’s life two years on from Hamas captivity

Avigail was just three years old when Hamas terrorists rampaged through her kibbutz, Kfar Aza. On that tragic day, her parents were among the 1,200 people killed in the attack.

Abigail Idan, who was taken hostage during the October 7 attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas, was later released. In a poignant moment captured on November 27, 2023, she smiles while sitting on the lap of her aunt Liron at Schneider Children’s Medical Center.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-869676

Majority of US Jews think Israel committed war crimes, 40% say guilty of genocide in Gaza – poll

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**Majority of US Jews Believe Israel Committed War Crimes; 40% Say Guilty of Genocide in Gaza, Poll Finds**

A recent Washington Post poll reveals that a majority of American Jews think Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, with 40% even saying that Israel is guilty of genocide. While many still place blame on Hamas for the ongoing conflict, support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military tactics has notably waned among this community.

The poll highlights shifting perspectives within the US Jewish population amid the escalating violence in the region. Despite generally condemning Hamas’s actions, an increasing number of respondents express concern over Israel’s conduct during the war.

In related developments, a person was seen observing a Yizkor ritual on Yom Kippur—the holiest day on the Jewish calendar—as a banner opposing Israel’s military action in Gaza hung in Brooklyn, New York City, on October 2, 2025.

*Photo credit: Adam Gray/Reuters*
*By JERUSALEM POST STAFF*
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-869406

Hamas signals partial acceptance of Gaza peace plan amid US pressure

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Hamas has expressed willingness to release hostages according to the plan’s “formula,” likely referring to the release of Palestinian prisoners. The group also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body. However, Hamas emphasized that aspects of the proposal concerning the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided based on a “unanimous Palestinian stance” reached with other factions and grounded in international law. Notably, the statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, a key Israeli demand included in former President Donald Trump’s proposal.

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### Trump’s Plan Aims to End Fighting and Secure Hostages’ Release

Donald Trump appears keen to fulfill pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack, which is approaching this Tuesday. His peace plan has been accepted by Israel and welcomed internationally. However, key mediators such as Egypt and Qatar have indicated that some elements require further negotiation, without providing specific details.

“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote on social media last Friday. “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”

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### Key Points of Trump’s Proposal

Unveiled earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump’s plan includes the following:

– Hamas would immediately release the remaining 48 hostages, approximately 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
– Hamas would surrender power and disarm.
– Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of Gaza territory.
– Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
– An influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction efforts would be allowed.
– Plans to relocate much of Gaza’s population to other countries would be shelved.
– The territory, home to around 2 million Palestinians, would be placed under international governance, overseen by Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

However, the plan does **not** provide a path for eventual reunification of Gaza with the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a key issue for a future Palestinian state.

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### Hamas’ Response and Palestinian Views

A Hamas official told The Associated Press that some elements of the plan are unacceptable and require amendment, without further elaboration.

While many Palestinians long for an end to the conflict, there is widespread skepticism toward this and previous U.S. proposals, which many view as strongly favoring Israel.

—

### Israel and U.S. Pressure on Hamas

Since ending a ceasefire in March, Israel has intensified pressure on Hamas by sealing the Gaza Strip off from food, medicine, and other essentials for two and a half months. It has also flattened large areas and displaced much of the population.

Before launching a major offensive aimed at occupying Gaza City, experts confirmed the city had slid into famine. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, yet hundreds of thousands remain.

Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, described displaced families sheltering in the parking lot of Shifa Hospital during a recent visit. “They are not able to move south because they just cannot afford it,” she said. “One family had three children, and the woman was pregnant with her fourth. There were many other vulnerable cases there, including elderly people and people with disabilities.”

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### Military Status and Hostage Negotiations

Trump claimed on social media that most of Hamas’ fighters are “surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED,” waiting for his command to be eliminated. “As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed,” he wrote.

While most of Hamas’ top leaders and thousands of fighters have been killed, the group still controls areas outside Israeli military control and continues to launch sporadic attacks against Israeli soldiers.

Hamas maintains it will only release the remaining hostages — its “sole bargaining chip and potential human shields” — in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has categorically rejected those terms, insisting Hamas must surrender and disarm.

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### Approaching the Second Anniversary of the October 7 Attack

On October 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, attacking army bases, farming communities, and an outdoor music festival, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 individuals, most of whom have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, run by the Hamas government, does not specify how many were civilians or combatants but states that women and children account for around half of the fatalities. The UN and many independent experts consider its casualty figures among the most reliable.

The ongoing offensive has displaced roughly 90 percent of Gaza’s population, often displacing people multiple times and rendering much of the territory uninhabitable.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations have attempted to end the fighting and facilitate the hostages’ return while providing extensive military and diplomatic support to Israel.

—

*This story has been sourced from third-party syndicated feeds and agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability regarding the dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Mid-day management and mid-day.com reserve the right to alter, delete, or remove content at their sole discretion and without notice.*
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/hamas-says-it-accepts-some-elements-of-gaza-peace-plan-after-trump-issues-ultimatum-23597149