Hamas is calling for three days of protest marches against Trump's transfer plan and the American takeover of the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri rejected Trump's ultimatum to release "all hostages" by Saturday:

"We are not afraid of his threats, they are worthless."

There are two-and-a-half days left until Trump's ultimatum expires - but Hamas has no intention of complying. "We will not release all the hostages next Saturday," Abu Zuhri said this evening in an interview with Al-Jazeera.

Rivers of red on Hormuz Island in the Persian Gulf. The island has a high concentration of iron oxide resulting in this natural phenomenon.

Hamas issued a statement last night noting that over 800 aid trucks had entered Gaza on Wednesday and attributing this to its threat to not release any Israeli hostages this week.

This is Hamas's way of saving face as it backs down and likely prepares to release the three Israeli hostages originally scheduled for this coming Shabbat (but not ALL the hostages, as demanded by Trump).

They want the local population to think that the threat worked, and that Hamas succeeded in twisting Israel's arm.

The truth is that aid trucks were already entering Gaza on a daily basis. Israel was not holding up any of the aid.

It is true that Egypt has deployed dozens of tanks to the Rafah border between the Sinai and Gaza.

4 times as many as permitted by the Israel-Egypt peace treaty.

But the assumption in Israel is that they are meant to keep Palestinians from flooding into Egypt, especially after President Trump said he’d like to resettle them there.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet meeting now with IDF Southern Command.

CONFIRMED: Israel suffered a major cyber attack this morning that brought down the credit card payment system nationwide.

💝 Tu BiShvat & Valentine’s Day – A Celebration of Love & Roots

In Israel, Tu BiShvat is more than just a holiday—it’s a celebration of our deep connection to this land. Just like the trees we plant, our roots run deep.

At the same time, Valentine’s Day is a reminder of the connections we cherish with the people we love. And love—like the trees of Tu BiShvat—grows stronger when nurtured.

May your love grow as strong as the trees on Tu Bishvat and be as warm as on Valentine's Day!

👉 Check out our Tu Bishvat gift sets with a 10% Valentine's Day discount!

Terrorists in Gaza this evening launched a missile, presumably at Israel. It landed inside Gaza.

The IDF responded by destroying the launcher.

Violence in Beirut as the Lebanese Army tries to break up a Hezbollah protest over the government denying a flight from Iran the right to land.

What or who is on that plane?

Israel is pressing for six hostages to be released in the coming days.

Intense pressure is being put on the mediators in the shadow of President Trump’s ultimatum.

But Israel is reportedly not pressing for all the hostages to be freed this weekend as Trump originally demanded.

According to Arab reports, a 14-year-old Palestinian child was killed by the faulty Hamas rocket launched at Israel today.

Hamas remains the biggest threat to its own people.

United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States Yousef al-Otaiba was asked what he thinks of Trump's plan to relocate the Palestinians of Gaza.

The Arab envoy indicated that he's not thrilled by it, but also that no one has offered a more viable alternative.

They might not like it, but Trump is normalizing the notion of "transfer" in the Israeli-Palestinian context, and those with their eyes open are beginning to see it's the only reasonable solution given the circumstances.

PEACE PRIZE FOR TRUMP?

Four top Israeli scientists, including three Nobel laureates, offered to "enthusiastically" nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he can secure the rapid release of all remaining Israeli hostages.

“Send someone fast. They’re going to kill me!”

Arabs attack the vehicle of a Jew who made a wrong turn into the Issawiya neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Why taking over and developing Gaza makes economic sense for America👇

https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/gaza-takeover-will-be-a-godsend-for-america/

❗️Tense hours ahead

US hostage envoy Adam Boehler tells Fox News that Hamas backed down and will release 3 Israeli hostages tomorrow because of President Trump's threats.

But, Trump has lost his patience with Hamas, and that might not be enough.

Asked if Trump's ultimatum that ALL remaining hostages be freed now, Boehler said:

"That’s the current message of the president United States."

He noted that there are still 76 hostages in Gaza, including 7 American citizens, and that Trump expects a quick release process, not a drip-drip process that drags on for months.

"I hope that Hamas is hearing loud and clear from the president of the United States that they’ve got to address that issue immediately."

According to the terms of the deal, Hamas is supposed to send by 4pm today the names of three hostages to be released tomorrow.