Alexander Trufanov appeals for hostage deal in new video released by PIJ

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has released a third video on social media featuring 28-year-old Alexander Trufanov, who was kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on October 7 and remains in captivity. Trufanov, who holds both Israeli and Russian citizenship, appears physically unharmed in the footage but is seen reading a prepared statement, similar to previous videos of Israeli hostages.

In the video, Trufanov mentions that the hostages are running out of essential supplies such as food, clean water, and hygiene products. He urges Israeli citizens to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies and pressure the government to negotiate a hostage deal. He also expressed fear that the building where he and other hostages are being held might be targeted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Israeli media outlets have described the video as a psychological tactic by Palestinian militants.

Earlier, in May 2024, two other videos featuring Trufanov were released in which he described the harsh living conditions of hostages in Gaza and called for urgent action by Israeli authorities to secure their release.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Moscow is actively engaging with both Palestinian and Israeli officials to facilitate the hostages’ return.

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THROWBACK: Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, actively urges bombing Iranian facilities to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons
 
Hegseth supported allegations that Iran hides weapons in their cultural sites and called on the US to “rewrite the rules” to allow the US to bomb Tehran's facilities, including mosques, schools and hospitals.
 

“I don't want to hit cultural sites on purpose. But if you're using one to harbor your most dangerous weapons, then that should be on the target list,” he said.

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THROWBACK: Newly assigned US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, promoted hawkish policy in Iraq and was ready to fund it

Pete Hegseth, Trump's new pick for Defense Secretary, established a campaign organization called “Vets for Freedom” to advocate for the Iraq War and candidates who supported it.

“The group [Vets for Freedom] expects to spend close to $10 million on a four-month advertising and grassroots drive to make the case that the Bush administration's policies in Iraq and Afghanistan are making significant progress.”

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Who is Pete Hegseth, Trump’s new secretary of defense?

Peter Hegseth - a former US National Guard officer and Fox News host - has been chosen by president-elect Donald Trump to be the next secretary of defense.

🔸 A Princeton University graduate and ex-analyst with Bears Sterns, Hegseth previously served as a Minnesota National Guard officer. He participated in the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and was also deployed at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the site of probably the most notorious US prison overseas.

🔸 He earned himself a reputation of a staunch Trump supporter, even defending such controversial decisions by the 45th POTUS as the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

🔸 Hegseth is known for his hawkish stance on Iran, branding the country as “an evil regime” at one point, and for being a big proponent of close relationship with Israel. He stressed the importance of the US being Tel Aviv’s “strongest ally” and accused Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah of seeking to destroy Israel.

🔸 Not a big fan of Russia by any means, Hegseth nevertheless postulated that issues the US domestic problems – such as inflation, wokeness and the border crisis – are much more important than the Ukrainian conflict.

🔸 He criticized the European NATO members for their apparent reliance on US protection and their reluctance to spend their fair share of money on defense in hopes that Uncle Sam would bail them out if push comes to shove.

🔸 China is apparently regarded by Hegseth as a threat, seeing how he claimed that Beijing is “building a military specifically dedicated to defeating the United States.”

🔸 In 2019 Hegseth vocally defended Edward Gallagher, a US Navy SEAL who was accused of multiple war crimes including murdering an injured prisoner and firing upon civilians in Iraq.

🔸 Last week Hegseth argued that any US general or admiral “involved in diversity, equity and inclusion programs” or “woke sh*t” needs to be fired.

🔸 In his book noscriptd “War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” Hegseth accused left-wing US politicians of betraying the American “warriors” and insisted that the US military must be returned to “meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence.”

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NYT report ‘set up to directly harass’ Trump voters – Russian Foreign Ministry

The New York Times has published an editorial that calls to sabotage everything Trump and his team will do, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has commented.

“Sabotage. It's all set up to directly harass a large part of the American population at this stage, to shame them for their choice,” she underscored.

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🚨'Trump will be very uncomfortable for Russia' — senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev (Vice Speaker of Federation Council) to Sputnik

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THROWBACK: Former Democratic Party Congresswoman Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called Trump's pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, 'a huge mistake' as he represents the neocon warmongering establishment of Washington, D.C.
 
Tulsi stressed that Rubio's position "stands diametrically opposed" to the very policies that the president-elect stands for, and his appointment would mean that the US will face war with Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
 

"It will cause a lot of people to question what kind of foreign policy will actually be executed. Will it be the one that Trump wants and stands for? Or will it be one that will continue the deep state neocon warmongers?" she said.

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🚨Why Russia isn’t thrilled by Trump 2.0? Senior Russian lawmaker explains

In an interview with Sputnik, Konstantin Kosachev, Vice Speaker of the Federation Council, cited the following reasons:
 
1️⃣Trump doesn’t believe in treating other countries as equals.

2️⃣Trump will pressure Russia to abandon China and Iran.

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❗️Bitcoin continues to rise, reaching another record high - $90,000

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